http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/251055.html
Ailene Voisin: Arena plan is coming, Stern says
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 12:43 am PDT Sunday, July 1, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
Editor's note: While in New York to cover the NBA draft this past week, Bee columnist Ailene Voisin sat down with Commissioner David Stern at the league headquarters for an hour-long interview.
Stern discussed many topics, including his involvement in facilitating an arena proposal in Sacramento, the future of the WNBA, the horrible TV ratings for the NBA Finals between San Antonio and Cleveland and his reaction to the recently finalized TV agreement. Following are excerpts from the interview:
Q: So the first thing people in Sacramento want to know is whether there has been any progress in your attempts -- your self-admitted personal crusade, I might add -- to help the Maloofs get a new arena built in Sacramento. Several local politicians and businessmen are hearing that you're looking closely at the Cal Expo fairgrounds.
A: (NBA consultant) John Moag, who has made several trips out there, is closing in on two or perhaps three potential opportunities that I don't want to get into now. But I think that there's a strong possibility -- and I don't know whether to characterize it as a possibility, a likelihood or a probability -- that prior to the start of the season (in November), we will have an idea to float about a potential plan for a new arena. We're going to give it our best shot. And we're spending a lot of time and a lot of money to see what we can come up with.
Q: Are you talking about presenting several proposals? One proposal?
A: My guess is that we're going to present what we think is the best proposal.
Q: Are the usual financing mechanisms being considered? Rental car and hotel taxes?
A: No, we accept the notion that a referendum on raising money in California starts at a disadvantage and needs a degree of perfection. I'm not sure that anything I have been associated with in terms of marshaling a proposal, etc. has been this complicated. So what we're looking at won't need the same degree of public support. I won't rule it out completely, but whatever the merits of it, if you look at the record of all these things, not just the ill-fated prior one (Measures Q & R in last November's election), they just don't happen.
Q: So this is more difficult than you anticipated?
A: I wasn't that familiar with it, but in every meeting with every government official, whenever you say anything about a referendum on money, they say, 'You must not be familiar with our state.' So I have become familiar with the state, and the public has spoken very clearly on this. Now, that doesn't mean there won't be a situation where we're asking the taxpayer to (contribute) something, but I'm not sure.
Q: Many members of the national media -- among others -- were surprised that you were so forceful, as recently as during All-Star Weekend, when reiterating your commitment to the Sacramento market. Do you still feel as strongly about the city?
A: I feel very strongly that I would very much like to maintain the Kings in Sacramento. I wouldn't make any more promises to the city that, if a team left, there would be a replacement team, because our owners are expansion-teamed out. This is it. Thirty (teams).
Q: Yet with so many franchises struggling financially and begging for fan support -- specifically, in Memphis, New Orleans, Charlotte -- how significantly does that factor into your thoughts about relocation and expansion?
A: Without wishing any of those teams ill will, and I think they're in turnaround situations, that would certainly demonstrate why you wouldn't want to expand. Now, certain circumstances may dictate that some teams move over the next five to seven years, but my recommendation to the owners is that it's wiser to spend your resources and our time on talking about an NBA in China. Or if there were to be expansion in Europe (of European teams), something that is so dynamic that you can't resist it.
Q: Are you talking about forming another franchise specifically to play overseas?
A: Yeah ... or maybe five (teams). But that's talking over a long time frame.
Q: So getting back to the theme of expansion and/or relocation here in America: the All-Star Game in Las Vegas received terrible reviews, with the league being blamed very unfairly, I might add, for the shootings at the club and the hotel parking lot, the supposed crime increase, the traffic nightmare, the lines that lasted several hours -- I was a witness -- when everyone was trying to leave on Monday. So how much damage was inflicted on Mayor Oscar Goodman's attempts to lure an NBA franchise? Casino executives could hardly have been more resistant when Goodman approached them about the possibility of banning gambling on future NBA games held in the city.
A: Yeah, I haven't really done any polling of our owners, but I thought the best approach was to appoint a committee and go through the process of analyzing whether it would be a suitable market. I basically took myself out of the middle of it (laughs), and I said, 'OK, this is ultimately going to be a long-term decision that will have consequences long beyond my tenure as commissioner, and you have to deal with it.' So we'll see.
Q: The Maloofs seemed a little stunned by the negative reaction both in Las Vegas and the national media, and largely because of the strained relations and bruised feelings owing to the arena dealings, their image within the Sacramento community has taken a substantial hit. What are your thoughts on their ownership style, and more specifically, the marriage of the Maloofs and the Kings?
A: I would say I have a great admiration for the family. These are good people. But the campaign about the referendum was not artfully done by anybody -- including the NBA. If I knew then what I know now -- I don't know that it would have changed the outcome -- but I would have put the NBA more on the line to be more helpful, more involved. I didn't understand before the fact how many threads there are out there pulling in different directions. But beyond that, this is a family that has provided a first-class product, made Arco (Arena) a place to go, and become involved in the community in terms of fulfilling their societal obligations, so really, I would have to say that they are right up there with our best owners. And look what they've done to get the Monarchs ...
Q: The Monarchs were already in Sacramento ...
