Kings owner George Maloof was on Grant Napear's radio show on KHTK Friday afternoon to deliver a firm defense of his team's position.
Here are the highlights:
George Maloof is an American hero.
He thinks about his community first.
He believes that we should hire cops and firefighters and put that pesky arena thingy on the back burner.
He is says he's perfectly fine with a nice paint job on the old arena.
He says the team stands ready and able to spend money on players.
He doesn't understand why people consider him a villain.
It was such an impossibly lame, self-serving example of double-speak that you could barely believe he was able to get through the interview without uttering an evil giggle. Through it all, Mr. Napear barely managed to challenge a single assertion.
Like why the Kings allowed the NBA to negotiate for them over the past year without an inkling of what was being negotiated.
Like why Gavin and Joe have been effectively silenced after years of being the faces of the franchise.
Like why, if the Kings want to stay in Sacramento, they won't sign some kind of agreement to stay in the city for at least the next three years.
Like why any Kings fan should believe the Maloof family has the financial ability to compete in the world of professional sports.
Like pushing George to offer one example of how the Kings have spent any money in the past five years to spruce up the current arena.
Like why we should think that the Maloofs have any business acumen at all after the deterioration of both the Palms Casino and the Kings over the past 10 years.
Like why a team that was so committed to staying in Sacramento had all but packed the moving vans last year to head for Anaheim.
Then again, I suppose there is no need to question George Maloof about any of those things.
After all, he is an American hero.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Maloofs, the Kings and The Palms: A history of deterioration
Does anybody believe the current state of the Kings and Power Balance Arena is not the fault of the Maloofs?
Hey, maybe it's the economy or maybe the team just needs a new arena. Maybe this deterioration is just bad luck, right?
Uh, no.
All you have to do is look to the desert of Nevada to see that this pattern is not unique.
The Palms Hotel, once the hottest of the hot spots in Vegas, has fallen into disrepair. I decided to check customer reviews of the hotel on the popular TripAdvisor site.
Now, to be fair, there were some decent reviews, but the bad reviews were startling in their harshness.
Check them out for yourself:
Palms Reviews
Here's a sampling:
"The room reeked of deodorizers attempting to cover up bad odors in the room. The beds looked lumpy and the walls were dirty."
"This place was disgusting and horrible. It's amazing how fast and how far this place has fallen."
"Overall, worst hotel experience I've had in Vegas. Used to be a great place ten years ago, now it's on par with Circus Circus."
"This is by far the worst choice you could make to stay in Vegas, You would be better off to save the money and sleep on the streets and play an instrument to make extra money."
First the Kings and now The Palms.
What do these two business entities have in common?
Connect the dots, Kings fans.
Hey, maybe it's the economy or maybe the team just needs a new arena. Maybe this deterioration is just bad luck, right?
Uh, no.
All you have to do is look to the desert of Nevada to see that this pattern is not unique.
The Palms Hotel, once the hottest of the hot spots in Vegas, has fallen into disrepair. I decided to check customer reviews of the hotel on the popular TripAdvisor site.
Now, to be fair, there were some decent reviews, but the bad reviews were startling in their harshness.
Check them out for yourself:
Palms Reviews
Here's a sampling:
"The room reeked of deodorizers attempting to cover up bad odors in the room. The beds looked lumpy and the walls were dirty."
"This place was disgusting and horrible. It's amazing how fast and how far this place has fallen."
"Overall, worst hotel experience I've had in Vegas. Used to be a great place ten years ago, now it's on par with Circus Circus."
"This is by far the worst choice you could make to stay in Vegas, You would be better off to save the money and sleep on the streets and play an instrument to make extra money."
First the Kings and now The Palms.
What do these two business entities have in common?
Connect the dots, Kings fans.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Grant Napear officially declares he's a shill for Maloofs
Thank you Grant Napear.
Yup, in a none-too-shocking admission, KHTK's resident sports blowhard finally admitted it on Monday.
