Letter to Elected Officials @SonicsArena #SonicsGate
Below was my letter that I wrote in support of bringing the NBA/NHL to Seattle & the construction of a new arena. You can support this cause by following the link where your voice can and will be heard. Seattle’s and King County’s elected officials do and will read your letter. Mitch Leavy & the team at Sports Radio KJR-AM in Seattle have backed this cause 100% and have been sharing these letters with listeners on the air. This was mine.
Elected officials,
I am a 27 year old born-and-raised Washingtonian from Bothell. Today I am writing you to express my support for the construction of a new NBA/NHL arena. Simply put, basketball in Seattle was the focal point of my entire upbringing. The Seattle Supersonics were the sole reason for the love & passion I have for the game today. I attended games with my mother and father as a child. Back in the old Coliseum I got to see Michael Jordan come to town and take on my Sonics. I will never forget that memory. We even made trips to Tacoma just to see the team play during the transition of arenas. Once the Sonics were in the Key, I’d wait hours after the game with my mom to get autographs in the parking lot as the players left in their cars. Every time - every, single, time, I saw a new Payton or Kemp jersey hanging in the mall I begged to have it. I pleaded endlessly to have the same jersey, warm up shirt, shoes and shorts as Shawn and Gary did. I broke countless rims on my front yard basketball hoop swinging around after dunks like Kemp. ALLEY OOP! Shouting out Calabro’s signature phrases imitating every move of the players. I nearly collapsed as I tried to announce the team name in that breath defying way the announcer did. Deep breaths, then attempting “Seattle Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu - twenty seconds pass - per Sonics! When I grew up and went off to college, I’d drive home from Ellensburg just to catch games. I then graduated and moved into King County, where I currently reside. Before the Sonics were ripped by the roots from the city of Seattle, I was there. At the games. Cheering for my team. Watching the game I love. I am getting married in the early months of 2013 and starting to build a foundation for my family down the road. For me, this all comes down to one thing as I think about my future and that of the Sonics. I’m able to wipe the bitter taste out of my mouth and I can stomach the sick feelings, but that one thing I think about is my future child. When I think about my child, my future, my family, missing out on the opportunity to enjoy the things that I did growing up, it makes me sad. Sad for others like me & their children. Children who grew up after the Sonics left, not being exposed to the great game that is basketball. I’m also eager about the possibility for the NHL to make it to Seattle. If this arena deal goes through, I’ll not only be attending NBA games, but I will absolutely be willing to spend my money on NHL games, concerts & other activities at this arena. In closing, I’d like to reiterate that because of this team, I was able to make memories with my family that will last a lifetime. I can only hope that opportunity is there in the near future for the people of Seattle. That being said, memories don’t fund nor support arenas. Dollars do. Elected officials, you can count on mine.
Matt Lockmon
