The morning after and other news, rumors, etc.

I just want to point out to you guys that it seems like, out of the 10,000 comments on SR and various seattle articles, I have found ONE commenter that finally gets it:

http://mynorthwest.com/422/2264433/Kings-ransom-Sacramento-pays-its-team-should-stay?page=2#comments
KBull33 said:
Our Path to Success Lies With the NBA, Not Against

The Maloofs tried to move to Anaheim and the NBA hardened their position that they need to stay in Sacramento. The NBA worked with the city to get an arena deal that would work and the Maloofs threw a monkeywrench into their plans. As everyone has noted, Stern is a proud man and the Maloofs have 0 credibility with him and won't get his support since they have wasted his time. KJ talks about working with the league, talking to Stern. Hansen's supposedly talking strategy with the Maloofs. Seattle is on the wrong side of Stern's scorn yet again and when the rules of the game are set by the league (Stern), you can't win. We are going to end up disappointed at this time but our long term satisfaction depends on playing the NBA's game. Hopefully we can still have an ownership group interested by the time the NBA wants to play ball.
I have read so many uninformed pro-maloof comments on SR the past few days it makes my head spin. There are literally thousands and thousands of SR zealots that are completely oblivious of the maloof shenanigans that make them out to be good guys thwarted by stern. They have absolutely no idea how much of an asswipe they have been to Sacramento over the past 5 years and Stern in his dealing with him or the past 2 years.

It's refreshing to finally see at least ONE seattle commenter that gets it. 99% of SR zealots are on the WRONG side of the issue. Instead of praising Hansens recent maloofian actions, they would start to wondering why Hansen keeps that kind of company. The maloofs are BAD guys, I would be concerned that Hansen is coordinating with the maloofs instead of working directly with stern on expansion possibilities. Hansen may end up completely destroying Seattle's NBA access for good.
 
And if Hansen/Ballmer did lure the Maloofs into walking away from the old deal, I might have to send them a "thank you" card. I know it's not what they intended, but it just might have been the root cause for everything that has happened since. You know, the butterfly in the forest concept...

I am thrilled with our new owners and I'm even more thrilled to see a city united, something I haven't seen from Sacramento in a very, very long time and I've been within an hour of Sac my entire life.

What do we have because of Hansen's possible trickery?

1. NEW OWNERS
2. A new arena
3. A renewed sense of pride in the community
4. The respect of the rest of the league

...

yeah, I'll take it.

:)
as much as it's pointing to the happiest of all endings, I can't quite agree with this. had that arena deal become binding, it would've come with a long-term lease, meaning the Maloofs wouldn't have had the ability to move the team anyway and, assuming they wouldn't have been able to pay the operating costs of an NBA team (which is kind of like assuming that gravity works), they'd have had to sell anyway, probably not at the inflated price they're getting now. however, the process might've been a lot less stressfull for anybody involved, Hansen wouldn't even be an option (newly signed long-term lease and everything), there would've just been the standard NBA process and no danger whatsoever of this dragging out and costing the team yet another offseason.
 
Just going through this mess gives me a whole other perspective on supporting a team on the court. In terms of of our players I am usually one of the most critical posters, but now you really understand how blessed you are to have a team. Some of the actual players on this team, who before I may have had some problem with, I have seen come out and publically support Sacramento during this time - making me forever fans of theirs
 
Probably a stupid random thought, but I've wondered about Mastrov. He went from the face of the purchasing group to what appears to be a much smaller one. Then there's Vivadek's (sp?) Warriors holdings topped with rumors that Burkle will re-enter the group. Is it possible that when all is said and done, Mastrov will be part owner of the Warriors rather than the Kings?
 

Warhawk

Give blood and save a life!
Staff member
as much as it's pointing to the happiest of all endings, I can't quite agree with this. had that arena deal become binding, it would've come with a long-term lease, meaning the Maloofs wouldn't have had the ability to move the team anyway and, assuming they wouldn't have been able to pay the operating costs of an NBA team (which is kind of like assuming that gravity works), they'd have had to sell anyway, probably not at the inflated price they're getting now. however, the process might've been a lot less stressfull for anybody involved, Hansen wouldn't even be an option (newly signed long-term lease and everything), there would've just been the standard NBA process and no danger whatsoever of this dragging out and costing the team yet another offseason.
Well, in the end the City is getting a much better arena deal in a much better location.

