OKLAHOMA CITY (Ticker) -- Oklahoma City's new NBA franchise has nicknamed itself the Thunder, according to a report Saturday on the web site of the city's ABC affiliate.

Citing a source close to team ownership, KOCO-TV reported that the "registrar for all of the NBA's Internet domain names were reserved okcthunderbasketball.com and okcthunderbasketball.net on July 10," suggesting that the franchise formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics will soon be renamed.

The franchise left the Pacific Northwest after an ugly court case ended with an agreement between the team and the city of Seattle, which released the club from its lease at KeyArena - the crux of the disagreement.

In the court case, the city of Seattle had been seeking to hold the owners of the Sonics to the remaining two years of the team's KeyArena lease and Sonics' season-ticket holders also filed a class-action lawsuit that contended they were tricked into buying tickets under the belief that the team would be staying in the Pacific Northwest.

Sonics majority owner Clay Bennett and his ownership group alleged the team was losing money at KeyArena, thereby necessitating a likely move to Oklahoma City.

However, the Sonics and the city of Seattle came to an agreement on July 2, just hours before a district court judge was to issue a verdict on the six-day trial.

As per the agreement, the Oklahoma City franchise agreed to leave the Sonics' name, logo and colors behind for a potential future NBA franchise in Seattle.


http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=12474

The Oklahoma City Thunder. That sounds so minor league. I still can't get used to saying the New Orleans Hornets.

The Oklahoma City Thunder. That sounds so minor league. I still can't get used to saying the New Orleans Hornets.
Moving from Seattle to Oklahoma City sounds like a step down to minor league too.

Moving from Seattle to Oklahoma City sounds like a step down to minor league too.

I know, I don't see Oklahoma City as a pro basketball kind of town, but we will see.

I don't really mind the name. It is weird that they are moving from a bigger market to a smaller one though.

Moving from Seattle to Oklahoma City sounds like a step down to minor league too.
It does. :lol:

The Thunder?....it's the WCW reject!

Oklahoma City has the BEST FANS in the country


Has everyone forgotten the season the hornets played there? 2005-2006? There fans were Great and I'm glad they are getting a NBA Team

That name doesn't sound so great.

I have no idea how much "thunder" they get in Oklahoma City, but there has to be a better, more relevant name. Or at least one that flows better off the tongue than Oklahoma City Thunder.

"Outlaws" seems like a name that fits better both with the old west history and the whole flow of the name.

Oklahoma City has the BEST FANS in the country


Has everyone forgotten the season the hornets played there? 2005-2006? There fans were Great and I'm glad they are getting a NBA Team


Maybe I missed it, why are they the BEST FANS?

Maybe I missed it, why are they the BEST FANS?


They are enthusiatic
They are supportive
They are positive
They stay to the clock says zero

...One thing I was encouraged to do at one point: Don't judge the crowds (in terms of size, energy, etc) until after the Sooners' football season is over. That'll make a huge difference. Through the end of the calendar year, it's Sooners and then whatever else. But once football's over with, all those crazy Sooner fans have to find another outlet for themselves.

Not great, but maybe it will grow on me. Are they going to have a rain cloud as a mascot?

Let's see how the crowds stand up when the team is below 500 for a couple of years...

dlemond, that's true but Utah has NO jazz what so ever. i dunno what a laker or knick is, i don't see many timberwolves in minneapolis and **** a trail blazer. most nba names are stupid. utah should be, the utah mormons, no offense to yall residing there.

Not great, but maybe it will grow on me. Are they going to have a rain cloud as a mascot?

Let's see how the crowds stand up when the team is below 500 for a couple of years...


They support their team regardless of their record that's why I think the best sports in the country

That name doesn't sound so great.

I have no idea how much "thunder" they get in Oklahoma City, but there has to be a better, more relevant name. Or at least one that flows better off the tongue than Oklahoma City Thunder.

"Outlaws" seems like a name that fits better both with the old west history and the whole flow of the name.
Yeah, Thunder doesn't seem relevant to Oklahoma at all. Maybe they should have had a contest to pick the new name or something.

Oklahoma City has the BEST FANS in the country


Has everyone forgotten the season the hornets played there? 2005-2006? There fans were Great and I'm glad they are getting a NBA Teamme too

I sense sarcasm in the building. Best fans?

I sense sarcasm in the building. Best fans?


Watch a Sonics game this season and you will see how passionate the oklahoma city fans are about their team

There fans were Great and I'm glad they are getting a NBA Team

...but at the expense of another, bigger town that loves basketball and that has supported the team for 42 years.

