Word that the Sonics had tendered a qualifying offer to the awful, injury-addled center Robert Swift got stuck (fittingly) in my spam filter over the weekend. One question: Why? If I'm Sam Presti, I'm counting the days until I can be rid of the teenage wasteland gone horribly awry that is Wild Bobby Ginger. If DeVon Hardin ends up getting cut from the roster for this clown's sake, that'll be a travesty.

Yeah, that's kind of the problem.

From the floor at Key Arena, I am endlessly impressed by the few, the proud, the Storm fans. Many of the seats go unfilled, but if you close your eyes you'd never know it. And these aren't people showing up for a game because it seems like a fun thing to do once or twice: they're devout. As girl-from-Down Undah Lauren Jackson was introduced, the announcer yelled out: "Auzzie, Auzzie, Auzzie."

"Oi! Oi! Oi!" the crowd roared back without hesitation or a prompt from the jumbotron. The stoic cop next to me guarding the visitors' locker room entrance let slip with a "get it in there" as Sheryl Swoopes drove for a lay-in. She did, the crowd went nuts.

Watching the Storm obliterate the Washington Mystics 64 - 49 at home, it's easy to think you're witnessing some of the greatest women's basketball ever played--sure the perimeter shooting is a little weak and new acquisition Camille Little's 2-point Key Arena debut was something of a non-event. But the girls in green play an aggressive game, keeping ahead of the rebounds and forcing the ball to the hoop where the towering Jackson is ready to sink it.

But this is something it appears they can only do with their frenetic fans. Overall the Storm are 9 - 7, good enough for third in the seven-team Western Conference. But most of those wins come on the court at Key Arena, where they've lost only once. That means they've only won once on the road. It's great to have at least one team that will perform for the fans, but if they're going to have a shot at a title, the Storm need to be able to post wins without a chorus of "Oi! Oi! Oi!"

We've told you about Mountlake Terrace's Brad Walker before. He's the UW grad and No. 1 rated pole vaulter in the world. A few weeks ago, he set a new American record in his event (6.04 meters, or about 19' 9" and change) at the new Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene. That's the same facility where the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials are now being held. Today was the finals for the men's pole vault, which is a notoriously finicky discipline. Big guys, built like NBA guards, run full speed down a runway with a long bendy pole that jams suddenly into a hole, propelling the athlete up, upside down, and (if all goes right) over a bar way up in the clouds. It's a hit or miss sport. Some days you have it, some days you don't. Back in 2004, the favorite failed to make the squad (top three go to the games)

Today, Walker barely avoided disaster....

In predicting that next week's Sonic v. Seattle verdict will result in the team's southeasterly departure, Basketbawful has a bittersweet eulogy for the Seattle SuperSonics, which, naturally, includes a ton of love for those goofball commercials involving Predrag Drobnjak and Jerome James. Speaking of which, for those of you Supe fans who think the Sonics' penchant for acquiring seven-foot stiffs is a 21st Century phonomenon, well, you're wrong. Steve Hayes and Tim McCormick, anyone?

First, the good news: Chad Ford loves the job Sam Presti did on draft day in obtaining the rights to Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, D.J. White, and DeVon Hardin (I also really liked the Sasha Kaun pick, but Seattle has apparently dealt him to Cleveland for cash). Ford loves the Sonic draft for two reasons: He thought Westbrook was the fourth best player available in the entire draft, and he thinks Ibaka's a great get in light of the fact that the Supes can stow him away in Europe for a couple years before reaping the benefit of the Congo teen's promise. Me? I fucking hate both those picks -- but love the job Presti did lower on the board.

With Eric Gordon stealing all the headlines last year at Indiana, it's easy to forget how critical to the Hoosiers' success White was. He's already got a pro power forward's body, and gives the Supes a low-post threat they've been sorely lacking. Similar to K-State's Bill Walker, had he not been tripped up by injury early in his college career, he might have been a lottery pick. In regards to Hardin, he's a fine rebounder and shot blocker who should have a great chance to make the team. His stats at Cal weren't all that impressive, in my opinion, because the Pac-10's awful officials had a hard-on for him, which hindered his floor time. That impediment will be removed in the pros, and one could argue that, the moment his name was called last night, he became the Sonics' best center, what with the dunderhead trio of Sene, Petro, and Wild Bobby Ginger still around.

