Anaheim Kings?

[FiddySicks]

Jerry had a piece about 7 mins left in the 4th quarter too during a down period where he essentially said good bye after 26 years. I got the feeling watching last night that it was the last time I'd be watching the Kings. I hope I'm wrong, but it sure doesn't look good unless the owners block the move.

Brings a tear to my eye to see this. This really does show loyalty, specially the fans. It's sad to see something like this happen, but yeah unless something happens, I think this is it for Sacramento.

I watched that last night as well as the video tribute afterwards. Just absolutely depressing for guys like that who have been around for the long haul. I wish that "love affair" Kings fans had with their team was really as strong as he felt it was, though.

[The_Admiral]

Did you watch the NBA five to fifteen years ago?

[bosrs1]

Jerry had a piece about 7 mins left in the 4th quarter too during a down period where he essentially said good bye after 26 years. I got the feeling watching last night that it was the last time I'd be watching the Kings. I hope I'm wrong, but it sure doesn't look good unless the owners block the move.

Brings a tear to my eye to see this. This really does show loyalty, specially the fans. It's sad to see something like this happen, but yeah unless something happens, I think this is it for Sacramento.

I watched that last night as well as the video tribute afterwards. Just absolutely depressing for guys like that who have been around for the long haul. I wish that "love affair" Kings fans had with their team was really as strong as he felt it was, though.

The love affair really was that strong for the first 20 or so years. It wasn't until recently during the last 6 years or so when the Maloofs just started fielding crap teams with no realistic chance to win anything that the spiraled into the pickle that they are in today. But last night showed the love is still there waiting for a good owner and a team that's not scraped off the bottom of the barrel.

[Sodboy13]

The love affair really was that strong for the first 20 or so years. It wasn't until recently during the last 6 years or so when the Maloofs just started fielding crap teams with no realistic chance to win anything that the spiraled into the pickle that they are in today. But last night showed the love is still there waiting for a good owner and a team that's not scraped off the bottom of the barrel.

That may be the case, but love doesn't build state-of-the-art, $500-million arenas with abundant luxury boxes.

[ninersdd]

Jerry had a piece about 7 mins left in the 4th quarter too during a down period where he essentially said good bye after 26 years. I got the feeling watching last night that it was the last time I'd be watching the Kings. I hope I'm wrong, but it sure doesn't look good unless the owners

block the move.

Brings a tear to my eye to see this. This really does show loyalty, specially the fans. It's sad to see something like this happen, but yeah unless something happens, I think this is it for Sacramento.

I watched that last night as well as the video tribute afterwards. Just absolutely depressing for guys like that who have been around for the long haul. I wish that "love affair" Kings fans had with their team was really as strong as he felt it was, though.

The love affair really was that strong for the first 20 or so years. It wasn't until recently during the last 6 years or so when the Maloofs just started fielding crap teams with no realistic chance to win anything that the spiraled into the pickle that they are in today. But last night showed the love

is still there waiting for a good owner and a team that's not scraped off the bottom of the barrel.

Yeah, like they traded away popular players(Mike Bibby) for no one of significance.

[bosrs1]

The love affair really was that strong for the first 20 or so years. It wasn't until recently during the last 6 years or so when the Maloofs just started fielding crap teams with no realistic chance to win anything that the spiraled into the pickle that they are in today. But last night showed the love is still there waiting for a good owner and a team that's not scraped off the bottom of the barrel.

That may be the case, but love doesn't build state-of-the-art, $500-million arenas with abundant luxury boxes.

No, but you need some private investment from a guy like Burkle to make it happen. That and if you need public money you need to run a campaign that has a chance. Which the Maloofs didn't do. Unless they thought it would garner votes to go one TV weeks before the election and do a TV ad that was essentially about how rich they were (which is ironic since they're financially in ruins today.

[DustDevil61]

I'd hate for the Kings to leave Sacramento for Anaheim of all places, and it's not really the fans' fault here. There are few teams and markets that would put up with such sheer ineptitude from an ownership for such a long time.

