Milwaukee bucks Thunder in franchise opener

Tonight wasn't about the scoreboard. Though it did read 98-87 with a Thunder loss and it sure would have been nice to start out 1-0, it really didn't matter that much.

This night was about Oklahoma City. And during Mayor Mick's speech, I won't lie, I had tears welling in my eyes. I know that sounds crazy, but as someone that's spent all 23 years of his life in this wonderful state and someone that is Oklahoman to the bone, October 29, 2008 meant a whole heck of a lot to me. When Commissioner Stern grabbed the mic and said, "Oklahoma City... welcome to the National Basketball Association," I nearly lost it. The crowd hung on every word from the Commish and Mayor Mick and the Mayor even pulled Clay Bennett out of the shadows to which the crowd gave the Boss a full minute standing ovation. Just magical.

As for the game, not so magical. I hate to nit-pick and snipe at things about the presentation, but it's unavoidable. But we all need to keep in mind, this thing has been thrown together in a matter of months and this was the first go-round. Give it a year and I'm sure the in-game festivities will be cleaned up and much better. The emcee will be better with more practice. The transition from one thing to the next will be better. Heck, hopefully the team will be better.

A couple notes about the game presentation:
I never thought I'd say it because I've never really noticed it until now - the Thunder needs a mascot. One is coming and is supposed to be introduced before the end of the season, but the lack of a mascot is a gaping whole in the presentation. It's kind of like the Seattle SuperSonics - you never really notice them until they're gone. Ok, that was uncalled for. But not having a Hugo run around and de-pants (or pants, depending on where you stand on that issue) referees, throw t-shirts, dive through fire, break dance or do whatever really brought down the entertainment value. I'm a college guy through and through and mascots are always an afterthought because they have little to do with the game in college (it's all about the bands, the cheerleaders, the chants, the tradition). But in the pros, mascots are pretty key.

Even without a mascot, there was certain entertainment value missing. No t-shirt cannons. No unique fan contests or clever skits. They never played a single video on the jumbo screens. Though I loathe the movie, no Anchorman clip. No Noise-O-Meter. No cool graphic. The extent of what was on the video board was "Make! Some! Noise!" with a dark cloud behind it. Bor-ing. They didn't even pass out those long balloon things to distract the other team at the free throw line. Come on!

To be honest, it felt kind of like an OU basketball game without the band. A Midfirst bank giveaway, a "best/funny dancer" thing, a t-shirt toss and a couple performances by the "dancers." There was just an element lacking. Not having the t-shirt sling shot sucks for us proud patrons of Loud City because the Thunder Girls aren't exactly gifted with Brett Favre type arms.

I was slightly disappointed with the court. I loved the baselines, but the choice of color combos is just off. Mainly because the fact that the team has four colors. Putting the blue and yellow together in the lane was weird because the yellow is barely noticeable on the logo or the jerseys. I was under the impression that they were featuring the blue and orange-red? Guess not. They really need to cut one of those colors. I do like the simplicity of it though. I like the design and the look of it overall. Just not so sure about the color combination.

The crowd was unbelievable though. For the first quarter I think everyone had kind of a "So what are we supposed to do again?" feel because it was so surreal to be back in this situation. And it also tough to get loud because the team was down double digits before you could say Thunderstruck. But I've never seen a crowd ready to explode like the one tonight. Down 20 in the fourth, after a quick little 6-0 spurt that was lit with a monster Dez Mason jam, the Thunderdome faithful erupted. Then Russell Westbrook hit a three to cut it to 11 with five minutes left and you'd have thought he hit a go ahead three in game seven of the Finals. It was awesome. I hope we're in for a full season of that.

But I'll admit, I'm a little fearful of what it will be like in February if the team is 6-29 and just plain stinks. Will people still want to go? I won't lie: During a stretch in the third quarter when the Thunder fell behind by 24 again and couldn't get a defensive rebound and when they did, they promptly threw the ball out of bounds like it was on fire, I was thinking, "I don't know about this..." But then the little run in the fourth brought me back. But that kind of said to me: This team can get by for a while sucking; but they're going to need to get good at some point.

