Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Thunder writer wants apology from Seattle fans if Sonics return
The Seattle SuperSonics haven’t touched the floor in almost 20 years since the beloved team was taken to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder in 2008.
It’s been two decades since one of the most painful relocations in the history of professional sports. That year, Oklahoma investor Clay Bennett moved the Sonics to Oklahoma City after purchasing the franchise from Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz two years prior.
Seattle fans still haven’t gotten over the move all these years later, and who could really blame them after the way their team was ripped out of their city. However, Sonics fans are closer than ever to getting the Sonics back after the NBA went public with its hopes to expand to 32 teams by placing teams in Seattle and Las Vegas.
You would think this would be a story that would be celebrated across the universe. And since Oklahoma City just won a championship with the Thunder and are the favorites to win another NBA title this year, you would think that Seattle getting back their Sonics would be the least of their concerns. They won and they continue to win. Seattle getting the Sonics name, history, and colors back from the Thunder already has precedent with the re-christening of the Charlotte Hornets and the complicated web between Charlotte and New Orleans franchises. So what’s the big deal, right?
Well, USA Today’s OKC Thunder wire reporter Clemente Almanza doesn’t quite see it that way.
In a column entitled, “If Sonics want history back, Seattle owes OKC Thunder an apology,” Almanza makes the case that aggrieved Sonics fans should say sorry after actively rooting against the Thunder for so many years.
If the Sonics are brought back, how do the Thunder address the giant elephant in the room? Of course, I’m talking about Seattle’s NBA history from 1967 to 2007. Does OKC gift it back to Seattle, when it technically doesn’t have to, when you look at the nitty-gritty of the original contract details?
The Thunder give the Sonics back their history, it’s not that hard. They’re not going to take the 2025 NBA Finals trophy with them! And it’s not even like the Thunder are using Sonics-inspired throwback jerseys with the famous green and gold color combos like the Tennessee Titans do with the history of the Houston Oilers.
Yeah. Sure. Might as well. Not like the Thunder acknowledges the Sonics’ history even though they technically own it.
Ok good, now everyone is on the same page and we should be able to move forward together.
But under one caveat — an apology.
* insert blinking guy gif here *
Sonics fans in Seattle owe Oklahoma City and Thunder fans an apology? After going without a basketball team for 20 years and seeing the franchise that was taken away from them build the best young team in the league that looks like they are turning into a dynasty before their eyes? What about other fans that have had to suffer from losing their teams? Should Oakland A’s fans just thank John Fisher for the memories and wish them well in Sacramento and Las Vegas and wherever else they actually play?
For 18 years, Thunder fans have dealt with Sonics fans’ bitter behavior. When an inconvenience happens to OKC, Seattleites are the first to celebrate with online parties. Angered over a dramatic divorce, that group of people is directing their emotions at the wrong group.
Sonics fans should really be mad at Howard Schultz and the previous group. After all, they’re the ones who sold the NBA franchise to Bennett. Once that move was made, the writing was on the wall with an eventual relocation — especially since Seattle didn’t want to pony up for a new NBA arena.
Professional sports fans are beginning to warm up to the idea that billion dollar local government bailouts for billionaire owners aren’t exactly the best use of public funds. There were even serious questions about the renovation of KeyArena (now Climate Pledge Arena) when it happened in 2018 and that was without a guarantee that the Sonics would ever return. Now Seattle has an NHL team and perhaps an NBA team on the way. But it has certainly come at a significant cost.
And for that matter, are Thunder fans really watching over their shoulder worried about what people in a city almost 2,000 miles away think about their basketball teams? It’s not like Seattle fans are conducting operations in the streets of Oklahoma City to deface Thunder billboards or anything. Where are the Thunder fans who are so agonized that Seattle didn’t enjoy their title as much as they did in Oklahoma City?!?
They weren’t the ones who refused to accommodate an NBA team. They weren’t the ones who sold the team to an out-of-state ownership group when local groups were interested. They weren’t the ones who were gullible enough to believe an out-of-state ownership group had a real interest in staying put.
I digress. Feels like that should be water under the bridge soon. Seattle should get an NBA team by the end of the decade. But if they want their Sonics’ history back, an apology is in order. That’s what happens when you have nearly two decades of misguided anger.
