Thunder Struck: Former Sonics Reportedly Decide On New Name

Former Sonics Reportedly To Be Called Oklahoma City Thunder

The former Sonics “will be called the Oklahoma City Thunder,” according to a source cited by KOCO-ABC. The registrar for all of the NBA’s Internet domain names on July 10 reserved okcthunderbasketball.com and okcthunderbasketball.net (KOCO.com, 7/19). Team Owner Clay Bennett's spokesperson Dan Mahoney refused to comment on the report, and said that “no press conferences are scheduled.” NBA officials last week said that “they expect something to be announced next month but added the entire process -- a nickname, logos and uniforms -- could stretch into September” (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 7/20).

CRASH OF THUNDER: Bennett privately has said that he is “not wild about nicknames that don’t end in ‘s.’” However, in Oklahoma City, Darnell Mayberry writes the nickname Thunder “has a ring to it.” The name, which also was selected by readers in a Daily Oklahoman nickname contest, “is a good one” (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 7/21).  In Oklahoma City, Berry Tramel wrote, “I was Thunderwhelmed.” But he added the nickname has “grown on me. I suspect it will grow on you, too.” Something “uniquely Oklahoman would have been cool. But all that said, Thunder certainly is a marketable name” (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 7/20). But in Dallas, Tim Cowlishaw writes, “Please reconsider. Really, it’s OK to just go with Bears or Tigers. Anything but a singular noun” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/21). In St. Pete, Tom Jones wrote, "Don’t we all hate singular noun nicknames? This is the NBA, not the Arena Football League" (TAMPABAY.com, 7/20). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said the team should be called the Outlaws "in part because of where they’re located and in part because of how they got out of Seattle” (“PTI,” ESPN, 7/18).

DEJA VU: THE BIG LEAD noted the seven-team World Football League franchise based in Tulsa is named the Oklahoma Thunder (THEBIGLEAD.com, 7/19). DEADSPIN's Matt Sussman wrote, "Can an Oklahoma Thunder and an Oklahoma City Thunder really co-exist? Might one search for tickets online and think, 'Wow, it's two hours before the game and front row seats are still available?' This could get confusing" (DEADSPIN.com, 7/19).

MOVING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK: More than 16,000 people “have signed up to a season ticket request list for Oklahoma City’s new NBA team” in just 16 days (AP, 7/20). Meanwhile, in Seattle, Kathy Mulady reported activist Jordan Brower is working to collect nearly 15,000 signatures for a referendum to give voters a “chance in November to overturn” the ordinance terminating the team’s KeyArena lease. Brower has until August 15 to collect the signatures. Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin: “That is fast work; it seems unlikely. Referendums are really difficult because of that 30-day limit” (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 7/19).