I heard on the Morning Animal: the lease agreement with the Supersonics calls for the team to be called Oklahoma City, Mick Cornett stressed that since OKC is footing most of the bill with the recent sales tax that this team will promote Oklahoma City.

There is a possibility that the team will farm out some games to Tulsa; therefore, if a game was telecasted in Tulsa, he wanted no doubt that this was Oklahoma City's team.


The BOK Center will rival the Fabulous Ford Center; however, it will seat about
1,000 least and have 30 less luxury suites.

BOK Center progress link:

BOK Center progress (http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/content/2007/slideshows/arena/index.aspx)



Mick made that apart of the lease agreement.

No games are going to be played in Tulsa unless they are exhibition games. The NBA experimented with sharing franchises between cities a long time ago and it fail miserably. If there was even a doubt about OKC being able to support the NBA on its own then Stern would have never floated the idea. All we want from Tulsa is some season ticket holders and TV viewers. The closest BOK will ever get to a regular season NBA game is a simulcast on the jumbo-tron.

No games are going to be played in Tulsa unless they are exhibition games. The NBA experimented with sharing franchises between cities a long time ago and it fail miserably. If there was even a doubt about OKC being able to support the NBA on its own then Stern would have never floated the idea. All we want from Tulsa is some season ticket holders and TV viewers. The closest BOK will ever get to a regular season NBA game is a simulcast on the jumbo-tron.

That's my understanding as well. I'm sure I read that the lease with the Ford Center specifies that all regular season and playoff games will be played in the Ford Center.

Why would they want to play any games in Tulsa? They will basically have a hand in what kind of improvements are made to the Ford Center and how they're made. They will have the option to practice there and all their season ticket holders will have seats there. Why would they want to give up all those advantages for a few games to maybe gain a few ticket holders In Tulsa? Tulsa is not that far and it's easy to move between the cities. It takes less time than some commutes in major markets across the country. They certainly won't sell any more season tickets by playing a game or two in Tulsa, as the people who are willing to buy season tickets and drive to OKC are going to buy them anyway.

I'm not saying that Tulsa won't play a part in the team's success, but the part it will play would only be marginally increased by playing there a couple of times and much of that would be offset by the revenue they'd lose by not playing those games in Oklahoma City, mainly because they will not have the cushy agreement and the increased value of more suites in OKC.

I heard on the Morning Animal: the lease agreement with the Supersonics calls for the team to be called Oklahoma City,
Yes Laramie, but what about all this talk abour Stern saying he wanted the team to be named "Oklahoma_____" to include all of Oklahoma? What are the people saying on the radio about that?

Yes Laramie, but what about all this talk abour Stern saying he wanted the team to be named "Oklahoma_____" to include all of Oklahoma? What are the people saying on the radio about that?

It doesn't matter. Mayor Cornett has said the lease specifies that the team will be named the "Oklahoma City ______"

The lease and related agreements are at Okc's website, here: City of Oklahoma City | Public Information & Marketing (http://www.okc.gov/fordcenter/index.html)


I've not read, but have only skimmed over the pages of the principal agreement ... so far, I've found nothing relating to the team's name being anything in particular ... maybe it's there but I didn't see it on a quick skim.

About where games are played, a part of Article XX is shown below:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/NBA/lease_articleXX.jpg

At first glance, this seems contradictory to the City Manager's summary which precedes the actual lease itself ...


Page 3
2. Scheduling.
..... a. City retains control of calendar of events at the Arena, except the Team has scheduling priority for all Home Games.
......b. Team to play at least one NBA Pre-Season, all Regular Season and all Post-Season Home Games during the Initial Term and any Renewal Terms at the Arena.

Perhaps a closer read will clarify the matter.

On the BOK Center website they have an exhibition games with Houston and Orlando in October. You guys are right, there is no way that Tulsa will get a regular season game from OKC. The first time this happens everybody will start saying, "See I told you OKC couldn't support a NBA team." Tulsa is a great place and BOK is going to be a very impressive arena but I don't think Bennett or Cornett will let them play a regular season game in Tulsa for a long time, if ever. Preseason, yes because it could help draw more ticket holders from Tulsa.