Telling Sonics fans not to be angry at Clay Bennett for moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City is like asking Cleveland Browns fans not to be angry at Art Modell. It’s never going to happen in a million years. Seattle basketball fans got to see Kevin Durant’s rookie season and then he left. That’s one of the biggest teases in sports history. Let alone multiple eras of sustained success in Oklahoma City. You can understand there might be some bitterness! And it’s totally natural and understandable. As are the replies on social media that aren’t exactly in agreement with Almanza’s column.
Trying to hold the Sonics history hostage for a mythical apology is a hot take that not even ChatGPT could conjure up if you asked it to create the most scorching opinion about the entire situation. The column may get some cheers locally, and maybe that’s all it’s meant to do. But the only thing it will really accomplish is making the bad blood in Seattle boil even more after being told what to do by someone representing who they believe truly wronged them. That first visit of the Thunder to Seattle will only be matched by LeBron James’ first game back in Cleveland after joining the Miami Heat. And it’ll be must-see TV for basketball fans everywhere.
Since the return of EA Sports’ iconic college football game, its release has become a summer rite of passage.
It’s not just because gamers like the game or because players like the game. Since its return post-NIL, players can be themselves in the game. They get a small cut through an NIL agreement, and they can play the game with them and their teammates in it. Plus, EA Sports has made a commitment to making its player ratings as realistic as possible.
For those reasons and a host of others, the game’s popularity has soared far beyond an initial surge over pent-up demand when the game was shelved.
But it isn’t just the stars that get player ratings. Yes, those players get plenty of attention. But now every player that agrees to be in the game is in the game and gets a player rating. For Oklahoma State, that’s more than 70 players that are in the game and have player ratings.
With the game in wide release on Thursday, let’s dive into how each player is ranked.
Every OSU Player’s CFB 27 Player Rating
EA Sports gives every player that is in the game an overall score, which is from 0 to 100. Those scores are based in part on six separate categories that also receive scores — speed, strength, agility, awareness, change of direction, injury and awareness. Those individual scores don’t add up to 100 and other factors go into the overall scores.
Going into the season just two Oklahoma State players have overall player ratings of 90 or better — running back Caleb Hawkins (91) and wide receiver Wyatt Young (90). Quarterback Drew Mestemaker is just outside that percentile at 89. Those scores can change during the season based on a variety of factors, including actual game play.
For now, here is the rating for every OSU player in the College Football 27 game:
RB Caleb Hawkins: 91
WR Wyatt Young: 90
QB Drew Mestemaker: 89
LB Ethan Wesloski: 87
CB Mo Horn: 86
EDGE James Williams: 84
WR Justin Bowick: 83
RB Ayo Adeyi: 82
WR Chris Barnes: 82
WR Miles Coleman: 82
OG Johnny Dickson III: 81
OT Braydon Nelson: 80
TE Donovan Green: 80
LB Isaiah Chisom: 80
WR Israel Polk: 80
FS Christian Bodnar: 79
OG Jacob Sexton: 79
SS Evan Jackson: 78
DT Jerry Lawson: 78
WR Rodney Harris II: 78
EDGE Braylon Rigsby: 77
DT Enai White: 77
DT Fatafehi Vailea II: 77
EDGE Jaleel Johnson: 77
TE Oscar Hammond: 77
DT Saadiq Clements: 77
OT Joseph Hanson: 76
WR Kam Powell: 76
CB LaDainian Fields: 76
EDGE Landon Dean: 76
OG Louie Canepa: 76
FS Mose Phillips III: 76
SS Cameron Epps: 75
RB KD Jones: 75
RB Tre Page III: 75
FS Vincent Holmes: 75
OT Ashton Lepo: 74
EDGE DeSean Brown: 74
DT Dominic Macon: 74
CB Kollin Lewis: 74
EDGE Malik Charles: 74
EDGE Rashod Bradley: 74
EDGE Billy Walton III: 73
EDGE Keviyan Huddleston: 73
SS Quinton Hammonds: 73
K Sam Keltner: 73
CB Trudell Berry: 73
RB William Mason: 73
LB Carl’veon Young: 72
CB Kobi Foreman: 72
LB Tate Romney: 72
LT Shaun Torgeson: 71
WR Terrence Lewis: 71
TE Bodie Boydstun: 70
LB Jack Puckett: 70
LB Trip White: 70
LB Dallas Winner-Johnson: 69
OG Desmond Magiya: 69
WR Jabarie Thornton: 69
P Lachie Pozzobon: 69
CB Marrel Davis III: 69
OG Miguel Chavez: 69
C Tyler Mercer: 69
QB Grant Jordan: 68
C Jakobe Sanders: 68
OT Kai Holec: 68
LB Taurean Davis: 68
SS Braeden Presley: 67
QB Broderick Vehrs: 66
EDGE DJ Jackson Jr.:65
TE Caden Yates: 64
LB Gunnar Wilson: 64
C Isaiah Bowman: 56
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The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. have announced the preseason watch list for the 2026 Dodd Trophy, recognizing 20 college football head coaches from across the Power Four conferences, the Pac-12 and one independent program.
