Sonicsgate: Requiem for a Team on CNBC Friday and Sunday

[clarknova]

A few years ago a local group put together a documentary film about the Seattle Sonics and the relocation to Oklahoma City. The film received a lot of attention and is now being shown in a condenced 1 hour version on CNBC Friday and Sunday night.

Whether you're a fan of basketball, were a fan of the Sonics or just a Seattle sports fan. I consider this movie to be a must see. For those that don't understand the vitriol directed at Howard Shultz, local and state government, former mayor Greg Nickels, and NBA commissioner David Stern- This movie explains everything. It's not just about basketball, it's about sports teams, money, and the egos of the powerful. If you're a fan of a sports team, you can't help but relate. If you put yourself in the place of the Sonics fans, pretending it's your team, the Mariners for instance and imagine what that process would feel like... It's pretty powerful. It's also a really well done documentary film that has a lot of good historical background on Seattle sports franchises and the history of professional sports in our area.

I encourage everyone to watch it Friday, Sunday, or in it's entirety (full version) on the Sonicsgate website:

http://www.sonicsgate.org/

I watched it again last night (about he 4th time I've seen it), and I felt sick to my stomach again. Even after all these years, it's painful to re-live.

I think it's great that it's getting national attention, and should be embarrasing to the NBA at the very least. The released private email exchages between the commissioner and Clay Bennett are put best by local whiny radio host and annoying Cougars fan "Go To Guy" Jim Moore: "I thought it was pretty f&%*ed up!"

Watch it if you haven't.

[JosephC]

It's very painful to relive. I've heard about it and would love to watch it, but I don't have a TV. What exactly does the film cover? Is it filmed as a documentary about the people behind the move?

[clarknova]

It's available in it's entirety free online at the link above. That's how I've watched it. The full movie is also on youtube.

The film mostly covers the cause and effect of the Sonics moving to Oklahoma City. More specifically it goes in detail into the shrewd moves by some rich and powerful people. From Howard Shultz selling the team to the highest bidder knowing full well that they would probably try to move the team just to spite the local governement and taxpayers because they wouldn't build him a stadium, to David Stern snarkily allowing the Sonics to leave so that he could give his (way to close of a) friend Clay Bennett his very own NBA team.... It's got it all. It goes quickly through the history of all the Seattle franchises and the history behind the construction and destruction of Seattle's stadiums. It doesn't focus too much at all on the guys who made the documentary. It's a pure documentary of the fall of a 40 year franchise and the kick in the gut to the fans. Just a well done film on top of it all.