MTL NOVEL Chapter 372: Public Enemy
Yu Fei knew the Mariners; he couldn't possibly not know them, as the Supersonics' desire for a better stadium stemmed from there.
In 1995, the Mariners were only a step away from leaving Seattle. They wanted a new stadium because the old-fashioned Kingdome looked like a mobile toilet, not only stinking but also failing to ensure the safety of the fans on-site. Then, the Seattle government approved a financing plan that granted the Mariners a luxurious stadium costing 500 million US dollars.
Thus, the Seahawks, also settled in Seattle, became envious, wanting a new stadium for themselves. If their demands were not met, they would move the team to Los Angeles.
The Seahawks even went a step further than the Mariners; they had already prepared a relocation plan. Just before the plan was to be executed, Paul Allen bought the team from the owners of the Seahawks and then he generously funded the next election, smoothly securing city financing to construct a new stadium for the Seahawks.
It can be said that the Mariners and the Seahawks were the origin of the problem.
Having both of the major league teams sponsored by the city showed that Seattle was generous, and naturally, the NBA also wanted the same support.
But they hit a wall.
So, when Yu Fei heard Lanny Wilkens mention the Mariners, he felt a sense of returning to the starting point.
"I know, they played well that year, thus they got the support of the fans, and the city approved the financing plan at the last moment."
Yu Fei said in general terms.
"You don't know the full story," Wilkens elaborated, "before that year, the Mariners meant nothing to Seattle — locals didn't care about them. Then, they made it to the playoffs and won the first round of the series for the first time in the 19-year history of the team. Most importantly, they defeated the Yankees. Even though they didn't win the World Series in the end, it was enough to unite the entire city's fanbase."
Yu Fei could vaguely understand why the Mariners received the city's endorsement just for beating the Yankees in the playoffs.
Because the Yankees are a team whose influence transcends baseball, the top stream among the top streamers. A massive fanbase brings along with it a huge number of brainless fans, and coupled with their glorious history, they have a large number of detractors all over the country.
It can be said that the Yankees are commonly met with a "one in trouble, likes come from all directions" scenario in the MLB.
"But, we are not the same as the Mariners of that year," said Yu Fei, "the Supersonics won the championship in 1979, we not only have a longer history but also sufficient heritage, so why do most people in Seattle turn a blind eye to this?"
Wilkens had never seen video footage of the '79 Supersonics on the then-popular video website, YouTube. Although there were copyright restrictions, nearly no fans who had the related video material, indirectly proving the limited influence of the championship from 28 years ago.
Back then, the NBA's commercial influence was far less than what it is today.
Therefore, not many people would think that the Supersonics deserved a brand new stadium just because their ancestors once won a championship.
"What can we do to create an effect like the 1995 Mariners within the city?" Yu Fei asked.
A shade of green flashed through Wilkens' mind.
"If we could defeat the Celtics in the Finals, maybe that would do it," Wilkens said, "They have as many enemies as the Yankees, and their fans are even more obnoxious than the Yankee fans."
Yu Fei could sense the strong personal sentiment in Wilkens' words and could imagine how he was troubled by the Celtics during his time playing.
However, coincidentally, the Celtics indeed rose this season and are currently dominating the league ranking first.
But Yu Fei agreed with Wilkens' statement; if the Supersonics could make it to the Finals and defeat the Celtics there, their reputation in Seattle would reach new heights.
This is because, in recent years, Boston sports fans have been evolving into the worst fan collective in American history.
This is related to their sports achievements.
A few years ago, the Red Sox broke the Baby Curse and, after more than half a century, won the World Series again. The Patriots, long looked down upon by Bostonians, acquired a force like Tom Brady and, over the past five years, lifted the Super Bowl trophy three times.
Even though the Bruins haven't won since the early '70s, ice hockey isn't as significant when compared to the success of baseball and American football. Now, the Celtics are also contending for the championship.
Bill Simmons often complains about being a Boston sports fan and facing much malice from outsiders.
Then, one of his readers from New York wrote him an email: "That's the price of success, welcome to the club."
Winning a championship would be the strong remedy needed to turn the Supersonics' local reputation around, and it is Yu Fei's main goal for the season.
But he worried whether some force majeure would render all his efforts in vain.
