379 replies to this topic

[Dave Burrell]

What do you all think of the latest news about the Maloofs and the arena discussions? It sounds to me like they may be using Vegas as a "gun-to-the-head" approach for us - as in "either buy us a new arena asap, or we're moving to Vegas"

I do agree that we need a new arena but I disagree that we should pay for it - the Maloofs who make all the money from it should be paying for it - OR - how about this idea...if we pay for it then the Maloofs should pay a higher percentage of taxes on the venue income revenues to pay Sacramento county back for building their business, that seems fair.


Arena cards on the table
Vegas meeting between local officials and Maloofs is called 'exhausting but productive'; negotiations to continue today.
By Terri Hardy -- Bee Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS -- In an eleventh-hour effort to come up with a financing plan for a new Kings arena, Sacramento city and county officials met until late Tuesday behind closed doors with the Maloof family -- the Kings owners -- and their representatives at the Maloofs' Palms Casino Resort.
Negotiations are set to reconvene at 9 a.m. today.

Before the meeting, negotiators said the talks would initially focus on a major sticking point: the price tag for a new sports arena.
The Maloofs and Sacramento elected officials have reached a consensus that they want to build the new Kings arena at the Union Pacific railyard just north of downtown. But talks broke down two weeks ago when they couldn't reach a consensus on even the most fundamental deal points, including how much the sports complex would cost to build.

Full article: http://www.sacbee.co...-15086276c.html

KCRA report: http://news.yahoo.co...lo_kcra/9495142

UPN13 report: http://cbs13.com/spo..._192152408.html

[mylo]

I like the Kings, and think they bring value to the region, I would hate to see them go. But, if the numbers don't work for the Maloofs, someone else will take the money/assistance this fair city is offering.

[Steve Heard]

I like the Kings, and think they bring value to the region, I would hate to see them go. But, if the numbers don't work for the Maloofs, someone else will take the money/assistance this fair city is offering.

What money is the city offering? So far, as far as I can tell, they haven't agreed to anything. They are considering a sales tax increase, which would have to be approved by the voters.

If the Kings leave, do you think Sacramento would suddenly find funds to build a new arena to attract a new team? Cities allover the country would love to have an NBA franchise. They are difficult to get. If we lose the Kings, we're not very likely to attract a new team to an old arena.

[mylo]

I think if the Kings leave, we will get another professional sports team. Perhaps not NBA, but there are far too many sports enthusiasts in the region to turn down the money! The people will be upset the King's left, and the next proposal to increase taxes to entice some hockey or underwater basket weaving team to town will almost certainly pass.

[Steve Heard]

Major sports teams are difficult to displace. We'd have to find a team that is dissatisfied with its current situation and woo them away. All they'll know of Sac is that they didn't support the last major franchise they had. It would take many years to get someone in here.

Sactown A's sounds good to me, too, but the owners of the Rivercats don't like the sound of if.

[Chad Vander Veen]

If the King's leave, that means the Monarchs do too. And, NO ONE is going to let an unused, old and busted arena sit around costing money to maintain, thus it will be torn down and replaced with houses and box stores.

At this point, we will have no NBA, no WNBA and no arena at all. We will also have no major concerts, no NCAA tourney's (Women's NCAA is scheduled for ARCO in 2008), no Disney on Ice, no arena events at all.

No one, not even the Maloof's, has $400 million to spend on a building that will always lose money, or at best break even. This has to be a partnership with some money coming from the owners and some from the public.

If you don't use it, fine. I don't care. But drop your selfish, "therefore I ain't gonna contribute a penny" rationale and realize you are part of a larger community - one that would benefit tremendously by having a modern arena.

[mylo]

I thought money did come from the public, by way of ticket sales.

[Sandman]

I think if the Kings leave, we will get another professional sports team. Perhaps not NBA, but there are far too many sports enthusiasts in the region to turn down the money! The people will be upset the King's left, and the next proposal to increase taxes to entice some hockey or underwater basket weaving team to town will almost certainly pass.

I don't agree. If a big ticket item like the kings leave others are sure to have cold feet before considering SacTown. IF the Kings leave it will be a long time before we are in the hunt for another big time sports franchise. Sacramento is not exactly what I would call a meca of entertainment. It has its work cut out for it in order to attract anyone. We were lucky to get the Kings, and the only reason we did was because at the time they were the laughing stock of the NBA and nobody else wanted them.

I hope they figure this out before its too late!

[john]

I think if the Kings leave, we will get another professional sports team. Perhaps not NBA, but there are far too many sports enthusiasts in the region to turn down the money! The people will be upset the King's left, and the next proposal to increase taxes to entice some hockey or underwater basket weaving team to town will almost certainly pass.

Yeah, maybe in 20 years... hockey can't survive here, the A's are a loooooongshot, and football would never come here as long as the Niners and Raiders are close by. The NBA is doing well here, even in an old arena and small market... Folks, we are darn lucky to have the Kings. If the Kings moved, the NBA is the only league that could be supported, then we get another craptastic team (but it will be 20 years before it's back).



The Maloofs are not trying to put a gun to the head of Sac city folks... they're trying to get this DONE. These talks were over... and pretty much meant that the Kings were gone, because it would be 2008 before we had another measure on the ballot. The Maloofs do not want to leave... unfortunately Arco is a barn compared to the rest of the NBA. It was outdated the day it was built and is now the oldest arena in the NBA.

The city will be the reason the Kings leave if they do. Not the Maloofs.

The city has offered little, and the public for some reason keeps thinking that the Maloofs have a lot of loose cash laying around for an arena. Wake up! The Palms were not likely financed solely by the Maloofs. They likely had hundreds of investors.

[mylo]

How about Soccer It seems like soccer's popularity is skyrocketing in the wake of MLB drug scandels and NFL and NBA greed

[Sandman]

How about Soccer It seems like soccer's popularity is skyrocketing in the wake of MLB drug scandels and NFL and NBA greed

He said soccer

Sorry but soccer will NEVER be a mainstream big ticket sports attraction in the US. NEVER!

[mylo]

Sorry but soccer will NEVER be a mainstream big ticket sports attraction in the US. NEVER!

I'll take that bet, and will raise you that the great american infatuation with Baseball will be dead within 10 years!

[cw68]

If the King's leave, that means the Monarchs do too. And, NO ONE is going to let an unused, old and busted arena sit around costing money to maintain, thus it will be torn down and replaced with houses and box stores.

At this point, we will have no NBA, no WNBA and no arena at all. We will also have no major concerts, no NCAA tourney's (Women's NCAA is scheduled for ARCO in 2008), no Disney on Ice, no arena events at all.

No one, not even the Maloof's, has $400 million to spend on a building that will always lose money, or at best break even. This has to be a partnership with some money coming from the owners and some from the public.

If you don't use it, fine. I don't care. But drop your selfish, "therefore I ain't gonna contribute a penny" rationale and realize you are part of a larger community - one that would benefit tremendously by having a modern arena.

Chad, I'm right there with you. Good post.

No other team will come this way. Soccer reached it's popularity peak in the US in the 70's with Pele and all that. If Sacramento can't fully support (and by that I mean more than just buying tickets) a winning NBA team, there's no way a new sport will take off here. Heck, we couldn't even support Arena Football here.

[Chad Vander Veen]

Heck, we couldn't even support Arena Football here.

Especially with no arena