How Twitter has Destroyed the Sonics vs Sacramento Kings Saga

The world of Twitter and social media in general has exploded into something beyond my wildest expectations as far as the instanteous nature of being able get sports news befofe it hits the mainstream media to be reported. However, one story where Twitter has destroyed my faith in its value is the constant cutthroat nature of the debate going on between Sonics fans and Sacramento Kings fans.

For example, yesterday, a small group of Sacramento Kings fans went on the attack against Sports Radio KJR afternoon host Dave Softy Mahler about how he phrased a tweet "According to Vivek Ranadive, all Australians are Seahawks fans now." Obviously Softy was having a little subtle poking of fun at Ranadive the lead investor on the Sacramento Kings. Unofrtunately, I can't repeat what this group of four Kings fans on Twitter due to the inappropriate language and personal attacks at Softy accusing his mother of dropping of him on his head. 

The point is Twitter with its anonymous handles and 140 character limits is highly conducive to name calling and insults which fans especially from the Sacramento side as its easy just like on a message board when fans get upset when a high school athlete doesn't choose their school they flex internet muscles and take out a kid's college choice on the kid to flex your twitter muscles and start insulting people because its easy and Twitter for the most part allows it.  In this situation, this group of Sacramento Kings fans who attacked Softy are following the lead of the their cult Twitter leader a gentleman that goes by the Twitter handle @carmichaeldave, who on multiple occassions on KJR has insulted the citizens of the area calling them hippies, and also resorts to name calling of people from Seattle on Twitter with language that again I can't repeat. I understand the feelings that the Kings fans are going through but the reality is you guys have said several ooportunities to find resolutions to building an arena and getting a local ownership along with the handholding of David Stern that if you lose the team its on all of you not the Maloofs.

Thus, if Sonics, and Kings fans are in the rational, civilized discussion on this topic and sports topics in general there is an alternative out there that I have found. The site is called Sidelines it takes the best of Facebook, Twitter, and Message Boards and has a series of communities that a person can join to interact with other fans of their favorite teams, and respond to various debate topics where you are not stuck with 140 character limits and you can't hide behind an anonymous twitter or message board handle. It is one of the best  concepts that I have come across in a long time and does not cost anything to join and people on there treat others with actual respect and decency which is something that is becoming very rare on Twitter.

At the end of the day, with the looming spector of a recommendation finally coming as to what direction the Kings and Sonics is going to as far as a potntial relocation to Seattle. I hope the NBA creates a solution that leaves a team for both cities and makes all of this non-stop name calling and so forth from both sides but especially the Sacramento side become utterly useless. Both cities have done enough to have NBA basketball for the most important people in this debate the kids and that is what the Seattle group has fought for the right way as you don't hear Seattle mayor Mike McGinn insulting Scaramento like Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has to Seattle fans. In closing, to both cities pelase put down the swords and fight for your causes for benefit of the kids and their kids. Its not about us as adults this about passing down the memories of sports and esepcially basketball to the kids of both regions.