A Kings team in flux poses intriguing questions

Perplexing, intriguing and downright delightful questions to ponder about the current state of the Kings franchise...

At this point, how in the world could the NBA pull the rug out from Sacramento?  The two-week extension has grown into an avalanche of enthusiasm.  Now, most Kings fans are assuming the NBA is going to give the city a one-year reprieve.  Commissioner David Stern would be roundly vilified if he yanked the team away at this point.  It would be heartless, pathetic and the worst public relations move of all time.

By the way, how the hell did this happen, anyway?  I was dead wrong when I pronounced the team gone.  Now it's like the world of professional sports has turned upside-down.  How does a small-market win in a scenario like this?  It just doesn't happen.  Does it?

Okay, let's say the Kings stay.  How much money do the Maloofs really have?  Are they truly broke?  If so, forget about free-agent signings or any trades to bring in high-salaried talent.  The Brothers have been pontificating for years about the need to wait for a new collective bargaining agreement before they open up the wallets.  What if they open their wallets and nothing comes out but dust?

Will we ever hear from Ron Burkle again?  The Billionaire's name shook the floor at the meeting of the NBA Board of Governors.  Is there any reason to believe that his name won't surface again?

If the Kings do get a one-year window to come up with an arena deal, how long would it take to actually build the building?  Can Arco, er, Power Balance, work for the Maloofs for another three or four years?

Finally, will Carmichael Dave use his new base of power to launch a career in politics?  Will his movie-star looks jettison him to new heights?

I want answers, damn it.  And I want them now.

Or a little later would be okay, too.

If it's not too much trouble.

Get with it, Mayor Johnson: Step up with an arena funding plan right now

Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has been basking in glory over the past week, ever since his seemingly triumphant performance in front of the NBA board of governors.

Yes, KJ put on an impressive show, they say.  And Sacramento got a two-week stay of execution.

But Anaheim is quietly regrouping and still holds a huge upper hand.

And that's why I am unsatisfied - even disappointed - with the Mayor over the last couple of days,

He seems to be playing prevent defense instead of going for the victory.  It's a silly strategy, considering the Kings are far behind and not in front.

Right now, the only thing that will save the Kings is some kind of viable funding option for a new arena.

But on that single question, the Mayor is basically punting.

When asked about a possible arena funding plan, he offers no answers.  And right about now he needs answers.  Big answers.

It's time to get creative.  To think out of the box.

Ticket surcharges.  Hotel taxes.  Call Goldman Sachs, who helped build Louisville's new arena.  Get some Burkle bonds.

C'mon, give the NBA something.

The NBA ain't staying without a shiny new box for the Kings.

And no matter how much KJ brags about the fans, the NBA will not vote against relocation if they don't see an arena plan that makes sense right now.

Some say it's impossible to come up with a plan in such a short time.

I don't.  I think creative minds in a city filled with movers and shakers can get it done.

Just letting relocation maven Clay Bennett sink his toes into the muddy expanse of nothing at the Railyards won't work.  He needs to see how the vision becomes reality on paper.  And so does the NBA.

Time to take the last shot, Mr. Mayor.

Only a few seconds left.

Don't dish it off and expect to get the ball back.

Louisville's arena story: A compelling video on why Sacramento should build a new arena

Goldman Sachs helped to finance an arena in Louisville.  In doing so, they also put out one of the most compelling and concise video essays ever on why an arena would be great idea for Sacramento.

This should have been a campaign infomercial aired the night before the last ballot measure to build a new arena here in Sacramento.

Have a look...

http://miniurl.com/103358

Cash-strapped Maloofs squirm as they go from whales to minnows

Is there anything more delicious than watching the cash-strapped Maloof boys squirm as their long-anticipated move to Anaheim slowly disintegrates?

I'll be honest.  I thought there were long gone.  And that's probably still true, but the events of the last two days are just fascinating to witness.

After playing ridiculous hardball with the city in negotiations for a new arena and then dismantling the team in the name of economics and killing the attendance, they are a bundle of mock outrage because an interloper has the nerve to make them look like small-time players.

Yup, welcome to the recession, Gavin and Joe.  You are cash poor and so are we.  How does it feel?