He's a shill for the Maloofs.
A mouthpiece. A plant. An accomplice. The Panderer-in-Chief.
Now he didn't have to use those exact words, but it was clear when he proudly proclaimed on his radio show that there's no reason for him to badmouth the Maloofs since the Maloofs have been very good for Grant Napear (yes, he used the dreaded third person).
This is all fine and dandy, except Mr. Napear has always slyly implied that he's an even-handed player in the entire arena debacle.
Look, I wouldn't blast my boss if he was writing my checks either, but I would make it clear almost every time the subject came up by stating these simple words:
I am not a fair arbiter in this situation since I am employed by the owners of the Kings, but I would be happy to give you my opinion.
That almost never happened.
Instead, for years, he has berated caller after caller who dared to hold the Maloofs in a less-than-flattering light.
He must have a bulging hernia for all the water he's carried.
And now, when everyone in the sports world can see that the Maloof behavior has risen to the level of Weasel Defcon I, there is no way he should be even attempting to maneuver his flighty bosses into a more favorable position.
The NBA thinks the Maloofs have lost their minds.
The city of Sacramento thinks they're dishonest liars.
The Sacramento fans have had it with the years of insufferable negotiation stances.
But Grant "The Shill" Napear believes we should all just back off, play nice, and give all the sides the benefit of the doubt.
This is so transparently the message of P.R. outfit hired by the Kings that is is truly laughable.
Yes, the Maloofs have finally shown their true colors.
And finally, so has Grant Napear.
Yup, in a none-too-shocking admission, KHTK's resident sports blowhard finally admitted it on Monday.
He's a shill for the Maloofs.
A mouthpiece. A plant. An accomplice. The Panderer-in-Chief.
Now he didn't have to use those exact words, but it was clear when he proudly proclaimed on his radio show that there's no reason for him to badmouth the Maloofs since the Maloofs have been very good for Grant Napear (yes, he used the dreaded third person).
This is all fine and dandy, except Mr. Napear has always slyly implied that he's an even-handed player in the entire arena debacle.
Look, I wouldn't blast my boss if he was writing my checks either, but I would make it clear almost every time the subject came up by stating these simple words:
I am not a fair arbiter in this situation since I am employed by the owners of the Kings, but I would be happy to give you my opinion.
That almost never happened.
Instead, for years, he has berated caller after caller who dared to hold the Maloofs in a less-than-flattering light.
He must have a bulging hernia for all the water he's carried.
And now, when everyone in the sports world can see that the Maloof behavior has risen to the level of Weasel Defcon I, there is no way he should be even attempting to maneuver his flighty bosses into a more favorable position.
The NBA thinks the Maloofs have lost their minds.
The city of Sacramento thinks they're dishonest liars.
The Sacramento fans have had it with the years of insufferable negotiation stances.
But Grant "The Shill" Napear believes we should all just back off, play nice, and give all the sides the benefit of the doubt.
This is so transparently the message of P.R. outfit hired by the Kings that is is truly laughable.
Yes, the Maloofs have finally shown their true colors.
And finally, so has Grant Napear.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Maloofs must sign 10-year lease to stay in Sacramento to salvage relationship with fans
There is a way.
A single way for the Maloofs to turn public opinion back in their favor.
A single way for the Maloofs to help the Sacramento fans forgive them.
And here it is:
In front of the Kings fans, hold up a signed lease agreement saying that you are staying in Sacramento for the next 10 years.
That's it.
Done deal.
The town is yours again.
Will it happen? Almost certainly no.
But Joe Maloof proclaimed loudly to the Bee's Aileen Voisin that the team has no intention to move.
Okay, prove it.
Tell the city that the Anaheim is dead with a pen, not with words.
And get to work sprucing up Power Balance. I suggest a $5 ticket surcharge to pay for it. That would at least pay for cosmetic changes to the building. It won't widen the concourses or add luxury boxes, but it would go a long way towards showing some good will.
