Breton: Maloofs must bend to get new arena

[VF21]

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/273495.html

Marcos Bretón: Maloofs must bend to get a new arena
By Marcos Bretón - Bee Columnist
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, July 15, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1

It's coming. The vexing question of securing a new arena for the Kings is quietly cranking up behind the scenes.

The NBA, under a gag order from Commissioner David Stern, is busily studying potential sites and funding mechanisms -- critical details that the league claims are being formulated without the knowledge of the Kings owners.

Not to call anyone a liar, but it seems far-fetched that the Maloof brothers aren't getting briefed on an issue critical to the future of their franchise.

What seems equally improbable is any arena deal getting done with the Maloofs involved -- as unlikely as the Kings winning an NBA championship this season.

It's true that Sacramento adores the Kings, a love affair enjoyed by few teams in professional sports.

But the Maloofs? Not after last year, when they walked away from a potential arena deal and fractured relations with a city that has been great to them.

Are relations fractured beyond repair?

No.

Can the Maloofs be popular again in Sacramento?

Yes.

How? By being real partners in an arena venture as opposed to mouthing the words.

By investing real money in arena construction, as opposed to expecting Sacramento taxpayers to foot the bill completely.

By dropping the "our-way-or-the-highway" posture.

By realizing no one is trying to run them out of town, words they've misspoken during bouts of self-pity.

Knock it off, already. Stop with the "We don't understand why people are mad at us" junk.

Sacramento wants the Kings in Sacramento. Forever.

But the Maloofs are estranged from their Sacramento allies because they don't seem to fully realize their blessings.

Last year, Sacramento made a monstrous civic commitment by mounting failed ballot initiatives to raise the county sales tax for a $500 million Kings arena.

Aside from rent, operating expenses and $20 million for arena repairs, it would have been a FREE ARENA for the Maloofs -- the sweetest deal of any California sports team and one of the most generous in the NBA.

And yet they walked away, leaving civic leaders looking like fools. They made a nationally aired TV commercial touting their net worth at a billion dollars, which came off like a middle finger pointed at Sacramento.

That's why people are mad.

So where does that leave us?

With owners who are not about to sell the Kings. Who ever heard of them before they bought the team?

With a team that's not really going to leave Sacramento. Las Vegas? Anaheim? Oklahoma City? Kansas City? Greenland?

Yeah, sure. Good luck with that.

With Stern getting closer to his fall unveiling of an arena plan for Sacramento, good business for the NBA.

And then, with the Maloofs faced with making amends, making a deal or making a mistake.

They are good owners in other respects and a civic hand is still outstretched to them.

"We are absolutely committed," said City Councilman Rob Fong. "But we need to be in a true partnership with the owners. Up until this point, that hasn't been the case."

Do the Maloofs have it in them to do what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger did to redeem his public image -- to do what's in everyone's interests and reap the benefits?

I don't think so, but I'd be happy if they proved me wrong.

About the writer: Reach Marcos Bretón at (916) 321-1096 or mbreton@sacbee.com.

 

[VF21]

First, I find it incredibly ironic that Breton's column has taken the spot in the Bee previously held by another great Maloof-basher, R.E. Graswich.

Now, on to the particulars in kind of an open letter/response to Breton's blatherings:

It's true that Sacramento adores the Kings, a love affair enjoyed by few teams in professional sports.

But the Maloofs? Not after last year, when they walked away from a potential arena deal and fractured relations with a city that has been great to them.

No, Marcos. The REAL reason there's been so much animosity against the Maloofs can be directly traced back to your employer, who has done everything short of libel in an attempt to make the Maloofs the most hated owners in the history of sports franchises.

You can wax poetic all you like and pretend you're just being truthful, but you're following a long-standing tradition of either damning the Maloofs with faint praise or simply twisting things to meet your own agenda.

The Maloofs have tried numerous times to get a deal done for an arena. The stumbling blocks (or blockheads, if you choose) have been the city/county elected officials who were hell-bent on making sure the "billionaire Maloofs" - a term coined by your employer, BTW - paid MORE than their fair share.

And yet they walked away, leaving civic leaders looking like fools. They made a nationally aired TV commercial touting their net worth at a billion dollars, which came off like a middle finger pointed at Sacramento.

Yes, they walked away from a deal that had more holes than swiss cheese. They walked away from a deal that didn't provide for infrastructure and was misrepresented by the city/county. At least the Maloofs were honest up front, at the risk of losing the Q/R election when they made clear people understood the whole railyard concept was anything but locked up. And, looking now at the continuing problems with the railyard development, who can blame them?

As far as the Burger King commercial goes, only someone looking to find offense would take the commercial as flipping off Sacramento. Dumb commercial? Perhaps. Bad timing? Oh, certainly. But to imply the Maloofs did it intentionally is just wrong. Flat out wrong...but in keeping with the usual slant of the Bee towards anything Maloof.

Rob Fong says it best, although you used his comment to try and further your point:

"We are absolutely committed," said City Councilman Rob Fong. "But we need to be in a true partnership with the owners.Up until this point, that hasn't been the case."

The integral part of that comment is the last sentence.

As far as your last sentence goes, who do you think you're trying to fool? You have no love for the Maloofs and, contrary to what you may weakly try and protest, it's been obvious to discerning readers for a long time. You don't want them to prove you wrong. You just want them to leave...either with the team or without. And that, IMHO, makes your take on anything having to do with them totally without credibility.

I have a number of problems with the Maloofs and how they do things so this is not an attempt to whitewash anything. But, on the other hand, I also appreciate everything they have done, especially when you factor in the number of charitable things they've done for the Sacramento community that the Bee has totally and completely ignored.

 

[kupman]

There is nothing new in this column. it just re-states what he has said about 100 times before. I think that Marcos had to write something for his column but could not come-up with any new material so he just decided to run the Maloofs over the coals again.

 

[kennadog]

That's what really irritates me about this column. This is nothing but the umpteenth rehash of old news. There is not one teensy bit of new information. It's more like, with nothing new, Bretón just couldn't stand not having any reason to write more vitriol about the Maloofs.

It was the city who looked like fools, when Thomas revealed the city had no idea yet where they were going to get the $500 million they promised him for infrastructure. $500 million they let the Maloofs and the league think was already committed. No wonder they backed away. The city may not have lied, but they certainly let the league and the Maloofs believe something that was patently untrue.

Would Bretón really be happy if he was proven wrong? I sincerely doubt it. He can say that, because it's clear he doesn't expect to be proven wrong. He is gleefully awaiting the departure of the team, the death of the arena, so he won't be proved wrong.

And don't think he doesn't have an agenda. He bangs the drum for a soccer stadium every chance he gets, because Hispanics will provide the support for a team. He wouldn't mind seeing public money spent for the entertainment benefit to that particular population. I'd love to see a sales tax or bond proposal for a soccer stadium and see what he would write then.

Until there's actually something to talk about , he should just shut up about old news. The's horse he's beating is a skeleton. At least wait for a fresh horse to beat.

 

[kupman]

The's horse he's beating is a skeleton.

I think, at this point, the horse is holding a 1st grader's art project together.