Anaheim Kings?

[McCall]

they're building a new one.

Really? Where?

In his dreams at night.

[bosrs1]

People in Sacramento aren't making the 45 minute trip for the Kings. What makes you think people will make an hour and a half trip for the same team?

People in Sac are used to having basketball around after 26 years. People in San Diego, and the IE have never had a team within reasonable driving distance and there is definitely a market of fans who are under served. How long they'd keep coming out is a good question however, but I'd wager it will be tied to performance more than anything. If the Maloofs keep running the Anaheim Afterbirth the same way they've run the Kings on the cheap it may be hard to draw from anywhere let alone SD and the IE.

Novelty works for 1 season (if that).

If you want San Diegans to come out, you're better off playing at the corner Walgreens in San Diego.

True, but San Diego isn't the target. The under-served market of 3 million people of Orange County are the prime target. SD and the IE are just icing.

I'm inclined to dispute that Orange County is underserved when they have a hockey team and a baseball team in town and 2 basketball teams within what most people outside of the Pacific time zone would consider reasonable driving distance, but whatever.

You've obviously never tried to drive from Orange County to the Staples center during normal game times. It would take longer to do so than it takes to drive from Philadelphia to NYC.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Seattle doesn't have an arena.

they're building a new one.

And I'll tell you what they do have: excellent fans who buy the product of the NBA

Yes on 2, but no on 1.

While I think Key Arena could support a well attended NBA team, I understand (and disagree with) why it's a non-starter for the league. There is talk of a new arena opening in Bellevue, but it's just talk now.

Paul Allen has the resources to build a new arena (and he's already heavily invested in a neighborhood pretty close to the existing Key Arena), but he's committed to the Blazers.

There was some talk that Steve Ballmer cashed in a bunch of stock for purposes of building an arena, but again, that's just talk.

What I would like to have happen is some local billionaire (we have a handful in the region) pledge to open an NBA/NHL-sized arena in the next few years, and we get a new Sonics franchise to play at Key starting next season until a new arena opens.

What I'd hate to see is a public vote for a new arena (which would fail bigtime) and the Sonics never come back.

I will say that it's really frustrating to see Bettman hold on for dear life in Phoenix while David Stern was too quick to walk away from a profitable situation in Seattle.

We could have kept the Sonics here and moved the Hornets or Kings to OKC. Moot now, of course, but it would have made sense. Now we have to do things the hardest, most expensive possible way.

[rams80]

People in Sacramento aren't making the 45 minute trip for the Kings. What makes you think people will make an hour and a half trip for the same team?

People in Sac are used to having basketball around after 26 years. People in San Diego, and the IE have never had a team within reasonable driving distance and there is definitely a market of fans who are under served. How long they'd keep coming out is a good question however, but I'd wager it will be tied to performance more than anything. If the Maloofs keep running the Anaheim Afterbirth the same way they've run the Kings on the cheap it may be hard to draw from anywhere let alone SD and the IE.

Novelty works for 1 season (if that).

If you want San Diegans to come out, you're better off playing at the corner Walgreens in San Diego.

True, but San Diego isn't the target. The under-served market of 3 million people of Orange County are the prime target. SD and the IE are just icing.

I'm inclined to dispute that Orange County is underserved when they have a hockey team and a baseball team in town and 2 basketball teams within what most people outside of the Pacific time zone would consider reasonable driving distance, but whatever.

You've obviously never tried to drive from Orange County to the Staples center during normal game times. It would take longer to do so than it takes to drive from Philadelphia to NYC.

There is anecdotal evidence WITHIN THIS VERY THREAD that disputes your claims. As does Mapquest, which credits San Clemente with something like an hour and 12 minute drive to the Staples Center, while it takes almost 2 hours to travel the Jersey Turnpike.

Yeah, going to an NBA game isn't a quick as going to the movies. That's the point-there are only 30 of them in the frickin' country. And 2 of them are within your urban area.

[IceCap]

We could have kept the Sonics here and moved the Hornets or Kings to OKC. Moot now, of course, but it would have made sense. Now we have to do things the hardest, most expensive possible way.

I was actually in favour of letting the Hornets stay in OKC after Katrina. The market really supported that team.