A: Right, I'm sorry. But their ownership has been instrumental in the ongoing success. Ownership is a job. Not everybody is going to be happy all the time. But by and large, Sacramento has been very lucky to have the Maloofs, and the Maloofs are very lucky to have Sacramento. That's when people were saying, 'Oh, they must want to go to Las Vegas.' Those people, frankly, were wrong. They don't want to leave. They want to stay in Sacramento, and that has motivated me to say, 'OK, I'm going to do what I can to help get them an arena.'
Q: These arena situations -- Seattle, Orlando, Sacramento, Milwaukee -- with all of their political and economic ramifications, and what that suggests in terms of instability, with teams moving all over the place, have to be of major concern. Is the potential for franchise relocation the major issue of your current tenure? Or are those miserable TV ratings more troublesome?
A: Look, you're more exposed. But we now have nine years worth of TV deals, making us a broadcast staple, with four of the largest media companies in the world carrying NBA basketball. We just extended our deal for eight years with ABC/ESPN and TNT, which will allow those networks to transmit games online and on cell phones, and we're absolutely in the middle of the digital revolution. And the game is in pretty good shape.
Q: You can say that after the Finals? The TV ratings dipped to an all-time low of 6.2, surpassing the 6.5 of the Nets-Spurs series in 1993, though I have to add that according to the SportsBusiness Daily, the NBA trails only the NFL in property rights fees.
A: Yes! Of course I can say that, even after the Finals, though the ratings were certainly not what we hoped for. They led their times for the male demographic we were hoping for, and our network partners are happy, and our partners are happy. I describe our viewers a different way. I use a new dashboard that describes our viewers in a way that includes those that download, those that get us on YouTube, who get our highlights on NBA.com. The numbers are huge, and it may be that it's something we're so close to, we're having trouble seeing that there is a huge shift in viewing habits. That said, in the course of our new TV deal, we have a chance to reset -- we hired an agency from the Bay Area that will be working on things. There is a huge opportunity for us with Hispanics, maybe that we haven't taken advantage of. So we feel good that we're going to see an audience growth for the NBA. We just have to make sure we find the right mechanism for harvesting that.
Q: But if the product isn't very good, what's to sell?
A: Look, it turns out that there was a lopsided Finals, and there was a lot of hype that wasn't lived up to. We had a great playoffs and disappointing Finals, and everybody remembers what happened last. But I can watch San Antonio play. I watch them and say, 'Look at them. What are they doing differently than everybody else? They're passing the ball, and you know that somehow, that this team is going to find the open guy.' It's a joy to behold.
cont...
Ailene Voisin: Arena plan is coming, Stern says
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 12:43 am PDT Sunday, July 1, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
Editor's note: While in New York to cover the NBA draft this past week, Bee columnist Ailene Voisin sat down with Commissioner David Stern at the league headquarters for an hour-long interview.
Stern discussed many topics, including his involvement in facilitating an arena proposal in Sacramento, the future of the WNBA, the horrible TV ratings for the NBA Finals between San Antonio and Cleveland and his reaction to the recently finalized TV agreement. Following are excerpts from the interview:
Q: So the first thing people in Sacramento want to know is whether there has been any progress in your attempts -- your self-admitted personal crusade, I might add -- to help the Maloofs get a new arena built in Sacramento. Several local politicians and businessmen are hearing that you're looking closely at the Cal Expo fairgrounds.
A: (NBA consultant) John Moag, who has made several trips out there, is closing in on two or perhaps three potential opportunities that I don't want to get into now. But I think that there's a strong possibility -- and I don't know whether to characterize it as a possibility, a likelihood or a probability -- that prior to the start of the season (in November), we will have an idea to float about a potential plan for a new arena. We're going to give it our best shot. And we're spending a lot of time and a lot of money to see what we can come up with.
Q: Are you talking about presenting several proposals? One proposal?
A: My guess is that we're going to present what we think is the best proposal.
Q: Are the usual financing mechanisms being considered? Rental car and hotel taxes?
A: No, we accept the notion that a referendum on raising money in California starts at a disadvantage and needs a degree of perfection. I'm not sure that anything I have been associated with in terms of marshaling a proposal, etc. has been this complicated. So what we're looking at won't need the same degree of public support. I won't rule it out completely, but whatever the merits of it, if you look at the record of all these things, not just the ill-fated prior one (Measures Q & R in last November's election), they just don't happen.
Q: So this is more difficult than you anticipated?
A: I wasn't that familiar with it, but in every meeting with every government official, whenever you say anything about a referendum on money, they say, 'You must not be familiar with our state.' So I have become familiar with the state, and the public has spoken very clearly on this. Now, that doesn't mean there won't be a situation where we're asking the taxpayer to (contribute) something, but I'm not sure.
Q: Many members of the national media -- among others -- were surprised that you were so forceful, as recently as during All-Star Weekend, when reiterating your commitment to the Sacramento market. Do you still feel as strongly about the city?
A: I feel very strongly that I would very much like to maintain the Kings in Sacramento. I wouldn't make any more promises to the city that, if a team left, there would be a replacement team, because our owners are expansion-teamed out. This is it. Thirty (teams).