The Maloofs were NEVER going to agree to any arena deal in Sacramento. They wanted the team out of town as soon as they bought it, but we got good just at that time and there was NO way they could move the team then.

Having the arena deal experience from a couple years ago meant that this time around we had a blueprint of a deal already approved by the NBA, so negotiations could be shortened significantly as we were blindsided by the sales agreeement with Seattle.

It sounds stupid to say it out loud, but all of the failed attempts and last few years in particular have actually been a "blessing in disguise" in getting to this point. Without the failed Anaheim move (KJ getting Burkle and local businesses to buy in) and last arena deal that was shot down my Georgie-boy (NBA assistance with local arena deal "blueprint"), we are not able to get THIS arena deal done in time. No way.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
This may be slightly off-topic, but I was listening to Jason Ross's interview with Mr. Oates, who apparently is one of the minority owners. According to Mr. Oates, one factor that has been overlooked in why the NBA voted in favor of the Ranadive/Sacto proposal was the ability to put a winning team on the floor. The NBA hasn't liked it much that the Kings have been in dolldrums for a decade. They want a competitive team here. The NBA wasn't interested in having an ownership group reluctant to spend money for a winner. So, part of their analysis was whether the Ranadive group could and would do that. Mr. Oates said he was very encouraged about where this team is heading under the Ranadive group. And the NBA apparently agrees with that.
 
And if Hansen/Ballmer did lure the Maloofs into walking away from the old deal, I might have to send them a "thank you" card. I know it's not what they intended, but it just might have been the root cause for everything that has happened since. You know, the butterfly in the forest concept...

I am thrilled with our new owners and I'm even more thrilled to see a city united, something I haven't seen from Sacramento in a very, very long time and I've been within an hour of Sac my entire life.

What do we have because of Hansen's possible trickery?

1. NEW OWNERS
2. A new arena
3. A renewed sense of pride in the community
4. The respect of the rest of the league

...

yeah, I'll take it.

:)
Carmichael Dave said something a while back about how the Maloofs offering the team up for sale was eventually going to put an end to all of the problems the team has been facing. At the time, I was freaking out, and thought he was nuts. Nope.
 
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hrdboild

Moloch in whom I dream Angels!
Staff member
This may be slightly off-topic, but I was listening to Jason Ross's interview with Mr. Oates, who apparently is one of the minority owners. According to Mr. Oates, one factor that has been overlooked in why the NBA voted in favor of the Ranadive/Sacto proposal was the ability to put a winning team on the floor. The NBA hasn't liked it much that the Kings have been in dolldrums for a decade. They want a competitive team here. The NBA wasn't interested in having an ownership group reluctant to spend money for a winner. So, part of their analysis was whether the Ranadive group could and would do that. Mr. Oates said he was very encouraged about where this team is heading under the Ranadive group. And the NBA apparently agrees with that.
Cue draft lottery conspiracy theories... ;)
 
I'm getting real tired of hearing about how Chris Hansen/Steve Ballmer (the idiots who I think torpedoed our arena deal clandestinely), were playing the good guy role with stating their intentions up front about wanting to take the team from Sonic fans (as if there is a right way to steal a team).. and you sonic fans who are reading understand what their motivation was..

These idiots were trying to quick hit us, they didn't think we could cobble together a matching arena deal/bid in the ~3 months this went down - from the time of their deal with the maloofs to the BOG meetings, especially given the intricacies of that contract with the Maloofs. No benevolency with these snakes, they are as wrong as the Maloofs
 
But but but, the Sacramento ownership team doesn't have the money. They were bluffing the whole time :rolleyes:
It's comedy over at the drowning site now. I won't post the stuff here, but whenever a bit of news comes out I love to see how they spin it in their favor.

I am waiting to see how they spin it when the 50% is in escrow.
 
It's comedy over at the drowning site now. I won't post the stuff here, but whenever a bit of news comes out I love to see how they spin it in their favor.