That looks like they can play in Tulsa, although I have no idea what the advantage would be and, imo, is a bad move on the city's part, considering how much the city will be putting into the arena.

and losing in sales taxes the 2 nights the supposive team could potentially play in Tulsa. I say leave 1-2 pre-season games for Tulsa and maybe one for Wichita.

Thanks Doug:

As I read it, they can play up to two games and be designated as home. Correct me if I wrong?

Tulsa and Wichita wouldn't be bad. Wichita's arena isn't ready; however, it would be better than playing in the Myriad which seats 14,005 for basketball or Lloyd Noble which seats under 12,000. That would be 17,000 plus seats in Tulsa if the Ford Center is overbooked.

Are we worried about Tulsa trying to take our team or half the dates?

NO!

Stern says there will never be a situation like the Kansas City-Omaha Kings where 10 of the 40 dates were played in Omaha's 10,500-seat Minicipal Auditorium.

With the uncertainty of when the team relocates to Oklahoma City, I think a game or two in Tulsa might be a viable option since many of the choice dates are being taken right now at the Ford Center. SMG is not holding any dates open in anticipation of the Sonics possible arrival for 2008-09.

Maybe in year two of the Sonic being in OKC--especially if they come next year, they will have first rights on booking dates at the Fabulous Ford Center.

SMG also manages the BOK Center in Tulsa, so using Tulsa as a back up wouldn't be a problem.

It's definitely a good back up plan and may actually be needed during renovations one time. I just think that the city should have told them they have to play every game in the city and then they could negotiate a couple of games elsewhere if needed. As it is now, they don't have to ask, they can just move them. But, honestly, I think it is written more from the standpoint of if the NBA wants a game in another country to promote the league or something like that. I doubt the team is looking to play games in another regional market on a regular basis.

I've OCR'ed the PDF file containing the lease so that I could search better, and I've found no mention discussing the team's name in any way. I know that the Mayor was clear about about the name in his press conference, but I couldn't find it in the lease.

Too bad ther mayor is not in charge of naming the team.

Well, I have been the one here certain that we were on track for an "Oklahoma" branded team versus "Oklahoma City." However, if Clay Bennett actually said what this article (http://newsok.com/article/3232124)says he said, then it's going to be "Oklahoma City." In that same thread, I ordered my #3 plate of Crow with cheese and, if true, I will more than happily eat it with a smile.

After Cornett saying all that's important to him about the name is that it say, "Oklahoma City.".....the important quote in that article, as far as I am concerned, is this:

Sonics chairman Clay Bennett agreed.

"Our view is that the team should be named Oklahoma City. But it will be an Oklahoma asset. It will be marketed statewide and we believe it will be supported statewide."

Bennett said there is no pressure on ownership group to make the team Oklahoma as opposed to OKlahoma City.

That's as cut and dried as Bennett has been on the subject. And as I said, I am more than happy to be wrong on this subject.

It's gonna be nothing but NETT... be it corNETT or benNETT... haha pun.

and yet there he is, mr. in charge of most things, and his statement is
"... the team SHOULD be named Oklahoma City."

However things do turn out, simply stated, should does not equal will.
me, i wish they'd get born fast and be doen with all the speculation

Well, I have been the one here certain that we were on track for an "Oklahoma" branded team versus "Oklahoma City." However, if Clay Bennett actually said what this article (http://newsok.com/article/3232124)says he said, then it's going to be "Oklahoma City." In that same thread, I ordered my #3 plate of Crow with cheese and, if true, I will more than happily eat it with a smile.

After Cornett saying all that's important to him about the name is that it say, "Oklahoma City.".....the important quote in that article, as far as I am concerned, is this:

Sonics chairman Clay Bennett agreed.

"Our view is that the team should be named Oklahoma City. But it will be an Oklahoma asset. It will be marketed statewide and we believe it will be supported statewide."

Bennett said there is no pressure on ownership group to make the team Oklahoma as opposed to OKlahoma City.

