How about the Fighting Fundamentalists? It would be reflective of the RWAs that dominate state and local politics.

We could have (Brown and White Outfits) Like the Country's bird (OK Bald Eagles)You want to make a statment this is it and Native Americans also favor the (Bald Eagles) in thier history.

I think the name should be (OK Bald Eagles)

jm, what you neglect to realize is that the amount of money it would take to remodel KeyArena makes it more sensible to build a new venue. The Ford Center, which is somewhat larger than Key, already has space within the footprint for more restaurants, shops and such.

I believe that we should call them the Oklahoma City Flight. It makes sense with a huge Air Force Base in Oklahoma and it has a nice ring to it.

OKC FLIGHT!!!

The Okie Dokies

The Oklahoma Frontier

The OKC Twisters

The Oklahoma City Flaming Lips

The OKC OKIES

The OKC Rustlers

The OKC Stampede

I don't mean to rip you OKC fans, but you need to understand that if Seattle was asked to provide the same funding you approved instead of 5X as much, this would be a non-issue. Bennett is a slimebag, and you will all realize this when he is threatening to move when your remodel is less than 10 years old. Ahnd even though he is a local boy, don't think him and Stern won't hold you hostage. That is their M.O.. And you don't have the $$$ to bow to their ridiculous demands. New Orleans and Memphis thought they were big-league, just like you - and they aren't. Neither are you. Wait and see.

I don't mean to rip you OKC fans, but you need to understand that if Seattle was asked to provide the same funding you approved instead of 5X as much, this would be a non-issue. Bennett is a slimebag, and you will all realize this when he is threatening to move when your remodel is less than 10 years old. Ahnd even though he is a local boy, don't think him and Stern won't hold you hostage. That is their M.O.. And you don't have the $$$ to bow to their ridiculous demands. New Orleans and Memphis thought they were big-league, just like you - and they aren't. Neither are you. Wait and see.

Kurt, your comments are so rife with misspellings and so far from fact they don't even warrant a response. But here is something for you Okies to chew on - we are currently putting together a proposal for $300M in improvements to a building that is nicer than the Ford Center is right now as it sits (The BS about it being a dump is just that - BS - it was renovated in 1996 for $200M+ and is a great venue). You are offering to do $120M in improvements to a BARN. Clay told Washington he wanted a fully public funded $600M building or nothing. How is that the same thing? Moron.

This is totally off topic but I am sick of reading posts from Seattle people who just want to wine and complane. I have some sympathy for people who will be loosing their team after supporting it for 40 + years, and I would prefer to be getting a team some other way, but fact is you have mostly your own civic leadersship to blame. And don't use the line "we didn't want to build a new arena for Clay Bennett because he just wanted to move the team anyway." If you had built an arena, the Sonics wouldn't be moveing, regardless of what Clay Bennet Wanted! The Renton arena was a perfectly viable proposal, and if it had been adopted, the Sonics wouldn't be moveing, period. David Stern was so frustrated over the Seattle arena situation that he stated "Seattle doesn't want to be an NBA city." And that was three years ago, before CLay Bennet and his group even bought the team! The fact is that Seattle has had plenty of time to deal with the arena situation, and has just dwaddled. I can't blame the team and the NBA too much for loosing patience.

To have the Sonics move to such a small city as OKC only hurts the NBA league. Sonics should stay put. The only reason OKC wants a NBA team is b/c there is nothing to do there.

Hey Berry Tramel, here is another news flash for ya man. Besides the Thunderbirds being our name for our CHL hockey team here in Seattle, the NBA Development League "Minor Leauges of NBA Basketball" all ready has a team called the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, which you can check them out if you don't beleive me at: http://www.nba.com/dleague/albuquerque/ . First rule of journalism Berry, research, research, research lol, before you publish your vote for a name that ironicly copies that of a team affiliated with Seattle, plus one of another basketball team that is already affiliated with the NBA to your readers, all in an effort to cater to the Ford Coropration. You in Oklahoma want to prove that your city isn't a minor league town, imagine how stupid the rest of the country is going to think you are when you take a historic franchise like the Sonics, bring them to the Ford Center, and then try and attract money from the Ford Corporation and Ford Dealers by naming the Sonics after one of their cars? It's a stupid move, and it would take a much more innovative name then the Thunderbirds to attract possible other advertising revenue and endorsements besides those offered by affiliates of the Ford Corporation. Because in case you did'nt know it takes big money for a team to be successful, and if Bennett doesn't find that big money by bringing the team to Oklahoma City to be able to land fresh talent advertisers and endorsements. Bennett is going to learn a very hard lesson about why it wasn't fiscally intelligent to move an NBA franchise from the 14th largest sales market in the country to the 45th largest sales market in the nation. So in closing, a year or two after the team moves and the hype dies down, and if Bennett hasn't brought in much in the way of prospective talent and the team isn't making much money. All I can really say is I told you so Oklahoma City, and all you'll be able to say is that ticked off Seattle resident named Jay was totally right.

