Outside the Lines story on Oklahoma City and the Thunder

The entire group of blogs has been down for almost a day, but now back up and working.

This video is a powerful message of a city that rose from the ashes following the Murrah Bombing on April 19th, 1995, to building a Memorial to those who died along with a Museum so people never forget to the arrival in the late summer of 2008 of the OKC Thunder NBA team led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who have united this city and made us one of the loudest fan bases in the NBA.  This very young team has captured the hearts of many Oklahomans including this one.




Oklahoma City was delivered a hard punch that April day by terrorists but refused to be called down and out. Instead forward looking leaders kept putting sales tax issues for $.05 for five years on the ballot and rebuilt the downtown, the schools, and made Oklahoma City a destination for visitors and an NBA team after building a first class arena with sales tax money. Every time the five year limit hits, the tax goes off. Great way to fund facilities that have brought back life to the city following the bombing

In the summer of 2008 Oklahoma City was rewarded with an NBA franchise when Clay Bennett and a consortium of people who owned the Seattle Supersonics brought them to Oklahoma City. At the unveiling of the new name, logo, and mascot Oklahoma City became home to the OKC Thunder with a Rumble, the buffalo, as the mascot. If you were in this area Monday night and heard the thunder which was so loud it shook the house at times, you would understand the name is a perfect fit for our NBA Team.

Since that unveiling on September 5th, 2008, our OKC Thunder played in the first round of the NBA playoffs last year against the Lakers after the former Sonics had been down for several years. Tonight the Thunder will be playing against the Memphis Grizzlies for a chance to go to the Western Conference finals . We are all hoping it doesn't go into three overtimes like Monday night which we finally won long after midnight. In three years, the Thunder have become part of the heart and soul of Oklahoma City and the whole area.