Tulsans are embracing Thunder fever (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=226&articleid=20110423_226_B1_CUTLIN521872&allcom=1)

WHEN THE NBA considered placing a franchise in Oklahoma City, the league trumpeted the possibility of Tulsa embracing the new team.

Three years later, as the Oklahoma City Thunder heads into Saturday's Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets, it's finally happening.

TV ratings are up in Tulsa. So are ticket sales, website visits and merchandise sold.

We asked readers at tulsaworld.com whether they're more interested in the Oklahoma City Thunder than they have been.

Here are some of your responses:


BIG CAT: "Not in the least."


Sandite1980: "The 'Oklahoma Thunder' I would love to support. The 'okc thunder' I could care less."


RE TULSA: "What is there NOT to be excited about, young team making big moves. Tulsans have got to lose this competitive attitude/jealousy with OKC. Tulsa is prettier and OKC is a better ran city and will continue to beat our bottoms, therefore has the professional team."


sooner mike: "Frankly the OKC thunder is geared and marketed for OKC. They make no effort to promote the Tulsa market so I'll stick with THE TULSA TALONS AND THE TULSA DRILLERS! They market heavily in the Tulsa area and it is obvious to all they care about TULSA. If the thunder cared about Tulsa I might care about the thunder."

nm

If Tulsa was to get an NHL team in The future I would have NO problem supporting it even if they were The Tulsa soandso's!

Most Tulsans I know support the Thunder. The only thing *some* don't like is that it's Oklahoma CITY and that the logo is OKC, but for the most part don't care and are glad to see an Oklahoma team doing well in the NBA playoffs. If they ever rebrand and feel like they need to reach out beyond OKC (especially to Tulsa) they might just call themselves the Oklahoma Thunder and redo the logo.

Most realize it makes the most sense to have the NBA team in the central part of the state in the largest city and also the capital. There are plenty of Thunder fans in Tulsa and eastern OK. OKC is only a 1-2 hour drive away (1.5 hours from downtown Tulsa to downtown OKC) so the team is still in close proximity.

It's a shame the town leaders in Stroud didn't build an 18,000 seat NBA arena.

Interesting. Has there ever been a statewide team? Not suggesting it but just curious to know some of the reason why/why not.

The Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL. Quarterback was future Super Bowl winner Doug Williams. They played in Tulsa before moving to Phoenix. In a game against Houston, the Outlaws scored 15 points in the final 90 seconds to send the game to overtime, and an eventual win. The Houston quarterback was 4 time Super Bowler Jim Kelly.

http://www.oursportscentral.com/usfl/outlaws.htm