Ha ha here is a little news flash for you Randall since you being from Tulsa are obviously the expert on Seattle. No one ever had a serious problem with the Key Arena before Clay "Move the Sonics and lie to the people of Seattle" Bennett and his cronies bought the team. Key Arena has always been an excuse for Bennett to try and find a loop hole to move the team to Oklahoma City. Because he's known from the beginning that the people of Seattle knew he was lying about not moving the Sonics, and so again the people didn't want to pay for an upgrade for a team that is going to end up moving anyway. The Sonics have played here in Seattle for over 41 years, and this is the first time an owner has had such an issue with the arena that they play in, that they are attempting to move the team. Interesting how Bennet apears and now that's magically a huge issue. So much so that he's willing to move the team from the nation's 14th largest sales market to Oklahoma the nation's 45th largest sales market. So in closing Randall you sir are very in-correct, moving the Sonics from a place where they have an NBA Championship and 41 years of history in-grained into this city has been always Bennett's agenda. So seeing how you're about to steal our NBA franchise. Couldn't brilliant individuals like yourself come up with more innovative names then one that is stolen from our CHL Hockey team, ha ha and might I ad one that really caters to the Ford Corporation. Come on man, the Thunderbirds playing in the Ford Center. That has to be the cheesiest stupidest idea i've ever heard! Ha ha maybe we'll get a replacement team here and Seattle and we'll have to rename Key Arena the Starbucks Center. Perhaps then we can call our new team the Double Tall Esspresso's. Ha ha come on man, you can't be serious, Thunderbirds, my exuse doesn't fly, ha ha that's funny!

How about The Barons? Good strong name and has a solid oil reference as well.

Heh! Fun to read the sour grapes from Jay in Seattle. Your fair city declined to pay for an arena upgrade long before Clay Bennett bought the Sonics, so your excuse doesn't fly!

As far as the name goes--Thunderbirds sounds fine!

Don't put the cart before the horse! Until a team is here,you should put on the brakes. Thunderbirds!? I don't think so, the guy that wrote about the CHL Hockey team is right, stay away from it. If and when a team arrives how bout OKC TOMAHAWKS, you know, the tomahawk slamdunk! Huh.. huh, get it?!? Ok, I'm signing off..Ha,Ha

So an OKC business man comes to Seattle and buys our team one day, with the hidden agenda of moving the "Seattle Super Sonics" to Oklahoma City which he intially denied to the people of Washington. Which seeing how it did'nt take a rocket scientist to figure out why a business man and his group from the OKC would come all the way to Seattle to buy an NBA franchise, when the city there from wants and doesn't even have their own NBA team. Which seeing how the inevitable fate has occured, and the Sonics indeed will probably be moving because the citizens of Seattle the nation's 14th largest sales market, weren't stupid enough to fund an arena project with their hard earned tax dollars for an NBA team that due to the new ownership has been destined to leave for Oklahoma City since the beginning, gee didn't see that coming ha ha. :o)

Seeing how the Sonics have a history that is in-grained in our city of Seattle for quite some time. One can understand how Sonics fans feel cheated when the new ownership has only had the aim of getting the team to Oklahoma City since the beginning, and has never once cared about the history and importance the Sonics have here in our region, so of course Seattle is ticked off.

So here's a news flash for you Berry Tramel. How stupid would Oklahoma City look if they named the Sonics the Thunderbirds, seeing how that is the name of our CHL Hockey team the Seattle Thunderbirds?? Oklahoma City is going to take away a team that has for ages been a part of this city, couldn't you think of a name that ironically isn't something that doesn't assoicate with a team belonging to Seattle, lol. What's next, the Oklahoma City Seahawks, perhaps the Olkahoma City Mariners, or maybe even the Oklahoma City Starbucks perhaps? Come on people you are already gonna get the Sonics, must we rub it in any further lol??

TWISTERS!

Technically, we could call them the Oklahoma Boomers, or the Sonic Boomers.

We may not be able to use the name Supersonics. And why should we? The Outlaws is a good name. The Marshalls. The Plainsmen. The OKC Tribe. I'd like to see a Native American name, which all the Indians could agree upon. We need something to honor all they've done for this state, people like Jim Thorpe, Allie Reynolds, Stan Waite and the like. I don't think it's mythical to think we'll have a franchise. It might not be the Supersonics. I don't care. I just want a team. I don't necessarily want there's. But if they squander them away, we'll sure take them.

Sure, why not, a mythical bird for a mythical franchise.

Geesh! Argument # 1 for keeping name "Supersonics" is that "Thunderbirds" probably is the best alternative. OKC is already going to have to deal with people saying we are a minor-league town...why rebrand the team with a minor-league sounding name.

I like Thunderbirds. I would still go with Outlaws (our old USFL name) first because I think it is a bit cooler. I'm sure Seattle fans would think it appropriate as well. Speaking of, I think it is a bit obsessive of them to be posting on an article about the name. Anyone else thinking they just get more whiny every day? Had they spent all this energy on their own city instead of ours, they might still have a team. I started off feeling bad for the people of Seattle. I feel less and less than way every day.

C'mon Microsoft money!! I know the OKC fans want a team but moving the Supes there is ridiculous. You cant move a historic franchise to a small market, not to mention free agents wont want to sign there. Strong attendence is the only pro, but of course the attendence will be good. The traveling carnivals in small towns draw everyone for a reason, there is nothing else to do.