That's as cut and dried as Bennett has been on the subject. And as I said, I am more than happy to be wrong on this subject.
Excellent! Although the linked article is wrong when it says,


Stern brought up the idea that the team could be called just Oklahoma, because of the inclusion of Tulsa in the market size and the fact it would be considered a "state franchise."
... Stern didn't bring it up. It was brought up by an Oklahoma City reporter who queried Stern about the "state" or "city" element of the name and Stern merely responded to what the reporter had brought up. After a pregnant pause, he said that it would be best to leave the name issue to Oklahoma politics ... although his subsequent comments did lean to the "Oklahoma" name.

But what about the companies that will put down a ton of money for luxury suites? If the BOK Center has 30 less luxury suites, what happens to those 30 companies that put down deposits at the beginning of the year? I have a hard time believing they'll distribute tickets, then tell their employees or clients that they have to travel to Tulsa for the game. Somebody is going to be the odd man out, and that can only create a bad taste in some CEOs mouth...

This whole thing originated as one of that Doug Glover guys conspiracy theories.

But what about the companies that will put down a ton of money for luxury suites? If the BOK Center has 30 less luxury suites, what happens to those 30 companies that put down deposits at the beginning of the year? I have a hard time believing they'll distribute tickets, then tell their employees or clients that they have to travel to Tulsa for the game. Somebody is going to be the odd man out, and that can only create a bad taste in some CEOs mouth...
I kinda understand, but, when it gets down to the bottom line, where was Tulsa when Okc funded and soley paid for the initial MAPS Ford Center ... did Tulsa help? Okc is funding and paying for the arena's expansion/improvement, not Tulsa. Okc established itself as a market with the Hornets, not Tulsa. What Tulsa leaders put their necks on the line to accomplish any of the above?

No disrespect at all, but the pioneering here has been altogether done by Okc, not Tulsa. And, as a stupid and small point, it is Okc that has been ridiculed over this venture, not Tulsa -- Tulsa is "clean" and out of and above the fray. Sure, I want all in the region (not only Oklahoma, including Tulsa, Lawton, Ada, Stillwater, wherever, but also southern Kansas ... Wichita particularly) ... to feel that that they are are part of this team ...

... but, that said, ... where is "Ft. Worth" name in "Dallas Mavericks" (no disrespect to Ft. Worth which I think is a very nice city).

This whole thing originated as one of that Doug Glover guys conspiracy theories.
Puhleeese ... he's not "Doug," he's DAVID Glover!

Puhleeese ... he's not "Doug," he's DAVID Glover!

gotcha!!!!

I kinda understand, but, when it gets down to the bottom line, where was Tulsa when Okc funded and soley paid for the initial MAPS Ford Center ... did Tulsa help? Okc is funding and paying for the arena's expansion/improvement, not Tulsa. Okc established itself as a market with the Hornets, not Tulsa. What Tulsa leaders put their necks on the line to accomplish any of the above?

No disrespect at all, but the pioneering here has been altogether done by Okc, not Tulsa. And, as a stupid and small point, it is Okc that has been ridiculed over this venture, not Tulsa -- Tulsa is "clean" and out of and above the fray. Sure, I want all in the region (not only Oklahoma, including Tulsa, Lawton, Ada, Stillwater, wherever, but also southern Kansas ... Wichita particularly) ... to feel that that they are are part of this team ...

... but, that said, ... where is "Ft. Worth" name in "Dallas Mavericks" (no disrespect to Ft. Worth which I think is a very nice city).

I'm actually against playing games in Tulsa. No other team in the NBA does this, and I think it would seem minor league. Let them have some pre-season games.

I'm actually against playing games in Tulsa. No other team in the NBA does this, and I think it would seem minor league. Let them have some pre-season games.

It seems the good folks in Tulsa are having this same argument....

TulsaNow Forum - Tulsa tax payers to fund Hornets (http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9739)

....And someone should tell them this fight is over the Sonics not Hornets.

