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December 3, 2008 1:31:15 PM CST


Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City news stories

13 Stories

(AP) - Thunder can be heard from miles away, an early warning that a storm is about to arrive. So, perhaps it's only fitting that a full 6 weeks after the name first surfaced, Oklahoma City's NBA officials announced today that the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics would be known as the Oklahoma City Thunder. "It's hard to keep a secret," noted team chairman Clay Bennett.   More »

More about:  NBA Seattle SuperSonics Oklahoma City

Southbound Sonics Settle With Seattle

City will be paid up to $75M to let team move to Oklahoma City

(Newser) - The Seattle Supersonics have reached a last-minute deal with their hometown that will let the team move to Oklahoma City for the start of the next NBA season, reports the Seattle Times . The agreement, made just hours before a judge was to rule on a lawsuit over the team's arena lease, will give the city $45 million now and $30 million more if it has no new NBA team within five years. More »

More about:  NBA Seattle SuperSonics Seattle Oklahoma City Howard Schultz Clay Bennett

More Sonics Emails Reveal Owner Duplicity

Co-owners wrote of their 'hope of moving
to Oklahoma City'

(Newser) - Some of Aubrey McClendon's emails to his fellow SuperSonics owners have been revealed in a transcript of his April deposition, and they don't appear to help his case. The inquiry into whether the Oklahoma City-based investment group made good-faith efforts to keep the team in Seattle turned up two relatively damaging messages, reports the Seattle Times. More »

More about:  NBA lawsuit Seattle SuperSonics Seattle Oklahoma City Clay Bennett

 Okla. Man Buys
 Santa Monica Ferris Wheel 

Pier attraction brings in $132,400

(Newser) - The Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel has been sold on eBay for $132,400—to a first-time eBayer and the son of a former Oklahoma City mayor, the Los Angeles Times reports. Grant Humphreys, a 32-year-old real estate developer who'd never set eyes on the crowd-pleaser, placed the winning bid yesterday just before the close of the auction that drew six bidders. More »

More about:  California eBay Oklahoma City amusement parks Santa Monica

Schultz Sues
to Keep Sonics
in Seattle

Starbucks CEO offers email proof of new owner's duplicity

(Newser) - Howard Schultz filed a suit yesterday seeking to reverse the sale of the SuperSonics to Oklahoma-based investor Clay Bennett. The Starbucks CEO and former Sonics owner cites email evidence that Bennett's ultimate goal was always to bring a basketball team to his hometown. The lawsuit asks the court to void the sale and help transfer the team to "an honest buyer," reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. More »

More about:  lawsuit fraud Seattle SuperSonics Seattle Oklahoma City Howard Schultz Clay Bennett

 Sonics Spat Heats Up 

Owner now accusing Seattle of 'Machiavellian plan'

(Newser) - SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett is now taking a swing at Seattle, accusing Mayor Greg Nickles of a "Machiavellian plan" to turn the basketball team back over to local ownership. The Oklahoma billionaire claims the city has misled the public and mischaracterized reasons for the lawsuit it filed to keep the Sonics at Key Arena, reports the Seattle Times . More »

More about:  basketball NBA Seattle SuperSonics Seattle Oklahoma City Clay Bennett

 At Likely Seattle Finale, 
 Boos Amid Sonic Boom 

NBA franchise appears headed for Oklahoma City after arena impasse

(Newser) - Amid a playoff-type atmosphere, the Seattle SuperSonics rallied to win their final game of the season—and, USA Today reports, likely their final game in Seattle. If the NBA's board of governors gives owner Clay Bennett the go-ahead this week, the team will be on its way to Oklahoma City after Bennett was unable to solve stadium issues in the Emerald City. More »

More about:  basketball NBA Dallas Mavericks Seattle SuperSonics Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Clay Bennett

 America's 10 Cleanest Cities 

Forbes picks top 10

(Newser) - Clean air and water makes for happy city dwellers, and clean streets help attract tourists—and businesses. Forbes went coast-to-coast to pick the 10 cleanest big cities in America. The Sunshine State led the way, with four entries: Miami, Fla. Seattle, Wash. Jacksonville, Fla. Orlando, Fla. Portland, Ore. More »

More about:  list San Francisco Seattle Miami Minneapolis Oklahoma City cities Tampa Jacksonville San Jose

'Video Vigilante' Boasts
Tar and Feathering 2.0

Crusader catches men consorting with prostitutes, posts videos online

(Newser) - Brian Bates captures unsuspecting people on candid camera, but his subjects don’t have reason to smile: He’s the self-proclaimed Video Vigilante of Oklahoma City, capturing men consorting with prostitutes and then posting the videos online. “If you get caught by the cops, you pay a fine,” Bates said. “If you get caught by me, you get a life sentence.” More »

More about:  YouTube police prostitution Oklahoma City prosecutors

This City Is Going on a Diet!

Mayor challenges porky Oklahoma City residents to lose 1M pounds in 2008

(Newser) - Oklahoma City tipped the scales in 2007 as America's 15th fattest city—and Mayor Mike Cornett is bent on tackling his town's porkish propensities. He's challenged residents to lose a million pounds in '08, and includes shedding extra weight among his own New Year's resolutions. His program revolves around a website packed with recipes, a body mass index calculator and planned blogs. More »

More about:  health obesity diet exercise Oklahoma City New Year's resolutions

America's 10 Chubbiest Cities

Sun Belt hogs the lion's share of pudgiest locales

(Newser) - The weather may be great and the lifestyle good, but Southern culinary hospitality might be landing the Sun Belt disproportionately on Forbes ' list of America's most obese cities. The most rotund: Memphis Birmingham San Antonio More »

More about:  list Detroit obesity New Orleans San Diego obesity epidemic fat Baltimore Austin Milwaukee Oklahoma City Nashville obese Memphis Kansas City San Antonio Jacksonville Birmingham Richmond Riverside

Sonics Owner Vows Move
to Oklahoma

Seattle locals float
buy bid to hold
off relocation

(Newser) - The Seattle SuperSonics’ owner said today he will move the team to Oklahoma City. Clay Bennett isn’t satisfied with the Sonics’ current arena, where the lease expires in 2010; he gave the city a deadline to plan a new stadium, which passed this week. Bennett wants to void the lease’s last two years, and claims the b-ballers lost $17 million last year due to the stadium, the AP reports. More »

More about:  basketball NBA Seattle SuperSonics Oklahoma City WNBA relocation arena Seattle Storm

Seattle Sues SuperSonics

City tries to stop NBA team's owners from breaking arena lease and fleeing town

(Newser) - In the latest struggle between local governments and pro sports teams over who foots the bill for the places they play, the city of Seattle has filed suit to try to stop the SuperSonics from breaking their lease at the city's Key Arena before 2010 and moving elsewhere. The NBA franchise's Oklahoma-based owners claim they're losing money under the deal. More »

More about:  basketball NBA Seattle SuperSonics Seattle Oklahoma City

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