Thunder karma

[RecycleMichael]

I would like to think that one of the reasons that the OKC Thunder team sucks so much is because they call themselves "OKC" instead of "Oklahoma". They did receive lots of tax dollars from the whole state, but decided to selfishly name themselves after only the town.

The team is the worst in the NBA. having only won one game out of their first seventeen.

[TURobY]

It is a shame, but I haven't taken a bit of interest in the team, and neither has anyone that I know.

They doomed it from the beginning for exactly the reason that you are saying.

[grahambino]

quote:Originally posted by TURobY

It is a shame, but I haven't taken a bit of interest in the team, and neither has anyone that I know.

They doomed it from the beginning for exactly the reason that you are saying.

Really...if they were called the "Oklahoma Thunder" you'd just be whining that there were no games scheduled in Tulsa.

Question, are there are no Kansas City Chiefs fans in Wichita?  No Green Bay Packers fans in Milwaukee?  No Chicago Bears fans in Springfield?  No Denver Broncos fans in Colorado Springs?

Oh wait.  Maybe the citizens of these places aren't immature, petty & saddled with an inferiority/superiority (tailored to the issue, of course) complex.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by grahambino

quote:Originally posted by TURobY

It is a shame, but I haven't taken a bit of interest in the team, and neither has anyone that I know.

They doomed it from the beginning for exactly the reason that you are saying.

Really...if they were called the "Oklahoma Thunder" you'd just be whining that there were no games scheduled in Tulsa.

Question, are there are no Kansas City Chiefs fans in Wichita?  No Green Bay Packers fans in Milwaukee?  No Chicago Bears fans in Springfield?  No Denver Broncos fans in Colorado Springs?

Oh wait.  Maybe the citizens of these places aren't immature, petty & saddled with an inferiority/superiority (tailored to the issue, of course) complex.

Has nothing to do with that.

Has everything to do with:

1. The team being marketed as a statewide team.
2. The team being granted state tax breaks for operation here, yet OKC lawmakers screech and whine when we ask for state funds to keep a hospital from shuttering up.

Present a better argument then the 'inferiority complex' rubbish.

[RecycleMichael]

It is the tax dollar thing for me.

Millions of Tulsa dollars going to the team means they should have been more cognizant of the attitude of the rest of the state.

The way it is now, they are called OKC and they are the losingest team in the league.

Call me whatever name you want. OKC equals loser on this one.

[cannon_fodder]

Tax dollar thing for me too.  $60,000,000+ over the next 7 years (something like that).   I'd complain if Tulsa used equal tax money from OKC for such a thing.  A total abuse of the "jobs" program as entertainment was specifically prohibited (circulation of money from one entertainment source to another generally, not an inflow).

I do admit to having a minimal interest in the NBA anyway.  But the tax thing, no marketing to Tulsa, and what appears to me an attempt to exclude Tulsa and the rest of the state gives me reason to actively avoid the team.  I don't think I'm just being bitter.

My guess:  the team leaves when the tax incentives and cheap arena rent goes away.  Hope I'm wrong for the sake of OKC.  Competition for city atmosphere down the turnpike might wake Tulsa up sooner or later.

[grahambino]

People to blame:
67 - Lamons
68 - Benge (SPONSORED THE BILL!!)
71 - Sullivan
77 - Proctor
79 - Watson
23 - Tibbs

and guess what? All the above who voted Yay were rewarded with reelection last month.  So, yeah, we apparently like to vote against our own-self interest & then b*tch and moan about it when it happens.  

I see some high-profile Oklahoma City area reps. voting Nay on this bill, Kern, Terrill, Wesselhoft...

So yeah, keep blaming the team & the ownership of the team.
Instead of the majority of Tulsa House reps. that voted in favor of (one sponsoring) the bill.  SB1819.

[sgrizzle]

As far as I can tell they branded the team OKC and that is the only place they marketed it. I haven't seen a single commercial or much of anything else other than some can koozies at Target. They should have players on the road all over the state doing PR tours, signing autographs, etc.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by grahambino

People to blame:
67 - Lamons
68 - Benge (SPONSORED THE BILL!!)
71 - Sullivan
77 - Proctor
79 - Watson
23 - Tibbs

and guess what? All the above who voted Yay were rewarded with reelection last month.  So, yeah, we apparently like to vote against our own-self interest & then b*tch and moan about it when it happens.  

I see some high-profile Oklahoma City area reps. voting Nay on this bill, Kern, Terrill, Wesselhoft...

So yeah, keep blaming the team & the ownership of the team.
Instead of the majority of Tulsa House reps. that voted in favor of (one sponsoring) the bill.  SB1819.

Since when have elected officials in this state actually represented their constituency?

Keep trying...

BTW, how many season tickets do you own?

[grahambino]

quote:Originally posted by Hoss

quote:Originally posted by grahambino

People to blame:
67 - Lamons
68 - Benge (SPONSORED THE BILL!!)
71 - Sullivan
77 - Proctor
79 - Watson
23 - Tibbs

and guess what? All the above who voted Yay were rewarded with reelection last month.  So, yeah, we apparently like to vote against our own-self interest & then b*tch and moan about it when it happens.  

