Today is one of those days where I’m not proud to be a sports fan.

Today the Seattle SuperSonics and over four decades of history and tradition are now officially just that. History and Tradition.

They’re gone because current ownership bought this team with the intent of taking them to their hometown of Oklahoma City. And they were able to do it because the Seattle area had the gall to actually vote down a public referendum on a half billion dollar showplace to replace “aging” Key Arena. I mean, how dare the good folk there do that considering their taxes had already been used to:Spend 74.5M$ to completely renovate it in time for the 1995-96 season(they had been forced to play in Tacoma the previous season due to the work.)

Spend 517M$ to build Safeco Field for the Mariners(who of course used the threat of moving if the taxpayers didn’t pony up)

Spend another 300M$ to build Qwest Field for the Seahawks(also under a very real threat of moving - see Behring, Ken.)

So lets see, get shaken down again to leave a building that opened in its current state just one season prior to the opening of HSBC Arena here in Buffalo. That’s an obsolete venue???

Of course the voters the new arena proposal down(to say nothing of current economic times), and of course the new Oklahoma ownership(and Commissioner scumbag Stern) knew this would happen. Thus handing ownership an excuse to bolt and helping to grease the skids to do so.Last ditch efforts to save the team did come into play after it became apparent that things were out of hand. Microsoft bigshot Steve Ballmer suddenly wanted to buy(sorry, not for sale. Where were you in ‘06?) And the city of Seattle sued to force the Sonics to honor the lease at Key Arena through its conclusion in 2010.

Which leads us to today, as the city and the Sonics came to a monetary settlement of 45M$ so the Sonics could buy out the remainder of the lease and bolt for Oklahoma ASAP. Why this happened is a mystery considering that many legal experts believed that the city had a strong case against the Sonics, and a win in court could have given the city two more years to possibly frustrate slimeball #1 Sonics owner Clay Bennett into selling the team to local interests.

Still out there is a lawsuit filed by former Sonics owner and Starbucks magnate Howard Schultz, claiming that Bennett violated terms of sale by not negotiating in good faith to keep the team in Seattle by bolting for OKC just one season after purchasing the club.

Just one thing Mr. Starbucks….you really weren’t that naive. Were you???? I mean, how exactly did you build one of the preeminent franchise chains of this generation thinking like that? You ain’t got a chance in hell of winning that one. I gotta admit though, that’s a pretty smooth PR move.

So off go the Slimeballs to Oklahoma City. Gone with it: the first major pro sports franchise to call Seattle home. The only one to bring Seatlle a title(1979). The franchise that gave made Lenny Wilkens into a Hall of Fame player and coach. Shawn Kemp was known only as a player on the court in Seattle, and what a player he was. Tom Chambers winning the All-Star Game MVP at the Kingdome……The Glove- Gary Payton….Jack Sikma’s hair. Could go on and on.

And to think folks, as we debate the economic viability of pro sports in the future in our own city. Seattle is a booming city,12th largest market in America with corporate megagiants such as Starbucks, Boeing, and Microsoft to name a few. A city that plays in modern, state of the art venues all built or renovated in the mid 90’s or later. A city that has all the ingredients to keep(or steal) a franchise in today’s day and age.But none of those factors could save the Sonics. I shudder as to what could happen here.

I leave it with a couple more youtube clips…..

the ear splitting hysteria of Key Arena during pregame intros during the 1996 NBA Finals. For my money, the strains of Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell” was the best intro song EVER. And also a clip of the final home game as fans plead to “Save our Sonics”.

-Peter Farrell

Seems like people are all aflutter about Sully’s recent column bemoaning the corporate stadia/arena naming craze. Knowing the rest of the Buffalo sports blogosphere as I do, the reasons had to be because of the article’s content and not its author. Right???

(snickering heavily)

Got me thinking though. Just how good is the average sports fans’ knowledge of stadium names in today’s day and age? The venue building boom of the last decade or so has left many a fan’s head spinning concerning the amount of names one has to remember, and that’s not including venues that have had multiple names thanks to corporations being bought out and reemerging under new titles.

With that in mind and being that sports venue gurus that we are, I throw out a little trivia quiz of “Name That Venue”. I’ll name fifteen or so venues, and it’s your job to figure out where they are located(and preferrably who is the main tenant’s’). Email me with the answers(at right).

One rule: stay the hell off our USRT site/blog for answers! Work for this one, pleeeeeeeze.