And now you're ready to blame Billionaire  Burkle for trying to move in and take your team.

Deal with it.

The Maloof brothers are like those Jersey guys in shiny suits who strut boldly and believe that outward signs of obvious wealth are what matter most.

Hell, Adrienne Maloof is the poster girl for such nonsense.  She paraded around the arena concourse Wednesday night, huge camera crew in tow, dressed to kill in designer clothes, and sporting a look so surgically enhanced you thought her face might implode at a moment's notice.

Yet this is the image Joe and Gavin and George Maloof want to convey.

Except for one important fact.

They're broke.

And Burkle isn't.

Suddenly,  the NBA owners are looking at the Maloofs as expendable.   The league is a club for the whales, not the minnows.

Is Sacramento an NBA town?  Maybe not.  But there's a guy with awful deep pockets who thinks it just might be.

And that might just be good enough for David Stern and the rest of the Billionaire Boys Club.

Hail Mary attempts to keep the Kings and the sad honest truth

Hail Mary passes are fun.

Launched high in the air with a prayer, hoping for a deflection or two, a defender misjudging, a lunging grab, and then maybe, just maybe, a miracle.

There are a lot of Hail Marys being tossed in Sacramento of late, most notably "Here We Build," the brainchild of KHTK's Carmichael Dave.

It's basically an arena telethon. Make your pledge to finance a new arena and watch the tote board soar.

It would be easy to throw cold water on this attempt, but it's a chance for the common folk of Sacramento to feel a little bit in control of their fate. And that's important as Kings fans watch helplessly as their beloved team creeps out of town.

I say knock yourself out. Go for it. I will never criticize activism in the name of civic good.

But then there's this: the effort to collect signatures in Anaheim to put the city's bond measure on a public ballot.

It's an interesting strategy, but it's petty and silly. You wonder how people in Sacramento would feel if another city took to our streets to prevent us from luring a franchise back to town.

SPOILER ALERT: Don't read further if you don't want to learn an important secret.

The Kings are gone.

Adios.

Out of here.

The city blundered with silly strategies. The Maloofs tore down the team and destroyed enthusiasm. And now it's over.

Only the Lakers, by bringing to bear an outrageous relocation fee, could even have the slightest chance in hell of changing the outcome.

So now it's time to think future, not past.

I doubt the money's here to build an arena without the Kings, but I'd still love to see an amazing development in the railyards. I'd still like to see a new entertainment facility for concerts and shows.

The main focus of the city should be economic development. Rebuild the base. Grow prosperity. Bring in corporate entities that may someday be willing to partner in an arena project down the road.

It may take a decade or more to see pro sports here again. It may never happen. But there's a city to grow in Sacramento. A city that can be vibrant and alive. Already, in parts of downtown, new restaurants and clubs have begun to make such an impact. There's a whole lot more to do.

The Kings added flavor and passion and their loss hurts. But now it's time for a rebirth.

Why the Maloofs are now to blame for the hateful, bitter divorce

And now begins the hateful divorce.

It's getting ugly, sports fans.  This is gonna end up worse than discovering Snooki at the opposite side of the table on a blind date.

On Monday afternoon, the city of Sacramento sent an email to the city of Anaheim.  It was a last-ditch attempt to make sure the Kings didn't leave town without paying off their $77 million loan.

The Maloof boys got all angry when they read the letter.

But here's the bottom line: At this point, the Brothers Grim have nobody to blame but themselves.

They could have done this with skill and class.  They could have been upfront.  They could have made known their intention to make good on the loan to the city, whatever happened.

But no.

They were going to skulk out of town in a haze of confusing and bitter fog.  And maybe, just maybe, they were going to leave Sacramento holding the bag.

Not a single news conference or interview to explain why Anaheim was the right destination for their franchise.  Not a single word about how they were ready to stand tall and honor all their loan obligations.

Nope.   Nothing.

And then, Joe Maloof finally decided to weigh in with Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register on Monday night.  He sounded like a wiseguy from Jersey.

"You better be careful," he said.  "Don't mess around and interfere with our business."

What's he going to do?  Shoot Mayor Johnson with a t-shirt cannon?

