Seattle Sonics in Oklahoma City?

Ten years ago if someone had told me that ten years later I would be living in Texas I would have thought that a scenario that could not happen. If they'd told me I would be living in Fort Worth, Texas I would have told them there is no way I'd be living in that rundown town. (At that point in time I'd only been to Fort Worth once, in 1981, when it was pretty much a rundown eyesore. Fort Worth has greatly improved since 1981).

Ten years ago if someone had told me that ten years later the Seattle Supersonics would leave Seattle and re-locate to Oklahoma city I would have thought the idea idiotic.

But that is what is going to happen. Starbucks Chief, Sonic Owner, Howard Schultz sold the Sonics to Clay Bennett from Oklahoma City. At the time of the sale promises were made regarding the Sonics not moving. Then Bennett insisted Key Arena, where the Sonics play, was not up to league standards, so he demanded a new arena.

Seattle balked, the state legislature balked. No new arena. This was one time too many where a Seattle sports franchise demanded a new arena. That and it was only in the 1990s that Key Arena had been totally remodeled with its seating capacity greatly expanded. For the voters to be told that just a few years later Key Arena is now outdated seemed ridiculous.

I never went to a Sonic game after Key Arena was remodeled. I don't think I'd been to a game after it became Key Arena. Key Arena originally was known as the Seattle Coliseum. It'd been converted from the Washington State Pavilion left over from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

The city and Bennett have been battling in courts for weeks. But yesterday the two sides settled the dispute. Seattle gets to keep the Supersonic name. Bennett still faces possible court time with the Starbucks guy. And there could be an injunction filed to keep the team from moving. But, I'm guessing it's a done deal and the Sonics are bye-bye from Seattle.

Is there a better basketball arena in Oklahoma City than Seattle's Key Arena? If so, I've not seen it.