In a perfect world, the Kings would at least hold on for a couple of years, with the upcoming CBA likely to favor smaller markets like Sacramento. However, the Maloofs are short on cash, and don't want to sell. I hope that someone local can be able to get something done, but it doesn't look too bright right now. At least, I hope that Greg Miller (Utah) and some of the other smaller-market owners voice their displeasure on this and vote against the move. Just like Seattle, a couple of years could make all the difference.

[The_Admiral]

Small-market owners are the ones who want to protect their right to gouge and/or abandon small markets.

[Jimmy!]

I think the Kings are gone from Sacramento and I think its for reasons that are almost identical to what happened with the Sonics.

There's one huge difference between the two - the Sonics were moved in no small part because the NBA desperately wanted a team in Oklahoma City. No analogous situation exists here.

I don't think OKC really had all that much to do with the Sonics leaving. It may have helped quicken the process but that's about it. The number one reason in both cases though was that they couldn't get the arena funding. If Seattle builds the Sonics an arena, no way the NBA lets them bolt for OKC or any other city for that matter.

I'm sure that if OKC was not an option for the Sonics they would have simply found some other city for them to move to. St. Louis, Anaheim, Montreal. I really think the Sonics were leaving regardless if OKC got involved or not. The NBA feels very strongly about having a team's arena demands met by their home city, and will punish those who aren't willing to play ball. It works the other way as well. You really think Memphis would have a team if they hadn't agreed to build the FedEx Forum? Or Charlotte would have been awarded another expansion team had they not had the Tim Warner Arena deal in place?

Make no mistake about it, getting franchises publically financed arena is the number one business priority for the NBA. I think that also holds true for all sports as well, but I think the NBA is the most agressive about it.

That move had more to do with Bennett's Boys wanting to put a team in OKC than anything. Once he bought the team, he did everything he could to submarine the team and get them out of Seattle.

[BBTV]

Small-market owners are the ones who want to protect their right to gouge and/or abandon small markets.

Exactly. Every move like this helps out the other small market owners who can now use it as leverage against their own home cities. "Don't want to build me a new arena even though there aren't many people here and none of you have any money? Well, see what happened to Sacramento?"

Maybe the answer is to have fewer small markets.

[Gothamite]

Small-market owners are the ones who want to protect their right to gouge and/or abandon small markets.

Exactly. Every move like this helps out the other small market owners who can now use it as leverage against their own home cities. "Don't want to build me a new arena even though there aren't many people here and none of you have any money? Well, see what happened to Sacramento?"

Maybe the answer is to have fewer small markets.

I dunno - large markets have historically lost teams in just this way. That didn't stop leagues from putting teams in New York or LA.

[bosrs1]

Well SI is reporting that at least some of the owners are leaning "no". Seems the KJ presentation and the revelation a billionaire is waiting in the wings to buy the team (and offering to help on an arena) are swaying the owners. Burkle's availability would be an out for the Maloofs should the owners want to vote the move down and would get deadweights like the Maloofs out of the owners lodge. Seems to me the Kings chances of survival in Sac went up considerably today.

[Jimmy!]

Well SI is reporting that at least some of the owners are leaning "no". Seems the KJ presentation and the revelation a billionaire is waiting in the wings to buy the team (and offering to help on an arena) are swaying the owners. Burkle's availability would be an out for the Maloofs should the owners want to vote the move down and would get deadweights like the Maloofs out of the owners lodge. Seems to me the Kings chances of survival in Sac went up considerably today.

Lots of owners can say they don't like it. Doesn't mean they're gonna vote "no."

[bosrs1]

Well SI is reporting that at least some of the owners are leaning "no". Seems the KJ presentation and the revelation a billionaire is waiting in the wings to buy the team (and offering to help on an arena) are swaying the owners. Burkle's availability would be an out for the Maloofs should the owners want to vote the move down and would get deadweights like the Maloofs out of the owners lodge. Seems to me the Kings chances of survival in Sac went up considerably today.