[IceCap]

People in Sacramento aren't making the 45 minute trip for the Kings. What makes you think people will make an hour and a half trip for the same team?

People in Sac are used to having basketball around after 26 years. People in San Diego, and the IE have never had a team within reasonable driving distance and there is definitely a market of fans who are under served. How long they'd keep coming out is a good question however, but I'd wager it will be tied to performance more than anything. If the Maloofs keep running the Anaheim Afterbirth the same way they've run the Kings on the cheap it may be hard to draw from anywhere let alone SD and the IE.

Granted I'm not from the area, but it strikes me as silly to suggest that Anaheim is within driving distance for San Diego and the Inland Empire but Los Angeles isn't.

[bosrs1]

People in Sacramento aren't making the 45 minute trip for the Kings. What makes you think people will make an hour and a half trip for the same team?

People in Sac are used to having basketball around after 26 years. People in San Diego, and the IE have never had a team within reasonable driving distance and there is definitely a market of fans who are under served. How long they'd keep coming out is a good question however, but I'd wager it will be tied to performance more than anything. If the Maloofs keep running the Anaheim Afterbirth the same way they've run the Kings on the cheap it may be hard to draw from anywhere let alone SD and the IE.

Novelty works for 1 season (if that).

If you want San Diegans to come out, you're better off playing at the corner Walgreens in San Diego.

True, but San Diego isn't the target. The under-served market of 3 million people of Orange County are the prime target. SD and the IE are just icing.

I'm inclined to dispute that Orange County is underserved when they have a hockey team and a baseball team in town and 2 basketball teams within what most people outside of the Pacific time zone would consider reasonable driving distance, but whatever.

You've obviously never tried to drive from Orange County to the Staples center during normal game times. It would take longer to do so than it takes to drive from Philadelphia to NYC.

There is anecdotal evidence WITHIN THIS VERY THREAD that disputes your claims. As does Mapquest, which credits San Clemente with something like an hour and 12 minute drive to the Staples Center, while it takes almost 2 hours to travel the Jersey Turnpike.

Yeah, going to an NBA game isn't a quick as going to the movies. That's the point-there are only 30 of them in the frickin' country. And 2 of them are within your urban area.

Who still uses Mapquest?

Seriously though, look at Googlemaps and check the drive time with traffic. 2 hours to go from Staples Center to Honda Center. San Clemente is nearly 3 hours to Staples Center. And those times are very accurate given what I've experienced making those drives. It takes forever and is not worth doing, and most OC residents would likely agree which is why most of them never got to Staples Center.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

We could have kept the Sonics here and moved the Hornets or Kings to OKC. Moot now, of course, but it would have made sense. Now we have to do things the hardest, most expensive possible way.

I was actually in favour of letting the Hornets stay in OKC after Katrina. The market really supported that team.

It all makes sense now, but was a political non-starter back in 2006/2007.

[IceCap]

Sadly, that was the case. Though I think the Saints staying (weren't there relocation talks concerning them before Katrina?) would have softened the blow had the Hornets left. I mean does anyone in NOLA even care about the Hornets?

[Still MIGHTY]

There is anecdotal evidence WITHIN THIS VERY THREAD that disputes your claims. As does Mapquest, which credits San Clemente with something like an hour and 12 minute drive to the Staples Center, while it takes almost 2 hours to travel the Jersey Turnpike.

Yeah, going to an NBA game isn't a quick as going to the movies. That's the point-there are only 30 of them in the frickin' country. And 2 of them are within your urban area.

Who still uses Mapquest?

Seriously though, look at Googlemaps and check the drive time with traffic. 2 hours to go from Staples Center to Honda Center. San Clemente is nearly 3 hours to Staples Center. And those times are very accurate given what I've experienced making those drives. It takes forever and is not worth doing, and most OC residents would likely agree which is why most of them never got to Staples Center.

Good Christ, it doesn't take 3 hours to get from San Clemente to Staples unless theres 15 semitrucks jack-knifed along the way. It might take 3 hours or so from San Diego, but not from San Clemente.

