Oklahoma's NBA team makes the playoffs!

[road runner]

seed doesn't mean anything. did you look at the west?

seeds 2-8 were all like mostly tied, with all of them at 50 or 52 wins.

There's no doubt the Thunder is the scariest team in the league, and also no doubt the Lakers were very afraid when they drew the Thunder.

You may be right that the Lakers take it, but it will not be in 6 - IF they even take it. Watch the game on tv and tell me that team doesn't excite you. ...

[Hoss]

seed doesn't mean anything. did you look at the west?

seeds 2-8 were all like mostly tied, with all of them at 50 or 52 wins.

There's no doubt the Thunder is the scariest team in the league, and also no doubt the Lakers were very afraid when they drew the Thunder.

You may be right that the Lakers take it, but it will not be in 6 - IF they even take it. Watch the game on tv and tell me that team doesn't excite you. ...

It excites OKC fans.  Not me.

[RecycleMichael]

Tulsa isn't paying for anything, those tax breaks just mean the state isn't collecting as much as it could.

Yes. I understand.

Do you understand that the state just cut every state department budget by 10%? Do you understand that every school district in the state is having to fire teachers because of lack of state revenue?

The tax breaks given to your basketball team (not mine) has dramatically hurt my child's education.

You have fouled out. Leave the forum.

[fotd]

Yes. I understand.

Do you understand that the state just cut every state department budget by 10%? Do you understand that every school district in the state is having to fire teachers because of lack of state revenue?

The tax breaks given to your basketball team (not mine) has dramatically hurt my child's education.

You have fouled out. Leave the forum.

Michael, you sound like Boss Hog.

Don't scapegoat the Thunder, vote the politicians out of office who have hurt public education.

Thunder Up! 8:30.

[fotd]

Great game tonight! Go Thunder....beat the Lakers at Home! See ya Fryday back at FORD CENTER! maybe we will be up 3-2....

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the real deal! This is the best athletic team in the history of pro sports in OKlahoma and we have a bunch of sad whiners here in TULSA. Get real...and get with it!

[Hoss]

Great game tonight! Go Thunder....beat the Lakers at Home! See ya Fryday back at FORD CENTER! maybe we will be up 3-2....

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the real deal! This is the best athletic team in the history of pro sports in OKlahoma and we have a bunch of sad whiners here in TULSA. Get real...and get with it!

Have fun; I won't root for them.

[Oil Capital]

Yes. I understand.

Do you understand that the state just cut every state department budget by 10%? Do you understand that every school district in the state is having to fire teachers because of lack of state revenue?

The tax breaks given to your basketball team (not mine) has dramatically hurt my child's education.

You have fouled out. Leave the forum.

One presumes you are also boycotting Whirlpool and all other companies that are "dramatically hurt[ing your] child's education" in precisely the same way...  (which is to say, not at all)

[Hoss]

One presumes you are also boycotting Whirlpool and all other companies that are "dramatically hurt[ing your] child's education" in precisely the same way...  (which is to say, not at all)

Apples and oranges.

In the thread that got pared back, I noted that the Thunder/Clay Bennett bypassed the restrictions on entertainment companies getting the tax breaks.  Keep in mind how front-loaded the salaries of NBA players are compared to the salaries of the factory workers at Whirlpool.

Not a valid comparison.  Sorry.

[waterboy]

Nonetheless, it is a good series and the Thunder are playing well. Its fun and its good for our image outside the state. If you like sports, this is what its about. Might as well enjoy it.

[JeffM]

Okay, if I was an OKC taxpayer, I would have INSISTED the team be called "Oklahoma City" due to the overwhelming amount of local taxpayer money spent on it.  I have grievances against Mayor Mick and the local pols on the other side of the turnpike... but this isn't one of them.  Extending the quality jobs law to the NBA team made sense.... unless you'd rather be rooting for the Kansas City Thunder...  

http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2008/04/benge-praises-nba-quality-jobs-act-bill.html

The change is part of a requested financial package the team needed to make the move to Oklahoma. The NBA relocation committee is expected to vote Friday on a request to move the SuperSonics basketball team from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

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Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee said, "The State of Oklahoma has done its part to help attract an NBA franchise to Oklahoma. Landing a major league sports team will provide an economic benefit to the entire state, and will put Oklahoma on the map as a 'major league' state." Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, author of SB 1819, added, "This is fabulous news for the people of Oklahoma."

Coffee noted that the state budget won't be impacted because the rebates provided for in this bill would come from funds that the state wouldn't receive at all if the NBA doesn't locate a team here.

The bill passed the House with a vote of 67-32 today and will now go to the governor for his signature.

Some Tulsans really need to chill out over the state money-- unfortunately par for the course for NBA deals..... if the Thunder hadn't come to OKC, the BOk Center would have been in direct competition with the Ford Center for dozens of dates during the winter/spring.... never mind the fact that the WNBA and Nolan Richardson wouldn't be in Tulsa either.... just sayin'

Go Thunder!

