A friend of mine came up to me the other day and made a casual remark about the Kings.
"You know, at this point, it doesn't really matter to me whether the team stays or goes," he said.
Now this guy is a fan. He goes to games. He follows the team.
So that statement is truly indicative of the demise of this team.
The city has lost their passion. The Kings create no buzz. Apathy rules.
Losing is a lot of the reason. They are a mostly awful team, lacking in fundamentals, scarce in true game-changing talent
They are also boring. They give you no reason to root for them. They don't play as a team and they have no player who can ignite the fans on a regular basis.
Even off the court, the team has no personality. Tyreke Evans can barely mumble through an answer to a reporter's question. DeMarcus Cousins, who has the most potential, hasn't caught on to the fact that he can own this town by opening up just a little bit.
Even with all that, the Kings have become someting much worse than boring.
They have become irrelevant.
They mean almost nothing to the day-to-day lives of average Sacramento residents. Nobody rushes to read about them. Nobody clamors to get tickets. And nobody seems to care about the fortunes of the team.
Sure, there are still some diehards out there, but they are dwindling.
The franchise is in freefall and there is no solution.
Not with bankrupt owners who are fighting for their financial lives. Not with players who care more about personal stats than team play.
And not with a fan base that has lost its personal stake in the team's future.
