David Stern utters the "C" word

[the admiral]

Every professional sports team makes money.

No they don't. While many teams manipulate their books to "lose money" on paper for tax purposes and stuff, you can lose real money on a team. Ask the NHL.

[FiddySicks]

Not to start a DURR DUH HURNITS AND JAZZZZ SHULD CHAYNGE NAMEZ!!!!! situation, but I guess that's what I'm about to do.

Clippers to Anaheim, Kings to replace them at the Staples Center. Kings all around in LA, and the Clippers are closer to the ocean

[Lee.]

One day when I have the time, patience, and my fingers don't hurt, I'll tell you all exactly why the Grizzlies failed in Vancouver. Until then, LOL basketball.

[ElwoodCuse]

One day when I have the time, patience, and my fingers don't hurt, I'll tell you all exactly why the Grizzlies failed in Vancouver. Until then, LOL basketball.

picture's worth a thousand words, bro

[Lights Out]

Clippers to Anaheim

People have been saying this for years but it's never going to happen. The Clips get decent turnout and continue to turn a profit in LA and Sterling has a cushy deal at the Staples Center. There is absolutely zero incentive for him to move the team.

[the admiral]

Isn't the Honda Center kind of in that weird tier of arena purgatory with the Target Center in that it's too old to keep up with everyone else but too new to be replaced? The Ducks aren't even that happy with it. The Clippers wouldn't move there.

[Still MIGHTY]

Isn't the Honda Center kind of in that weird tier of arena purgatory with the Target Center in that it's too old to keep up with everyone else but too new to be replaced? The Ducks aren't even that happy with it. The Clippers wouldn't move there.

I'd agree on the first part. Part of it looks a little dated and it's difficult to really upgrade what it has, but it's only 17 years old. I'd like the concourses to be a little bigger and for them to actually replace the seating pads they said they were, but I like the Pond on the whole.

But I don't know where you've heard the Ducks aren't happy with it. As far as I know, the Ducks are damn happy where they are and the Pond.

The Clippers aren't going to leave Staples because they make too much money being there. Not necessarily from them as a franchise, but the deal with Staples on the whole.

[Chawls]

Clippers to Anaheim, Kings to replace them at the Staples Center. Kings all around in LA, and the Clippers are closer to the ocean

But then you'll have 2 Los Angeles Kings teams. How would you differentiate them, call one the Los Angeles Basketball Kings and the other the Los Angeles Hockey Kings? That's what they did with the New York Giants when the football and baseball teams shared the name. By the way, is it necessary for people such as Chris Berman to still address the football team as the New York Football Giants? I mean, damn. It's been what? 50 or 60 years since the SF Giants moved.

BTW, I also agree the threats of contraction are hollow and empty. But just for the fun of it, I'd contract Toronto and Memphis. Minnesota and I hate to say this, New Orleans would be my runners-up.

[Mac the Knife]

I for one won't rest until Phoenix is relocated to Winnipeg where it belongs.

And he means the entire city, not just its sports teams.

[Chawls]

I for one won't rest until Phoenix is relocated to Winnipeg where it belongs.

And he means the entire city, not just its sports teams.

The Winnipeg Suns?

[Viper]

Isn't the Honda Center kind of in that weird tier of arena purgatory with the Target Center in that it's too old to keep up with everyone else but too new to be replaced? The Ducks aren't even that happy with it. The Clippers wouldn't move there.

Milwaukee's Bradley Center probably fits into that category too.

[infrared41]

I for one won't rest until Phoenix is relocated to Winnipeg where it belongs.

And he means the entire city, not just its sports teams.

Nice. Well done Mac.

[NJTank]

I for one won't rest until Phoenix is relocated to Winnipeg where it belongs.

And he means the entire city, not just its sports teams.

Nice. Well done Mac.

He better not take America's Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

[the admiral]

Take him out back and have him shot.

[Eye]

Take him out back and have him shot.

He's not really a bad guy though. I mean, some people and leagues only raise breast cancer awareness for a month while this dude does it year round.

[Gothamite]

Well, I can't argue with that.

[Lee.]

The elderly and frightened caucasians of Arizona really love Sheriff Joe's brand of frontier Cancer fundraising. Before him, that goddamned cancer was coming up from Mexico all the time but now it parades around in pink underwear and eats green meat sandwiches.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Wait, is Joe Arpaio pretending his weird pink fetish is in the name of breast cancer research? Or is that just a joke I missed?

[Gothamite]

It's a joke.

A very dry one.

And bravo for it, sir.

[crashcarson15]

As Lights Out said, the Clippers are definitely profitable. Even though they suck, they draw pretty well, and whenever they play the Lakers it's a guaranteed sell-out.

On the other hand, New Orleans, Indiana, Minnesota, Sarcamento and Memphis could all disappear and their combined 14 fans would hardly miss then.

While nobody cares about the Pacers here right now, if the team starts winning again, Indy will once again care about the Pacers. Trust me, the fans were here during the Reggie Miller era. It's the current idea of the team as being a bunch of "thugs" that suck at basketball is what's keeping people away.

I really cannot see any reason to keep the Timberwolves around. To the extent that I like the NBA, the Wolves are my team...but there is not much hope. I know they are young and there are a few good players, but that's not important anyway. What's important is that the 21 year old Target Center is old and outdated by NBA standards. Stern's smart enough to know that the Twin Cities will not be paying for a new arena for a team that appears hopeless and does not have much of a following compared to the other three beloved pro sports teams...he knows it's a fan base that will view the arena as a recent purchase and does not trust the he and the league have any interest in success in a market that does not draw on TV. To boot, there is probably not a team in sports as negatively impacted by the weather as the T-Wolves, who play in a league in which the teams are built on free agency and nobody wants to come here (whereas Twins/Vikes don't have to deal with the brutal January-March and Wild players are used to crap weather).

And watch...Minnesota is probably not going to put up the tax money for a Viking stadium and they'll be gone. There is no way we'd let the Vikes go and throw public money at the Wolves.

I don't want to lose the NBA here. I don't necessarily deserve it (I have not been to a Wolves home game since KG's rookie year and feel prices out of good seats despite being in a two-professional-income-no-kid household), but I'd like the Wolves to stay. But objectively, it's not a franchise with of a future. If I was a fan elsewhere, I'd really think that contracting the team makes sense...or at least, that if contraction happens, this should be the team to go.

Why don't the Wolves move into the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul? (Aside from the lease issues...)