Lots of owners can say they don't like it. Doesn't mean they're gonna vote "no."

Well that'd be true if they were saying they "didn't like it." But what they're specifically saying is that they're "leaning against it." which does indicate they're leaning, "no".

[Jimmy!]

Well SI is reporting that at least some of the owners are leaning "no". Seems the KJ presentation and the revelation a billionaire is waiting in the wings to buy the team (and offering to help on an arena) are swaying the owners. Burkle's availability would be an out for the Maloofs should the owners want to vote the move down and would get deadweights like the Maloofs out of the owners lodge. Seems to me the Kings chances of survival in Sac went up considerably today.

Lots of owners can say they don't like it. Doesn't mean they're gonna vote "no."

Well that'd be true if they were saying they "didn't like it." But what they're specifically saying is that they're "leaning against it." which does indicate they're leaning, "no".

Tomatoes. Tomatos.

[bosrs1]

Well SI is reporting that at least some of the owners are leaning "no". Seems the KJ presentation and the revelation a billionaire is waiting in the wings to buy the team (and offering to help on an arena) are swaying the owners. Burkle's availability would be an out for the Maloofs should the owners want to vote the move down and would get deadweights like the Maloofs out of the owners lodge. Seems to me the Kings chances of survival in Sac went up considerably today.

Lots of owners can say they don't like it. Doesn't mean they're gonna vote "no."

Well that'd be true if they were saying they "didn't like it." But what they're specifically saying is that they're "leaning against it." which does indicate they're leaning, "no".

Tomatoes. Onions.

Fixed your post.

[dfwabel]

Well SI is reporting that at least some of the owners are leaning "no". Seems the KJ presentation and the revelation a billionaire is waiting in the wings to buy the team (and offering to help on an arena) are swaying the owners. Burkle's availability would be an out for the Maloofs should the owners want to vote the move down and would get deadweights like the Maloofs out of the owners lodge. Seems to me the Kings chances of survival in Sac went up considerably today.

Lots of owners can say they don't like it. Doesn't mean they're gonna vote "no."

Well that'd be true if they were saying they "didn't like it." But what they're specifically saying is that they're "leaning against it." which does indicate they're leaning, "no".

There is one bigger fact that is still in play:

The Maloofs have never indicated that they are willing to sell.

[The Six]

I was in Sacramento last weekend. I didn't realize it was such a small town. Arco Arena is located basically on a prairie. I hope there's some last minute bill or something that keeps the team there. Farmers should be able to watch basketball, too.

[DustDevil61]

I was in Sacramento last weekend. I didn't realize it was such a small town. Arco Arena is located basically on a prairie. I hope there's some last minute bill or something that keeps the team there. Farmers should be able to watch basketball, too.

Well, Oklahoma City has a team, you know...

[tp49]

The revelation of Ron Burkle wanting to get involved has to be making the Maloof's very uncomfortable. Also, if this article is to be believed if the Maloof's had the support of enough owners to have a move approved they would have filed today. Considering the additional meetings scheduled for Friday turns this into the NBA's version of a circus. The one thing I would be very interested to know is what would the proposed relocation fee be? $100 million? $150 million?

I tend to believe that if the NBA and the other owners can find a way to persuade the Maloof's to sell (even though they don't want to) the league will do so as the Maloof's are as much of a financial drain on the league as the Hornets are through their being under league ownership. I remember reading this week that the Maloof's got a line of credit ($75 million) from the league most likely to pay the loan owed to Sacramento which can't be making the other owners happy either.

Something else to consider is that if Burkle is serious about putting a team in Sacramento even if the Kings do leave then Sacramento trades up by getting the Hornets. Unlike the Maloof's I also believe that Burkle and his people have the PR ability to get an arena deal done as PR ability was something the Maloof's seemed to lack.