The Sonic Boom and Hoopless in Seattle were just a couple of the headlines coming after yesterday's last-hour announcement of a settlement between Clay Bennett and the city of Seattle. NBA season tickets went on sale in Oklahoma City this morning. It turns out that nothing can stop Clay Bennett from taking his basketball franchise there next season. Former Sonics owner Howard Schultz, who sold the franchise to Bennett's group in 2006, is holding out hope of ultimately overturning the process and getting the Sonics back to Seattle by 2009-10 as he proceeds with his legal attempt to reverse the sale on the basis of fraud and breach of contract. His attorney says, "Our lawsuit is separate. We are not a party to (the city's) settlement and, in fact, we chose not to participate in it."

Art Thiel in this morning's Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

The "man possessed," Clay Bennett, showed that he will do just about anything to gratify himself and his fellow Oklahomans by offering another silly payment for NBA ball, yet one the Seattle political leadership lacked the guts to refuse.Obliterated for cash is 41 years of sports and civic history. So much for the city's passionate courtroom argument that the pro basketball team was of irreplaceable value. New York, if you fancy the Space Needle, bring your checkbook and a really big hacksaw. We'll deal. As with the Sonics, it's privately owned and not used by a majority of voters, and its structure is a World Fair relic that maybe could use an upgrade. To paraphrase a famous punch line by Winston Churchill, we know what we are. We're just quibbling over price. Pragmatists will argue that Bennett's $45 million settlement more than covers the city's lost rent and admissions taxes at KeyArena for the next couple of years, plus all of the remaining indebtedness from the 1995 remodeling that became nearly worthless in less than a decade. The amount was the least the city should have accepted. Yet applause is expected? Perhaps we should cheer, too, when Mayor Greg Nickels uses his turn signal, or buckles his seat belt. The city could have bargained for that sum after Bennett's first offer of a $26 million settlement in February. Bennett already figured that two more years in Seattle was going to cost him $60 million in operating losses, so he probably would have jumped at $45 million. As for the additional $30 million due in 2013 if Bennett hasn't helped get another franchise for Seattle -- please. Bennett being forced to help Seattle scrounge a team is like hiring Yosemite Sam to be an anger-management counselor. As far as relocating a team here, no commissioner of any sports league can dictate where a team must move. Does any sports fan think the NFL wanted Al Davis to shuttle the Raiders back and forth between Los Angeles and Oakland? Or to have the Rams abandon the L.A. market? The idea that assurance would be given Seattle about another established team moving here has always been pure fantasy. Yes, Seattle is keeping the Sonics name and history. Whoopee. Months ago, that was the first, easiest thing Bennett offered in settlement. Now that he has a settlement, the chance to bestow those small virtues on another team is a speck on the horizon. Yes, the NBA chipped in with a promise to notify Seattle when a team is for sale. Thanks a bunch, David Stern. Believe it or not, we have the Internet here. In the end, the settlement gave Seattle little more than cover for the bean-counting City Council constituencies and nothing for its sports fans. The biggest culprits in this deal have been the NBA and former owner Howard Schultz. However unfairly, the mess they created fell to the city and the business community to clean up. But by neglecting to put more resources in front-end imagination instead of back-end litigation, the game was lost. Bennett is still a liar, Stern is still unconscionably remorseless, and the Sonics are gone. As Nickels said on the witness stand during the trial's first day in explaining why he wanted the Sonics to stay two more years, "anything can happen." Apparently, anything included nothing.

The headlines are screaming about gas prices continuing to climb, but around here they seem to have stablized somewhat -- at least for now. AAA reports the current average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $4.375 here in our fair city. That's over two cents lower than the record of $4.397 that we set on Monday.

Trivia Answer: James Gilmore Backus -- Jim Backus -- who passed away on this date in 1989. He's probably best remembered as Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom "Gilligan's Island," and as the voice of Mr. Magoo. His filmography, however, is quite extensive. In addition to "Revel Without a Cause," he appeared in "Father Was a Fullback" in 1949, "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" in 1962, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in 1963, "Billie" in 1965, "Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?" in 1968, and "Prince Jack" in 1984. In addition to the "upper-crust" roles, he would occasionally be cast in regular roles including in Richard Brooks' "Deadline U.S.A." in 1951 and George Cukor's "Pat and Mike" in 1952. In stark contrast to his usual affluent characters, he appeared on "The Brady Bunch" as an old gold prospector. In 1952, he had a brief scene in "Don't Bother To Knock" with Marilyn Monroe. Years later, as a frequent talk show guest, Backus would recount the time Monroe urgently beckoned him into her dressing room. Once there, she exclaimed in her breathless voice, "Do Mr. Magoo!" In the late 1950s, he made two novelty records, "Delicious" and "Cave Man". They were a zany kind of humor and became popular in areas where they were distributed. Backus also did several television commercials. As Mr. Magoo, he helped advertise the GE line of products over the years. He was also a spokesperson for La-Z-Boy furniture during the 1970s. In the late '80s, he was reunited with former co-star Natalie Schafer (Lovey Howell) in an advertisement for Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn. In the ad, they reprised their roles from Gilligan's Island but rather than being shipwrecked, the setting was a luxurious study or den. Both performers were rather frail and this would be the last television appearance either one would be in before their deaths. On July 3, 1989, Backus died in Los Angeles, California from complications of pneumonia, after suffering from Parkinson's disease for many years.