"Thunder" would have been a more apt name for Seattle, I think.

That name doesn't sound so great.

I have no idea how much "thunder" they get in Oklahoma City, but there has to be a better, more relevant name. Or at least one that flows better off the tongue than Oklahoma City Thunder.

"Outlaws" seems like a name that fits better both with the old west history and the whole flow of the name.

Actually, according to ESPN, the name "Outlaws" came in second. It was the fans who chose the name Thunder.

...but at the expense of another, bigger town that loves basketball and that has supported the team for 42 years.

Well said

...but at the expense of another, bigger town that loves basketball and that has supported the team for 42 years.

"Thunder" would have been a more apt name for Seattle, I think.


Well it's not the Oklahoma city fans fault the sonics are no longer in seattle

Well it's not the Oklahoma city fans fault the sonics are no longer in seattle


No, but it doesn't make sense to move a team from a bigger market to a much smaller one.

I hate it when teams relocate, especially if their is still a great fan base still in that city.

I hate it when teams relocate, especially if their is still a great fan base still in that city.


Exactly, I mean I understood why the Expos moved from Montreal, but this was just greed.

Exactly, I mean I understood why the Expos moved from Montreal, but this was just greed.

Exactly. Clay Bennett bought the team from Howard Schultz knowing full well he was going to let all the good players go, make a very unreasonable demand to build a brand new stadium (even though the state payed a good chunk of change to renovate Key Arena in 1995, and Key Arena is a perfectly good venue), and move the team away if the goal wasn't met.

Bennett knew from the get-go he was going to move the team to OKC, and Schultz should have known that when he sold the Sonics to him, no matter what he's claiming now. Why would a firm based in Oklahoma City keep a team in Seattle?

Bennett, Schultz, and David Stern should all be ashamed.

I'm going to miss my team :(. Oh the memories. Going to Sonic's games back in '96 were the highlight of my youth.

Sorry, littlebelle, and other Sonics (um, I mean "Thunder") fans. I'm glad they are gone. That should probably tell you that I'm not a native Seattleite, huh? I got so sick of reading about the Sonics complaining about the state of Key Arena and so forth. I even heard that if they had been forced to play out the rest of their contract that they weren't going to play well. Um... weren't? :confused: :rolleyes: I kind of figured they would end up in Oklahoma City anyway.

Hope you guys don't hate me for saying all of that. I'm just not a Sonics fan. Never even went to a game!

Andrea

PS: Don't kill me but I think it's cool that they are called the "Thunder"! BTW, we don't get much "thunder" here, so it might not have fit!:) As for the mascot, the Sonics mascot is actually a sasquatch, and I read that he's also going to Oklahoma City, so we'll see what happens!

Yeah. Believe it or not they used to not be horrible at all. I guess the only reason why I have a place for them in my heart is because I'm a Seattle native.

I just don't like teams moving like that. I'm a Cowboys fan and if even the Giants, Redskins or Eagles all of a sudden would move, I'd be angry. Part of the reason sports is so good is it develops rivalries among cities. I'm not an NBA fan although I used to watch some games and I know Seattle always had great fans. I'm sure you'll all get a team back. At least they let you keep your history which is more than most cities get. Hopefully your wait won't be too long.

At least they're not taking away my SEAHAWKS!

SAVE OUR SUPER SONICS! hehe.



http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3749/l96b5f377acecb1372d2b36ti9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3749/l96b5f377acecb1372d2b36ti9.605be9ee48.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=147&i=l96b5f377acecb1372d2b36ti9.jpg)

Is that you in the picture, LB?

Is that you in the picture, LB?


No, it's my friend. It's taken at a local park.

Last weekend when our plane was landing at Seatac Airport from Vegas, I looked out the window and saw one of the airport workers sitting on a luggage truck with a huge Sonics logo on it! I'm sure those logos will be around for a long time!

Yep. Most people that were really into the Sonics are boycotting Starbucks!

Yep. Most people that were really into the Sonics are boycotting Starbucks!
I can certainly see that happening! No wonder they are having so many problems! Imagine, people in Seattle boycotting COFFEE! Never thought I'd see the day! :lol:

Andrea

I can certainly see that happening! No wonder they are having so many problems! Imagine, people in Seattle boycotting COFFEE! Never thought I'd see the day! :lol:

Andrea


It's only the really big sports fans. Most people in Seattle (like myself) can't go a day without their daily Starbucks run.