Sunday, December 28, 2008

State of the World

Pretty soon, some pretty major changes will be happening to The Thunderworld and I thought I'd clue everyone in before they actually happen. I'm not going to say exactly what, but I'm pretty excited about it and look forward to where this little hobby can go from here. I started this blog five months ago mainly because I didn't like the name "Thunder" and I wanted to tell someone. But the right people have read what I wrote, liked it and have extended a wonderful opportunity for that will give the blog lots of exposure and visibility.

The Thunderworld will almost certainly be moving to a dot com and will also likely be changing its name (you see, someone already scooped up www.thethunderworld.com and www.thunderworld.com and plus, I've never really liked this blog's name, but just picked something because I couldn't make up my mind). I'll be joining something a little bigger and better and I'm extremely pumped about the opportunity a few of wonderfully talented and brilliant basketball minds are giving me.

Also changing will be the institution of a comment policy. I know that will deeply sadden some of you, but I think we can all agree this has gotten completely out of hand. Quite frankly, some of the comments are embarrassing. I know that behind the shield of anonymity and the Internet we can all say what we want and not be held accountable, but it has crossed the line and crossed it long ago. I don't know if some think they are being funny or if they're hurting my feelings or both, but enough is enough. This blog isn't about you and giving you a platform to embarrass and shame your fanbase and awesome city. I'm sorry that this whole thing happened the way it did. I've said it multiple times that I hate the way OKC got a team. But I don't know what you expect me to do - ignore it? Teams move and always have. It sucks for one city and is great for another. You think people in Brooklyn didn't hurt when the Dodgers packed up and left? The people in Baltimore still grieve over losing the Colts. I thought there were going to be riots in Cleveland when the Browns bolted for Baltimore. But the people moved on and time healed the wounds. Instead of throwing salt on it, let's do our best to move on. Lord knows I've tried.

I just figured with the "new beginning" it would be a fine time to address it in one swoop. I actually want to talk about it more later (because I don't think Seattle people have gotten a proper reaction from Oklahoma), and I know former Sonics' fans have reason to be upset, but this isn't the place to express that. If you think I stink and don't know anything, don't read it. I don't have a problem with that. It's not that the comments have "gotten to me" or driven me to tears each night, but it's just beyond ridiculous. I honestly can't believe what some of you will write. And if you're wondering, the reason I pretty much ignore it is because it really doesn't bother me. Why do I care if some person that I've never met or ever spoken to hates me for completely unfounded reasons because a group of owners took a BASKETBALL TEAM and moved them to my city? For all I know you're some acne ridden 15-year-old that feels tough by writing tasteless jokes about my mother on the Internet. And if you're not and are actually some 30-year-old with a wife and two kids, that's way, way sadder. You don't bother me, you don't hurt my feelings. You just make your anonymous self, your city and your fanbase look really, really tired and moronic.

I understand you're upset and I don't blame you. You will get a new team back one day but trolling this blog won't bring one. And it's not going to make the Thunder run off either. Find a new hobby. I don't care if my comments go from 30 to one. It's not about you anyway - it's about Oklahoma City basketball. And if just one person wants to talk it, that's fine. I really don't know how you can feel good about yourself saying some of the most extreme, crude, vulgar, insensitive things and think you're doing your former fanbase good. I feel awful thinking that some 10-year-old kid has come here to read about his favorite basketball team and has had to read some of that junk. It makes me really regret not taking care of it earlier. But I thought maybe I'd give an "airing of grievances" period and it would stop. But you guys are persistent - maybe if you'd have supported your basketball team the way you troll this blog they'd still be there. Low blow? Probably. But it felt good, especially after some of the total crap you wrote about my wonderful mother.

Another thing that's cool is that a new voice will likely be joining the fold. One tremendously insightful and talented writer is joining forces with me and I'm definitely on the look out for more. The whole blog is for fans - the fan voice is important. In the future, it's going to be highly encouraged for anyone and everyone to write and be heard from. If you spent two hours at work looking up stats and have a new take on Kevin Durant's eFG%, write up 300 words and share it. I don't have to be the only guy writing stuff about the Thunder. If you have something to say, by all means, say it. It doesn't have to be all sugar and roses and I definitely don't have to agree with it. Everyone has a voice and this should be a place to get it out there. (And the best part is, with where the blog is going, what you write could get TONS of exposure and a lot of people could see it.)

So in the near future, look out for the changes and if you're a dedicated following of The Thunderworld, make sure to be ready to switch over to where I go. And if you have any good names for a Thunder blog, I'm all ears. I've already rejected "Thunder Mifflin," "Thunder Down Under," "Thunder Siege," and "Six Feet Thunder," so don't bother with those.

