Is it time for the Oklahoma City Thunder to get a new arena?

Large League Metropolis. I’m sufficiently old to recollect the celebration that broke out across the state of Oklahoma when the Thunder got here to Oklahoma Metropolis. Whereas we all the time ran with that “Large League Metropolis” slogan, this was a far larger win for the state than only one metropolis. Whereas the Thunder performs their video games in OKC, everybody has seen constructive outcomes from the relocation. In a state with a lot pleasure, the status of this as soon as fly-over sleepy state identified for cows and faculty soccer has been revolutionized and become a worldwide model due to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.

The NBA has turned Oklahoma Metropolis right into a vacation spot, and no, I don’t imply the random Drake appearances on the sidelines of video games, the precise metropolis has sprouted right into a professional metropolitan space. As an alternative of Oklahomans from southwest Oklahoma fleeing to Dallas, or Northern Oklahoma making the hop, skip, and soar to Kansas Metropolis to have a superb time, store, spend cash, and hand around in “civilization” like what occurred once I was a child, Oklahoma Metropolis is a spot that matches all of your wants.

The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder have performed of their area since 2008, an area that opened up in 2002 and has seen a number of identify adjustments from the Ford Heart, to Chesapeake Power Area, and now the Paycom Heart. Hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in renovation nonetheless go away Oklahoma Metropolis’s area as one of many worst within the sport. Frankly, that’s as a result of, in 2002, we didn’t have the development creativity we do now, a lot much less the truth that this was by no means dreamed to be a premier dwelling for the NBA. It was an try and lure the NHL to city, which the league determined in opposition to.

The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and Oklahoma Metropolis have gotten away with enjoying within the Paycom Heart for too lengthy, it’s time to start the brand new area course of

Like every good Oklahoman, I do know the worth of a greenback and perceive the phrase “You higher get your cash’s price out of that” we’re not the sort for frivolous spending. When the statement “new arena” slaps you across the face, it’s straightforward to assume “Why? What’s improper with the outdated area? Isn’t that adequate?”

Whereas there may not be sewage falling from the ceiling like on the Oakland A’s ballpark, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and Oklahoma Metropolis have gotten our cash out of the Paycom Heart. You need to take into account that a brand new area can’t spring up tomorrow, it is going to be one other decade of basketball on the Paycom Heart till we minimize the ribbon on a brand new stadium. It isn’t as if after housing NBA basketball, the Paycom Heart will simply be bulldozed, it could actually nonetheless home musical acts, monster truck rallies, comedy reveals, and conventions…simply not NBA basketball.

Let’s wait to react to this plan as soon as we… get the plan. However the backside line is, no matter association the Thunder group and Oklahoma Metropolis authorities current to taxpayers it is very important bear in mind all that NBA basketball has accomplished for our state.

That is the value of doing enterprise, and being a big-league metropolis.