I was born and raised in OC, but admittedly, I haven't ever driven to Staples for a Lakers or Clippers game. But I've gone up for my fair share of Ducks/Kings games, and my friend has an apartment about a block from LA Live that I visit on a semi-regular basis when I'm home. From my house in Laguna Hills on a bad traffic day, it takes about 1:45 to 2 hours. I always try to leave with enough time to make it up there and I haven't been late to a Ducks/Kings game. And like I said, unless the shut down the damn freeway, it doesn't take an extra hour to get from San Clemente to Laguna Hills.

And I have plenty of friends and know plenty of people that go up to Lakers/Clippers/Kings/Dodger games on an extremely frequent basis, and it's not even close to what you're trying to make it out to be.

It doesn't take forever (and even on the days where traffic is at the absolute worst, there are ways around if if you know what you're doing), and coming from an OC resident, I don't agree and I do make my way to Staples.

[bosrs1]

There is anecdotal evidence WITHIN THIS VERY THREAD that disputes your claims. As does Mapquest, which credits San Clemente with something like an hour and 12 minute drive to the Staples Center, while it takes almost 2 hours to travel the Jersey Turnpike.

Yeah, going to an NBA game isn't a quick as going to the movies. That's the point-there are only 30 of them in the frickin' country. And 2 of them are within your urban area.

Who still uses Mapquest?

Seriously though, look at Googlemaps and check the drive time with traffic. 2 hours to go from Staples Center to Honda Center. San Clemente is nearly 3 hours to Staples Center. And those times are very accurate given what I've experienced making those drives. It takes forever and is not worth doing, and most OC residents would likely agree which is why most of them never got to Staples Center.

Good Christ, it doesn't take 3 hours to get from San Clemente to Staples unless theres 15 semitrucks jack-knifed along the way. It might take 3 hours or so from San Diego, but not from San Clemente.

I was born and raised in OC, but admittedly, I haven't ever driven to Staples for a Lakers or Clippers game. But I've gone up for my fair share of Ducks/Kings games, and my friend has an apartment about a block from LA Live that I visit on a semi-regular basis when I'm home. From my house in Laguna Hills on a bad traffic day, it takes about 1:45 to 2 hours. I always try to leave with enough time to make it up there and I haven't been late to a Ducks/Kings game. And like I said, unless the shut down the damn freeway, it doesn't take an extra hour to get from San Clemente to Laguna Hills.

And I have plenty of friends and know plenty of people that go up to Lakers/Clippers/Kings/Dodger games on an extremely frequent basis, and it's not even close to what you're trying to make it out to be.

It doesn't take forever (and even on the days where traffic is at the absolute worst, there are ways around if if you know what you're doing), and coming from an OC resident, I don't agree and I do make my way to Staples.

Well different experience then. Last time I drove from Anaheim to Downtown LA during rush hour on 5 it took me just shy of 2 hours. 1:51 actually as I was timing it to see how long it would take. Which fits with what you said, that on a bad traffic day it takes you between 1:45 and 2 hours. Bad traffic days tend to be the norm not the exception in the LA area do they not?

[dfwabel]

^^^ Please do not revert to traffic talk.

Inland Empire Talk was bad enough and I admit I added early fuel to that fire.

The real story is that the Maloofs have debt in the Kings and The Palms Hotel/Casino, totaling $500M. While still wealthy, they are not willing to sell the casino, or one of 30 unique franchises. Heck, moving to Anaheim may create a storyline for the daughter who is on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

She is not a Maloof by name, she is Maloof by birth and kept her family name.

George Maloof, Sr. died in 1980 an it seems that the kids have pi$$ed away that fortune.

[RETROJR79]

More I think about it I think NBA in Anaheim could actually work I mean Memphis & OKC got a existing team and it working.

I can't say the same thing about New Orleans though.

[loogodude90]

More I think about it I think NBA in Anaheim could actually work I mean Memphis & OKC got a existing team and it working.

I can't say the same thing about New Orleans though.

True, but I thought the main concern is that a team in Anaheim is going to have to compete with two LA teams. Yes OKC is succeeding in terms of ticket sales (I think) but I think OKC was not such a big risk because 1) there isn't any real local NBA competition and 2) OKC fans seemed to proved their "fanliness" by how they supported the Hornets.

