It's hard to believe Bennett

I wish I could believe Clay Bennett.

I wish I could believe that every one of the 25 trips he says he's made to Seattle have been with the intent of keeping the team here forever.

Wish I could believe Bennett when he says he was hyperventilating when his BlackBerry "freaked out" after franchise co-owner Aubrey McClendon, one of his co-owners, told an Oklahoma City business journal this summer that it was the ownership's intention all along to move the Sonics from Seattle to OKC.

Wish I could believe the chairman of the Sonics and Storm when he tells us McClendon's lame and insensitive explanation for those comments was that he was having a "stroke moment."

Bennett keeps telling us that his intentions are and always have been to keep the Sonics in Seattle.

But he also makes it clear that even his heart doesn't agree with his mouth.

He says he wants to stay, then gives us every reason why he has the right to go.

In the meeting room of a downtown hotel on Friday morning, Bennett tried to take back the momentum from the city.

After the Seattle City Council unanimously passed an ordinance pledging to fight the Sonics to hold them to the terms of their lease agreement with KeyArena, Bennett announced the team was demanding that the solidity of that lease be put in front of an arbitration board.

Let an arbitration panel decide if the franchise is legally bound to the city and to the arena through the 2009-10 season.

"It's time to engage," Bennett said.

In other words, if Seattle is going to lawyer up, the Sonics are going to lawyer up.

Let's get ready to rumble.

Think of this announcement as a full-court press. This was his attempt to go on the offensive. Force the City Council into some turnovers. Get the running game going. Get some easy baskets. Make the getaway that much cleaner.

In the good-news portion of the meeting, he announced the WNBA's Storm will stay in Seattle for another season. He said the Storm fans' loyalty to their team won the city another year.

But loyalty only goes so far.

"We're right now subsidizing the operation," Bennett said, specifically referring to the Sonics. "How about buy your ticket and support it yourself. Go have fun. Enjoy the game."

Translation: While I continue my fight to get out of this lease and this town, why don't you all come out and support my young, hardworking, dynamic team? Prove to me you love us, even if I am giving you the sense this is a lame-duck season.

Bennett talked excitedly about this season, even though the team has been gutted and the rebuilding process has begun. The Sonics have as much chance of making the NBA playoffs this season as the Harlem Globetrotters.

It's a team that is being built smartly for the future. But this is an ownership group that gives only vague lip service to a future in Seattle.

Bennett said he is "bullish" on the NBA, just not necessarily in Seattle. He slammed the city, the way Paul Silas used to slam power forwards. Frankly, it was insulting.

"I think the NBA has value," he said. "Whether it does in this market, I'm not sure."

Bennett said Seattle has a lot of competition for the entertainment dollar.

Is he serious? Does he think Seattle is too busy for the NBA? This is a franchise that has set league attendance records. The team hasn't been profitable in recent seasons because it has been horribly managed.

And the city has awakened from its slumber and is willing to talk about a real arena deal at Seattle Center. The city needs a new arena. Almost nobody disputes that. Just not the $500 million-plus building Bennett is demanding.

Bennett said Seattle has not supported the Sonics.

"The business has not been in good shape," he said. "We're in a debilitating situation with the building. We don't have a prayer of being successful financially in KeyArena."

Although he says he wants to stay, Bennett was at his most animated Friday when he was asked about the viability of an NBA franchise in Oklahoma City.

The league already is suffering in many of the smaller markets -- Memphis, Tenn., Charlotte, N.C., New Orleans. Did he really believe everything would be OK in OKC?

"I absolutely know the team can survive and be profitable in Oklahoma City," he said. "It needs to be understood in this market that Oklahoma City is a viable, dynamic, growing market, with an adequate building, with a very willing city government, a very willing business community. Be the only pro sports team in the state.

"I can assure you there is high interest in bringing the league to Oklahoma City. It would work. It would certainly work today a heck of a lot better than it's working here today. But our objective is to be successful here."

I wish I could believe that Clay Bennett's objective is to be successful in Seattle.

But his actions clearly tell me I can't.

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com