LA Clippers

[Gregmond]

I'm not sure how long the Clippers have been based in LA, after their move from San Diego, but I wonder what people think of their future in tinsel town. In all of my four trips to LA over the past 10 years, the Clippers have never seemed to have a presence in that town, and even less actual support (and even less success). Granted they are now stacked with a fair deal of young talent, but I'm doubtful of their ability to capitalise and win over fans.

Obviously it is tough competing with the Lakers, but does anyone else think they may be better suited to another town ... St. Louis or Vegas anyone?

[sp0rtsguy13]

I'm not sure how long the Clippers have been based in LA, after their move from San Diego, but I wonder what people think of their future in tinsel town. In all of my four trips to LA over the past 10 years, the Clippers have never seemed to have a presence in that town, and even less actual support (and even less success). Granted they are now stacked with a fair deal of young talent, but I'm doubtful of their ability to capitalise and win over fans.

Obviously it is tough competing with the Lakers, but does anyone else think they may be better suited to another town ... St. Louis or Vegas anyone?

Well their owner makes money, and thats part of the reason why he doesnt spend and keeps the team. As long as hes still making money their staying.

[FirearmofMutiny]

Probably, getting out of the Lakers' shadow would be best for the franchise. However, on the court, last year they were better than the Lakers.

[Discrim]

the Clippers are the Devil Rays of basketball...it's more accurate to talk about it the other way around, but we're not talkin about the Rays.

I've noticed the Clippers can get young, talented players. Using these talented players has clearly been another story, as their conspicuous absence from the playoffs shows...year after year...shoot, I'm shocked Cuttino Mobley actually WANTED to be a Clipper I bet that won't last long.

[JQK]

Donald Sterling has mastered the art of making money without having to put a winner out on the court. Donald could care less about what his team does or if they're in the Lakers shadow. He's making money.

[jkrdevil]

As others have pointed out the team makes money, thus they aren't moving anywhere.

[Gregmond]

I guess it is just a business after all, but if I owned an NBA team (not gonna happen), then I would want to win as well as make money (if it is possible to do both). Where's the passion?

I think most basketball fans would agree that in the ideal world, a move from LA is "best" for this team and the league. Rather than having a struggling second club in one town, why not bring in new fans, excitement and merchandise sales.

But, if it makes money plodding along, I guess it aint gonna happen!

[LMU]

Well, last offseason the Clips were almost forced to move to Anaheim after the Staples Center management threatened to evict them, because supposedly they could have made more revenue with 5 concerts than a whole season on Clippers games. I think that as soon as the Lakers get back on their feet, the Clips will fall back into obscurity, and hopefully the arena people will get a backbone and kick them out.

[Swiss]

(With Bill Terry's voice): Are the LA Clippers still in league?

[MadmanLA]

I thought I would ring in and give some perspective from my point of view since I am a Clipper fan (save your jokes, please!) living here in the Los Angeles area. I used to really like the Lakers as a second team, but with the drama and arrogance of Shaq, Kobe, Phil, and the rest of those jokers, I absolutely despise the Lakers and I find the Clips a much more entertaining and less controversial team to watch. I've always been the kind of person who root, despite who owns the team and who runs the front office. I know some of the favorite teams at one point of time have had inept ownership and front office management just like the Clippers, no matter how worse or how better.

I'm no means a fan of Donald Sterling's style of running an organization (I hate Sterling on the same level of my dislike of the Lakers), and the guy himself off the court has some contreversy of his own, such as racial discrimination by some of potential tenants of his apartments (Sterling owns a LOT of real estate all over the west side of Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills), sexual harassment by a former secretary, or even he suing a some call girl because she basically called him cheap . With that being said, and I'm probably not making a very good case, he's very loyal to Los Angeles, and that's why he first moved the team from San Diego in 1984 and has refused offers to sell the Clippers to others and moving outside the city of Los Angeles (that includes Anaheim).

As for Elgin Baylor, as much as I respect him as one of the greatest basketball players ever, he's one of the worst talent evaluator in the history of the NBA. There's a reason why the Clippers don't re-sign (until recently) their young good players, and I say it's because of just bad drafting. The guys they let go in recent years weren't worth most of the money they were asking for, and the biggest example has to be Michael Olowokandi. It's like once they leave the Clippers, you hardly ever hear from them again. In my opinion, Elgin should have fired YEARS ago, and why he stays employed is the biggest mystery to me. A lot of people wanted to blame Sterling, and rightfully so, but Baylor deserves much more blame just because of poor player selection.

As far as having our own arena, I totally agree with that. I mean, I could care less about the Lakers, but to me it's kinda bothersome to share an arena with another NBA team, especially with a franchise with the presitge of the Lakers. If Sterling wanted to (he wouldn't), and there's plenty of room in the city of Los Angeles to build an arena of his own (he's already spending $20 million on a practice facility on L.A.'s west side, near L.A. International Airport), since he's so hellbent to keep the team in Los Angeles proper.