I don't know how well Memphis is doing ticket-wise, and I honestly don't know why the Grizzlies moved there or what their reasoning was (to me it would have seemed like a risk to move a team to Memphis... but they are still there so they must be doing something right). But again with Memphis, there's no other real local NBA competition. I think the main reason why this Anaheim thing seems like a possibly bad idea is because of the teams that already exist in the area.

[Still MIGHTY]

There is anecdotal evidence WITHIN THIS VERY THREAD that disputes your claims. As does Mapquest, which credits San Clemente with something like an hour and 12 minute drive to the Staples Center, while it takes almost 2 hours to travel the Jersey Turnpike.

Yeah, going to an NBA game isn't a quick as going to the movies. That's the point-there are only 30 of them in the frickin' country. And 2 of them are within your urban area.

Who still uses Mapquest?

Seriously though, look at Googlemaps and check the drive time with traffic. 2 hours to go from Staples Center to Honda Center. San Clemente is nearly 3 hours to Staples Center. And those times are very accurate given what I've experienced making those drives. It takes forever and is not worth doing, and most OC residents would likely agree which is why most of them never got to Staples Center.

Good Christ, it doesn't take 3 hours to get from San Clemente to Staples unless theres 15 semitrucks jack-knifed along the way. It might take 3 hours or so from San Diego, but not from San Clemente.

I was born and raised in OC, but admittedly, I haven't ever driven to Staples for a Lakers or Clippers game. But I've gone up for my fair share of Ducks/Kings games, and my friend has an apartment about a block from LA Live that I visit on a semi-regular basis when I'm home. From my house in Laguna Hills on a bad traffic day, it takes about 1:45 to 2 hours. I always try to leave with enough time to make it up there and I haven't been late to a Ducks/Kings game. And like I said, unless the shut down the damn freeway, it doesn't take an extra hour to get from San Clemente to Laguna Hills.

And I have plenty of friends and know plenty of people that go up to Lakers/Clippers/Kings/Dodger games on an extremely frequent basis, and it's not even close to what you're trying to make it out to be.

It doesn't take forever (and even on the days where traffic is at the absolute worst, there are ways around if if you know what you're doing), and coming from an OC resident, I don't agree and I do make my way to Staples.

Well different experience then. Last time I drove from Anaheim to Downtown LA during rush hour on 5 it took me just shy of 2 hours. 1:51 actually as I was timing it to see how long it would take. Which fits with what you said, that on a bad traffic day it takes you between 1:45 and 2 hours. Bad traffic days tend to be the norm not the exception in the LA area do they not?

I meant bad traffic relative to normal LA traffic. There is almost always traffic, just depends on how bad it is on the given day.

There are days where the freeway is packed, but it's a moving pack. Then there are days where it obviously slows up.

[bosrs1]

There is anecdotal evidence WITHIN THIS VERY THREAD that disputes your claims. As does Mapquest, which credits San Clemente with something like an hour and 12 minute drive to the Staples Center, while it takes almost 2 hours to travel the Jersey Turnpike.

Yeah, going to an NBA game isn't a quick as going to the movies. That's the point-there are only 30 of them in the frickin' country. And 2 of them are within your urban area.

Who still uses Mapquest?

Seriously though, look at Googlemaps and check the drive time with traffic. 2 hours to go from Staples Center to Honda Center. San Clemente is nearly 3 hours to Staples Center. And those times are very accurate given what I've experienced making those drives. It takes forever and is not worth doing, and most OC residents would likely agree which is why most of them never got to Staples Center.

Good Christ, it doesn't take 3 hours to get from San Clemente to Staples unless theres 15 semitrucks jack-knifed along the way. It might take 3 hours or so from San Diego, but not from San Clemente.

I was born and raised in OC, but admittedly, I haven't ever driven to Staples for a Lakers or Clippers game. But I've gone up for my fair share of Ducks/Kings games, and my friend has an apartment about a block from LA Live that I visit on a semi-regular basis when I'm home. From my house in Laguna Hills on a bad traffic day, it takes about 1:45 to 2 hours. I always try to leave with enough time to make it up there and I haven't been late to a Ducks/Kings game. And like I said, unless the shut down the damn freeway, it doesn't take an extra hour to get from San Clemente to Laguna Hills.