The so-called masters of customer service have moved on to a new fan base.  And they are treating the old fans like garbage.  Not with honesty and respect.  But with subterfuge.

The Maloofs are broke.  Financially and spiritually.

They pillaged the franchise for the last five years, saving every ounce of cash while watching the team go down in flames.

They watched the arena empty, while begging pity about not getting a brand new building.

Gavin and Joe Maloof are middle-aged dweebs who got in over their head.

And now they're running.

It's a sad sight.

Anti-Maloof Rally Planned: "Lockout Love-In" To Draw Thousands

In a complete change of direction, fans are now organizing a unique rally to send a message to the NBA and to the owners of the Sacramento Kings.

The event, titled "Lockout Love-In to Screw the Maloofs," is a demonstration to show David Stern and the league that Sacramento fully supports a lockout next season.

More than 10,000 fans are expected to show up on the front lawn of Gavin Maloof's palatial Natomas home in order to voice their desire to see a lockout.

"If we can't have basketball here next year," said one fan, "we sure as hell don't want there to be basketball in Anaheim.  This is a very constructive and emotionally satisfying way of saying 'suck it, Maloofs.' ''

With all signs pointing to a move to Anaheim, Kings fans are coming together in hopes of seeing the Maloof brothers sitting in an idle Honda Center next season.

"Sure, it's sour grapes," said another irate fan.  "But look, they dismantled our team for the last five years, cut payroll to the bone, and expected us to keep paying our hard-earned money to watch guys like Luther Head. Plus, they wanted us to finance a new arena so they could get more luxury boxes.  Luxury boxes?  When the hell was I gonna sit in a luxury box? I can barely afford one of their freakin' Royal Shawarma plates."

Many of the potential "Love-In" organizers believe the Maloofs have been planning this move for years and wanted to drain the energy from the Sacramento faithful to make their move look less distasteful.

"Yeah, Arco is no prize," said another fan, "but we would have filled the joint if they had kept a winning product out there.  And they have never been active in the efforts to build an arena.  They always just sat back and said almost nothing."

A lockout would put the Maloofs in a precarious financial situation.  Their business empire is already crumbling and the move to Anaheim is widely perceived as an effort to bolster their bottom line.

Organizers are asking fans to bring locks of every size and shape.  "Bring a padlock or a bicycle lock and scream like a maniac," said the event's organizer, a well-known radio personality who wants to remain anonymous.  "Our fondest hope is that the NBA labor strife wipes out next season and maybe more. We're bitter. And we want to show it."

Rewind: My strategy for the Maloofs from six months ago that might have saved the Kings

Okay, time to look back at a post from six months ago that proves that Kings Talking Points should have handled the arena negotiations.

I've been amazed at the panic and hair-on-fire reactions from city officials in the past week.  Could they have been that naive?  I say YES.  They just didn't get it.

Which is why the post below outlined my strategy for the Maloofs back in September.  Basically, I wanted to set off the panic early so at least the city had a shot in hell of responding in time.

The Maloofs just don't listen to me, but take a read:

http://kingstalkingpoints.blogspot.com/2010/09/grant-napear-and-mike-lamb-you-are-both.html

Joe Maloof's Deleted Tweets Tell What the Family is Really Thinking

Kings Talking Points has learned that some tweets were deleted from Joe Maloof's account over the past week just moments after they were posted.

Thanks to some nifty computer razzle-dazzle, we were able to recover the tweets and post them here for your entertainment:

JOE MALOOF
@grantnapear Thanks for all your support. You will always be our guy. P.S. You do a great job as our towel boy at the Palms, as well. #supershill

JOE MALOOF
@KJ_MayorJohnson Ooops, couldn't call. Hard to get could cell reception in Orange County. #sucker

JOE MALOOF
Here We Stay was a great success. Sorry about the throwback Royals jerseys. However, they are on sale in Kings store. Just $49.95. #soakingfansalways

JOE MALOOF
@boogiecousins See, I was smart when I told you not to buy a house here when we drafted you. #seeyouinanaheim

JOE MALOOF
Power Balance Pavillon just rolls off the tongue. Killer deal for franchise. I make Mark Cuban look like a pussy. #geniusmogul