As for Ibaka, we'll reserve judgement. But when a dude's highlight reel includes putback layups off offensive rebounds and putback layups off offensive rebounds only, visions of Sene start dancing in our head. And that's not a good thing. But enough about Serge, let's talk about Russell. First, the positives: Projected as a point gaurd in the pros (he only filled in there due to an injury to Darren Collison at UCLA), he potentially fills the Sonics' most gaping void. He's a wonderful athlete and an exceptional defender. That's all great. But let me ask you this: Are you convinced he'll start immediately over Earl Watson? Because if you're not -- and I'm not -- then the Supes should have traded down lower in the lottery to get him, possibly picking up a future lottery-protected first rounder in the process, which is what such a maneuver might have fetched. You don't blow the fourth pick in the draft on a guy who could be a nice piece, you blow it on a guy who could be a star. And that's why the Sonics should have taken Kevin Love or Brook Lopez, who went fifth and tenth, respectively.

When I was a kid, the WSU basketball team was pretty much a joke. Then two years ago, they barreled into the NCAA tournament in the third seed--which made for some awkward Gonzaga basketball fans. Kyle Weaver was the engine of the run that ended against North Carolina in this year's Sweet Sixteen.

Despite some speculation to the contrary, he's headed back to Charlotte to join fellow eastern Washington grad Adam Morrison (who still has that god-awful 'stache) on the Bobcat's squad.

Despite rumors aplenty, the Supes just ended up doing what Chad Ford predicted they might do a few days ago (his predictions today have sucked): take Russell Westbrook (nice fucking hair, bro) with the fourth pick in the draft. Westbrook's got nice tools and all, but it sure feels like the Supes could have traded down several picks and still gotten their guy. And it sure sucks that Memphis picked Westbrook's better teammate, Kevin Love, with the very next pick. Time will tell. At least Westbrook has the potential to fill a legitimate void at point guard, although it's questionable he'll be ready to step right in and start, something that should be expected of any fourth pick in any pro draft.

ESPN's Chad Ford is reporting the following: "The Clippers and Sonics have agreed to swap picks as long as the Wolves take O.J. Mayo at No. 3. If Mayo isn't drafted at 3, the deal is off according to two sources close to the information. With the No. 4 pick, expect the Clippers to take Eric Gordon of Indiana. They've coveted him as the type of dominant scorer they've been looking for. The Sonics will take Brook Lopez or Jerryd Bayless at No. 7. However it seems Lopez will be the guy."

If Ford's report is accurate (and it might not be, per update below), here's what I think this means (and I'm curious to know what else the Supes are receiving from the Clips for their voluntary slide down the pecking order): the Sonics are convinced they can get the same guy at #7 that they figure to take at #4. But should Kevin McHale indulge his infatuation with Kevin Love at #3 and Mayo fall to #4, the Supes will take him -- and then pull the trigger on the widely-rumored deal involving Chris Wilcox, Mark Blount, Mayo, and Michael Beasley, the presumptive second pick.

Update: False alarm, says Ford: "The Clippers and Sonics had an agreement in place to swap the No. 4 and No. 7 picks, with the Clippers sending their 2009 pick to Seattle. But disagreements over the details have apparently ended discussions for now. If they had acquired the No. 4 pick, the Clippers were expected to take Eric Gordon of Indiana, with the Sonics looking at Brook Lopez and Jerryd Bayless at No. 7. But now the deal appears to be off."

Which, of course, will make the Beater (if not Damon) very happy -- although we'd be happier with Kevin Love. That said, there's still plenty of chatter about the Supes using Chris Wilcox as a pawn to move up and take Michael Beasley with the second pick. Of course, then they'd have to take back Mark Blount. Beasley may be the Durantula's best friend and all, but wethinks the Supes are better off staying where they're at and taking one of the Pac-10 bigs, which is what we said they should do in the first place.

Jason Reid is back with Part 2 of his Sonic trial film series (here's Part One). Set to ABBA's "SOS," the story follows Reid's pursuit of Clayton Bennett as he sneaks out the back door of the Federal Courthouse and into a black Lincoln Navigator, thus avoiding thousands of angry Supe fans perched out front. It also features a wharf rat Sonic fan who was there first, and who "beat the shit...verbally" out of Bennett on the sidewalk. One other thing worth noting: were Softy and Big Lo separated at birth?