I'm not going over there and saying anything as long as David Glover resides over there.... count me out.

Preseason game or two will be played in Tulsa, that's it.

Tulsa has the NBADL, and it will be the farm team for OKC.

Draft League?

Reading some of the posts you linked to there seems to be several uninformed people out there. While I am not happy about rules being amended if they only apply to the Sonics and not other professional sports teams or service industry jobs as defined by the feds, there seems to be a complete lack of understanding on basic tax laws. They seem to think that only Oklahoma residents pay taxes in Oklahoma.

As an example they used a player that lives in Dallas and collects a big check for playing in Oklahoma. They assume that players doesn't pay income tax in Oklahoma so any rebate the Sonics get from the State must have come out of someone elses pocket. Well guess what, you pay taxes in the state you earn the money in. I work in many states and I have to file a tax return in everyone of them. If I earn $100 in Oklahoma I pay taxes on that. It is held out of my check and I don't have a choice but to pay it. Different states have different rules on how long you have to be in state or how much money you have to earn but those rules only apply to getting a refund. The money is still withheld.

this is a long reply to why i think the name should be oklahoma, but this is what i sent to mayor cornett & the sonics ownership. if you like, please express it with an email response to either group(s) i sent to. if you know a better email contact, please post it. thx

mayor@okc.gov, fans@sonics-storm.com, pr@sonics-storm.com

to the oklahoma city mayor mick cornett & the ownership team of the NBA seattle sonics headed by Clayton Bennett:

i have what i think is decent name for the sonics team that with it's meaning could overshadow every NBA team's name, logo, mascot, & color scheme, etc. in the league, period. the name represents all people of Oklahoma & brings unity to it's people because the ownership team, the mayor of oklahoma city, the citizens of okc & the whole state of oklahoma need something strong to stand behind to combat the forces that will be against this from the beginning. the name is only as good as the marketing around it. it must be presented by logo, mascot, music, & overall branding as something that is unequivacally what it is intended for & not misrepresented by mistake in any way. i will list the steps after mention of said name. the downside that the 'city' specific supporters might not like is that 'city' is left out of name for just reasons to be mentioned below.

if there is a requirement or wanted by all parties for the sonics to change the team's name, my request is the team name be called Oklahoma Tribe.

reasons in no particular order:

