Sonics mega-fan / comedian Kris Brannon of Tacoma, WA began his personal crusade to rescue his fave NBA franchise more than half a year after creepy Clay Bennett moved the team to Oklahoma City. In the words of the Tacoma News-Tribune’s Ernest A. Jasmine, “apparently, timing isn’t everything.”
Brannon, 35, is 6-foot-5, tall enough to have played for his cherished Sonics. He™s got a puffy, salt-and-pepper afro and matching mutton chop sideburns, a la NBA great Kareem Abdul Jabbar, circa 1972. And he™s often clad head to toe in bright, canary yellow Sonics gear.
Tacoma resident Blue Hampton™s reaction was typical after Brannon strolled by on a sweltering afternoon at the Tacoma Broadway farmers market, a prime location for spotting Save the Sonics Guy on Thursdays.
œYou™re two years too late, Hampton remarked, laughing. œThey™re already gone.
Brannon said he gets a wide variety of reactions, from curious glances to shock from a few people who say they didn™t know the Sonics left.
œThe reaction is about 90 percent positive, Brannon said. œAnd any political campaign I™ve done – political sign waving or whatever “ the best you can hope for is 50 percent, maybe plus one.
œA few people get really mad, like, ˜They™re gone! They™re gone!™ But that™s not the point. We can get a new team. There™s lots of things we can do.
When curious bystanders ask exactly what, he delivers a quick spiel about boycotting Starbucks (owned by former Sonics owner Howard Schultz), contacting state legislators and voting Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels out of office.