By Sam Amico
ProBasketballNews.com
My heart aches for pro basketball fans in Seattle.
All they can do is sit…and watch…and wait for their team to leave. And as corny as it sounds, I know it has to hurt.
I know because I’ve been there.
I know because I grew up a die-hard fan of the
NFL’s Cleveland Browns.
I know because the Browns provided my dad and
I with the chance to spend quality time together.
I remember those Sundays of my youth, when
my family would go to church, grab a quick lunch,
and then my dad and I would take our seats in front of the television right before kickoff.
I remember planting myself in the same spot on the same couch every week, thinking it would bring the Browns some much-needed luck. I remember my dad’s reclining chair, and how huge it seemed to me back then. He didn’t just sit in the chair -- it was more like he was swallowed by it. I remember how he often dozed off at halftime, waking just in time for the third quarter.
I remember a lot of bad bounces, how the greatest plays in Browns history were usually made by the other team.
I remember how the Browns were like a bad nicotine addiction, how each game probably took five minutes off our lives -- yet we watched anyway, week after week, season after season. They were OUR team, and it was OUR misery. It was our time together.
I knew watching the Browns with me meant a lot to my dad, and looking back, at least as much to me.
Then suddenly, they were no more. Gone. Like they had vanished into thin air.
I remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach when former owner Art Modell talked about needing a new stadium, how he implied the city and fans were to blame for his decision to move the team to Baltimore.
I remember wanting to put my foot through the TV set every time I saw Modell’s face. I remember the pain when the following season started, and the Browns’ old stadium just sat there -- empty. I remember my dad angrily calling Modell a “sneak.”
I remember not understanding all the talk about sales tax and renovation, all the hints and allegations and theories of conspiracy.
I know now that sports and teams sometimes mean a lot to parents and their children. Heck, Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto even wrote an entire book about it (“Our Tribe”), which provided some of the inspiration for this very newsletter.
I thought about all of this when attending a recent Sonics game in Cleveland, when I saw a young man and his father sitting courtside and proudly sporting the Seattle Green and Gold. They smiled, they ate popcorn, they cheered rookie Kevin Durant’s every move.
They didn’t seem to care that they were in enemy territory, or that the team is in a rebuilding stage and not very good. They seemed to take solace in the fact there‘s hope for the future.
Only for Sonics fans, that future no longer exists.
BUSINESS, AS USUAL
Today, Sonics owner Clay Bennett is set to move the franchise to Oklahoma City. He cites the need for a new arena as the reason.
The city has said it is willing to “renovate” the arena, but NBA commissioner David Stern told reporters, "I would say that as far as we know, the footprint of (Seattle’s KeyArena) is at present time not viewed as adequate to support what's necessary going forward."
All Bennett needs to secure the move is approval from the rest of the league‘s owners, and he will get it soon.
This is not meant to be an indictment of Bennett. I’ve never been in Seattle’s arena and I’m no expert on the subject. I can’t tell you he’s wrong.
But I do agree with Denver coach George Karl, who told TNT that the entire issue makes him “mad at the business end of basketball.”
I do listen to Charles Barkley, who told the TNT audience that Boston Garden, Chicago Stadium and KeyArena were the toughest places to visit as an opposing player. “When I played for the Suns, that place was…WOOF,” Barkley said.
And I do feel for Sonics fans, who after 41 years of supporting this organization, are feeling demoralized.
Meanwhile, Bennett has said he is willing to leave behind the Sonics’ team nickname, colors and logo for the possibility of a future franchise.
The same thing happened with the Browns -- and even though they‘ve pretty much been pro football’s version of the Los Angeles Clippers since they’ve returned, it does mean something to still be able to call them by name, to sit in the Dawg Pound, to look at those ugly orange helmets with nothing on them.
Mostly, Bennett will be leaving behind a lot of memories. In the business world, that doesn’t mean anything, and it probably shouldn’t.
In the business world, it’s always about the bottom dollar.
But in the real world, the world of fathers and sons and families and their teams, none of it makes any sense -- nor does it take away the pain, anger and confusion Sonics fans will be feeling for quite some time.
SINGING ABOUT THE SIXERS
I admit, every season I use the newsletter as a vehicle to hop on another team’s bandwagon. Two years ago it was the Phoenix Suns (still love ’em), and last year it was the Golden State Warriors (ditto). This season, I’ve finally picked a team from the Eastern Conference -- that being none other than the Philadelphia 76ers.
I know, I need professional help.
But seriously, how can you not love this year’s Sixers? They’re scrappy, they play as a team in the truest sense, they’ve practically been willing themselves to victory over more talented opponents as they make a surprising run to the playoffs.
