The Sonics are coming. As a fan of basketball and sports in general, the idea of having a major professional sports team right here in our home state is incredibly exciting.

It's a symbol not just of greater status but also a huge boost to what's going on economically, as evidenced by the excitement and dollars brought in by the New Orleans Hornets' two-year stay in Oklahoma City while their home recovered from the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina.

But watching the whole Sonics thing evolve ... it makes me question how exactly I feel about all of it, and what I want to write about it.

Therefore, I'll break out my multiple personalities and give it a few shots.

New owners were too pushy

It seemed like Clay Bennett and his ownership group pretty much had their minds made up from day one. After the great experience of the Hornets' time in Oklahoma City, they -- and the NBA -- were convinced the city could support a team.

So Bennett went and got one, finding a team that they might be able to move here. Their intentions seemed less about helping the Sonics and more about getting a team to their home state.

That's how big ballers do it

OK, that sounds fair. But Bennett and his group did set a timeline for Seattle to get its act together on a new arena. They did provide deadlines and watched as the leaders in the great Northwest didn't come through with anything, at or before the 11th hour.

Bennett did all that was asked of him by NBA Commissioner David Stern and the league's leadership. He and his partners aren't in big business to lose money and felt coming here was the best way not to. They put up the dollars and in the end, it's their choice what happens.

Seattle fans deserve better

All that may be true, but the longtime fans of the Sonics must feel like they're having a child ripped out of their arms. They've supported their team through thick and thin, through championship runs in the late 1970s and other lean stretches. But the names of ex-Sonics Jack Sikma, Dennis Johnson, Dale Ellis and even longtime coach Lenny Wilkens are ones NBA fans of my generation grew up with.

It shouldn't be surprising that many of these Seattle fans don't have very warm feelings about Bennett or Oklahomans in general. Read a few message boards and it won't take long to see us get flamed.