1. Tribe is generic enough to be all-inclusive & non-offensive as long as Marketing Group frames the individual parts of the team's image to be so. this can further be promoted by including fully sanctioned approval by all active native american tribes in oklahoma by making accordances of a co-branding nature for instance half-time show dances and/or drum beats & songs; casino participation.
2. in my opinion, 'city' has to be dropped for the name 'Tribe' to be used by the very nature of what advantage the marketing power has. This is a matter of us as Oklahomans standing together as one body governed by us for us. what is the okc newspaper called? i know it's not the daily oklahoma city'n. it's called the daily oklahoman last i checked. as such, the power of it's branding will be much stronger across the world with Oklahoma as it's lead & Tribe as it's follow. It's a 1-2 punch name with no need for a 3rd act.
3. the mascot was a tough one i've been in a quandry about since i thought the name Tribe would be the best name. the best way to tackle this is to make a mascot more in the framework of a 3d cartoon would be created. keep it comical yet make it powerful with a touch of scary. you could create several iterations of this, but mainly keep the look with a oversized tribal mask on a completely covered mascot (more cartoon like the better). the tribal masks should be more scary, but could change depending on the mood of the game, ie. if the crowd needs to get back in the game, there could be a mask change that reflects a warrior mask with low-deep bass beats to reflect this sound that usually reflects in tribal music from around the world. this would be saved strictly for times in the game that emotion is needed most out of the players and the crowd. this further compliments the marketing of a one body, one group, one sound campaign of oklahoma tribe.
4. furthermore on the naming convention & the responsibility it brings upon the city of oklahoma & the ownership group of the possible team, there has to be concessions to insure the name, trademarks, & branding of 'tribe' be kept with the state name 'oklahoma' & guaranteed to be kept in the general area of the oklahoma city metropolitan area. i understand that deals need to be made here to make it work, but i am confident as i type this that "the powers that be" will come together to make this happen. i know for a fact that no other name associated with oklahoma can beat this for potential windfall for marketing & pride for one's state & city.
5. the other reason 'oklahoma tribe' has no need for having city in it's name. city is overkill. does frank sinatra sing new york, new york or new york city, new york? i'm reminded by this because of a time around 1978 or so at billy tubbs basketball camp at ou dorms. i was around 8 yrs old & some older kid asked (in front of several other older kids) where i was from & i said oklahoma city, oklahoma. he laughed at me and said, "yea dummy, where else would oklahoma city be?" at the surface, you'd think this argument would support a team name with city in it. but i'd ask in any counter rebuttal, why add city to the name if 85% already can guess where the only NBA team in oklahoma would be located when that location is the state capital named after the state? isn't this redundant? let's keep in mind that the survival of this franchise's stay in oklahoma city will be to make everything about itself all-inclusive to everyone in the state statewide not just city-wide. as long as the metropolitan area reaps the initial rewards & bounty that having an NBA franchise offers a community, i can't envision a problem this would bring. one concession could be to bring out the okc patch that the hornets had when they were here, but change colors obviously.
6. i have much more but if you like please don't hesitate to email me or send correspondence to my home address listed below.
7. one caveat, whatever is done if this name is used, please please please don't use the mundane & annoying beat accompanied by the tomahawk chop that Florida State uses. that got old before it's introduction & certainly won't create fans in oklahoma. more tribal beats that could be an amalgam of all native big drum sounds. japanese big drum beats come to mind as well as tahitian beats & native hawaiian beats & can't forget native american beats. as long as it's a mix, no one can be offended & the mix represents the mix of oklahomans living together & playing & fighting together for the love of life, liberty & pursuit of happiness.
8. if anyone is still on the fence, ask yourselves what name would be able to bring together all people of all races & financial backgrounds presiding in a state like oklahoma? then try compare it to 'Oklahoma Tribe' & you'll soon find that this is the only name fitting of what possibilities could be when people start living with a sense of pride & community & remembrance of togetherness, through thick (like when we had oil boom) and through thin (trail of tears, grapes of wrath, black massacres in riots of tulsa, murrah bombing).
9. if you look up the history of oklahoma, you'll find there's no better name for a "team sport" like basketball located in a state like oklahoma. the five civilized tribes comes to mind (5 man team on court). (ref: Oklahoma State History and Information (http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/stinfo2.html) ) The name "Oklahoma" comes from the Choctaw words: "okla" meaning people and "humma" meaning red, so the state's name literally means "red people." Oklahoma has the largest American Indian population of any state. Many of the 252,420 American Indians living in Oklahoma today are descendents from the original 67 tribes inhabiting Indian Territory. if we used the trials & tribulations of all american indian lives as a form of tribute to how human beings can get through hardships & to represent that with a form of unity for all oklahomans & all of our hardships that we have all gone through as human beings living in this state in this country on this planet, i think there might be something worthwhile that we can accomplish with this naming convention.
10. i understand the word tribe to be a group of like-minded individuals joined together as it has been said since there's been recorded written history. i like this for the name following oklahoma for what it can represent. no other name that i know of can pay tribute to a group of people i take great pride in feeling compassion for (i only have 1/64th native american blood in me but i'd like to understand 100% of their pain & suffering just as i would another great person known to people) while allowing all people of oklahoma to have pride in feeling they are a part of something bigger than all of us as individuals.
11. this deal with the clayton bennett group & the seattle sonics took great pains & a leap of strong faith in there convictions to either make it work in seattle for the people of seattle or move down to oklahoma city & make it work in a city that half the nation thinks is too small. likewise the politicians of oklahoma city led by mick cornett & supported by many of business leaders including clay bennett had to get the people behind this when the hornets were here in oklahoma city for such a brief time. it has happened & i'd like it to go where i think it should.
12. i was part of a 4-seat season ticket holder with our family business xxxxxx xxxxxxxx during the wonderful stay of the New Orleans Hornets & their were trials & tribulations during that time as well with misunderstandings & i think the mayor & oklahoma city body responsible for the hornets stay did great. with this being much more permanent, i'd like us as oklahomans to get what has the potential of defining us as citizens done right. otherwise, we're just like everyone else but worse because of what some areas of the country have thought since our state's inception.

thank you for your time & hope it wasn't too long as i have much more to say & whatever is done please tread carefully so that we can all enjoy what we've all earned as oklahomans. thanks for giving us the potential to believe in having the NBA in oklahoma.

