A.D. learns media game

• To Mangum's Braden Looper, who is reinventing himself as a starter with the St. Louis Cardinals. Through three solid starts, the career reliever is 2-1 with a 2.37 earned run average.

• To South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who called on his state to remove the Confederate flag from the capitol grounds. Spurrier said it was "embarrassing” when someone waved a Confederate flag behind ESPN's GameDay set before the South Carolina-Tennessee game last year.

• To Mike Gundy's hyperbole. Gundy told the media he heard Tennessee drew 102,000 for its spring game. Uh, turns out the Tennessee River isn't quite as crowded in the spring. The Vols drew 17,500 to Neyland Stadium for their spring game this year.

• To Brad Lund, for complaining that the Hornets didn't want Oklahoma City Blazer banners hanging during NBA games. When OKC is trying to reshape its image into major-league status, we don't need 17 minor-league hockey banners hanging above a game involving Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

---

If the Sonics leave Seattle after 40 years, it would be the longest-standing franchise to leave a city in NBA history. But it would not come close to the roots some baseball franchises uprooted. In each sport, the five longest bonds with a city for franchises that moved:

• 5. St. Louis Hawks 13 years: Moved to Atlanta in 1968.

• 5. Kansas City Kings 13 years: Moved to Sacramento in 1985.

• 3. Charlotte Hornets 14 years: Moved to New Orleans in 2002.

• 3. Syracuse Nationals 14 years: Moved to Philadelphia in 1963.

• 2. Cincinnati Royals 15 years: Moved to Kansas City in 1972.

• 1. Philadelphia Warriors 16 years: Moved to San Francisco in 1962.

• 5. Baltimore Colts 31 years: Moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

• 4. Houston Oilers 37 years: Moved to Tennessee in 1997.

• 3. Chicago Cardinals 40 years: Moved to St. Louis in 1960.

• 2. Los Angeles Rams 49 years: Moved to St. Louis in 1995.

• 1. Cleveland Browns 50 years: Moved to Baltimore in 1996.

• 5. Philadelphia Athletics 54 years: Moved to Kansas City in 1954.

• 4. Washington Senators 60 years: Moved to Minneapolis in 1961.

• 3. Brooklyn Dodgers 74 years: Moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

• 2. New York Giants 75 years: Moved to San Francisco in 1958.

• 1. Boston Braves 77 years: Moved to Milwaukee in 1953.