Prizes…. knowing that you’ve got a better memory than Sully. Isn’t that enough????

Note - The venues listed below are located in metro areas that currently hosts at least one of the four major pro sports leagues. One is home to a college team. One is in a former major league city, and another is located in a city that may soon join that club. Have fun with it:-).

A. Energy Solutions Arena
B. MTS Centre
C. American Airlines Center
D. AT + T Park
E. Comcast Center
F. McAfee Coliseum
G. FedEx Forum
H. LP Field
I. Ford Center
J. Sprint Center
K. Jobing.com Arena
L. Miller Park
M. Quicken Loans Arena
N. Rexall Place
O. Target Center

Bonus - What was the first corporate name of Gilette Stadium(Foxborough)?

-Peter Farrell

Yes, there was contact.

Yes, the shot was altered as a result.

No, the whistle should not have been blown, and thankfully wasn’t.

To have done so would have taken the outcome of the game out of the hands of the players, and into the whistle of the officiating. At this level, and this far into the postseason that simply cannot happen.

The Spurs had 47 minutes and 57.9 seconds prior to that possession to change the outcome of said game. They couldn’t.

And someone tell me this, while Brent Barry was having a great game coming off of the bench(23 pts), what in the world was he doing with the ball in his hands with the game on the line. The lineup for San Antonio in that last possession had Finley, “Big Shot” Bob Horry, Duncan, and Ginobili. This is the last guy I want with the ball there.

And whatever happened to “home team plays for the tie, road team goes for the win” philosophy? They couldn’t have dumped it in to Duncan? Who on LA would stop that guy close to the basket?(Hell, another three point attempt couldn’t have been worse.)

So the Lakers are up 3-1. And the Spurs have plenty of reasons to blame themselves for it. Start with blowing a 20 point third quarter lead in Game 1, continue with Ginobili’s battles through pain making him a non factor for three of four games, and quite frankly the Lakers have outhustled the Spurs and made the effort plays that decide a series winner(ahem, offensive rebounding).

But don’t think this series ends tommorow night. I just can’t see the Spurs rolling over and dying, there’s too much talent and a lot more pride in these guys to see them going any way but quietly.

Some Eastern Conference material……

Isn’t it great to see teams win on the road? The Conference Finals have seen as many road team wins(3) as in all of the Conference Semis. Oh, not really on Eastern note….sorry.

Is it me, or have the Celtics been flat ever since racing out to a big lead in game 3 on Piston soil? I wonder if they felt like it was “mission accomplished” after that win and didn’t perform in Game 4 as a result. A dangerous attitude that is against Detroit, especially since they’ve already taken a game on Boston’s floor in this series.

Doc Rivers just won’t give up on Sam Cassell will he? A part of me can’t blame him after he saw some flashes of his old brilliance in this series. The guy has hit clutch shots in the postseason for several clubs going back to day OJ was in a low speed police chase in his white Ford Bronco. Doc…pssst, find time for Eddie House. Just sayin’.

I know we tend to bitch about annoying PA guy for the Bandits, but the guy doesn’t hold a candle to the Palace’s “Mason”. I’d stay away from Pistons games if I lived in Michigan, and I love hoops.

Stuckey has filled in admirably for the hobbled Chauncey Billups. But make no mistake, Billups will be needed to push the Pistons past the Celtics. He’s probably the Piston’s best clutch shooter.

Joe Dumars….Isiah Thomas. Backcourt mates in as players. So how do two guy’s front office careers go to completely opposite ends of the spectrum?? I mean, no one would have noticed if Isiah drafted Milicic. He’d be just another pile on the scrap heap.

And by the way Brent, I thinks your old man would have nailed that shot(underhanded too).

For years and years now, the New Jersey Nets have been slated to move to Brooklyn, to a new showcase arena named the Barclays Center.

The timetable for all this to happen has been pushed back again and again and again, and now new lawsuits, combined with the ongoing credit crunch, threatens to derail the entire project, according to today’s New York Times article.

Meanwhile, Nets owner Bruce Ratner is playing footsy with New Jersey Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek and other interests in Newark. Could the Nets end up as the second tenant in the Prudential Center, when all is said and done?

This one’s for all the diehards out there paying close attention to the NBA Playoffs.

Yeah, me and the other three of you out there. OK, maybe four or five.

