The Sonics Guy
In memory of Kristopher Brannon
“The Sonics Guy”
Walking in Tacoma, Washington, can be so spontaneous. You will never know what events, people, or spaces you will stumble upon. I loved growing up in this quirky, gritty community that had excitement in every direction. Kristopher Brannon, also known as The Sonics Guy, was a citizen in this community. He brought such light and spirit to my town of Tacoma and exemplified the unique city that I was born in.
I talk a lot about ordinary people working to make a change in their communities, and when I remembered The Sonics Guy, I felt like I should commemorate the impact he made on people's everyday life. His activism stemmed from his sincere admiration for the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team. He stated in a past interview that his grandfather used to take him to the Sonics games when they played at the Tacoma Dome. He said that he had loved this team his whole life and looked up to all of the team players. Because Kris was diagnosed at a very young age with a heart murmur, he could not partake in the sports he loved, like basketball, so instead, he became a fan. Kris was devastated when the SuperSonics were sold to Oklahoma in 2006. You can imagine, the team he supported and that supported him throughout his childhood was leaving. After his mourning period, he felt the need to advocate for the return of the SuperSonics to Seattle. Kris attended farmer's markets, sporting events, and parades with his bold protest signs that said "Save Our Sonics!" and "Bring Em Back!" while entirely decked out in SuperSonics gear every day the past 11 years. Kris was incredibly dedicated to his mission that he took the time to document every event he attended, the event's duration, and how many people were exposed to his activism.
He gained tens of thousands of followers that respected his passion and drive towards this cause because of his daily friendly reminders to everyone in the community.
He was an ordinary SuperSonics fan that disagreed with the system, so he put himself out there daily so people would not forget. One of my favorite aspects of his work in change-making is his consistency. Like I mentioned before, he protested for the last 11 years of his life every day! He wasn't just known for his protesting, but for his incredible personality that attracted people. He was known as the friendliest man in town with his interactions with every person, reaching out and talking to people. His character plus his consistency provided a powerful tool and reminder to people of what they had lost. He indeed kept the fight alive. Many people protest once and move on, but Kris maintained this cause for years, and that is a fight.
It was February of 2021 when Kristopher Brennon died of heart failure. There is a void in Tacoma and Seattle's heart because of how profound of an impact he had on many in the community. Let's commemorate all of the goodness he brought to Tacoma and Seattle and keep the fight alive to bring back the Sonics.
Until next time,
Ruby
Sources:
https://www.sonicsrising.com/2017/3/9/14863104/superfan-kris-brannon-sonics-guy-leigh-burmesch
https://gritcitymag.com/2021/02/remembering-sonics-guy/
https://southsoundmag.com/print-articles/forever-fan/
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/loss-of-kris-brannon-aka-sonics-guy-leaves-big-hole-in-seattle-sports-fandom/#:~:text=Thursday%2C%20Kristopher%20Brannon%20%E2%80%94%2
How touching! I had no idea. Thanks for honoring his life in this way.
Ruby! I love that you included a photo of his notecards, much like a diary. After writing these wonderful "profiles for change" - I have the feeling you will be able to "spot" the people who are working in all these myriad ways. I'll bet you'll be walking right up to ask and thank them for their part! Because of your writing project, I think we will all be on the lookout, with new eyes! Thank you!