As for some expert breaking down of the game - it was rough. The lack of a low post scorer/defender was showcased by super stiff Andrew Bogut scoring the first six Buck points. The Thunder couldn't get clean rebounds and couldn't start any fast breaks. Kevin Durant not scoring until the third quarter hurt and only having 12 for the night really hurt. OKC has to have him lighting up the board. Has to. Russell Westbrook makes me feel better and better by the second. He plays so hard and is so athletic that I see great things for him. Heck, he led the team in offensive rebounds with four. I'm starting to become a little anti-Earl because 1) I love Westbrook and 2) Earl just screams "solid back-up point guard." Coach Peej might need to consider different alternatives to getting Westbrook time rather than just swamping him and the Earl. Peej seems a little set in his rotation, but maybe playing the Earl and Westbrook together could liven up the offense. I don't know... just thinking out loud.

We got out-rebounded by eight and the Bucks hit six more threes than we did. Turnovers were even but the Thunder shot much more poorly at the free throw line. All a recipe for a loss.

I officially have my first ThunderCrush

To wrap up - we all need to keep in mind that this is a major work in progress and we don't turn into the Boston Celtics overnight. We don't flip on a switch and have all the bells and whistles of a Dallas Mavericks game. It's a process and we all are growing into this. I'm learning how to be an NBA fan. It's just weird for me to get all super-pumped and paint my face with Thunder blue, dark blue, yellow and orange-red because this is all so new. We're all learning. The team will get better and the games will get better. Give it time. We've got the crowd thing down though - we're awesome at that. The Thunder goes to Houston on Nov. 1 and then returns home this Sunday. See you at the Dome.

BOX SCORE

View from the other side

An opening night for the ages

Tonight, something will happen in downtown Oklahoma City. Something that I can't really wrap my mind around. Something so unbelievably far-fetched that it doesn't seem real in any way.

A professional sport will be played in the Sooner State but with a catch - it won't be leaving any time soon.

I know. I know. We didn't get this team in the most favorable way. Some say we stole them. Some say we don't deserve them. And honestly, if I could change the way it went down, I would. I hate that Seattle won't see the emerald and yellow take the floor. It's weird to even think about it. The Sonics have been such a staple in the NBA over the past, well, 41 years, that not having them will be like turning on Spike TV and not seeing an episode of CSI. I bet nearly every Thunder fan would admit they don't like the circumstances in which a basketball team found its way to Oklahoma City. But that won't stop this city from exploding with excitement for NBA basketball.

Oklahoma City was the darling of professional sports back in 2005. Everyone couldn't believe how we embraced the transplanted Hornets. And it was unbelievable. A small market like OKC, filling the seats in an arena for a bad team that wasn't going to stay. It was truly something else. But just that little taste of the big time lit a fire under OKC - a fire that burns brighter than ever today.

But now, OKC is the whipping boy. Everyone outside of Oklahoma can't start a sentence about the Thunder without thinking or saying something about the empty hole in Seattle. And it is a shame because I wish the rest of the country could just have a taste of what we're feeling here.

In a few years, it will all pass. People will forget about the logo, the nickname and the jerseys. People will forget about the circumstances of the move from the Emerald City to Oak City. In three years, the talk will be about the players, the coaches and what's happening on the floor - not what happened off it.

I remember when Art Modell packed up the Browns' gear and put it on a bus to Baltimore. The entire country was outraged. Just furious. Especially when the new Browns picked purple as their primary color. But it passed. Nobody complains any more, except about the Browns' defense.

I remember when the Oilers quit pumping and scurried to Nashville. People couldn't believe there was no football in Houston. And have you seen the Titans uniforms? But the NFL still lets them play. And the animosity passed.

If you're a Thunder fan, you should root for one thing (besides Thunder victories) - that Seattle gets another team. Because then OKC can drop its No. 1 Enemy status and hopefully go back to being the little city that could. Seattle gets the pity and OKC gets the hate. But it will pass. And if Slick Sam Presti is doing as good a job as we think he is, it may pass a lot quicker than anticipated.

But four years ago, can you imagine this would be here? Thinking back to when I was in middle school, I remember OKC making a push for an NHL team. We thought that would be huge. We thought that was our chance to be a real city. Our chance to show people what we were all about. We were going to have a pro sports team to follow, to talk about, to write about. We were going to get to know the players, buy their jerseys, paint our faces and go to the games. For once, we were going to just get a taste of what it's like to live in Chicago or Dallas. But we failed. We didn't land the team. And after the ice melted, it looked as if our ship sailed right past the harbor and would never come back.