For the past week or so I’ve done the following: Work in the daytime, come home and watch hoops until I go to sleep late at night. Little if any Stanley Cup Playoffs for me (just tell me how the Sharks are doing as I’ve got them in the pool), no visits to the downtown ballpark, and setting records for fastest click of the remote control to NBA TV anytime I hear or see the words “NFL Draft” coming out of my HD set.

Week one of the “most wonderful time of the year” is in the books and your unofficial(self appointed is more like it) WNYM NBA postseason correspondent is here with some offbeat commentary on the games that were. Maybe somewhat of an awards ceremony, if you will.

The “Why Home Court Matters” Award.

The Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were manhandled in their first two games in Boston in losing by an average of twenty one points and were looking exactly like a young team with a losing record that hadn’t been to the postseason in nine years.

Enter Philips Arena into the equation and my oh my how quickly things change. The youthful Hawks overran the Celtics playing with a bundle of enthusiasm and energy led by the rim rattling exploits of Josh Smith. And voila! We have a series(maybe)! Tip of the hat as well to Michael Bibby for doing the nearly impossible and making the series interesting after calling out Celts fans for being “bandwaggoners”. Uh, Mike…you’re playing in the king city of bandwagon sports fans. Just sayin’

The “Hello America, Now You Know Who I am!” Award.

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets. Chris has had an impressive career thus far in winning the ROY award in 2006 and has been mentioned as a prime MVP candidate this season with LeBron, Kobe, and KG. But let’s face it, spending your NBA career in Oklahama and New Orleans isn’t exactly going to get the word out about yourself, and not making the playoffs adds to that as well.

Enter Games 1 and 2 in New Orleans as Paul scores 69 points dished out 27 assists in two routs of the Dallas Mavericks and in the process completely outclassed future HOF point guard Jason Kidd. Paul leads a outstanding Hornet team that is solid in nearly all facets of the game. Shooters? Peja Stojakovic. Muscle underneath? Tyson Chandler, David West. Bench? Jannero Pargo, Bonzi Wells. If the Hornets stay together in the future, look out!

The “Funniest Moment of the Playoffs” Award.

This may be the best highlight of an otherwise dull series.

Honorable mention to Philips Arena going without the shot clock for much of the second half in game 3. Those time clock operators probably date back to the franchise’s days at Memorial Auditorium. (Yes, THAT Memorial Auditorium!) Speaking of the Aud….

A moment of silence to remember the passing of Darrell Garretson. He was a longtime NBA official working games for nearly thirty years also serving as NBA Supervisor of Officials for years as well.

But here in Buffalo he will always be the man whose whistle effectively ended the Braves 1974 season in Game 6 of their series against the Boston Celtics. His foul call on Bob McAdoo as time ran out in regulation of a tie game sent Jo Jo White to the free throw line for the series ending free throws. Very likely the most infamous referee whistle ever blown in Buffalo. Ever.

The “Ummm, Remember Us???” Award.

The San Antonio Spurs. Amidst all the hype of the stacked Western conference, the surging Lakers w/ Gasol… The reworked Suns w/Shaq… The Cinderella story in New Orleans…the 22 game win streak in Houston, the Spurs were admitttedly somewhat lost in the shuffle. The winning of the first two games of the Suns/Spurs series did help a bit, but it wasn’t until they annihilated the Suns on the road in Game 3 that eyebrows were raised. The Spurs raced out to a huge lead in the first quarter and never looked back with Tony Parker lighting up the LED board with 41 points. On another note….

The “Why You’ll Never Be Amongst the All-Time Greats” Award.

Shaquille O’Neal. Anybody who gets fouled intentionally at points of the game outside the final two minutes of play probably gets this award. But really, we’ve been hearing about this guy’s weaknesses at the charity stripe since the days of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and O’Neal is still a basket case when it comes to free throws.

That door you just heard slam shut could be one of two things(if not both). 1: The Suns’ championship window of opportunity, or 2: Steve Kerr packing his goods in Phoenix and headed back to being a televsion analyst.

The “Trends I Find Most Disturbing” Award.

Two share this award. First is the “fans wearing same color Tshirts for the playoffs” promotion that is sneaking its way into the NBA. Two major problems with this. One, this is a hockey thing, it simply doesn’t look right anywhere else and lets hope the trend doesn’t spread to the NFL or MLB. Also only the color white is acceptable. There have been some pretty hideous colors in the stands this past week taking focus away from the action.

