Tuesday, April 15, 2008

We Support the Seattle Sonics

The distance between Seattle and Miami is about as far as you can go in the 48 connected states, and it's certainly the greatest distance between current NBA arenas. According to Mapquest, these would be the directions from the American Airlines Arena in Miami to Key Arena in Seattle:

1: Start out going NORTH on US-1 N/ BISCAYNE BLVD toward NE 8TH ST. 0.3 miMap
2: Turn LEFT onto NE 11TH ST. 0.2 miMap Avoid
3: Turn RIGHT onto NE 1ST AVE. 0.1 miMap Avoid
4: Merge onto I-395 W via the ramp on the LEFT. 0.5 miMap Avoid
5: Merge onto I-95 N via EXIT 1B toward FT. LAUDERDALE. 9.2 miMap Avoid
6: Keep LEFT to take FLORIDA'S TURNPIKE N via EXIT 12A toward SR-826 W (Portions toll). 266.1 miMap Avoid
7: Merge onto I-75 N (Crossing into GEORGIA). 300.5 miMap Avoid
8: Merge onto I-475 N/ GA-408 N via EXIT 156 on the LEFT toward ATLANTA. 15.4 miMap Avoid
9: Merge onto I-75 N (Crossing into TENNESSEE). 179.0 miMap Avoid
10: Merge onto I-24 W via EXIT 2 on the LEFT toward CHATTANOOGA/ NASHVILLE (Passing through GEORGIA, then crossing into TENNESSEE). 137.3 miMap Avoid
11: Keep RIGHT to take I-24 W via EXIT 211B toward CLARKSVILLE/ I-65 NORTH/ LOUISVILLE. 4.8 miMap Avoid
12: Keep LEFT to take I-24 W via EXIT 88B toward CLARKSVILLE (Passing through KENTUCKY, then crossing into ILLINOIS). 176.3 miMap Avoid
13: Merge onto I-57 N via EXIT 44B on the LEFT toward CHICAGO. 52.2 miMap Avoid
14: Take I-64 W toward ST LOUIS (Crossing into MISSOURI). 74.1 miMap Avoid
15: Merge onto I-70 W toward KANSAS CITY. 242.4 miMap Avoid
16: Merge onto I-435 N via EXIT 8B toward DES MOINES. 31.1 miMap Avoid
17: Merge onto I-29 N via the exit on the LEFT toward ST JOSEPH (Crossing into IOWA). 159.0 miMap Avoid
18: Keep RIGHT to take I-29 N via EXIT 1A toward SIOUX CITY (Crossing into SOUTH DAKOTA). 184.6 miMap Avoid
19: Merge onto I-90 W via EXIT 84B toward RAPIDS CITY (Passing through WYOMING, MONTANA, and IDAHO, then crossing into WASHINGTON). 1527.0 miMap Avoid
20: Merge onto I-5 N via EXIT 2C. 2.0 miMap Avoid
21: Take EXIT 167 on the LEFT toward AQUARIUM/ SEATTLE CENTER. 0.7 miMap Avoid
22: Turn RIGHT onto FAIRVIEW AVE N. 0.1 miMap Avoid
23: Turn LEFT onto VALLEY ST. 0.2 miMap Avoid
24: VALLEY ST becomes BROAD ST. 0.4 miMap Avoid
25: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto HARRISON ST. 0.1 miMap Avoid
26: End at 305 Harrison St Seattle, WA 98109-4623 Map

Estimated Time: 48.0 hours 53 minutes Estimated Distance: 3363.52 miles

So let me ask a simple question: How is it that we can reside nearly 3500 miles away, yet value Seattle's right to THEIR franchise more than the NBA, the Sonics ownership group, and the Seattle city government combined?

We in South Florida are no strangers to the concept of relocation. If you remember, the Miami Fusion were even contracted! If the Marlins had moved, I would have been devastated.

Even though it probably doesn't mean all that much, we want it to be known how strongly The South Florida Fan feels about the terrible injustice taking place, and that we offer our services in any way to help. Let's keep the Sonics in Seattle!

Note: Please see our follow-up solution!

11 comments:

Chris Meirose said...

We appreciate your support!

Big Chris
Staff at http://sonicscentral.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks.

Any letters from Heat fans to Mickey Arinson urging a "no" on relocation vote (unlikely I know) or delay or negotiated settlement (might have some chance) would be great.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for your support Miami! It's nice to know people outside of Seattle get what's really going on here.

ASponge said...

Later tonight, I'll put up a post with addresses for contacting the Heat/Arison about relocation. At least Marc Cuban says he's voting against.

As far as our support...it reminds me of the famous poem about the Holocaust:

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."

This isn't just a Seattle problem, and we all need to speak up.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your support. I (and we) really appreciate it in Seattle. We need more people like the Heat fans to help us out!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the kind words South Florida. The guy wanted a 500 million Taj Mahal and only wanted to contribute funds from naming rights while a meager remodel in OKC is perfectly fine. To move a team as entrenched as the Supes because of this is bad for the NBA on so many different levels.

The guy never felt compelled to negotiate with Seattle, he just felt ownership and becoming Stern's little buddy would permit a move. And where did David Stern's good sense disappear to. I had no idea he permitted people to lie to him as long as he received flowery e-mails.

Good luck to you guys getting a MLS team. I thought it was ass backwards to have a Miami named team based in a city that has its own proud soccer tradition. I thought there were prospective stadium plans in an area college. With the Rowdies tradition and Orlando's world cup viewing ratings, there should be a team somewhere in the state.

Anonymous said...

You guys rock. Thank you so much for the support!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your support!!!!

JSponge said...

The Sonics leaving Seattle reminds me of the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn in the 50's. Some people just never got over the trauma of losing their childhood idols and memories. Let's all support the Sonics and the bond that the team has with Seattle. It would simply be a travesty for them to abandon their birthplace!

ASponge said...

I am proposing a solution here:

http://thesouthfloridafan.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-help-seattle-keep-their-sonics.html

Everyone, let's at least give this a try.

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot man.
The Sonics fans appreciate your support.