The End Of The Sacramento Kings?
#1
Posted 29 September 2010 - 11:56 AM
I am growing frustrated by this process. I envision in a few years we will have an old arena, no NBA team, a fairgrounds in dire need of help, and a general lack of entertainment in this area. You see big things like the Air Show, the Mountain Lions, Track & Field Trials, the RiverCats - it's evident that if you provide quality entertainment options people will come. However for some reason people are so quick to shoot down any arena plan that's not 100% financed by the Maloofs. This is what I don't really get - they play 42 times a year - Arco hosts 200-250 events a year!
Anyway, I'm sure people will talk about the economy, supply & demand, blah blah... I just think this is the beginning of the Kings in Sacramento. I hope not, but it's beginning to look that way.
#2
Posted 29 September 2010 - 12:09 PM
#3
Posted 29 September 2010 - 01:24 PM
I agree, the Kings leaving town won't be the worst thing that has happened to the greater Sac area. If we can survive the closure of not one, not two, but 3 major military bases, we can survive the loss of the Kings. McClellan AFB used to be the single largest employer in the greater Sac area, probably about 3X what Intel is. The Kings don't bring the kind of money to the area that the bases did, in fact, the Kings sapped money out of our hands and put it in the billionaires pockets.Food on the table......help Billionaires finance THEIR stadium. Easy choice.
If this is the beginning of the end, so be it. I know I won't shed any tears.
#4
Posted 29 September 2010 - 01:33 PM
the one they have and rebuild. Quit trying to make deals and just do it.
#5
Posted 29 September 2010 - 02:17 PM
#6
Posted 29 September 2010 - 02:23 PM
#7
Posted 29 September 2010 - 02:35 PM
Let 'em go to Vegas, they wore out their welcome in my book a long time ago.Because the Maloof's don't really care, they wouldn't mind moving the team to Vegas or someplace else. I think that's what they've had in mind for a while.
#8
Posted 29 September 2010 - 02:42 PM
And some stretch of NV you can actually drive 120+ mph too.Because the Maloof's don't really care, they wouldn't mind moving the team to Vegas or someplace else. I think that's what they've had in mind for a while.
#9
Posted 29 September 2010 - 06:39 PM
#10
Posted 29 September 2010 - 10:02 PM
Contrary to what the uninformed opinionated say, that's exactly what the Maloofs want to do. They own the land, there's plenty of parking, and getting in and out is probably the easiest of any sports arena in the country. However, they, like pretty much every sports team in the country, can't/don't want to pay for the entire thing by themselves (why should they when there's always another city willing to help). Nobody around here is willing to help unless it involves moving them as close to downtown as possible.I too wonder why they don't just tear down the old one or build a new one next to the existing arena.
#11
Posted 30 September 2010 - 10:31 AM
Contrary to what the uninformed opinionated say, that's exactly what the Maloofs want to do. They own the land, there's plenty of parking, and getting in and out is probably the easiest of any sports arena in the country. However, they, like pretty much every sports team in the country, can't/don't want to pay for the entire thing by themselves (why should they when there's always another city willing to help). Nobody around here is willing to help unless it involves moving them as close to downtown as possible.
Given what is going on in the economy, I'm NOT so sure there are many other cities willing to help. Times have changed dramatically, the Kings don't have cities lining up begging them to move there.
Most people see a difference between using Tax dollars to build a public arena, owned by the public, that could be the Home to the Kings and other events as opposed to using tax dollars to subsidize a Private Arena, where all the revenue from the Arena is collected by the Maloofs.
I don't blame the Maloofs for trying to get their best deal, but sense the days of using Taxpayer money to build Arenas to be owned by Profit Corporations are over. If the taxpayers can get some sort of fair return on their contribution, then I believe most people would be OK with doing this way.
I'll say again, Sac City should put an Arena Tax on all seats at Arco and add a small tax onto restuarants/Hotel/ Car rentals in the area where they might want to build the Arena and start generating cash flow to do this. This would demonstrate to the Maloofs SAC City is Committed to building an Arena Downtown and force the Maloofs into getting behind this or leaving town. Doing nothing is worse than IF the Kings were to leave, if the community truly wants to grow and move forward!
#12
Posted 30 September 2010 - 10:45 AM
the kings can move on and will not be missed by a lot of folks, we can go back to calling ourselves sacr-ra-tomato and can be a fun place for our legislators to spend their per diem.
hey sports are more fun and cheaper to watch on a big screen anyway.
#13
Posted 30 September 2010 - 11:08 AM
I agree a tourism tax would go a long way - but it's still a tax, and everyone's quick to judge around here.
#14
Posted 30 September 2010 - 11:17 AM
Curiously, that is my preferred venue for watching professional sports.hey sports are more fun and cheaper to watch on a big screen anyway.
Big screen in the living room, no waiting lines at the restroom, cheaper beer in the fridge, and a much wider selection of grub to snack on.
#15
Posted 30 September 2010 - 11:55 AM
Robert, Kansas City could ask the team to move and they would be ready for them tomorrow. They have a brand-new, state of the art arena already built (with taxpayer dollars I might add), and as you probably are aware, they were home of the Kings before they moved to Sacramento.
I agree a tourism tax would go a long way - but it's still a tax, and everyone's quick to judge around here.
The Kings MOVED from KC for a reason and it wasn't because of a new Arena. The Kings won't get much of a sweetheart deal from the new KC Arena to move back there. The SAC City Market is significantly larger than the KC market, so the Kings won't move to downsize, simply to play in a new arena! Remeber, they won't get a better deal out there than they have now at Arco.
The one thing to be concerend about would be the Maloofs selling the Kings to an out of town owner. That New owner might be motivated to MOVE the Kings and THEY might get some incentives from their City for a new Arena, since they would also be getting a PRO Team as well.
BTW, The KC Arena was built with Tourism tax dollars contributing to it! I'm as anti tax as anyone but a Toursim/user tax is the way to go because its NOT forced upon the locals. Sac city could do this without raising an uproar by its citizens.
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