Another trend somewhat unique to hockey is the whole “we gotta send a message to the other team” crap. In basketball it has appeared in the form of a hard and cheap foul in the final moments of a blowout. There couldn’t be a more utterly useless waste of energy than seeing Brendan Haywood knock LeBron James to the floor towards the end of Game 2, ditto Hornets/Mavs Game 3(the combatants’ names escape me right now). Leave that hockey stuff where it belongs.

The “We’re Trying to Build a Winner Like the Ottawa Senators Circa Late 90’s-00’s” Award:

The Toronto Raptors. If you love a bunch of stereotypical finesse Euros bombing three’s from the perimeter with Chris Bosh as the token inside guy, well then you’ve found nirvana at the Air Canada Centre. Carlos Delfino, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon(k, he does have some toughness in him) and Jason Kapono(well he’s got a Euro sounding name!) fire away from downtown. When the shots go in, its a joy to watch. Otherwise….bleccchhh!

The “So THAT’S What Became of That Guy” Award:

Jameer Nelson. Remember him? The leader of the St. Joseph’s basketball team in ‘04 that had an undefeated regular season and wound up being the consensus player of the year? There he was Saturday in Toronto jamming the dagger into the heart of the Raptors season in scoring 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter on the way to giving the Magic a 3-1 series lead.

Runner up - JJ Redick, riding the end of the bench for the same Orlando club.

The “Schizophrenic, Playing to the Level of Our Competition Team” Award:

The Detroit Pistons. Is this the team that won fifty nine games during the regular season? Or is it the team that gave the lowly Knicks their two brightest moments of the season in defeating the Pistons twice? Seems like we’ve been seeing more of the latter here.

On a good note, an upset of the Pistons may be a good thing. If nothing else hoops fans won’t have to be treated to the ear-splitting - nails - screeching - across - the blackboard sound of the Pistons PA guy. DEEEEEEE-TROIT BAS-KET-BALL!!!!!

The “There’s a Reason I Haven’t Said a Word About This Series” Award.

The Utah Jazz/Houston Rockets.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz…..

No, I’m not insinuating that this has been a dull series and quite frankly far from it. The Z’s signify what I was doing when Houston rallied to win game 3 and Memo Okur made a critical rebound late in game 4. A novel concept would have been to have had at least ONE of these games begin prior to 10PM ET during this series.

Well, that wraps up this edition…..see ya as the playoffs progress!!!

The NBA Seattle Supersonics and Oklahoma City have reached a preliminary agreement on a lease at the Ford Center pending NBA approval of the team’s relocation. The 15-year deal calls for the SuperSonics to pay the city US$1.6 million annually for use of the building and reimburse $409,000 per year to replace revenue from naming rights for the arena currently paid by local Ford car dealerships.

The NBA will hold a meeting on April 17 to give final approval to the move, then the only question will be when the relocation will take place. The Sonics’ lease at Key Arena in Seattle runs through the 2009-10 season.

Meanwhile, a $100-million renovation to Oklahoma City’s Ford Center is set to begin in June. It will be a three phased upgrade, with concourse and public areas first on the list, then construction of a “grand entrance” and finally loading dock and other infrastructure improvements.

One thing that won’t be going From Seattle to OKC is the team nickname, and that runs contrary to NBA tradition. If you look at recent NBA franchise moves, team names have stuck — KC/Sacramento Kings, the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies, the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, the New Orleans/Utah Jazz, the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets. QUICK! What is the last NBA franchise which changed its nickname when it shifted cities?

Give up?

The year was 1978, when the Buffalo Braves were reborn as the San Diego Clippers.

Back in Seattle, the newest vision for a replacement arena to eventually lure an NBA or NHL team to the city is the Emerald City Project, a multi use facility with a retractable roof arena as its centerpiece. The idea is to fund it privately, but the bigger challenge might be finding the land to build this.

The USRT visited Oklahoma City in 2006 and we had a kick ass time! It was the NO/OKC Hornets at the Ford Center, and a side visit to Bricktown Ballpark. Even if the team moves by next season, right now we’re sort of thinking of holding off our return visit until fall of 2009 - tie the trip in with the Dallas Cowboys new NFL stadium, and by then the Ford Center renovations should be taking shape nicely.

The NBA Orlando Magic has released new information and renderings of their new downtown arena, scheduled to open for the 2010-2011 season.

