Howard Schultz is into retro. He is into nostalgia. That's how he built his coffee empire, selling a place where people could gather and, oh yeah, have a good cup of coffee.

And this is what Schultz wanted out of his ownership with the Sonics. He wanted everything to be passionate, committed. He wanted the city of Seattle to be in tandem with the basketball club. A team. Together. Rooting and working and winning.

And then, when the numbers weren't good, and when the Key Arena lobbying of the state legislators was not an effort he could win in the span of the shot clock, he dumped the team and got out of dodge. Sort of.

Now the Seattle Times is reporting that Schultz will sue Clay Bennett, (Photo of Schultz and Bennett, above, by Seattle P-I) the Oklahoma City businessman Schultz sold the Sonics to two years ago. Wow. This is good stuff. White knight Schultz coming back to save the team ONCE AGAIN!

I have little doubt that Schultz could be royally peeved that Bennett reneged on agreements made about making every effort to keep the Sonics in Seattle. And as passionate as Schultz is about his homespun (but oh so driven) way of doing business, he will want to hold Bennett to whatever "agreements" were made. We'll let the lawyers deal with what constitutes this contract.

However .... However ... It does seem amazingly interesting timing. Just as Schultz is mounting a new marketing and reorganization of Starbucks, now that he is back as Coffee King, he is now also eager to reclaim the Sonics from the clutches of that evil-doer from Oklahoma.

Sure smells like Pike Place Roast around here this morning.