It might be too late for back to the drawing board unfortunately... Right now, I'm thinking that the Maloofs are being too demanding and greedy, and are trying to do this so they can look like sacrificial lambs when they attempt to move this team by blaming the city! I've supported them for years, and I'm starting get really tired of their act. If only we could convince them to sell the team to the residents of Sacramento like the PAckers are owned by the city of Green Bay! I think then, and only then would the team be the run the way it should be!
I know I'm not normally so outlandish with my comments on this board, but this crap has gone on long enough, and frankly I miss the days when all that was discussed on these boards was KIngs basketball and only Kings basketball! There's just too much extra-curricular crap going on right now for my liking, and it's really bothering me!
You've got to be kidding me with this... Convince them to sell the kings to the city? That's a fantastic idea... then the kings can hold their games at the St. Johns Church playground when the roof of Arco falls in and there aren't any more "billion" dollar playboys around to guilt into picking up the bill. How long will the city-owned Kings last when they fail to turn a profit after a year... I'm sure tax payers would love to publicaly fund the Kings, which only benefits basketball fans, when they are frothing at the mouth to shoot down an entertaiment facility that would benefit all... Brilliant, let's draw up the legislation.
Once again I'm a bit embarrassed by the residents of Sacramento. All of that talk about "the greatest fans in the NBA" must be the joke of the rest of the nation when at the first mention of a .25 cent sales tax to support the team we are apparently so rabid about, we tuck tail and turn on the owners who have brought us eight straight seasons of playoff caliber basketball in an market in which the next big entertainment option is a minor league baseball team (no offense to the RiverCats as I appreciate having them here as well).
I'm not a business man... I haven't studied the Maloofs financial books with regards to the Kings, and can't say with any measure of expertise whether or not they can afford to pick up the tab on a new arena. It seems to me however, that if building a new arena out of Kings/Monarchs revenue did make good business sense against their bottom line, they would build it. They seem to want to stay here, they've been good contributors to the community, etc. etc., but they are businessmen when everything is said and done. If it makes more sense for them to pick the team up and move to an area that is more financially rewarding, they would be stupid not to do it. And furthermore, they shouldn't be vilified for it, especially when they are crucified in the media (and increasingly in the public) for not simply writing a 600 million dollar check because we (the residents of Sacramento) think we're entitled to it.
Arco does not support their needs. So far, it doesn't seem that it's financially feasible for the Maloofs to build a new arena for themselves, and as a result, this tax measure has been proposed to the city for not just an arena but an entertainment facility and some additional 500 million for police, fire, education etc. - we must ask ourselves then if it makes sense to OUR bottom line.
I say yes... it does. I'm not rich... I live paycheck to paycheck like many other people, but I also know that very few things worth having are free. I don't get to too many games (maybe one or two a year), but I enjoy watching them on TV and I do like having a team locally to support. It's one thing that everyone in the community can rally behind. Baseball we are devided into Giant's and A's fans... football we are devided between the Niners and the Raiders... Hockey - does anyone care about hockey? The Kings are all we have to come together on. To me, that is worth a few bucks a month against my bottom line.
However, that being said, I'll probably vote no on this deal if MSE and the City/County can't come up with an agreement on what it will actually look like, but it will pain me to do so. It wouldn't make sense to move forward with an arena if the Maloofs aren't on board (assuming you want the kings to stay - and I do). If we build the arena without their endorsement, they are then forced to either leave, eat the revenue from parking etc. that they are claiming they need, or build their own arena (right - 2 arenas in Sacramento)
If you don't care about the kings... and never leave the house to go to any kind of event that would require an arena - and don't care about revitalizing the eye-sore of the rail yards - and don't see any value in a unifying presence for all of us to rally behind.... then vote no.
If you support the kings but can't back an arena deal that isn't endorsed by the owners then vote no.
If you simply want the arena deal to fail because "you said it would from the beginning" and now want to gloat... don't vote at all - wait a few years until you gain the necessary amount of maturity.
If, they do come to terms and both sides agree on a MOU and whatever other kind of planetary items that need to align in order to get this thing done happens - and you think a few bucks a month is worth all of the benefits previously mentioned then by all means - vote yes.
Whatever you do though, don't vote no because of the so-called greed of the Maloofs. Don't vote no because you are bitter or jealous of their success. Don't vote no because you think they are being childish. These things are all the product of smear campains drummed up by people who stand to benefit politically if the measures fail. Prior to all of this hype on the arena, you couldn't walk from one end of the valley to the other and hear one negative word about the Maloofs... (with exception to the color choice of those "rabid fans" jerseys)
Lastly, enough about the commercial. It was meant to be funny, and sell hamburgers... that's it. If the people of Sacramento are going to base any part of their decision on a Carl's Jr. commercial, then we have bigger issues to be concerned about than we previously thought possible.
Thanks if you bothered to read the entire post... it was a long one.