The Orlando Sentinel provides all the poop you want to know.

USRT history was made on this Sunday December 2.

For the first time ever, we attended two NBA basketball games on the same day… in the same venue no less.

There was lots going on in the sports world in L.A. on day 2 of our journey… USC was hosting Kansas in mens basketball at the new Galen Center, while UCLA was hosting Texas at Pauley Pavilion, a game which Andrew was lobbying to go see.

But in the end we wound up spending the day downtown at the Staples Center, where the headline game that evening was the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Orlando Magic.

First up at Staples would be the JV game featuring the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers.

We entered the arena about an hour prior to game time bracing for the worst in customer service thanks to previous experiences here and seeing metal detectors at the entrances did nothing to dissuade that notion. Things changed quickly though when the first usher we saw asked me to wish a fellow usher a happy birthday. Hmmm…cheery, friendly game day staff at Staples???? Huh?? That set the tone for the day in that department and really there was nothing to be concerned about from that end from there on out. (We just had to be certain to clear our pockets before entry).

Walking around the concourses at the “Clip Joint” never ceases to amaze me. The idea that a club like this, with its history of constant on and off court ineptitude from the time Paul Snyder sold this team to John Y. Brown can STILL have any kind of diehard loyal fan base is mind boggling. Yet here I was amidst thousands of people decked out in red/white/blue Elton Brand, Shawn Livingston jerseys…et al. I have to wonder, are these people truly Clipper fans? Or are they people that simply hate the Lakers for whatever reason?

Yes there was someone wearing a Buffalo Braves tshirt as well(ahem, ahem) and as usual got noticed for it. Also never a surprise while traveling….running into the Buffalo expat at the game, it always happens and yes I wore that Braves shirt to bring those people out of the woodwork.

The game itself was exciting and competitive as the Pacers broke a deadlock at 88 late in the fourth quarter to win 101-95. Jamal Tinsley was an absolute terror from the perimeter scoring 10 of those points down the stretch.

Mind you we were being interrupted(gladly so) by constant updates of doings at FedEx Field, and we apologize to the fans who sat directly in front of us as we screamed with delight after seeing the final score from there while in the middle of nondescript action on the court. So we left the building happy unlike most of the 13,741(yeah right) others.

Our downtime was spent wandering around the arena and cringing about all the new development around and about…and when it was time to stop bitching we settled into a nice tavern(Riordan’s) a couple blocks away to catch the end of the 4 o’clo…errr…1 o’clock games and see Missouri get screwed out of a BCS bid. From there it would be time to catch “The Lake Show”….the varsity game…Lakers v. Orlando(NBA’s best record) Magic.

Just like the skies above Staples Center changed from day to night, so were the in game experiences between the Clippers and Lakers. First off, there would be a full house for this event and that alone created an energy that blew away the matinee. Then came the pre game festivities, with a pair of “goosebump” video montages reminding all who are in attendance that not only are the Lakers the big team in LA, but also one of the most glorified, successful franchises in all of sports dating back to their days in the Twin Cities. The images of Mikan, Baylor, West, Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Shaq, Kobe…also the great moments….Horry…Fisher beating the clock…West from three quarter court. Great to watch with much of it using the voice of Chick Hearn in the background.

Interesting note, the second montage was done by hanging huge white sheets over the center video board that hung to the court with the video projecting on them.

But onto the game. It was tight early on Kobe decided that it would be time to put on a show….back to back to back threes followed by an incredible…how…the…heck…did…he…reach…that…high…to….bring…one…in…catch and slam of an alley oop pass to make it 21 -11 Lakers(more to the point, Kobe 12, Magic 11). Watching him work reminded me why I love this game more than any other, despite the ineptitude of the Knicks.

But the Magic aren’t one of the league’s elite for nothing, and like the JV game earlier broke open a tie game late in the fourth quarter to win 104-97(Hedo Turkoglu playing the role of Jamal Tinsley in this one).

So once again the Lakers pay for treating us like such crap on our first visit. We’ve seen them live five time in four different venues, and they lost all five.

Parked the car @ 11am, hopped back into it at 9:15 pm and off to our couches in La Casa de French on the outskirts of San Diego. We won’t be attending any more sporting events until the Sabres come to Anaheim on Wednesday so you may not hear from us until then…or maybe you will. In either case….stay tuned!