And I have plenty of friends and know plenty of people that go up to Lakers/Clippers/Kings/Dodger games on an extremely frequent basis, and it's not even close to what you're trying to make it out to be.

It doesn't take forever (and even on the days where traffic is at the absolute worst, there are ways around if if you know what you're doing), and coming from an OC resident, I don't agree and I do make my way to Staples.

Well different experience then. Last time I drove from Anaheim to Downtown LA during rush hour on 5 it took me just shy of 2 hours. 1:51 actually as I was timing it to see how long it would take. Which fits with what you said, that on a bad traffic day it takes you between 1:45 and 2 hours. Bad traffic days tend to be the norm not the exception in the LA area do they not?

I meant bad traffic relative to normal LA traffic. There is almost always traffic, just depends on how bad it is on the given day.

There are days where the freeway is packed, but it's a moving pack. Then there are days where it obviously slows up.

Must depend on the freeway then. Because the two I tend to frequent, 5 and 405, don't move in a pack so much as creep along slower than I can walk quite often.

[McCall]

There is anecdotal evidence WITHIN THIS VERY THREAD that disputes your claims. As does Mapquest, which credits San Clemente with something like an hour and 12 minute drive to the Staples Center, while it takes almost 2 hours to travel the Jersey Turnpike.

Yeah, going to an NBA game isn't a quick as going to the movies. That's the point-there are only 30 of them in the frickin' country. And 2 of them are within your urban area.

Who still uses Mapquest?

Seriously though, look at Googlemaps and check the drive time with traffic. 2 hours to go from Staples Center to Honda Center. San Clemente is nearly 3 hours to Staples Center. And those times are very accurate given what I've experienced making those drives. It takes forever and is not worth doing, and most OC residents would likely agree which is why most of them never got to Staples Center.

Good Christ, it doesn't take 3 hours to get from San Clemente to Staples unless theres 15 semitrucks jack-knifed along the way. It might take 3 hours or so from San Diego, but not from San Clemente.

I was born and raised in OC, but admittedly, I haven't ever driven to Staples for a Lakers or Clippers game. But I've gone up for my fair share of Ducks/Kings games, and my friend has an apartment about a block from LA Live that I visit on a semi-regular basis when I'm home. From my house in Laguna Hills on a bad traffic day, it takes about 1:45 to 2 hours. I always try to leave with enough time to make it up there and I haven't been late to a Ducks/Kings game. And like I said, unless the shut down the damn freeway, it doesn't take an extra hour to get from San Clemente to Laguna Hills.

And I have plenty of friends and know plenty of people that go up to Lakers/Clippers/Kings/Dodger games on an extremely frequent basis, and it's not even close to what you're trying to make it out to be.

It doesn't take forever (and even on the days where traffic is at the absolute worst, there are ways around if if you know what you're doing), and coming from an OC resident, I don't agree and I do make my way to Staples.

Well different experience then. Last time I drove from Anaheim to Downtown LA during rush hour on 5 it took me just shy of 2 hours. 1:51 actually as I was timing it to see how long it would take. Which fits with what you said, that on a bad traffic day it takes you between 1:45 and 2 hours. Bad traffic days tend to be the norm not the exception in the LA area do they not?

I meant bad traffic relative to normal LA traffic. There is almost always traffic, just depends on how bad it is on the given day.

There are days where the freeway is packed, but it's a moving pack. Then there are days where it obviously slows up.

Must depend on the freeway then. Because the two I tend to frequent, 5 and 405, don't move in a pack so much as creep along slower than I can walk quite often.

So, again, bad traffic is a reason to put a third NBA team in LA?

[dfwabel]

I just thought about another minor issue which I cannot answer since I do not live in the OC.

If an opposing team plays at Honda Center and must fly out that night, can a private commercial sized jet take off that late from SNA?

The RedWings were FAA fined for breaking rules in San Jose.

Does the plane just land in Long Beach? There is a Ritz-Carlton in Laguna, so the main NBA hotel is taken care of.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Kindly STFU about traffic. Thanks.

[The_Admiral]

This is what happens when you try to get 15,000-35,000 people into and out of the same place without decent public transportation systems.

Nobody goes to Yankee Stadium because it's too crowded.