When the Sonics financing package collapsed this week there was plenty of credit and/or blame to go around. Some pointed to House Speaker Frank Chopp, others at Gov. Christine Gregoire. Some at the team. And if you read Adam Wilson's blog in The Olympian, you'll see a couple of lawmakers blaming the Sonics' lobbyists.

"They never even came to my office to lobby me," said Rep. Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup. "It hasn't even been on my radar."

And this from Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia:

"I never got anything from them," he volunteered. "I don't think they did any lobbying. I don't think they put out any information for members. I think they took the money and ran."

"Took the money and ran" was a phrase you could have heard 100 times in the Capitol today. Hunt's comments really did create a buzz. It's unusual for lawmakers to speak so bluntly about lobbyists. The lobbyists were insulted by the comments, and particularly that one which almost had the ring of alleged wrongdoing.

Linda Hull, one of the lobbyists, told my colleague Ralph Thomas:

"I was just stunned. I have a really thick skin but I was just stunned by that."

Hunt told me that Hull and the other lobbyists spoke to him today and let him know how angry they were. He said they made that pretty clear. And he said he apologized.

"It was sort of a heated comment in the heat of the moment. They weren't any happier than I was at having said it, probably."

Hunt told me that when he looked up who was lobbying the Sonics he saw the name of one consultant, who he hadn't seen in Olympia all session. But there was a team of lobbyists working for the Sonics who were hard to miss during the past few weeks.

Hull said that the four Sonics lobbyists met with 130 of 147 legislators, and tried to set up appointments with all of them. They tried to meet with Hunt but couldn't arrange a private meeting with him. Hull said that Hunt did attend one briefing they held. It was on the economic study, and lunch was served.

UPDATE: In the comments, Rep. Chris Strow says no Sonics lobbyist ever tried to reach him or his legislative assistant.