Well, we’re at it again folks! The USRT is off on a weeklong visit to the West Coast to catch some college football, Sabres hockey, and NBA hoops, some of which has its roots back in WNY. Ostensibly I’m heading out to see my sister/husband and newborn nephew but c’mon….who the heck are we kidding!

Posting this now while we’re in the Vegas International Airport being delayed(no shock) while laying over on the way to San Diego.

Schedule lines up as follows:

Sat 12/1: 4:30 UCLA/USC @ LA Coliseum
Sun 12/2: 3:30 Pacers/Clippers
9:30 Magic/Lakers….both @ Staples Center
Wed 12/5 10:00 Ducks/Sabres @ Honda Center
Thu 12/6 10:30 Kings/Sabres @ Staples Center

Check back for daily updates and then some as we enjoy kinda, sorta sunny California…..

Hmmmm….still delayed….wonder if I should hit the slots here in the terminal. Nah….

I guess every town has this type of self absorbed looney tune. As I’m sitting here in the Orlando Airport waiting for my flight back to Buffalo (terminal free wifi-ed…nice), I come across this story in the Orlando Sentinel. A hotelier named Harold Rosen has an issue with the idea of major capital investments to build a new performing arts center, basketball arena and major improvements to the Citrus Bowl.

Hotelier Harris Rosen’s petition drive is a flop so far, and time is running out for the millionaire businessman to put a downtown sports-venue referendum to voters on the Jan. 29 ballot….Wednesday was Rosen’s self-imposed deadline to turn in the about 31,000 petitions needed to get a referendum to the ballot. But so far, only 1,215 have been certified.

“I don’t think we’re going make it,” said Steve Braun, a Rosen employee leading the drive. “It’s been very difficult.”

Well here’’s the problem Mr. Braun… Like the kooks, branch davidians and assorted macadamias blocking progress here in Buffalo, when you hold a minority viewpoint, that’s what you are… a minority. And you can file all the lawsuits, send out press releases and bully people to your heart’s content, but at the end of the day everyone wants you to just go away.

After three years of politicking, city and county leaders here in Orange County put aside historic animosities and approved a plan to build a $480 million arena and $425 million performing-arts center, plus $175 million in Citrus Bowl renovations back in summer. If plans move according to schedule, the NBA Orlando Magic would be playing in their new digs in 2011.

The 2007-08 NBA schedule was posted yesterday, and in years past we would dissect it with glee as we plotted out USRT adventures. But not as much now.

Nonetheless, we slotted in an Orlando Magic game at TD Waterhouse Centre Amway Arena on Tuesday, March 25, since we’ll be down there anyways for an NCAA basketball subregional in Tampa and visits to a few spring training sites.

Next is the thought of returning to Madison Square Garden to see a Knicks game, but no firm date has been set.

But the most intriguing idea comes on Sunday, December 2. We’re out in California all that week to catch the Sabres as they swing through Anaheim and LA. As it turns out, the LA Clippers host the Indiana Pacers at 12:30 that day in the Staples Center. Later on, the LA Lakers take on the Orlando Magic, with a 6:30 tipoff time.

An NBA doubleheader on the same day in the same venue? That would be a USRT first!

Here is a link to the complete NBA schedule.

It’s been a long battle down in Orange County, but their leaders finally gave the green light to a $1.1-billion dollar plan to build a new arena, performing arts center, and major upgrades to the Citrus Bowl football stadium.

The biggest component, a $480-million new arena to serve as the new home of the NBA Orlando Magic, is slated to open in 2010.

More from the Orlando Sentinel.

It’s coming down this Sunday.

Charlotte Coliseum was the venue for TWO official USRT visits… In January, 2001 we visited to see the NBA Charlotte Hornets; the Hornets eventually departed for New Orleans, but the city got an exapnsion team two years later. In November, 2004 we returned to see the Charlotte Bobcats take to the court in their one season at the old Coliseum, before moving to their new downtown arena the following year.

HERE is our venue profile.

The Washington state legislature has given a flat out “NO” to a proposal to raise $300 million in various taxes to fund a new arena in suburban Renton for the Seattle Supersonics.

The righteous and moral owner Clay Bennett is now prepping himself to deliver a big “fuck you” to his fan base in Seattle and might move the team, reportedly to Oklahoma City, in time for the 2008-09 season.

More from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

French fries and gravy with melted cheese curds… gotta eat ‘em with a fork!

Available at concession stands throughout the Air Canada Centre.