Has It Really Been 30 Years?

Shannon was born on the day the Seattle SuperSonics defeated the Phoenix Suns in game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in the Kingdome. Since that faithful trip to the NBA Finals, ending with Seattle’s only men’s major professional championship, Seattle has sent a men’s major professional sports team to a championship game and/or series a grand total of two times.

Today is the 30th anniversary of Seattle’s only* major professional championship.  On June 1st 1979 the Seattle Supersonics beat the Washington Bullets in game 5 of the Finals.  Though the team was in Landover, MD, a frenzied fan base back home in Seattle took to the streets in a rowdy and spontaneous celebration.  Seattle had to wait nearly 30 years for the city to experience a celebration of that scale – upon the announcement of the results of the November 4th 2008 General Elections, Seattle was so starved for a victory, people took to the streets as if the Seahawks had actually won a Super Bowl. (I was in Florida, celebrating with the volunteers and community of Riviera Beach, so I still have yet to celebrate victory in the streets of Seattle).

Seattle is the most pathetic sports city in America.  Rivaled only by Cleveland – the Mistake on the Lake.  Cleveland hasn’t won a major sports championship since 1964.  Even with the “King” dominating the NBA, Cleveland can’t make the Finals.  The Mistake on the Lake is a loser town, but they at least fight to keep their teams in the city.

When Cleveland’s NFL franchise left  after 1995, Cleveland battle the NFL and won the rights to the Browns’ name, colors, history, AND a promise of a new team within 5 years.

When Seattle lost its NBA franchise this past year, the city settled with the NBA outside the court of law, where we won the rights to the SuperSonics’ name, colors, history, AND a promise to willingly relinquish all these rights if we DON’T land a NBA franchise within 5 years – which the NBA will not support unless we build a new arena.  Seattle is a pathetic sports city.

We are such a pathetic sports city that locals aren’t even aware of it.  If you cite that Seattle has never won a major professional championship since 1979, most people in Seattle will name a litany of times we actually choked, but they will state it as if we actually won.  For example, you will get the following list:

• 1993- 1994 SuperSonics ended the regular season with the NBA’s best record.
• 2001 Mariners tied a record for most regular season wins.
• 2005 Seahawks ended the regular season with the best record in the NFC and held serve through the Conference Playoffs, earning a trip to the Super Bowl.

Hearing these examples, as well as all others – besides the 1979 SuperSonics (and the ’95 M’s, for obvious reasons) – I think of disappointment, failure, and chokes.  Seattle sports fans just don’t get it.  The ’93 – ’94 Sonics were the first NBA 1 seed to lose to an 8.  The ’01 M’s didn’t even sniff the World Series, losing to the Yanks in 5 during the ALCS.  And the Hawks.  Fuck, that one still hurts.  We outplayed the Steelers, but thanks to two defensive breakdowns, a tight end with more mouth than skill, and a poor decision by Hasselbeck in Steelers’ territory, we are left with only excuses that the refs jobbed us.

Come on!!  That’s pathetic.  Other towns; that would be unacceptable.  It’s on our teams to win.  Thanks to a history of weak front offices backed by miserable owners, we are left with a few almosts and an excuse.

But I shouldn’t dwell on our failures, not today.  This post is meant to celebrate our one season in the sun.  The ’78 – ’79 Sonics were the last championship by a major sports team that truly connected with community.  Like the Charlestown Chiefs of Slap Shot, the players hung out in the community and with their fan base.  There was no entourage.  There was no security.  There was no separation between the fans and the players.  The players drank, drugged, fought, hung, and partied with the locals.

I know this because my Dad was the same age as most the players.  As a little kid, I would get to hang out with Paul Silas, J.J., DJ, Downtown Freddie Brown, and Coach while their wives shopped at our home during my Dad’s sample sales.  A fucking sample sale!!  Campus mother fucking Casuals!!!  That’s what the players were buying for their wives back then.  And the players came during the same hours as everyone else.  No special treatment.  They had to wait inline, with everyone else, until my Bubbe was ready to ring them up at the cash box.

It is a time long gone from professional sports.  When a city not only could embrace a team, but could live with it.  When a fan could cheer from the upper deck in the Kingdome during the game and then share the complimentary dish of pickles, vegetables, and peppers and a drink at 13 Coins with the players after the game.

Here’s to the 1979 SuperSonics.  Seattle’s one and only major professional championship.

*There are 4 major professional leagues in the US: the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB.  Seattle does have other professional sports championships, but I don’t consider them on the same level.  Two noteworthy champions are:

• The 1917 Seattle Metropolitians, winners of the Stanley Cup.  But no one remembers it and they played for Pacific Coast Hockey Association.
• The 2004 Seattle Storm, winners of the WNBA championship.  The team and the championship is a huge element of pride for our city, but as noted, I don’t consider the WNBA one of the major professional sports leagues.