And how can you not love watching Andre Miller play the point guard position EXACTLY as it’s meant to be played, or swingman Andre Iguodala soar to the basket on his way to stardom?
I especially enjoy the Sixers’ younger players, such as guard Louis Williams and rookie forward Thaddeus Young.
Then there’s the underrated coaching of Maurice Cheeks, who reminds me very much of Lenny Wilkens -- a former star point guard with a quiet demeanor who gets the most from his lineups.
Cheeks knows more than how to just relate to his players, who love playing for him. He’s also a crafty strategist.
I recently talked to him about the Sixers’ surprising season, and how much of it has to do with the aforementioned younger guys.
Cheeks perked up when answering, almost as if he were a proud parent.
“They’ve developed a great deal this season, and it’s obviously been a big key for us,” he said. “We saw Louis’ development last season. That’s when he really started to come on, and he’s taken that to another level this year.”
As for Young, Cheeks said, “His attention to detail has gotten better with each game. I like him because he really wants to learn.”
Cheeks added, “You can say the same thing about them as you can for any young player -- that sitting there watching is nothing compared to being out on the floor. To be out there, making mistakes, learning, and just being part of the game gives you a lot more growth than sitting on the sidelines. Our younger guys have proven that.”
For more on the Sixers, check out my one-on-one interview with Andre Miller on ProBasketballNews.com by clicking here.
RANDOM STUFF
* I recently ate dinner with two NBA scouts who said they have actually been impressed with the New York Knicks lately -- or more accurately, the Knicks’ second stringers (who have suddenly become first-stringers). “They’re playing very loose, having fun,” one scout said. Added the other, “Guys like (Renaldo) Balkman, (David) Lee, (Wilson) Chandler and Nate (Robinson) play with a lot of pride and should be kept around no matter who’s running the team next season.” The scouts were equally impressed with shooting guard Jamal Crawford.
* Raise your hand if you predicted the Atlanta Hawks would make the playoffs this season. But believe it, because the Hawks currently own the No. 8 spot in the East. You can credit the acquisition of Mike Bibby and the ongoing stellar play of All-Star Joe Johnson, as well as the super season had by Josh Smith. Even Cleveland’s LeBron James has been impressed. “They definitely are one of the more athletic teams,” he said. “They’ve really bought into what Coach (Mike) Woodson is teaching.”
* Inside the bowels of Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena, near the locker rooms, are murals of former Cavs such as Mark Price, Austin Carr, and many others. Campy Russell is featured on the wall right across the visitor’s locker room. During a recent visit to Cleveland, New Orleans center Tyson Chandler stopped long enough to place his hand on the painting of Russell’s face. Then he said to a teammate, “See? He looks like (Andre) Iguodala, doesn‘t he?”
* Lakers fans have to be at least a little concerned. In their last three games, all at home, the Lakers have lost to Charlotte, lost to Memphis, and had to go to overtime to beat Washington, which was playing its fourth of a five-game West Coast swing. Then again, you can’t be too worried as long as Kobe Bryant’s in uniform. Bryant isn’t worried, that‘s for sure. "We're doing this without two starters (Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum)," he told reporters. "It's been an adjustment period. I think guys have adjusted well. With all the injuries, we're still one game behind the top seed in the Western Conference. You got to like our spot."
NEWSLETTER UPDATE
In response to many e-mails, I just wanted to take a moment to say that, yes, the newsletter is still going strong (and if you’re reading this, you already know that).
But with so many other writing commitments (read: ones that actually pay), the Amico Report hasn’t been nearly as easy to publish this season.
Still, the goal remains to send it out once a week. But even if that goal isn’t meant, I can tell you that I will at least try.
After all, we’ve been doing this for six years now, and as a Lane Staley of Alice in Chains once sang, “Ain’t found a way to kill me yet.” So here we all are.
And as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.
PBN UPDATE
Even more of you have e-mailed to ask what’s up with Pro Basketball News, and why I returned to publishing the site after my brief stint at HOOPSWORLD.
Well, the short answer, again, is other writing commitments. I found that I couldn’t devote the time to HOOPSWORLD that I initially had hoped for -- the time I wanted to put in for such a quality site. I did, however, realize I had enough time to write stories to post on Pro Basketball News after taking about a month off.
FINAL THOUGHT
If you have any other questions about the newsletter or PBN, or just want to talk basketball, e-mail me at amico@probasketballnews.com. I will try to respond to each one, and at the very least, will answer them in the newsletter or on the site -- assuming you include your FULL NAME and preferably, hometown, in your letters.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the final two weeks of the regular season. As far as I’m concerned, the playoffs have already begun!