Here's the problem: I don't think Joe and Gavin Maloof are even running the show anymore. I think they've been pushed aside by George, who fancies himself the brilliant wheeler-dealer of the family.
Well, Joe and Gavin, it's time to kick your unkempt Vegas brother to the curb.
Make a grand statement.
Make it now.
Before it's too late.
A single way for the Maloofs to turn public opinion back in their favor.
A single way for the Maloofs to help the Sacramento fans forgive them.
And here it is:
In front of the Kings fans, hold up a signed lease agreement saying that you are staying in Sacramento for the next 10 years.
That's it.
Done deal.
The town is yours again.
Will it happen? Almost certainly no.
But Joe Maloof proclaimed loudly to the Bee's Aileen Voisin that the team has no intention to move.
Okay, prove it.
Tell the city that the Anaheim is dead with a pen, not with words.
And get to work sprucing up Power Balance. I suggest a $5 ticket surcharge to pay for it. That would at least pay for cosmetic changes to the building. It won't widen the concourses or add luxury boxes, but it would go a long way towards showing some good will.
Here's the problem: I don't think Joe and Gavin Maloof are even running the show anymore. I think they've been pushed aside by George, who fancies himself the brilliant wheeler-dealer of the family.
Well, Joe and Gavin, it's time to kick your unkempt Vegas brother to the curb.
Make a grand statement.
Make it now.
Before it's too late.
Friday, April 13, 2012
EMPTY THE ARENA. DON'T GO TO THE FINAL 4 GAMES
It's time to make another statement, Kings fans.
You did it last year when you wanted the team to stay.
Now it's time to do it again. Except this time it's about being jobbed. It's about being taken for a ride. It's about a trio of clueless brothers named Maloof.
Friday's despicable display by the Maloofs was inexcusable and perhaps one of the most embarrassing presentations in the history of sports ownership.
Parading a dull economist in front of the press to basically tear the city's arena plan to shreds was a pure affront to any Kings' fan who was brave enough to watch.
George Maloof acted like a child who had no idea why things hadn't gone his way in the sandbox. He was gonna pout and whine and claim that little Kevie hit him in the face with a shovel.
These guys are morally and financially broke.
They have no money because they have no business acumen. In fact, they have no businesses. They have no way to make money any more. Owning an NBA team is not a profitable business. It's a hobby for rich men. The Maloofs don't qualify.
So what can the fans do?
Easy.
Empty the arena. Don't set foot in the place for the final four games.
Make it a ghost town.
The sports world doesn't care one iota about Sacramento, but it's time to hold up the owners to the ridicule they deserve.
Stay home.
Empty the arena.
Let the team play in silence.
When the highlights appear on ESPN, the sound of shame will be deafening to the Maloofs.
You did it last year when you wanted the team to stay.
Now it's time to do it again. Except this time it's about being jobbed. It's about being taken for a ride. It's about a trio of clueless brothers named Maloof.
Friday's despicable display by the Maloofs was inexcusable and perhaps one of the most embarrassing presentations in the history of sports ownership.
Parading a dull economist in front of the press to basically tear the city's arena plan to shreds was a pure affront to any Kings' fan who was brave enough to watch.
George Maloof acted like a child who had no idea why things hadn't gone his way in the sandbox. He was gonna pout and whine and claim that little Kevie hit him in the face with a shovel.
These guys are morally and financially broke.
They have no money because they have no business acumen. In fact, they have no businesses. They have no way to make money any more. Owning an NBA team is not a profitable business. It's a hobby for rich men. The Maloofs don't qualify.
So what can the fans do?
Easy.
Empty the arena. Don't set foot in the place for the final four games.
Make it a ghost town.
The sports world doesn't care one iota about Sacramento, but it's time to hold up the owners to the ridicule they deserve.
Stay home.
Empty the arena.
Let the team play in silence.
When the highlights appear on ESPN, the sound of shame will be deafening to the Maloofs.
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