Q: Yet with so many franchises struggling financially and begging for fan support -- specifically, in Memphis, New Orleans, Charlotte -- how significantly does that factor into your thoughts about relocation and expansion?
A: Without wishing any of those teams ill will, and I think they're in turnaround situations, that would certainly demonstrate why you wouldn't want to expand. Now, certain circumstances may dictate that some teams move over the next five to seven years, but my recommendation to the owners is that it's wiser to spend your resources and our time on talking about an NBA in China. Or if there were to be expansion in Europe (of European teams), something that is so dynamic that you can't resist it.
Q: Are you talking about forming another franchise specifically to play overseas?
A: Yeah ... or maybe five (teams). But that's talking over a long time frame.
Q: So getting back to the theme of expansion and/or relocation here in America: the All-Star Game in Las Vegas received terrible reviews, with the league being blamed very unfairly, I might add, for the shootings at the club and the hotel parking lot, the supposed crime increase, the traffic nightmare, the lines that lasted several hours -- I was a witness -- when everyone was trying to leave on Monday. So how much damage was inflicted on Mayor Oscar Goodman's attempts to lure an NBA franchise? Casino executives could hardly have been more resistant when Goodman approached them about the possibility of banning gambling on future NBA games held in the city.
A: Yeah, I haven't really done any polling of our owners, but I thought the best approach was to appoint a committee and go through the process of analyzing whether it would be a suitable market. I basically took myself out of the middle of it (laughs), and I said, 'OK, this is ultimately going to be a long-term decision that will have consequences long beyond my tenure as commissioner, and you have to deal with it.' So we'll see.
Q: The Maloofs seemed a little stunned by the negative reaction both in Las Vegas and the national media, and largely because of the strained relations and bruised feelings owing to the arena dealings, their image within the Sacramento community has taken a substantial hit. What are your thoughts on their ownership style, and more specifically, the marriage of the Maloofs and the Kings?
A: I would say I have a great admiration for the family. These are good people. But the campaign about the referendum was not artfully done by anybody -- including the NBA. If I knew then what I know now -- I don't know that it would have changed the outcome -- but I would have put the NBA more on the line to be more helpful, more involved. I didn't understand before the fact how many threads there are out there pulling in different directions. But beyond that, this is a family that has provided a first-class product, made Arco (Arena) a place to go, and become involved in the community in terms of fulfilling their societal obligations, so really, I would have to say that they are right up there with our best owners. And look what they've done to get the Monarchs ...
Q: The Monarchs were already in Sacramento ...
A: Right, I'm sorry. But their ownership has been instrumental in the ongoing success. Ownership is a job. Not everybody is going to be happy all the time. But by and large, Sacramento has been very lucky to have the Maloofs, and the Maloofs are very lucky to have Sacramento. That's when people were saying, 'Oh, they must want to go to Las Vegas.' Those people, frankly, were wrong. They don't want to leave. They want to stay in Sacramento, and that has motivated me to say, 'OK, I'm going to do what I can to help get them an arena.'
Q: These arena situations -- Seattle, Orlando, Sacramento, Milwaukee -- with all of their political and economic ramifications, and what that suggests in terms of instability, with teams moving all over the place, have to be of major concern. Is the potential for franchise relocation the major issue of your current tenure? Or are those miserable TV ratings more troublesome?
A: Look, you're more exposed. But we now have nine years worth of TV deals, making us a broadcast staple, with four of the largest media companies in the world carrying NBA basketball. We just extended our deal for eight years with ABC/ESPN and TNT, which will allow those networks to transmit games online and on cell phones, and we're absolutely in the middle of the digital revolution. And the game is in pretty good shape.
Q: You can say that after the Finals? The TV ratings dipped to an all-time low of 6.2, surpassing the 6.5 of the Nets-Spurs series in 1993, though I have to add that according to the SportsBusiness Daily, the NBA trails only the NFL in property rights fees.
A: Yes! Of course I can say that, even after the Finals, though the ratings were certainly not what we hoped for. They led their times for the male demographic we were hoping for, and our network partners are happy, and our partners are happy. I describe our viewers a different way. I use a new dashboard that describes our viewers in a way that includes those that download, those that get us on YouTube, who get our highlights on NBA.com. The numbers are huge, and it may be that it's something we're so close to, we're having trouble seeing that there is a huge shift in viewing habits. That said, in the course of our new TV deal, we have a chance to reset -- we hired an agency from the Bay Area that will be working on things. There is a huge opportunity for us with Hispanics, maybe that we haven't taken advantage of. So we feel good that we're going to see an audience growth for the NBA. We just have to make sure we find the right mechanism for harvesting that.
Q: But if the product isn't very good, what's to sell?
A: Look, it turns out that there was a lopsided Finals, and there was a lot of hype that wasn't lived up to. We had a great playoffs and disappointing Finals, and everybody remembers what happened last. But I can watch San Antonio play. I watch them and say, 'Look at them. What are they doing differently than everybody else? They're passing the ball, and you know that somehow, that this team is going to find the open guy.' It's a joy to behold.
cont...