And here's something that a lot of you didn't know, and I heard this from a somewhat reilable source, and I'm not sure how 100% accurate it is, but here goes...Donald Sterling played a role in Jerry Buss acquiring the Lakers, Kings hockey team, and the old Fabulous Forum from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979. Dr. Buss made his money the real estate business, just like Sterling, and Buss didn't have enough money to make the transaction. So, one morning Buss called up Sterling asked him that he (Buss) needed a way to raise the remainder of the $67 million for the Lakers/Kings/Forum sale. Sterling and Buss drove to a local bank and conducted a deal which Buss sold off a lot of his real estate holdings to Sterling in order for Buss to make his acquistions. The rest is history...Buss goes on to win eight NBA titles, while Sterling gained the reputation of being the worst owner in NBA history (if not, Ted Stepien of the Cleveland Cavs of the early 80s tops that).

Sorry for the rant, but I couldn't help but make my views heard about this subject, especially when people aren't as familiar with the Clippers.

[NoHoJoe]

Move them back to Buffalo and rename the team the Braves or The Buffalo Stampede

[gashouser27]

Yeah and bring back Bob McAdoo and Ernie D

It would be cool to move the Clippers to Vegas and the Hornets to St.Louis

[NJTank]

They should go anywhere go to Anaheim, Vegas, St. Louis anywhere as long as their owner sells the team, becuase he is the reason they are so bad.

[CS85]

Even though he turned out to be a head case, I dunno why they dumped Darius Miles. He had star potential. Him, Maggette, and Richardson were a pretty good tandem along with Elton Brandt, but poof, all gone.

[Bleujayone]

I don't know how the Clippers make any money. That's not to say they don't, but it's hard to see what about the team does. They share an arena with another team which is always more popular, more successful, more marketable, and more visable. The Lakers make news even when they lose, they have a who's who of fans, they have a long and proud winning history, and they have a profitable line of merchandise. With the Lakers and their history for an alternative in the same building versus the NBA's version of the Washington Generals, it's a wonder anyone attends Clipper games in the first place. I'm guessing many of those that are, are on the Lakers waiting list because I have yet to meet someone who openly admits to being a Clipper fan. (Well, I suppose Madman might count but still I've never met him)

The Clippers have highlights that more often than not show an arena with many empty seats, have no tradition of winning, squander their lottery picks, and wasted the talent they have gotten both players and coaches. They have a nickname that doesn't inspire much of anything, have a non-logo that looks like a poor man's rip off of their co-tennant, and have merchandise that I've never seen worn except once in a rap video as a joke.

If there was ever a team that needed a change of venue, change of geography, change of uniform, and a complete change of identity the Los Angeles Clippers would be it. They need to get out of town, burn their threads along the way, and change their name. There are plenty of other places (some that are even close by) that would gladly take them in and support them even if they still never find a way to win, but Los Angeles is Laker territory.

[jkrdevil]

I don't know how the Clippers make any money.

It's quite simple. They don't spend money on the payroll. It's the same way the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have made money over the last couple of years. And let' rememebr that even though they share the arena with the Lakers they do play in a relitively new arena and thus get more revenues from that than if they moved out and played in an older arena (Anaheim, even though that's not real old).

A lot of owners don't do what Sterling does because it is a hobby for most owners. They rather win then make money, obviusly Sterling wants to make money so he's doing it the "Easy way"

[WSU151]

Broadcasting revenue. That's how the Clips make money. It's amazing how much teams make off of television (local and national) and radio.

[The_Admiral]

If there was ever a team that needed a change of venue, change of geography, change of uniform, and a complete change of identity the Los Angeles Clippers would be it. They need to get out of town, burn their threads along the way, and change their name.

I think Stern frowns on name changes: very few teams have changed their nickname in the NBA.

[Lightningfan]

Last year the Clippers were a better team than the Lakers. This year expect the same.

04/05 attendance shows the Clippers continue to approach Lakers numbers. Look for this to continue in 05/06.

Lakers avg'd 18792 vs Clippers 16980. Hardley a case for the "no one shows up for Clippers games" and "many empty seats in Clippers highlights" comments. Especially considering Staples Center design. Half the seats on lower level, then 3 stories of suites on top of each other, then upper deck above those suites. You can never see the empty seats in the upper deck on any highlights from Staples. Clippers also had a record number of sellouts this past season.

Given that the Lakers get all the pime dates/times they should outdraw the Clippers by more than that. As the Lakers are fading and the Clippers are improving in many ways, look for attendance difference to narrow again this year.

It is a good time to be a Clipper fan. Sucks to be you Laker fan.

[The_Admiral]

Especially considering Staples Center design. Half the seats on lower level, then 3 stories of suites on top of each other, then upper deck above those suites.

Only in LA.