I see some high-profile Oklahoma City area reps. voting Nay on this bill, Kern, Terrill, Wesselhoft...

So yeah, keep blaming the team & the ownership of the team.
Instead of the majority of Tulsa House reps. that voted in favor of (one sponsoring) the bill.  SB1819.

Since when have elected officials in this state actually represented their constituency?

Keep trying...

BTW, how many season tickets do you own?

This is not about me.  
So, enough with your red herrings.

Blame the reps. & senators that obviously don't represent you or your tax money.  They're the ones shipping it down the 'pike.  

Furthermore, I am not the one whining and wishing ill-will on a team b/c i'm bent out of shape over the name, either.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by grahambino

quote:Originally posted by Hoss

quote:Originally posted by grahambino

People to blame:
67 - Lamons
68 - Benge (SPONSORED THE BILL!!)
71 - Sullivan
77 - Proctor
79 - Watson
23 - Tibbs

and guess what? All the above who voted Yay were rewarded with reelection last month.  So, yeah, we apparently like to vote against our own-self interest & then b*tch and moan about it when it happens.  

I see some high-profile Oklahoma City area reps. voting Nay on this bill, Kern, Terrill, Wesselhoft...

So yeah, keep blaming the team & the ownership of the team.
Instead of the majority of Tulsa House reps. that voted in favor of (one sponsoring) the bill.  SB1819.

Since when have elected officials in this state actually represented their constituency?

Keep trying...

BTW, how many season tickets do you own?

This is not about me.  
So, enough with your red herrings.

Blame the reps. & senators that obviously don't represent you or your tax money.  They're the ones shipping it down the 'pike.  

Furthermore, I am not the one whining and wishing ill-will on a team b/c i'm bent out of shape over the name, either.

Still didn't answer my question, so I'll assume at least one then.

[:O]

And I'm not whining; but if a corporation is going to market itself as statewide, and use statewide funds, then where is the statewide presence?

What I thought.

[cannon_fodder]

I do blame my reps.  Always have.

I can not really "blame" the company/ownership group for taking as much money as they can get.  It is good business.  But that does not mean I have to support it either.

[waterboy]

Tulsa fans are bitter no doubt. They prefer to support TU sports. The idea that the team would receive more support statewide had it been named for Oklahoma rather than OKC doesn't seem reasonable to me. In fact, it seems petty. Yes, we helped pay for it but OKC is the cash/money brand, not Oklahoma. They aren't losing games because of their location. They have good fan support for a new team in a poor state.

[bugo]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

Tulsa fans are bitter no doubt. They prefer to support TU sports. The idea that the team would receive more support statewide had it been named for Oklahoma rather than OKC doesn't seem reasonable to me. In fact, it seems petty. Yes, we helped pay for it but OKC is the cash/money brand, not Oklahoma. They aren't losing games because of their location. They have good fan support for a new team in a poor state.

I compare the situation to teams like the Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Utah Jazz.  First some population stats:

Indianapolis metro population: 2 million
Indiana state population: 6.3 million
Minneapolis-St Paul metro population: 3.5 million
Minnesota state population: 5.2 million
Salt Lake City metro population: 1 million
Utah state population: 2.6 million
Oklahoma City metro population: 1.25 million
Oklahoma state population: 3.6 million

Oklahoma City is a small market for an NBA team.  Teams that are named for the state rather than the city usually are in small markets.   And these teams are located in states with only 1 NBA team (Golden State Warriors are a notable semi-exception.)  And you might want to disregard the Minnesota stats, because it's possible the team is named Minnesota instead of Minneapolis is because nobody wanted to leave out St Paul.  Minnesota knows how to get the entire state behind their teams (Timberwolves, Twins, Vikings.)  The Thunder need the entire state, and they turned their back on almost 2/3 of the state.  I've never lived in OKC and I've only been there a handful of times, so I have no ties with the city.  However, I do have ties with the state of Oklahoma because I live here now and I grew up right on the state line.  And since I have no ties to OKC, I see no reason to support their team (their bland, generic logo doesn't make me want to support them either.)

And I'm not even from here, so while I think I understand the OKC-Tulsa rivalry, I don't have any long-standing biases (other than thinking that Tulsa is a far nicer city than OKC) like natives sometimes have.

[waterboy]

What strikes me with those figures is that the cities' population represent from 1/3 to 1/2 of the state populations. OKC is also 1/3 of the state pop. The difference then is scale. We are a smaller market and it will take some time build identification with the team.

Making it a state team just won't make much difference. No amount of pandering to Tulsa or the rest of the state would change the dynamics of consumerism in Oklahoma. The north eastern part is dominated by Tulsa and Kansas City, the southern half is dominated by OKC and Dallas. Smaller communities tend to travel to the larger ones for deeper choices in spending. Here's where the friction comes in. Their market is larger and yet we make it a personal, emotional, ego issue. If Tulsa were to jump on the wagon for supporting the Thunder there would be little argument left that there is no reason for passenger train service between the two cities. Business between the two areas would demand more convenience. Thats why highways are built between smaller communities like Pryor and Tulsa. But we keep arguing that we deserve it by fairness. Or legality or because we're prettier, smarter and more cosmopolitan. I just don't think thats going to work.

OKC is following nature, we're cursing it.