I've never felt as terrible as a sports fan as I do tonight.  The worst part of this whole ordeal is that it has not only soiled NBA basketball in Seattle forever, in my eyes, but stripped this region of its pro-sports innocence.  This can never be undone.  You may think that is not possible for a city that has now had every major pro sports franchise uprooted from it, but it is.

The Seattle Pilots were moved to Milwaukee in 1969.  The region fought back and was awarded the expansion Mariners; a virgin franchise.  Seattle's hands were clean.
The Seattle Seahawks were moved to Los Angeles by Ken Behring in 1996.  The region fought back and was allowed to keep its original franchise.  Seattle's conscience remained clear.
This time around, it looks like any return of the NBA to Seattle will corrupt us in some way.  Relocation could cost us our soul, while expansion will certainly cost us our dignity.

After going through what this city has for the better part of two years, and feeling as I do about my team being stolen from me, how am I supposed to wake up this morning and cast predatory eyes toward other cities with struggling franchises?  What did they ever do to me?

If Steve Ballmer's ownership group manages to secure another franchise and relocate to Seattle, how am I supposed feel good about that, knowing how it feels to lose a team myself?  How would I tell fans in Memphis or New Orleans that our owner isn't Clayton Bennett with a different zip code?
After decrying Bennett & Company for so long, how would I put aside the monumental hypocrisy, don my Sonic jersey, and cheer for "my" team?  I don't care if the name and colors remain in Seattle; a stolen car with a new coat of paint is still stolen.

Expansion does hold the promise of rooting for a team with no guilt attached to it, but the cost will include Seattle's civic pride, in addition to money.

First, the money:

Seattle paid an expansion fee of $1.75 million for the Sonics back in 1966, but I doubt the league will accept that today.  Bob Johnson paid the NBA a $300 million expansion fee for the Bobcats in 2003, only a year after the Hornets left for New Orleans.  Inflation and David Stern being a commissioner who holds grudges will certainly drive the price higher.

As to the Dignity:

In Oklahoma, the NBA stumbled across a city on the rebound after its brief affair with the Hornets, and a public - private coalition that was more than willing to write a blank check for any team it could get.  David Stern saw all of that money on the table and used the Sonics to get it.  (NBA: 1  -  Seattle: 0)

Seattle's name will also be Stern's new hammer to silence any NBA city that begins to have similar ideas about franchises choosing success over excess.  (NBA: 2  -  Seattle: 0)

After savaging the region for the better part of two years, Stern was quick to call Seattle a "first class city" again now that the team is Oklahoma-bound.  He said we would have "another opportunity" for a franchise in the future if conditions were met.  I guarantee that franchise will not be the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers.  It will be a team bleeding red-ink in another city; a glaring reminder of his league's status as the most financially broken of the three major sports, and one he will be more than happy to sweep into a far-off corner of the United States.  Seattle will be given the "opportunity" to bail the NBA out once again.  (NBA: 3  -  Seattle: 0)

And if that isn't enough, you can be sure that in the ultimate act of duplicity, Stern will invoke the city of Seattle when the NBA sits down to negotiate its next Collective Bargaining Agreement.   He will use us as an example of how spiraling player salaries are destroying the fabric of the league, despite his own inaction in the face of the problem, his owners eagerness to sign those checks, and the league scouting the country for cities willing to enable them.

The root of this entire issue is that the NBA believes it is a host city's duty to ensure its franchise is profitable, regardless of how poorly it is run or how badly it performs.

This week Seattle has become a free-agent like so many NBA players.

The question now is:  Do we want to be dealt back into this game?  In what way, and at what cost?

The bidding for pro sports absolution starts at $300 million...