For now, he had yet to see any signs of such.
One day later, the Supersonics defeated the Bobcats at home.
Then, just before Thanksgiving and the last game, the Supersonics faced the challenge of the traditional Western powerhouse, the Spurs.
After sending Kidd to the Lakers, although the Spurs strengthened their wings further (obtaining Caron Butler), they severely weakened their point guard position. They couldn't find a reliable guard on the free market.
The Spurs' strongest starting five were Duncan, Ginobili, Butler, Luol Deng, and Bowen. They appear well-equipped on both offense and defense, but lack a reliable engine, as they could not find a trustworthy point guard on the free market.
Therefore, they could only renew Beno Udrih's contract, allowing this European to play as a false starter, while Ginobili came off the bench as the sixth man, playing even longer than a typical starter and bearing more responsibility.
With players like Ginobili, who are renowned for their unpredictability, their peaks and valleys are unimaginable. Against the Supersonics, Ginobili reached a divine level, scoring 32 points and 8 assists in 31 minutes, effectively blowing Roy out of the water on the perimeter.
Even though Yu Fei held down Butler and the "British Jordan", Ginobili's demolition of Roy meant that Duncan could do whatever he wanted in the paint.
The Supersonics lost the game at home by 10 points.
Although it was just a regular-season game, it was not ordinary for some people.
"He is the number one center in the League," Duncan seriously praised his opponent Kwame Brown, "I just tried to play hard."
In this game, Duncan scored 28 points with 15 rebounds, while the League's top center, suffering from a lack of support, nearly starved himself, managing only 4 points and 8 rebounds.
"Brandon, based on your performance tonight, I've decided not to prepare any Thanksgiving gifts for you," someone quipped.
The stats made Roy's blowout look crystal clear.
Roy spread his hands and said, "No, just give me a pile of shit to step on, I've been so unlucky lately."
The phrase "Shit luck" was something Lin Kaiwen had spread around the Supersonics, and Roy picked the wrong time to show off his learning ability.
Yu Fei mockingly said, "You can produce and sell that yourself, there isn't much difference anyway."
"Screw you, I'm not a dog!" Roy retorted.
Losing the game was certainly annoying, but after all, it was just a regular-season game, and as professional players, they had to get used to accepting a day's defeat.
If Roy were facing the Celtics in the finals and got executed positionally by Michael Redd like this, then Yu Fei might have some words for him.
But now, a few words would suffice.
Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
On the way home, Yu Fei and his companions encountered a sudden situation.
Their path was blocked.
"What's going on?" Lawson asked.
Lin Kaiwen, who was driving, took a look and said, "It's the people from 'MCCAIT'."
MCCAIT: Make Citizens Care About Important Things.
"What are these idle people protesting about now?" Lawson asked with surprise.
Lin Kaiwen laughed and said, "The Mayor recently signed an executive order that seems to involve forcibly dismantling illegal tents around the city."
"To block the road over that?" Lawson shook his head. "They aren't living up to their name."
Lawson was unaware that this was simply a microcosm of the influence MCCAIT had in the Emerald City.
But Yu Fei knew that MCCAIT was the main force of public opinion openly opposing the construction of a new arena for the Supersonics.
From the media to the public, more than two-thirds of the city supported MCCAIT.
Politicians like Nick Licata dared to publicly state that the Supersonics had zero economic and cultural impact on Seattle, largely because of MCCAIT's support in public opinion.
Yu Fei knew that when the team submitted a financing proposal to the city government early next year, the reaction from this group would be fierce.
"Let's take a detour," Yu Fei said.
This was also the only solution, as the protestors' usual tactic was to block roads and disrupt traffic order to pressure government officials to respond. If they just waited there, they wouldn't make it anywhere tonight.
For the Supersonics' first game after Thanksgiving, they were facing the Magic again, and the game was extremely tense.
In the final moments, Yu Fei drew Dwight Howard's sixth foul. With the loss of their pillar in the paint, the Magic Team crumbled at the last minute.
For the Supersonics, this was a timely victory that let them vent their frustration from the defeat to the Spurs and prepare for the upcoming marquee battle.
On November 30th, the Supersonics would face the Los Angeles Lakers at home, who were currently ranking first in the Western Conference.