Some have this view of Oklahoma City as a cow town where cars battle stage coaches on the highway. Where the Ford Center is surrounded by tepees and barren wheat fields. Where we've yet to find out about the Internet and cable television. Before the Thunder, if someone in the Northeast heard Oklahoma, they either though "bombing," "college football" or "dust bowl." The NBA is giving Oklahoma a chance to show what we really are. To show the country that we're a really special place with extraordinary people. Some think Oklahoma is boring and the only thing to do here is rope cattle. But you know what? Keep it that way. Because if the people that made fun of OKC only knew what it was like here, they'd drop that latte they were sipping on, pack their crap and board a plane to Bricktown in a heartbeat.

Proof that the NBA has set this city on fire: Me. One year ago, you couldn't pay me to watch 48 minutes of NBA basketball. But over the past three weeks, I have watched seven preseason games in their entirety. Heck, I even started a blog to talk about the NBA. If you would've told me I would do that 12 months ago, I would've kicked you in the nards to see if you had a pulse.

As a life-long Oklahoman and someone that bleeds Oklahoma, this is as big a moment as I can think of, outside of any of the seven national championships the Sooners have claimed. (Look, as much as we love the Thunder, nothing, and I mean nothing, will knock OU football from the top of the mountain.) As I walked on OU's campus this morning, in a matter of minutes I saw a handful of students wearing Thunder shirts and Durant jerseys. And when I saw them, it hit me. I stopped. I smiled. I can't believe I am going to an NBA basketball game tonight for my hometown team.

This state's idols have been guys named Bud, Barry, Bob, Barry (Sanders), Eddie, Adrian and a slew of other college stars. Oklahoma is a state rabid about college sports and the Thunder will never nudge Oklahoma State or Oklahoma. But there's a spot for this team. And that was shown by the 13,000 strong that ate up season tickets in five days. OKC is one of four cities with season ticket waiting lists. Let me say that again: Oklahoma City is in the same company as Boston, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Oklahoma City. Mind blowing.

So you outsides, hate on Oklahoma City all you want. Call them the Bennett City Hijackers, call them Kevin Durant's team, or don't even acknowledge them at all. But just know that this city finally has something to hold on to - an identity outside of what happened on April 19, 1995 or what you perceive us to be. It's a fairy tale and us Oklahomans can't believe it's real. There's professional basketball in Oklahoma and no one can take that from us. You can bash us, make fun of us and laugh at us - but you'll never steal our Thunder.

Tuesday Bolts - 10.28.08

The NBA season tips off tonight! Hooray.

• One last season preview to toss up: "Let’s get the big one out of the way early: Kevin Durant is incredible. Absolutely incredible. And despite some criticism for supposedly underwhelming, the Durantula put up a LeBron-esque rookie campaign (sans assists, of course). The most exciting thing in OKC this season may be seeing what Durant does next. At the tail end of last season, Durant flipped the switch. He scored well all season long, but the last two months (err month and a half, really) he had pretty incredible efficiency for a rookie and his points per game skyrocketed despite taking fewer attempts. His defense…well, so he has some room or improvement."

• An opposing team's scouts sizes up the Thunder: "The move from Seattle will help them because they're in a city where they're wanted, and they'll have a nice home-court situation that they didn't have last year. The improved home court will help them, but I don't see as much improvement in their roster as a lot of people think. They don't shoot the ball well enough, especially from the three-point line. Jeff Green is a guy they're trying to push, but I don't think he's as good as they seem to think he is. They'll be fun to watch, but they're still such a young team."

• A nice treat for opening night tomorrow - free parking: "He’s still stunned, however, by where he will find that free parking space: Bricktown. "It’s really crazy to even believe they’re doing it,” Pauley said when told the district will provide more than 1,000 spaces. "I’ve always heard that’s the one place not to bother with.”

• A buzz in the air for opening night: "Former Oklahoma State star Desmond Mason said public appearances, season tickets selling out in five days and a packed house downtown for the nickname unveiling are signs Oklahoma City fans are stoked about the season opener Wednesday night at the Ford Center."

• Tremendous upside potential for big guy Robert Swift: "Underneath the flop-top red hair and all those tattoos lies a talented basketball player within Robert Swift. This must be true, or why else would the Thunder be clinging to this great unknown? Swift is remarkably agile for someone who stands 7-foot-1 and weighs 270 pounds, which are the primary reasons he occupies an NBA roster."

• Since we open the 2008-09 season today, why not look ahead to the 2009 NBA Draft? Currently, NBADraft.net has Blake Griffin going with the top pick and the Thunder taking seven-foot center B.J. Mullens at No. 2. We want Blake! We want Blake!