JOE MALOOF
Anybody want to buy some huge letters? Just taken down from familiar public building. Four available. All in good condition. #myfamilyisbroke

JOE MALOOF
@KJ_MayorJohnson About that $70 million we owe you, Sacramento. I'm thinking government bailout. Who's with me? #obamaissmarterthanKJ

JOE MALOOF
@ronwenig Sure, Gavin and I could have spent money the last five years and kept us a winner, but Sac loves rooting for a lowly underdog. It was a strategy. #lutherheadrules

JOE MALOOF

Just found those financial documents they've been wanting.  Were under my desk next to old hot dog wrapper and Doug Christie bobblehead.  Should I send them over?  Ah, screw it. . #nevergonnahappen

Hey Grant Napear, get a clue and stop sucking up to the Maloofs

Grant Napear spent Tuesday afternoon ranting and raving about how the Sacramento Bee had so maligned the poor little Maloof boys over the past decade that now they were taking their balls and leaving town.

Any opposing viewpoint was shouted down with the lunacy of a fifth-grader throwing a tantrum.

Give me a break.

Napear is a shill.  Plain and simple.  He is not an honest broker.  He is not a journalist.  Accepting his word on the Kings' situation is akin to accepting Bernie Madoff's word on a hot investment.

He is paid by the Kings.  He is their employee.  If he bad mouthes his bosses, he gets the boot.  If he sucks up, he gets a pat on his little red head and gets to play TV boy for another year.

The Bee's coverage had no effect on the decision making of the Maloofs.

Full disclosure:  I worked at the Bee for almost 20 years in the sports department, but I'm not a Bee apologist.  In fact, anyone who worked with me will tell you that I had plenty of complaints about the way the newspaper was run.  I'm good at complaining.  Some say I'm an expert.  (note to my former executive editor and managing editor:  It's called creativity and innovation.  You promote it, you don't quash it.  You guys were so far behind the curve, you couldn't even see the curve.)

But to say the arena cause was beaten down by the Bee is just plain stupid.

The Bee columnists have been strong proponents of a new arena.  Ailene Voisin and Marcos Breton have written tirelessly in support of a new building.

When the Kings were riding high, the Bee was a publicity machine for the team, pumping out special sections, posters and signs to hold up at the arena.

Yes, the newspaper has done a few stories that didn't show the Maloofs in a very flattering light, most recently a piece that quoted numerous sources in regards to the brothers' penchant for outlandish negotiating.

But sorry, folks, it's called reporting.  The Maloofs don't get a free ride.

And, besides, there's plenty of blame for this failure all around.

I personally believe an awful economy and a growing distaste for increased government spending are the two biggest reasons a new arena deal hasn't gotten done.

In addition, I believe the fixation on a downtown location was misguided.   Natomas was fine.  All the infrastructure is already there.  The cost of building a new arena in the current location would have been far cheaper and a whole lot easier to get done.  Keeping the Kings -- not revitalizing the railyards -- should have been the focus.  A downtown arena was an intricate pipe dream with far too many moving pieces.

But let's face it, there just isn't that much free private money in this town.   We don't have any spare billionaires ready to parachute in as an angel investor.

So now the Kings are most likely gone.

And we get back to the bombastic blowhard known as Grant Napear.

Stop the act, Grant.  Yes, we know the Maloofs give plenty to charity.  We know they are really nice guys.  But we don't need your phony objective views when you're clearly on the payroll.

Furthermore, we don't need your doomsday prophecies.

"If we lose the Kings," he proclaimed with searing intensity.  "You'll never see an NBA team here for the rest of your lifetime."

As if that was a punishment from God for our sins.

It's probably true.  But what does that mean?

We'll still lead our lives.  We'll still struggle to keep our jobs.  We'll still proudly raise our families. And we'll still enjoy our free time -- maybe in different ways.

Napear is a boob.  A flame-throwing flunky without an ounce of nuance.

If he moves to Anaheim, we may never see another one like him for the rest of our lifetimes.

We can only hope.




P.S. Invite me on for a debate, Grant.   Maybe I'll be able to make a point in between your tireless rants.