~xxxx darnell

please take this email of ideas as free without prejudice that i will not take offense of the use of these ideas as my sending this communication as email is an act of willful acknowledgement that i release any and all rights of any said claims of copyright or trademark over ideas as long as said ideas are used in oklahoma in some form or fashion. ~darnell

Heck no. Tribe? Seriously? How in the world does that bring everybody together? What's the first thing you think of when you hear tribe, you think native american. And of all the crap people have been rasiting a stink about in the last 15 years about P.C. junk, you think this is going to go over well?

That's a big fat no way man.

Keep it Oklahoma City too. Seriously, the team is in OKC because OKC did what it needed to in order to get them. If the other communities want to feed in tax dollars, them maybe. I'm a resident of MWC and spend money in OKC, but you don't hear me asking for the team to include MWC in it's name. So why would any other community be any more important than another?

OKC ____ for sure, Oklahoma ___, NO!

did you read what i wrote?
first off, look up tribe on google & re-read what i wrote in relation to the history of oklahoma as a state. do you have some name that reflects oklahoma heritage in a more marketable manner than this. i don't think "plainsmen" is very exciting & i don't think some natural disaster better describes us as a state.

"tribe n. A unit of sociopolitical organization consisting of a number of families, clans, or other groups who share a common ancestry and culture."

i know it's a long read, but try to read the whole thing. don't you think everyone knows where the team would be located after the first year? if city is such an important factor in the name, why wasn't the newspaper named after the city?

i said it before i'll say it again!

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER!!!!

THUNDERSTRUCK is the intro. the croud is yelling thunder... thunder.... thunder... its just crazy madness inside the ford center and the best intro in sports!

and tribe sucks, 89ers been used, twisters is aweful, we can do better than barons, i'm just saying THUNDER....

i'm goin to listen to AC/DC now i got all pumped up!

what's un p.c. about TRIBE when it's defined by "tribe n. A unit of sociopolitical organization consisting of a number of families, clans, or other groups who share a common ancestry and culture."

OKC, give me a break. I live in OKC & i don't think it means we have to plaster it on all merchandise to show it's ours & no one elses. my suggestion is for marketability, that all. i studied marketing/advertising in school & now my past-time to know what sounds good & what doesn't. an OKC patch on uniform & OKC anywhere else is fine for me as long as you simplify the name Oklahoma (insert name here). No NBA team in the league has a team named with city. look it up. New York Knicks aren't new york city knicks. i have more examples but adding 'city' is aggrandizing what we have here. if Oklahoma City can compete in the big leagues, then the ego of OKC needs to be humble as well. i voted yes for the 1 cent continued tax, but that doesn't mean i don't want the rest of the state to benefit as well as they can. pro franchise success means working together.

everything you've said, bomberman, really misses my overall point. the naming would follow with permanent rights holder to the okc metro area, period. don't you think that's a pretty big deal? if you don't have the rights, but it's named okc _____ , you don't own jack & they can take it whereever. if you name it something like what i'm suggesting, the name envelopes all of an area not just one city.

sorry i made my statement too long for you to read & comprehend what i meant. i'm not good at editing on a schedule. i wanted to get it out & i'm willing to get a petition signed to get it through.

bomberman, if you got a better suggestion, why don't you post it here & explain why it could win people over & what theme, mascot & marketing you could do with it on a global scale? i'd like to read about it & i promise i will read through what you write & try to understand your point before i reject it.

i said it before i'll say it again!

