Oklahoma faces some “tough” decisions

For Oklahoma City’s fans-to-be, the issue of whether the Seattle SuperSonics will actually relocate to the Sooner State is apparently no longer a matter of if but when.

Aside from a few little hurdles (the fact that the Sonics’ majority owner, Clay Bennett, is being sued by Starbucks mogul Howard Schultz, the City of Seattle and hundreds of season ticket holders), Oklahoma City’s fans are steadfast in their dedication to a team they don’t quite have yet.

The question they’re now attempting to answer: Varsity gold and black or just gold and black?

Kasey Moody, a 23-year-old from Duncan, Okla., has begun the arduous task of designing a new jersey for the Sonics, or whatever Seattle’s former NBA franchise will be called, according to NewsOK.

Moody, who tinkers with graphic design when not working at a golf club, has created a jersey style that is picking up steam.

“I don’t know what it is,” Moody told NewsOk. “It just looks good.” 

Along with the new look, an Oklahoma newspaper began a contest to see who could come up with the best team name. The four nicknames that could make the cut include the Thunderbirds, Barons, Thunder and Outlaws.

It seems curious that a name like the Outlaws would bode well for a league like the NBA, which has had its fair share of image problems.

But then again, allowing Bennett to relocate the Sonics from the 12th-largest media market to the 40th could help NBA commissioner David Stern rescind that image — by minimizing its reach. 

Meanwhile, in Seattle, not much is stirring.

Fans and legislators continue to shield their eyes and ears when the topic of taxes and sports comes up.

“Let someone else foot the bill,” seems to be the mindset, as if some teeny tax on rental cars and restaurants in Seattle, which is being used to pay off Safeco Field and Qwest Field, has actually made a dent in their checking accounts.

Seattleites are apparently not willing to part ways with that extra fraction of a penny for their Dick’s burgers.

Lucky for Kevin Durant, the fans in Oklahoma City are not only OK with it, they’re all too willing.

So on a day when the Sonics could wind up winning the NBA Draft Lottery and basically the rights to Derrick Rose or Michael Beasely, I ask: Have you reserved your 2009 Mariners season tickets yet?