The Morning According to Us

Will a downturn in attendance create free agent teams?

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"Peace."

There's something a little sad about the fan-who-fights-back story. It's the morose underdog story with an ending that would be predictable if you even cared enough to watch it that long. Take John Moe, a Seattle public radio host who claims to be a fan free agent after his beloved Supersonics were forced to skip town with their carpet-bagging new owners.

Moe meets with the Suns, T'Wolves and some others. At the end, however, he's still mixed, and not ready to devote his love. "I'm going to hold on to the Timberwolves number, though," he says, "and here's why: When I was at that practice, Mike Miller, a guard on the team, was shooting free throws. Occasionally the ball would carom off and bounce over to me. I picked it up and threw it back to him. And each time I did, Miller said, 'Thank you.' Thank you. Pro basketball is a business and a passion and kind of a mess. But if there is some humanity in there somewhere, I can be a fan of that."

Moe's story may have some irony soon. Multiple sources point to a downturn in attendance as money worries keep the family of four watching the game on the tube instead of dropping $200-plus to see the game in person.

The current economic crisis in this country may truly answer some questions about the state of sports. Have teams been fiscally reckless, making too many assumptions about the inelasticity of the wallets of their fans? Did they operate with the question of a possible downturn never an option? There are hints that some teams may not be meeting payroll even in the spring. There are concerns that teams could be forced to cease operation, and that it may even do leagues like the NHL and NBA a service to lose a member or two. But it's never really a good thing. Ultimately, fans who may be clinging to the team the very most—those mired in job loss and instability who "at least have their Sonics" on the TV—will be left without.

You just wonder if at the end of this it won't be Moe who is the free agent, but another owner, looking for another handout in another city.

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