Plus, I'm not sure how many people will pay $10 to sit through a two-hour movie about franchise relocation. The amateur filmmakers fully admit that the reason they made "SonicGate" was to find an outlet for the sadness and frustration that they felt as aggrieved fans of a basketball team that was sold out from under them and shipped off to another town. Not that they're bitter! It's all part of the mourning process.

Our whole purpose is to get the story out so that everybody in the country and the world can see what happened here. We want to get the story out there. Get it told." These guys feel as if there already is too much greed in the Sonics' saga. They don't want to add to this money grab.

"We're doing this for the right reasons," editor Lund said. "For the passion, for the history, for the story. We're putting it out there and saying, 'Yeah, it's not always about money.' It can't always be about money."

It's not exactly "Hoop Dreams," but if you care about this stuff at all you should probably check it out. Be warned, though. Even one of the directors says, "It's kind of a downer."

Oh boy! Fire up the popcorn maker!

Requiem for a Team [Watch @ Sonicgate.org]
Film finally gives Sonics fans a chance to mourn [Seattle Times]

Now, not sure on the accuracy of the page — or whether the "Dad" quoted on Graham's page is actually Clay Bennett — but if it is, well, it does offer some unsurprising insight into the man that ripped Seattle's heart out when he stole away their basketball team.

Via The Sporting Blog:

Now, the Crooked Oak cheerleaders being insulted by "Dad" in this are from Crooked Oak High School in Oklahoma City. Unfortunately, the cheerleader section of the school's website provides no pictures, so I can't verify whether the school actually does have a "pakistani," a "black midget with a pickle" and the other freaks of nature "Dad" was griping about. But if you go to their fan section, there is a shot of some of the "Ruf-Nex" cheerleaders during a football game:

Well, I don't see a pickle.

Clay Bennett Thinks Your Cheerleaders Look Absolutely Hilarious [The Sporting Blog]

This press release we received from Oklahoma Today magazine is filled with all kinds of hilarious, bitter pain for anyone who used to enjoy basketball in Seattle. It's about their cover story on Oklahoman of the Year Clay Bennett. You see, "people respect Clay" because he had the "resourcefulness, tenacity, and acumen" to bring Oklahoma a professional basketball team—one that is "considered one of the youngest team in the NBA." Is it?!

Best of all, the NBA loves this guy! Not as much as Oklahoma does, but gosh darn it, this guy is just so fucking awesome and no one anywhere in the world could possibly have anything bad to say about Clayton I. Bennett.

By the way, if you happen to know any Sonics fans, you might want to hold on to their shoelaces for a little while longer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CLAYTON I. BENNETT NAMED
2008 OKLAHOMAN OF THE YEAR
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Today, the magazine of Oklahoma since 1956, has named chairman of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Clayton I. Bennett, Oklahoman of the Year for 2008. The feature story on Bennett, written by senior editor Steffie Corcoran, appears in the January/February 2009 issue.

Bennett, founder of the private investment firm, Dorchester Capital, is touted as the man who brought the NBA to Oklahoma. He leads a group of eight investors, all from Oklahoma City, who form Professional Basketball Club, LLC. The team played its first Oklahoma City game on October 29, 2008, after relocating from Seattle. Today, the team plays at the Ford Center in downtown Oklahoma City and is considered one of the youngest team in the NBA.

“No one came close to Clay Bennett as we set about selecting this year’s Oklahoman of the Year,” says Louisa McCune-Elmore, Oklahoma Today editor in chief. “His accomplishment presents an extraordinary moment in the life of Oklahoma, probably among the most important achievements in our capital city’s history.”

Those who know him best describe Bennett as a man of action. “People respect Clay,” says former Oklahoma City mayor Ron Norick. “When Clay is involved, things are going to happen.” Bennett grew up in Oklahoma City, graduated from Casady School in 1978, and married his high-school sweetheart, Louise Gaylord, in 1981.

Bennett’s respect for hard work and his civic involvement have garnered this Oklahoman of the Year great regard from his peers, both locally and in the wider community of the NBA. “I feel confident about the good hands the [Thunder] is in,” says NBA commissioner David Stern, “because they’re in Clay’s hands and in the hands of his investor group.”

The NBA may be happy about the team’s move to Oklahoma, but no one is as thrilled as Oklahomans. The NBA is considered the largest global sports brand. “An NBA franchise is an obvious economic boom, but just as important is what it does for the momentum and morale of Oklahoma,” says Governor Brad Henry.

“What I like most about this article and accompanying photos is its thorough review of the Thunder relocation, but also its insights into Clay’s unwavering commitment to his hometown, state, and especially his family,” says Hardy Watkins, executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. “It’s a real portrait.”

Oklahoma Today publisher Joan Henderson says, “The year 2008 was an eventful year in Oklahoma, but nothing seemed as potentially transformative as the birth of the Thunder franchise in Oklahoma City.”

“Clay Bennett had the resourcefulness, tenacity, and acumen to make that dream a reality,” says Governor Henry.

Subscribers begin receiving the issue today. The issue will hit newsstands regionally on January 2. Please contact Louisa McCune-Elmore at [redacted] for more information.

Yes, Bennett is fighting with some members of the Oklahoma legislature over tax incentives the team is expecting. No, demanding.

Rep. Charlie Joyner, R-Midwest City, who also voted against the bill, said he received an e-mail from Bennett that said the team might not come to Oklahoma City unless the House passes the tax incentive. "I just don't think this thing has been handled right. That's kind of holding legislators hostage," Joyner said.

Ah, yes, the seedy underbelly of, you know, the seedy process of having a guy swipe a team from a loyal fanbase to play in your state. Eventually, he's going to screw you too. So nice to have this guy as an owner of a professional sports team, isn't it?

Clay Bennett To OK Legislature: "I'm An Equal Opportunity Dick" [Hot Dog And Friends]

Early emails have been released as a part of court papers, and they're definitive evidence that the group always planned on shipping the team to Oklahoma City. Which is no news to anyone; it's just nice to have proof they lied.

Email from Clay Bennett to David Stern, 8/17/07: "As absolutely remarkable as it may seem, Aubrey and I have NEVER discussed moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City, nor have I discussed it with ANY other member of our ownership group." But, and there's really no other way to put this, Bennett was lying. He'd talked about it at least four months earlier.

Email exchange between [Sonics owners] Tom Ward and Clay Bennett, 4/17/07: Ward: Is there any way to move here for next season or are we doomed to have another lame duck season in Seattle? Bennett: I am a man possessed! Will do everything we can. Thanks for hanging with me boys, the game is getting started!

Owners have learned their lesson from Art Modell. The way to move a franchise is not to sneak out in the middle of the night. It is to slowly demoralize and decimate the fanbase, to the point that people can't wait for you to leave. Make yourself not be missed. We hope Oklahoma City enjoys their team, and that they don't so much as utter a peep with this shit happens to them in 15 years.

Clay Bennett Lied To David Stern [Enjoy The Enjoyment]