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER!!!!

THUNDERSTRUCK is the intro. the croud is yelling thunder... thunder.... thunder... its just crazy madness inside the ford center and the best intro in sports!

and tribe sucks, 89ers been used, twisters is aweful, we can do better than barons, i'm just saying THUNDER....

i'm goin to listen to AC/DC now i got all pumped up!

hate to say it but thunder is shallow as in brain dead. it has nothing to it because any of that music is already being used by every team in the league. no creativity at all & marketing would drop after a few years of the franchise. but with Tribe, you can use tribal beats that are in much of the music out today including any song that has heavy drum beats including techno beats to more ethnic beats to rock beats to tribal beats. basically any music with beats would fit. & thunder would fit into it as well. much of what oklahoma is known for could be included under the tribe moniker.

with thunder, it's too specific. it could be included with sound to a team who's name was less specific then thunder. the name thunder followed by thunderstruck paints to marketing power of the team in a corner much like naming the team oklahom city gas & having fart sounds for the theme song.

i had to do it to you based on your response to my suggestion. no offense of course.

its not a response to you in particular, just in general don't like it, but have to say its a lot better than bob barry jr. "landrun" haha.

i could care less about the definition of team name, i don't think any other team does either, hawks, bulls, wizards, knicks(my personal fav), kings, lakers.... but the definition doesn't matter.... its all about PR and u can do a lot more PR work with something even as specific as THUNDER, than u can with tribe, which to a lot of people is not PC enough.... which i personally think PC is a bunch of BS.

what's un p.c. about TRIBE when it's defined by "tribe n. A unit of sociopolitical organization consisting of a number of families, clans, or other groups who share a common ancestry and culture."

But that's not what people think of when they hear that word, especially in association with Oklahoma.

But he studied marketing in school, so he knows what people think when they hear the word 'tribe'. ;)

Nice article on Tulsa mayor's support and the team being the "Oklahoma City" xx's:
SI.com - Tulsa glad to support Oklahoma City's NBA bid (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/wires/04/22/2030.ap.bkn.supersonics.oklahoma.0787/)

But he studied marketing in school, so he knows what people think when they hear the word 'tribe'. ;)


That sounds like someone else we used to know around here. ;)

BOO anything weather related, Country bumpkin related, or other wise cowboy/indian-ish... People already think we are a bunch of inbreed backwood country trash, let's lighten our images. Sheesh.

DO I have a suggestion yet.. no. But i'll bring you one when I come up with one.

Amen mmonroe. No tribe, no indian anything, no weather, no heehaw, none of that stereotypical nonsense crap that we've had around our name for so long. We need to come up with something more origional than that.

Darnell - no matter what we say, you know Tribe has a certain connotation that people put with it, and it's not by that definition. And perhaps you should be open to other's opinions instead of replying a bunch of times in a row about the same thing.

And I have to say, after reading the article from Tulsa's mayor, I'm impressed that they aren't trying to raise a stink. It's a nice sign of how the two cities don't have to keep this ongoing battle between the two that's been holding the state back for so long. Props to Tulsa for keeping their head on their shoulders here.

Oklahoma City Cavalry!

Charge!!!!!

Oklahoma City Cavalry!

Charge!!!!!

Wouldn't be so bad if our now defunct CBA team didn't have the same name, and if Cleveland weren't the Cavaliers.

This team is pure beloved OKLAHOMA CITY!

This will be a state supported team. I predict that 17,000 season tickets will be sold the first year and that is a conservative figure.:congrats:


Would Tulsa have voted a sales tax to help a team called Oklahoma but played in Oklahoma City?

They wouldn't have got the BOK Center built if it wasn't an "all or nothing" vote which included keeping some companies in Tulsa with incentives to keep them from moving out-of -state. Vision 2025 was "bundled" much like MAPS so that it would pass.

This is Oklahoma City's team and will be a state supported effort. This team was funded and purchased with local money.

If the Tulsa started to court the NHL, and wanted to call the team Oklahoma or Tulsa, I'm all for it.

