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The NBA is not voting on expansion Wednesday.
Its board of governors is holding a vote to authorize the league to begin vetting cities for potential expansion with Seattle and Las Vegas the only two cities under consideration.
It is the most tangible sign that the Sonics may indeed return, and someone who purports to cover the Oklahoma City Thunder decided this was the moment to hang a caveat on providing access to the “shared history.”
Well, Clemente, The News Tribune allowed me to retort:
Sincerely,
Danny O’Neil
I don’t think anyone in Oklahoma City actually expects an apology. I also don’t think anyone there really wants to prevent Seattle’s eventual expansion franchise from referencing the team’s history in Seattle.
I also think it’s totally OK if people in OKC hold a grudge against Seattle and its basketball fans. I absolutely intend to keep holding onto the grudge I feel against their team.
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✍🏼 Sign of the times
There is a very clear pattern for negotiating NFL contract extensions.
Same goes for discussing them.
In fact, when I was covering the Seahawks as a beat reporter or talking about them on the radio, the only thing that felt more redundant and less insightful than the debates over a potential extension was the analysis that followed an official signing.
I can pretend to do with you if you’d like:
Me: Do you think they should extend (insert player’s name here)?
You: I’d love to extend (player’s name). Easier said than done, though. He’s going to be looking for an awful lot of money.
Me: Yeah, I just think they should do what they can to keep (player’s name). He’s a real cornerstone.
You: It’d be great. I’m just saying it won’t be easy.
Seriously, that’s it. That’s the discussion. Repeated dozens of times annually.
You could do it right now if you wanted. Just use Devon Witherspoon’s name. He’s the next Seahawk in line for a contract extension now that Jaxon Smith-Njigba got this deal done.
Speaking of which, Smith-Njigba’s four-year extension is a perfect opportunity to show how the conversation tends to go once the deal is done.
Me: How about getting an extension done with (insert player’s name)?
You: I’m so happy for (player’s name). He’s absolutely earned it.
Me: I am, too. I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to agree on a number.
You: The fact they did shows just how healthy the team is. They’re keeping the core together and paying the right guys.
Me: It really does, and I know it’s a lot of money, but when you really think about it, this is going to end up looking like a bargain.
You: Absolutely. Salaries are only going to go up, and they’ve got (player’s name) locked in before (comparable player) negotiates his deal. That might reset the market.
I’m not criticizing this discourse. I’m not saying it’s inaccurate, either. I have participated in it countless times myself. I’m just pointing out the pattern I’ve detected.
It’s easy to feel good about extensions because there’s less uncertainty involved. Because the existing contract has not expired, an extension is essentially a pre-emptive resolution. That’s something you don’t have to worry about.
In the case specifically of the Seattle Seahawks, when they extend a player’s rookie contract, it tends to work out very well.
Here’s a comprehensive list of the players who signed extensions with Seattle before the expiration of their rookie contracts since John Schneider became GM in 2010:
Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Max Unger | ||
2013 | Kam Chancellor | ||
2014 | Earl Thomas | Richard Sherman | K.J. Wright* |
2014 | Russell Wilson | Bobby Wagner | |
2015 | |||
2016 | |||
2017 | |||
2018 | |||
2019 | |||
2020 | |||
2021 | |||
2022 | |||
2023 | |||
2024 | |||
2025 | |||
2026 |
⚾️ The ol’ ballgame
The baseball season begins on Thursday, and I am optimistic.
I am always optimistic, however.
And if I’m being honest, I’m not quite as optimistic as I usually am, and that’s because the general confidence about the Mariners’ trajectory has caused some concern.
I realize that this is silly. Collective excitement should breed confidence, but if you’ve cheered for the Mariners for any length of time, you understand being leery about letting expectations build up too high.
It feels like the Mariners took a huge step forward last season, which is true in the sense that they came closer than they ever had to reaching the World Series.
However …
They won 90 games in the regular season, which is the exact neighborhood they’ve tended to hang out in over the past five years.
While I’m ecstatic they re-signed Josh Naylor and fully support the addition of Brendan Donovan, I’m also cognizant that it’s at least possible that Cal Raleigh’s production is more reminiscent of 2024 than 2025.
So, at the risk of being the turd in the punch bowl, I’m a little leery about proclaiming that Seattle is a slam dunk to improve on what happened last season.
(Ducks out of sight)