July 9. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

I’ve been in Romania for nearly two weeks now and I think I’m slowly beginning to blend in with the locals. Of course I still receive a mirage of stares as I walk down the street because of my over-sized basketball shorts and pristine Nike’s, but I’m making small strides towards becoming a Bistrian (I made this name up to refer to the citizens of Bistra, Romania).

To prove my Bistrian-ness I hitch-hiked from Bistra to Cimpeni today. I held out my “please give me a ride” thumb and snagged the third car that passed. We hopped into the beat-up, barely running car and greeted the 60+ year old man.

The ride wasn’t too long, maybe 10 minutes total, but the man smoked cigarettes the entire time. A lot! As he finished one then another cigarette would instantly appear. And, oh, did I mentioned he kept all the windows rolled up for the duration of our magical ride? I’m sure you can image how great of an experience this was for a non-smoker like myself but hey, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

A few of the things I’ve done so far:

1. Drink beer. Everyday. At every meal. For no apparent reason. This is the “norm” in Romania…

2. Been chased by a stray dog while running (yes, I’m still running for “fun”)

3. Scored a goal in a soccer match against a group of locals

4. Nearly been in a car accident almost every time we drive (seriously… literally EVERY time I get in a car here I almost die).

5. Ate cow stomach soup. It was pretty good. Looks and sounds disgusting but is actually eatable.

6. Saw a horse galloping recklessly down the street with a trailer attached to him. There was NO driver. The horse was just running…with a trailer…down the street…alone…

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July 7. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

If you are a sports fan or Seattleite they you’re well aware that our beloved Seattle Sonics (and my former employer of nearly 5 years) is packing up its wagons and heading east to Oklahoma City. Who is to blame? It doesn’t really matter now. The bottom line is the NBA no longer calls Seattle home.

I have attended countless Sonics games over the years. Although it has been quite some time since the Sonics have been a winning team (other than the 2005 playoff season) the excitement that was generated within KeyArena will be utterly missed by me and many other fans. I get goosebumps when I think about all the good times that were enjoyed with my Supes. From Ridnour’s behind the back passes to Kevin Durant sinking 3-balls, win or lose the games were a blast and I feel fortunate to have been a part of it both internally as an employee and externally as a fan.

I don’t think the people of Seattle truly realize what has happened in losing our team. For me it has yet to completely sink in. Come next basketball season we will reflect upon what was and only then truly appreciate what we had. The Sonics were more than simply a basketball team. They were a social enterprise that continually united the city of Seattle on and off the court. I suppose it’s time to turn the page and begin lobbying for a new NBA franchise. Although it would be great to have another basketball team in Seattle, the Sonics will be forever irreplaceable.

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