The annual award honors the head coach whose program exemplifies success on the field while promoting scholarship, leadership and integrity, the three principles that defined legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s philosophy.
Oklahoma’s Brent Venables among nominees
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is one of six Southeastern Conference coaches included on this year’s watch list. Coaches became eligible after leading their current programs for at least two seasons and maintaining an Academic Progress Rate (APR) above the national average of 971.
The selection committee also considered each program’s Graduation Success Rate, community service efforts and projected performance during the 2026 season.
| Coach | School | Conference | APR (2024-25) |
| Bret Bielema | Illinois | Big Ten | 988 |
| Jeff Brohm | Louisville | ACC | 972 |
| Curt Cignetti | Indiana | Big Ten | 989 |
| Mario Cristobal | Miami (FL) | ACC | 993 |
| Spencer Danielson | Boise State | Pac-12 | 985 |
| Ryan Day | Ohio State | Big Ten | 1000 |
| Kalen DeBoer | Alabama | SEC | 1000 |
| Sonny Dykes | TCU | Big 12 | 987 |
| Mike Elko | Texas A&M | SEC | 1000 |
| Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | Big Ten | 997 |
| Jedd Fisch | Washington | Big Ten | 991 |
| Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame | Independent | 1000 |
| Willie Fritz | Houston | Big 12 | 989 |
| Josh Heupel | Tennessee | SEC | 993 |
| Brent Key | Georgia Tech | ACC | 997 |
| Dan Lanning | Oregon | Big Ten | 988 |
| Lincoln Riley | USC | Big Ten | 993 |
| Steve Sarkisian | Texas | SEC | 990 |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | SEC | 981 |
| Brent Venables | Oklahoma | SEC | 997 |
Key facts
- Twenty coaches were named to the preseason watch list.
- Oklahoma’s Brent Venables included with a program APR of 997.
- The Big Ten leads all conferences with seven coaches on the list.
- Four previous Dodd Trophy winners are included.
- Watch list coaches have combined for four national championships, 31 conference titles and 1,841 career victories.
What’s next for the award?
A midseason watch list will be released this fall and could expand or narrow the field. Finalists will be selected after the 2026 regular season by a panel that includes previous winners, national media members, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame representative.
The 2026 Dodd Trophy winner will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
We used AI tools to help with editing and formatting this story. A human journalist reviewed everything before publication.
Kip Lewis returning for his redshirt senior season with the Oklahoma Sooners was one of the biggest wins of the offseason. Lewis has built an impressive career in Norman, racking up 209 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and five sacks with two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns.
Beyond his production, Lewis has become one of the emotional leaders of the Oklahoma locker room. Although the NFL was an option, Lewis believed another season learning under Brent Venables would put him in the best position for long-term success.
In a video shared by Oklahoma, Lewis explained the factors that led him to return to Norman for another season.
“I talked to a lot of people,” Lewis said. “Mostly, my family and then my dad. He was just giving me key points that he felt like I should have come back… Mostly talked to a couple of my teammates like John (Mateer) and Isaiah (Sategna), getting their thoughts on what their plan was. I asked Danny (Stutsman) for advice. Talked to him for a little bit. Advice from Danny really stood out to me.”
Getting advice from Stutsman likely played a significant role in Lewis’ decision. Stutsman was in a similar position following a strong 2023 season. Stutsman elected to return to Norman in 2024 and had another strong individual season. That resulted in him being taken in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Lewis’ decision to return gives Oklahoma one of the most experienced and talented linebackers in the country for another season. By following the same path as Stutsman, Lewis is betting on development and another opportunity to improve his draft stock.
If he continues to lead at the level he has throughout his career, his final season in Norman could be the one that cements him as one of the top defensive players in college football.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.
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