Oklahoma City Counting On Thunder To Erase Negative Stigmas
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Mayor Hopes Thunder Will Expose Oklahoma
City To A More National Audience |
The Thunder will play their first regular-season game at the Ford Center tonight against the Bucks, and the game is on tap to be "one of the biggest events in the city's history," according to Gary Washburn of the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. Oklahoma City has "never hosted professional sports for the long term," so there is "no idea how much of a financial boon it will provide for the area." But the significance of the team's arrival in the city is "unquestioned in this region," a city "best known for the Cowboy Museum and the 1995 terrorist bombing." Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, when elected in '04, "sought to erase Oklahoma City's stigma of being 'the bombing city' by making it a more attractive place to live for businesspeople in the region." Cornett noted that he was "willing to risk bringing big-time sports to his city -- and some of the civic problems it may create -- for the opportunity to expose his city to the national landscape." Cornett: "If you want to compete, and I'm extremely competitive, you have to create a city where people want to live, and sports is an important component of that complete picture of creating that city. ... And on a very superficial level, getting an NBA team gives you a level of equality with Seattle and San Francisco and Philadelphia and Chicago and New York. And these are cities we aspire to be associated with." Meanwhile, many local residents "hope the presence of the Thunder will erase the perception that Oklahoma City is the center of the Dust Belt" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 10/29). In Oklahoma City, Berry Tramel writes, "Most of America still thinks of us as that old prairie, but truth is, one of our problems is that we're not like the old OKC." Thunder Owner Clay Bennett said of the city, "There aren't that many broad community activities we're comfortable in and want to be a part of. Sports may be one that captures the broad community" (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 10/29).
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Clay Bennett Says Thunder's Mascot Creation
Not Among Team's Top Priorities After Move |
MASCOT GAMES: The Thunder are still without a mascot, and when asked by the DAILY OKLAHOMAN's Mike Baldwin why it was taking so long to come up with one, Bennett said, "We had to prioritize what could be accomplished in a short time frame. Mascot development fell to the later part of our priority list." Bennett: "Once we have a machine rolling we'll redeploy some of our talent and focus on the mascot. We'd like to do it sooner rather than later. But more important is to do it well and develop an exciting launch when we're ready." Bennett added, "There are a lot of legal and merchandising issues, marks, trademarks, etc. Also what should the mascot be and what should it reflect? ... It's an integrated part of our team, game experience and presentation" (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 10/29).
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