If you have questions, concerns, suggestions or comments about the upcoming changes, or just want to tell me I suck, feel free to email me.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loser. The only reason most people come to your little corner of the internet is to read the witty the comments not the generic blog.

Good luck Royce, enjoy it because the Thunder are only going to be around a couple of years at best.

Anonymous said...

An Okie quitting after only 5 months on the job, must be some kind of record for an Oklahoman holding down a job.

Anonymous said...

Royce, tell your mom I'm sorry. She won't return my calls anymore.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it have been easier for Royce to just say he is a quitter?

2 months into the first real NBA season in OKC and Royce is quitting because his feelings are hurt. Typical okie. Can dish it out but can't take it.

And say your "OKC side of things", no one cares. No one cares about the okie side of things. You tried to steal an NBA team from New Orleans while it was recovering from Katrina and when that didn't work out you found a way to steal a team from Seattle.

The okie side of things = looters. Sorry, but it's true. At least have the balls to admit it, and The Sportsguy (better known as your hero) thinks you are a sissy girl living in a crap town. LOL

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to figure out how people think upgrading your blog about the Thunder is quitting?

Anonymous said...

It's great to hear that you're getting an opportunity to reach a wider audience, Royce. I really enjoy your Thunder coverage.

You're right that this thing could have gone down better. The Sonics came with way to much baggage and for what? 40 years of mediocrity wrapped around one lucky run? There is no history there worth owning or saving.

They should have just let the Sonics go in to liquidation bankruptcy, sold of the assets and awarded OKC an expansion franchise.

I've never seen a city like Seattle where they suck so bad at absolutely every sport...but what do you expect from a city full of sissy men who are all butt fucking each other.

E. Van Dril said...

Love the blog Royce, and I'm looking to see what's next.

Anonymous said...

Dude, you are such a ball-less, pathetic little BITCH. The first guy is right, I only started coming here to read the comments. Yes, a lot of them were immature, and some of them were overly-offensive, but they were always funnier and more entertaining than anything you could offer.

I also notice that you sure tried to strike back at the Seattle "trolls" for being offensive, but what about the OKC fan(s) defending you? They are just as vulgar and mean spirited as the people who you have or have not "gotten to you." But hey, lets not be fair about things; only single out the people who point out how ignorant you are about basketball. Also, all of those cities you mentioned HAVE TEAMS THERE NOW. And certain media people STILL complain that the Dodgers left Brooklyn! FUCK, you are sports-illiterate!

And that's the main thing - Seattle fans can't accept the fact that their team, which began play during the era of Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson, is now in the hands of people who think the Spurs were built from scratch when they drafted Tim Duncan.

PS - If the comments make us look "tired and moronic," why ban them? Oh that's right - you have no balls. Or talent. Go write for Pravda if you want to censor people, cocksucker.

Anonymous said...

If Seattle sucks because the sports teams are bad, what do the Thunder say about OKC? You guys must suck large ass donkey balls, using the Thunder as a city's worth measuring stick.

Royce is not going to reach a larger audience. How can you get much larger than reaching the entire internet? What he is doing is quitting because the only people interested in his childish generic articles are only being read by people who dislike OKC.

If OKC could get more fans then this blog wouldn't be seen by only ex-Sonics fans. How dumb are you people?

Anonymous said...

The comments are better than the articles. I don't even look at what Royce copies anymore, I came here for the unique comments. Now that the comments are gone I have no reason to be involved with Royce.

Royce Young said...

As one person pointed out, I'm not quitting. I'm going to be joining part of a very prestigious blogging network. It's a pretty nice upgrade.

And all comments that don't fall in line with the new comment policy will - whether from OKC fans, Seattle fans or my best friend - will be dealt with. Maybe that wasn't clear but the overall tone of the comments is what is out of hand. All parties included. I want this to be a blog for everyone - 10-year-olds to 80-year-olds. Every other NBA blog has a comment policy and so will this one.

Thanks for reading.

Anonymous said...

OK, if our comments are clean and inoffensive, can we still talk about how much of a bad writer you are?

Anonymous said...

Pretty soon, "Bend It Like Bennett" will be the only Boomer blog left. Which is ironic, seeing that it was the only real blog in the first place.

Anonymous said...

The Thunder still suck because we just got em and it takes a while to wipe off 40 years of suck. Sports don't just suck in Seattle, they set records in suckage. First team to ever lose 100 games while spending over 100 million in payroll....first winless season in 119 years...now THAT is some world class sucking.

Anyway...here in beautiful, sunny Oklahome we're getting ready to head to Miami by the tens of thousands to watch the nations most proud and storied college football team compete for ANOTHER national championship.

Meanwhile in cold, dank, miserable Seattle there's nothing to do but hole up and butt fuck each other.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, ENOUGH with the butt-sex references! You clearly have some obsession/passion with it that you need to address, but could you do it away from the computer?