I am waiting to see how they spin it when the 50% is in escrow.
It is. This is the most entertaining thing for me now. We're just finishing cleaning up our "non-dancing-in-the-endzone-party", not too exciting, but over there, it's a study in the power of denial. Reminds me of the final monologue in American Beauty, with the plastic bag dancing and shifting in the breeze in front of a concrete wall, "...never underestimate the power of denial."
 
It's comedy over at the drowning site now. I won't post the stuff here, but whenever a bit of news comes out I love to see how they spin it in their favor.

I am waiting to see how they spin it when the 50% is in escrow.
They're saying that "ok well they might get the 50%, but we'll see about 100%..." There comes a point where you really wonder just who those people are. Like, are they real people? When you imagine the type of person behind some of these posts, the mental image is not a flattering one.
 
For a laugh - http://crosscut.com/2012/10/19/sports/111016/art-thiel-chris-hansen/

All this is speculative, of course, but the virtue of expansion is not. There will be no hijacking of another fan base, which has been, since the day in July 2008 the Sonics left, the most odious consequence of bringing back the NBA — doing dirty unto others as dirty was done unto you.

Hansen reiterated Tuesday that he is not going to be predatory.

"We're not going to go around saying, 'Please sell us your team,' "he said. "We're not going to pry a team away."


On October 12, 2012... this mustve been right around the time they were planning how to leverage Virginia Beach just right, and make it seem inconspicuous that they were in pursuit of the Kings and just were motivated by the Virginia Beach events, when it has been planned for some time
 
George Karl: "I was really happy for the fans back in Sac. They deserve to keep their team."

Folks in Seattle are dissapointed by Karl's stance (as a former Sonics coach). Why are they all so blinded? The only analogy I can make is someone robbed their house. So in the middle of the night they try to rob their neighbor's house but are mad because the neighbors put up a fight, locked their doors, and called the cops. It's called self-righteous entitlement, and it's not a good look for anyone.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
From Twitter:

Ailene Voisin ‏@ailene_voisin 5m

During a timeout, colleague Sam Amick was perusing Pete Thamel's lengthy piece on basketball in India in latest S.I. More momentum for Sac
 
It's comedy over at the drowning site now. I won't post the stuff here, but whenever a bit of news comes out I love to see how they spin it in their favor.

I am waiting to see how they spin it when the 50% is in escrow.
I can't believe the things people are saying over there. They are confusing made up scenarios as reality. Like how the city is bankrupt. Or how our ownership group is broke. Or how the arena deal is shaky. Its really sad.
 
I can't believe the things people are saying over there. They are confusing made up scenarios as reality. Like how the city is bankrupt. Or how our ownership group is broke. Or how the arena deal is shaky. Its really sad.
I can believe it. They are in desperation mode, and looking for any reason whatsoever to be optimistic, real or made-up. If the recommendation went the other way, I would probably be doing the same thing.
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
I'm inclined to give the Seattle fans a break. They haven't been focused on this for a couple years like we are and they also don't have people who are or have becoime experts on the whole subject.

I can see where confusion comes in and unless someone lays it out clearly and does it over and over (like it is taking with us) their confusion will not be cleared up. Stockton is going bankrupt, the state is in trouble, and the present ownership is broke. I can see how info might get confused. Perhaps once it is all over and the book is written about the heroics of KJ with the assistance of Stern, CD, Mike, etc., etc,, they will be able to look at the whole issue with clear eyes. It definitely deserves a limited production book. Any writers out there?

If I were looking at it as an outsider with no knowledge of the connection of Anderson and Burkle that goes back a few years, this all must look like a deal that was rushed together in a few months and therefore full of holes. How could it not be seen as full of holes given all the catching up the Seattle fans need to do.

I wish we would focus on us and not them. We don't need to put someone down to artificially boost ourselves. Our accomplishments speak for themselves and are huge. Review what has happened and it is amazing.
 
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I'm inclined to give the Seattle fans a break. They haven't been focused on this for a couple years like we are and they also don't have people who are or have becoime experts on the whole subject.

I can see where confusion comes in and unless someone lays it out clearly and does it over and over (like it is taking with us) their confusion will not be cleared up. Stockton is going bankrupt, the state is in trouble, and the present ownership is broke. I can see how info might get confused. Perhaps once it is all over and the book is written about the heroics of KJ with the assistance of Stern, CD, Mike, etc., etc,, they will be able to look at the whole issue with clear eyes. It definitely deserves a limited production book. Any writers out there?

