I'm a lost cause. I've been mired deep within the ranks of the Green and Gold's faithful for much too long. My nearly 10 month old daughter, though, is a different story altogether. Sure, I perched her on my lap a few times late last year to catch a Sonics broadcast, but this year, given her daily developmental strides, promises to be different. When she was born, as witness to the depths of my depravity, I couldn't wait to introduce her to the Sonics and NBA Hoops in general. Now, though, given the current state of the 40 year old Seattle Supersonics, I'm not so sure about it. Everything would seem to be perfect for a proper introduction to the Sonics, and given the fact that the first game this season is against those backwoods boys from Portland, the stage has been set. My worry, however, is that after this year there will be no Sonics to root for. I realize that in the grand scheme of things the Sonics aren't the most important thing. Schools, for one, could use a little attention first. But, I do want them to stick around if for nothing less than to build Chloe Bean into a little Sonics fan.

I've decided to be an optimist. I've decided that the Sonics will stay and that Oklahoma City will have to steal someone else’s team. So, tomorrow, the Bean and I will be perched in front of the tube watching the game. I'll attempt to teach her a bit about the pick and roll, and I will even, at the risk of eventually swallowing my civic pride and actually rooting for the backwoods creeps next year, teach her how to loathe the Portland Trailblazers. The timing is perfect; she's developing by the minute now and every moment she seems to unveil something new. She's went from doing the worm across the floor to a full on crawl now, and she even has a 4 word vocabulary and a host of other bizarre noises in her arsenal (think weird tongue rolling noises and clicking sounds).

I've taught her (with the help of her mom) how to clap and have even helped her develop a funky little wiggle/dance move that she does every time she gets excited. Luckily, it doesn't take much for her to get excited, so even though she had a puzzled look on her face this morning when I told her about Ridnour's extension she'll be plenty excited when I jump out of my seat tomorrow to celebrate his first assist of the season.

It'll be the Sonics 40th season, possibly the last in Seattle, and definitely her first. I'm looking forward to it. Just introducing her to pro hoops will be enough, and if the Sonics do take flight I'll let her root for whomever she wants, as long as it isn't the Trailblazers or the LA Lakers.

Or Boston.

Or Sacramento.

Or the entire Eastern Conference.

Or Oklahoma City.