Sports work in cycles. Others have said it, but you are too stupid to understand. 100 losses for 100 million in 2008; 116 wins in 2001, the most in baseball regular season history. The Seahawks went to the Super Bowl three years ago and are coming off 4 straight NFC west championships, now they are 4-12. And all you guys fall back on the Sooners when someone brings up the Thunder. What do they have to do with each other exactly? And whats an "Oklahome?"

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! A collection of Okie idiots writing about the Blunder. Royce, I hope you are the best writer in the new group if you know what I mean. The entertainment will be endless. It's great watching Oklahoma, Loud City and the people who cover this joke of a situation struggle. This is karma for the way you stole Seattle's team and tried to loot New Orleans'. Get used to this year. It's your long term destiny.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Royce for cleaning it up. I'm looking forward to the new blog.

Anonymous said...

In all seriousness, (I just started reading this blog. Which by the way, is actually really good.) why are the Seattle fans so upset about the team leaving? I know, I know, because Oklahoma "stole" the team... yada yada yada. But if all these fans would have supported the team when they knew it could be "stolen" in the first place, wouldn't the team still be there?

I am not a fan of either Oklahoma or Seattle anything, but came across this blog because it was linked in another sports site. I don't know that much about the situation because quit frankly, I hate the NBA. So could someone please explain to me why the Seattle fans care so much now?

Where was all this "love" the last couple of years?

Also, I wanted to know what the Seattle fans thought about Howard Shultz (is that how you spell his name?). Do you guys blame him for selling the team to someone from Oklahoma? For such a great business man, why would he sell the team?

Like I said, I am just really curious and want to be filled in.

Anonymous said...

help:

We hold Shultz equally culpable as Bennett for the relocation of the team. If Bennett is a cunt for never making an effort to keep the team here, then Shultz is a douche for believing Bennett wouldn't eventually move the team.

And Seattle fans cared about the team up until the new ownership arrived. We all knew the team was doomed, even if we didn't want to accept it. Bennett tried to buy the Hornets to keep them in OKC after all. The last year they were in Seattle, 100,000 less people showed up to the Key than the year before. Coincidence?

Don't believe the Oklahoma propoganda. Even Charles Barkley said that Utah and Seattle were the toughest places to play in his career because of the fans. If we didn't care in the past, we wouldn't be on here showing how little these Okies know about the NBA. You said yourself you hate the NBA, so of course you think this blog is good.

Anonymous said...

Seattle fans cared...until Bennett stripped the team of all its good players, intentionally disenfranchised the fanbase, and announced his intention to move the team to OKC. That can sort of put a damper on fan enthusiasm.

By the way, Royce, you are honestly the worst blogger I have ever seen. I don't think you've ever written a single original idea.

Anonymous said...

Come on HELP. You are a retarded Okie just stirring the pot. You people have no shame. There is not bottom for an Okie. They establish new lows ever day and are proud to boast about them.

Anonymous said...

I don't really understand this post - are you saying you won't be allowing anonymous posting anymore? That's cool - I'll register. Get over the anonymity thing, no one's trying to duck you. Just having some e-fun, and some of us don't live in or like Seattle. We just know a crime when we see one.

And "help", you fucking troll. Educate yourself and learn something. Seattle fans bled for their team, they have nothing to do with what happened. And anyone who thinks Schultz had a choice of who he sold the franchise to, and that Stern didn't lead Bennett to him and closed the deal, is dumber than the guy who writes this blog.

Anonymous said...

Shitter's full, and always will be in Oklahoma. Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

Royce wants to take away our free speech. Just like Jill at OKCNBAFANS.com.

Anonymous said...

Typical OKC behavior. Dish it out and can't take it. It's on full force for all to see at okcnbafans. They complained about free speech and then only sign up okies to partake in the board, you can join from out of town if you are willing to kiss their ass. Sad little group of people.

I suppose we will see even more BenditlikeBennett blogs as we see more and more okie driven blogs fail.

I have an idea for the okies, instead of creating useless blogs why don't you go out and support your team. Craigslist has tickets available for 1/16th the face value, you have only sold out 33% of your games. Tell Doug his attendance chart is lacking since he refuses to post real attendance. 18,000 per game looks good unless you actually see it on TV, then you can see the okies could care less about the Thunder.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Okies aren't completely stupid. I wouldn't support that crap either. I hope Kansas City steps up and saves this franchise.

Anonymous said...

For a city that bragged as much as the okies they should feel embarrassed by how poorly they are supporting the Thunder.

I love checking out Craigslist, so many tickets available and no takers. Season ticket sales are going to sink like a stone. It's also funny how okies bought several season tickets thinking they would sell their extra pairs to pay for theirs.