If I were looking at it as an outsider with no knowledge of the connection of Anderson and Burkle that goes back a few years, this all must look like a deal that was rushed together in a few months and therefore full of holes. How could it not be seen as full of holes given all the catching up the Seattle fans need to do.

I wish we would focus on us and not them. We don't need to put someone down to artificially boost ourselves. Our accomplishments speak for themselves and are huge. Review what has happened and it is amazing.


Far too many of them for my tastes are spouting Hansen to attempt what Bennett did in Seattle for my tastes, which is hypocrisy and disgusting, especially after Sonicsgate. But you are right to see the best in people and if I were in their shoes perhaps I'd feel the exact same
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
From Twitter:

Ailene Voisin ‏@ailene_voisin 5m

During a timeout, colleague Sam Amick was perusing Pete Thamel's lengthy piece on basketball in India in latest S.I. More momentum for Sac
Essentially, Vanadive said to the NBA: You think Seattle's market is bigger than ours? Think again. Our market is the Sacramento metropolitan area plus all of India.
 
Forgive me if this has already been posted (too many threads and conversations to know when something has been posted anymore), but I was already concerned with our group being able to be profitable, then comes this artcile - http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/06/5398439/sacramento-kings-dallas-nba.html#disqus_thread -

The investors trying to keep the Kings in Sacramento made key concessions to the NBA, including a promise to limit the amount of league revenue sharing they would accept, according to a published report

Quoting an anonymous source, the magazine said the group led by Vivek Ranadive agreed to accept fewer revenue-sharing dollars while the team was still playing at Sleep Train Arena. Once the team moves into the proposed downtown arena, the Kings would take no money at all.

The NBA created a new revenue-sharing structure last season in which wealthier franchises direct more of their profits to the struggling franchises. The magazine said the Kings, who had the league's worst attendance in the just-concluded regular season, would expect to collect about $18 million a year under the new arrangement.


What was the point of the CBA if the BOG is going to force small markets under the gun to waive parts of it?
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
Forgive me if this has already been posted (too many threads and conversations to know when something has been posted anymore), but I was already concerned with our group being able to be profitable, then comes this artcile - http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/06/5398439/sacramento-kings-dallas-nba.html#disqus_thread -

The investors trying to keep the Kings in Sacramento made key concessions to the NBA, including a promise to limit the amount of league revenue sharing they would accept, according to a published report

Quoting an anonymous source, the magazine said the group led by Vivek Ranadive agreed to accept fewer revenue-sharing dollars while the team was still playing at Sleep Train Arena. Once the team moves into the proposed downtown arena, the Kings would take no money at all.

The NBA created a new revenue-sharing structure last season in which wealthier franchises direct more of their profits to the struggling franchises. The magazine said the Kings, who had the league's worst attendance in the just-concluded regular season, would expect to collect about $18 million a year under the new arrangement.


What was the point of the CBA if the BOG is going to force small markets under the gun to waive parts of it?
You can look at it that way, or you can interpret our new ownership group as being confident that they are going to make money and put out a great product, unlike the Magoofs, who put out a **** product and leeched welfare from the other owners.
 
You can look at it that way, or you can interpret our new ownership group as being confident that they are going to make money and put out a great product, unlike the Magoofs, who put out a **** product and leeched welfare from the other owners.
This is how I see it as well.

Right now we're all hoping that the new ownership is going to spend big to bring in a new coach as well as wisely re-investing in the roster. This just seems to support that assertion...which makes me happy.

My guess is that from the league's perspective, if you're going through all of this to purchase a team then the expectations would be that you'd be closer to flirting with (or slightly exceeding) the luxury tax threshhold while investing in your new 'toy', and so it wouldn't be much to ask that you don't make yourself much of a 'taker' in regards to the revenue-sharing.

As to not accepting any revenue-sharing once the new arena is built, I have to assume that there is some sort of end-date to that. It's not going to be enforced for 35 years...but 3-5 years I could see.

We'll see how it goes, but I do expect the new ownership group to make a big splash as far as spending to help jump-start this team. Hopefully we'll know in the next few weeks.