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman is set to make her ruling on the Sonics' future this afternoon at 4. Her decision is to be posted here (www.wawd.uscourts.gov/SonicsCase01.htm).

Also in the wonderful world of sports, whodathunkit? Richie Sexson stealing a base and hitting a home run in the same game, the Mariners rallying from deficits of 3-0 and 6-2 in the same game, and the Mariners winning 7-6 on a walk-off single from Willie Bloomquist?  Last night's game at the Safe was the kind of game the Mariners didn't win during the first half of the season. They had to wait until the 83rd game for the kind of victory winning teams get. Hopefully, the second half of the season will continue to be less dismal than the first.

More than 30 tall sailing ships are on display in Tacoma for the holiday weekend. They include the three-masted Coast Guard training vessel "Eagle" and the Aberdeen-based "Lady Washington," a replica of one of the first U.S. ships in the Northwest. Also a replica of the "Bounty" built for a movie.

Today -- July 2nd -- is the 184th day of the year.  In a non-leap year, it would be the 183rd day and  middle day of the year with 182 days before it and 182 days following it.  Also in a non-leap year, it falls on the same day of the week as New Year's Day.  This, however, is a leap year so ... uhm ... never mind.

A few other calendar items for today.  It was on this date in 1937 that Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappear over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.  In 1962, the first Wal-Mart opened for business in Rogers, Arkansas.  In 1979, the first U.S. coin to honor a woman, the Susan B. Anthony dollar, was introduced. 

Trivia Answer: Frederick Hubbard Gwynne -- Fred Gwynne -- was the actor and the character was Herman Munster. Fred died on this date in 1993 -- eight days shy of his 67th birthday. He was best known for his roles as Francis Muldoon on "Car 54, Where Are You?" and as Herman Munster on "The Munsters." For his role as Herman, he had to wear 40 to 50 pounds of padding, makeup, and four-inch elevator shoes. His face was painted a bright violet because it captured the most light on the black-and-white film. Interesting to note that the show aired at night once a week in black-and-white on CBS for just a relatively short period of time -- from 1964 to 1966 -- for a total of 70 episodes. It was cancelled after ratings dropped to an all-time low due to the premiere of ABC's "Batman" -- which was in full color. "The Munsters," of course, have continued in syndication ever since. Gwynne was known for his sense of humor and retained fond recollections of Herman, claiming in later life, "I might as well tell you the truth. I love old Herman Munster. Much as I try not to, I can't stop liking that fellow." After his experience in "The Munsters," however, he found himself identified with the character which led to difficulty in being cast in different kinds of roles. For example, in 1969, he was cast as Jonathan Brewster, a Frankenstein monster-like character, in a television production of "Arsenic and Old Lace."

Welcome to July!  This is Ice Cream Month (the 20th is Ice Cream Day), National Blueberry Month, National Horseradish Month, National Hot Dog Month (the 10th is Hot Dog Night), and Women's Motorcycle Month.  You should also know that Air Conditioning Appreciation Days start Thursday and run through August 15th (the 23rd is Hot Enough For Ya Day).

Ahh, politics.  Check the video below for a real mind-blower.

Trivia Answer: The Sony Walkman. Walkman is a popular Sony brand used to market its portable audio and video players. The original Walkman introduced a change in music listening habits, allowing people to carry their own choice of music with them. The device was created by an engineer in the audio division of Sony for the company's co-chairman who wanted to be able to listen to operas during his frequent transpacific plane trips. He, by the way, hated the name "Walkman" and asked it to be changed. After being told by junior executives that a promotion campaign had already begun using the 'Walkman' name and that it would be too expensive to change, the co-chairman relented. The original blue-and-silver Walkman model -- the TPS-L2 -- went on sale in Japan on this date in 1979. In the United Kingdom, it came with stereo playback and two mini-headphone jacks, permitting two people to listen at the same time (though it came with only one pair headphones). It should be noted, however, that the first portable personal stereo audio cassette player was called Stereobelt, and had been invented earlier by the German-Brazilian Andreas Pavel in 1972. It was patented in the U.S. in 1978. After lengthy legal battles, Andreas Pavel was finally recognized by Sony in 2003 as the original inventor of the Walkman. The names "Walkman," "Pressman," "Watchman," "Scoopman," "Discman," and "Talkman" are trademarks of Sony and have been applied to a wide range of portable entertainment devices manufactured by the company. Sony continues to use the "Walkman" brand name for most of their portable audio devices, after the "Discman" name for CD players was dropped in the late 1990s. According to Sony, the plural form is "Walkman Personal Stereos" -- rather than "Walkmans" or "Walkmen" (presumably to preserve their trademark on "Walkman").