Former Sonics pay their first visit to the Northwest

By Eric D. Williams | The News Tribune • Published February 12, 2009

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PORTLAND – They've moved on.

Some of the couple of hundred or so Seattle SuperSonics fans who made the trek to the Rose Garden to witness their former team expressed that sentiment.

Green and gold Sonics jerseys were sprinkled amongst the black and red Portland Trail Blazers garb Wednesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder paid a visit and were overwhelmed by the Blazers, 106-92.

In one of the team's two visits this season, the Thunder played in Portland for the first time since the franchise moved last summer. Geographically speaking, it is the closest the Thunder will get to Seattle this season.

Of course, fans like Save Our Sonics co-founder Steven Pyeatt put on a brave facade, saying the game offered an opportunity to see the game he loves but can longer experience in his hometown.

"To me, Oklahoma City coming down here is no more than Memphis or Charlotte or anybody else coming to town," Pyeatt said. "You know, with Ray Allen and the Celtics we cheer for Allen and hate the team. This isn't the Sonics. We're completely separated from that now."

But other Sonics fans weren't fooling themselves, either. Just ask Matt Heuer, a former Sonics employee who now works for the Seattle Storm. Heuer carried 2-year-old nephew Zach Rankin in one hand, and in the other held a sign that read "Clay Bennett ruined my childhood."

"I wouldn't be satisfied if I missed this game," Heuer said. "This is something I wanted to be at and see. So, yeah, we're here to cheer on the Sonics tonight."

Asked how he would respond to the Thunder, Heuer had this to say:

"(I'm) ignoring them altogether. When they're here right now, they're the Sonics to us."

Even "Mr. Sonic," Portland head coach Nate McMillan, was resigned to the fact that there's no longer a team in Seattle.

"You know, they went through that for so many years," he said. "Now, it's done. I think a lot of people, before it happened, thought it wouldn't happen, and they were trying to save the team. That didn't happen, and they're in Oklahoma City. There is no more Sonics. I haven't thought about it too much."

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