Sonics & Sherri dominate emails

The demise of Sherri Coale’s Sooners and the nickname of the Sonics when they relocated to Oklahoma City were the big items on my email the past week. Let’s start with the NBA. 

Jo trotted out a familiar name: “How about OKC 89ers? A great name from the past. Serves the state and city well. A tribute to our roots. We were proud of that name.” 

I wouldn’t mind 89ers, but it’s got no chance. Clay Bennett is the one who scrapped 89ers from the baseball franchise. 

Lee wrote me about some web thread that was debating an OKC nickname, with suggestions like Thunder and Barons. 

I hereby renounce any nickname that is singular. Barons doesn’t do much for me, either. 

Matt had an interesting idea: “Considering the team is coming from Seattle and we have Tinker AFB nearby…would naming the team the
Oklahoma City Pilots be bad?” 

For those who don’t know, Seattle’s original major-league baseball team was the Pilots, who became the Milwaukee Brewers. The answer to the question is no, it wouldn’t be bad. It would be boring and unmarketable, but it wouldn’t be bad. 

Robert wrote, “Let me be the first (I know of) to recommend Oklahoma City Oaks, as in tall oak trees.” 

I think the old Oakland ABA team was known as the Oakland Oaks. Oh, heck. I’ll just look it up. Turns out the Oakland Oaks were both an ABA basketball team in the ‘60s and the name of Oakland’s baseball team in the grand old Pacific Coast League. Which reminds me of a story. Friend of mine did a story on a senior-citizen bluegrass band who called themselves the Golden Okies. A copy editor changed it to Golden Oakies. The Oklahoma City Oaks would be called the Oklahoma City Okies. Guaranteed.

Alex offered a nickname suggestion: “Since it appears the name and colors will be left in Seattle, I’ve got a suggestion to throw into the ring for a team name. Oklahoma City Flyers. It pulls from the fact we have several Air Force bases in the state, most notably Tinker in the OKC metro. Also, Flyers has a basketball ring to it since there is a lot of leaping involved in the sport. What do you think?”

I think Philadelphia’s hockey team already has dibs.

Tim has an idea for the name of an NBA team in OKC. Hornets: “Is OKC ready to be an NBA city? Better get The Oklahoman in gear! Instead of telling us how Seattle is crying every other day, how about some coverage of the hottest team that called OKC home for two seasons! How about promoting the awesome idea to swap the Hornets for the Sonics! Let Shinn have the Sonics, let them stay in Seattle, while the Hornets move (because of the NBA’s worst attendance in New Orleans). Problem solved. Easy. OKC gets a great Hornet’s team and Seattle gets to keep the sorry Sonics. A win-win. Now that OU has lost in the NCAA men’s tournament, it’s time for the Oklahoman to focus on getting the Hornets to OKC. Big $$$ would follow. How about writing something that will help make it happen!” 

I don’t think writing is the answer. I think George Shinn losing his mind is your best bet. Time to move on, fans. The Hornets aren’t coming back.

Now, let’s move on to OU women’s basketball.

Robert, a big OU women’s fan, wrote, “My wife got mad because I complained of the coaching. I wish I had the team and the talent to work with. I know for sure I would not put Jenny on the best scorer on the team. Neither would I crowd the defense down around the Paris girls. They need to play center and forward wide apart and everyone else stay from under the basket until the ball is shot. Thompson could have done a better job guarding the star and free Jennie to run the floor.”