I'd support Tulsa having an NHL team, but that's off topic.

Names.. I thought about Oklahoma City Bombers, like the air plane, but then you get the wrong thoughts when you hear it. Aviators just sounds too 1980's Tom Cruise. Rushers has some potential. Remembering my High School Alma Mater, what about Oklahoma City Titans, lol, or Oklahoma City Trojans.

Every time I think of a mascot/team name, I say to myself, "No, that is just cheesy." Then I think about it and realize every mascot is cheesy. The whole idea of a mascot is cheesy. That being said, I like OKC Flyers.

I thinkwe can all agree that no matter what names is chosen everyone will complain.

Every time I think of a mascot/team name, I say to myself, "No, that is just cheesy." Then I think about it and realize every mascot is cheesy. The whole idea of a mascot is cheesy. That being said, I like OKC Flyers.


Too much like the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL.

Too much like the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL.

Yeah, I am not a big hockey fan. Didn't know that. Then that just means all the good ones are taken!!

How about OKC Wienerschnitzel?

Then I think about it and realize every mascot is cheesy.

True that.


I thinkwe can all agree that no matter what names is chosen everyone will complain.

Double True.

And of course, the number one complaint will be that it's cheesy, because, well, it will be.

How about OKC Wienerschnitzel?

I'm down, giant hot dog mascot.. no one will see it coming.

We could call them the Oscar's. Then we could all sing the Oscar Myer song.

Basketball and sing along, that's fun...

At least it's not something like Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs.

I work in many states and I have to file a tax return in everyone of them. If I earn $100 in Oklahoma I pay taxes on that. It is held out of my check and I don't have a choice but to pay it. Different states have different rules on how long you have to be in state or how much money you have to earn but those rules only apply to getting a refund. The money is still withheld.

You need to get a new accountant, that is so not true. The Sonic players may have a home, let say in Washington, but they are employed by the OKlahoma City NBA team, Yes you MAY pay taxes in both Washington and Oklahoma. However, you are not paying taxes in Tennessee for playing agaisnt Grizzliesa in the Fed Ex arena or California taxes for playing in the Staple Center.

If you are trying to say the same thing I aplogize, but you are not filing taxes in every state when you are the visiting team

I wonder if the Use tax goes with this...

We went to a State and Federal Tax class provided by the OSBDC and I think you don't have to pay taxes if you work in another state, but I think if you provide goods or services then you are held by sales tax in that state.

I wonder if the Use tax goes with this...

We went to a State and Federal Tax class provided by the OSBDC and I think you don't have to pay taxes if you work in another state, but I think if you provide goods or services then you are held by sales tax in that state.If the Use tax goes with... what?

Use tax is a Companion tax, to Sales tax. And I'm pretty sure it applies to the Use of goods and services, not for providing them.

You need to get a new accountant, that is so not true. The Sonic players may have a home, let say in Washington, but they are employed by the OKlahoma City NBA team, Yes you MAY pay taxes in both Washington and Oklahoma. However, you are not paying taxes in Tennessee for playing agaisnt Grizzliesa in the Fed Ex arena or California taxes for playing in the Staple Center.

If you are trying to say the same thing I aplogize, but you are not filing taxes in every state when you are the visiting team

Actually it is true for professional athletes. Several states, as well as cities tax non resident professional athletes' income for the games played in that state and/or city. In some cases, states have reciprocal agreements with other states, so separate returns don't have to be filed. However, there are plenty of cases where reciprocal agreements don't apply. (This is particularly true in states that have very different tax rates.) Therefore, professional athletes have to file numerous state and local tax returns based on where they played.

I'm actually surprised more states don't it. (From a politician's prospective....It's an easy to way to bring in some money, and the people you are hitting with the tax can't vote against you.)

I can always count on you andy...

I was mainly comparing.

I could deal with, on a scale of best to worst: Barons, Thunder, and Thunderbirds. I really think Barons is our best bet though, and it's a pretty original name with the only other team I know of being the AAA baseball Birmingham Barons. It seems to be one of the favorites as well.