[Hoss]

Okay, if I was an OKC taxpayer, I would have INSISTED the team be called "Oklahoma City" due to the overwhelming amount of local taxpayer money spent on it.  I have grievances against Mayor Mick and the local pols on the other side of the turnpike... but this isn't one of them.  Extending the quality jobs law to the NBA team made sense.... unless you'd rather be rooting for the Kansas City Thunder...  

http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2008/04/benge-praises-nba-quality-jobs-act-bill.html
Some Tulsans really need to chill out over the state money-- unfortunately par for the course for NBA deals..... if the Thunder hadn't come to OKC, then the WNBA and Nolan Richardson wouldn't be in Tulsa either.... just sayin'

Go Thunder!

And if the Thunder hadn't have come to Oklahoma...oh, sorry, I mean OKC, then other businesses would have taken their place with the tax break.  Again, saying one is better than 10 others doesn't really hold muster.

And I really don't care for the WNBA either.

And let 'em be called the KC Thunder.  Wouldn't have bothered me a bit.

But, then again, that's just my opinion.

[JeffM]

When I attended Celtic games in the early 70's the NBA was all about the game. I went to OKC to a game and was horrified by the lame multi media and outlandish noise.

THUNDER UP!

Great game last night-- Lakers got thumped... OKC's second year of NBA..... reminds me of Tulsa's second year of the NASL back in 1979 when they snuck into the playoffs, and beat Minnesota in round one..... then met the NY Cosmos for the first time at Skelly Stadium...... Jack Brand had a monster game in goal for Tulsa, shutout the mighty Cosmos 3-0... 26,011 fans stormed the field and carried Jack Brand on their shoulders.... the following Wed night, the Cosmos won the rematch 3-0 at Giants Stadium in front 76,031 fans... still one of the biggest crowds to ever watch pro soccer in North America.

OKC versus the Lakers.... whodathunkit?
New history being made.

***Yes, Hoss, you're entitled to your opinion, several of which are on this thread.... we got the memo.  I believe native Tulsans have an anti-OKC gene-- or maybe a microchip implanted at birth from St Johns?  And OKC?  Well, they still have The Daily Oklahoman to do all their thinking for them... and that's my opinion.

[Hoss]

Great game last night-- Lakers got thumped... OKC's second year of NBA..... reminds me of Tulsa's second year of the NASL back in 1979 when they snuck into the playoffs, and beat Minnesota in round one..... then met the NY Cosmos for the first time at Skelly Stadium...... Jack Brand had a monster game in goal for Tulsa, shutout the mighty Cosmos 3-0... 26,011 fans stormed the field and carried Jack Brand on their shoulders.... the following Wed night, the Cosmos won the rematch 3-0 at Giants Stadium in front 76,031 fans... still one of the biggest crowds to ever watch pro soccer in North America.

OKC versus the Lakers.... whodathunkit?
New history being made.

***Yes, Hoss, you're entitled to your opinion, several of which are on this thread.... we got the memo.  I believe native Tulsans have an anti-OKC gene-- or maybe a microchip implanted at birth from St Johns?  And OKC?  Well, they still have The Daily Oklahoman to do all their thinking for them... and that's my opinion.

Has nothing to do with an anti-OKC gene, Jeff.  For me, anyway, it's two factors; one of which is shared by MANY on this forum.

1. OKC sucking at the teat of the state in gross disproportion to her counterpart up Interstate 44 (this is the shared factor).
2. My forced visits twice-monthly there for three years plus.

The second one formed my base opinion LONG before the first.  That and I still went down there for Oiler road games up until the first season the Ford Center was opened.  Wasn't that impressed.

But, unlike a lot on the forum (and no offense to any of those in this category) I lived in a Tier 1 city for three years (Houston).  I got used to it.

[RecycleMichael]

I don't hate OKC. I have been to the Capitol many times, my kids love the Zoo and the Ampitheater, and I have spent many a day at Remington Park. One of my favorite hotels, the Skirvin, is in OKC. We have gone to many a baseball game at the Bricktown ballpark and we stay in north OKC for my kids soccer tournaments.

I just don't like the way the Thunder came to Oklahoma. I thought the tax breaks were done at at bad time and I thought the Ford Center was a dump. I didn't appreciate the exhibition game they played in Tulsa the same night as TU scheduled the Boise State game.

I have been to many an NBA game and have other teams I cheer for. I haven't been given any reason to cheer for the Thunder just because they play a hundred miles down the turnpike.

They win a couple of playoff series this year and Kevin Durant wins a couple of MVPs the next few years and I might think differently. But don't tell me it will be good for Tulsa. I don't think the Phillies winning the World Series last year did anything for Pittsburgh.

[Cats Cats Cats]

I like that face that some of you are cool with the fact that if my business made a crap load of money.  That I should have to pay taxes, but the basketball team should be exempted.  If the tax is only for everybody that earns that income range then get rid of it for everybody.