Hawks being sold to SoCal Pizza guy

[Section 101]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/6841180/atlanta-hawks-sold-california-businessman-reports-say

It says the team is staying in Atlanta, but they are a prime team to move with poor attendance throughout their history.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Unfortunately for Atlanta, I've got little faith that the new owner will try to keep the team there, despite his current claims. It seems that when new ownership from out of town buys a team and expressly claims that they intend to keep it there, those words are often empty - and that includes Gregg Lukenbill's group that bought the Kansas City Kings. They said the same things..."we want to keep the team in KC"..."We'll only move if KC doesn't make the team profitable"...etc. all the while working on building a Natomas arena. Look at Bill Bennett and the Thunder.

I'd hate to see Atlanta lose its NHL and NBA teams in one fell swoop, but it wouldn't surprise me if "Pizza Guy" moves them elsewhere for a fresh start. As another point, I also worry about the financial well-being of a guy who owns 50 pizza joints. Like the Maloofs, or like the L.A. Dodgers' Frank McCourt, this sounds to me like a perfect example of an owner making a reach and overleveraging themselves. Hopefully not, for everybody's sake.

Still, I don't know how well the idea of SoCal Pizza Guy bringing the Hawks into Anaheim will fly. I still think that Jerry Buss's objections to an Anaheim relocation might be enough to stall that kind of a move, whether it's by the Kings, the Hawks, the Hornets, or any team not named the Clippers.

 

[Section 101]

Unfortunately for Atlanta, I've got little faith that the new owner will try to keep the team there, despite his current claims. It seems that when new ownership from out of town buys a team and expressly claims that they intend to keep it there, those words are often empty - and that includes Gregg Lukenbill's group that bought the Kansas City Kings. They said the same things..."we want to keep the team in KC"..."We'll only move if KC doesn't make the team profitable"...etc. all the while working on building a Natomas arena. Look at Bill Bennett and the Thunder.

I'd hate to see Atlanta lose its NHL and NBA teams in one fell swoop, but it wouldn't surprise me if "Pizza Guy" moves them elsewhere for a fresh start. As another point, I also worry about the financial well-being of a guy who owns 50 pizza joints. Like the Maloofs, or like the L.A. Dodgers' Frank McCourt, this sounds to me like a perfect example of an owner making a reach and overleveraging themselves. Hopefully not, for everybody's sake.

Still, I don't know how well the idea of SoCal Pizza Guy bringing the Hawks into Anaheim will fly. I still think that Jerry Buss's objections to an Anaheim relocation might be enough to stall that kind of a move, whether it's by the Kings, the Hawks, the Hornets, or any team not named the Clippers.

I agree the Hawks will be moving. Atlanta is a horrible sports town for Pros. Colleges get more attendance. As for moving to Anahiem, I agree there is still the Buss stuff. But how does this effect the Maloofs desire to move if Anaheim starts courting the Hawks to move?

Should be interestin.

 

[PurpleHaze]

What matters is where the NBA wants teams more than cities that crave a franchise:

A few in no particular order of NBA interest: Kansas City, Seattle, Las Vegas, Louisville, Cincinnati, Baltimore, San Diego, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Virginia Beach, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Mexico City.

 

[Bricklayer]

Do you seriously think the NBA would a) approve an owner coming in who has no money; and b) willingly allow said owne to cost them the Atlanta market (which is something like the 5th largest in the U.S.). Atlanta's attendance has always been pathetic, I consider them easily one of the worst fanbases given size of city compared to number of people who show (actually on that standard they are dead last). That would not be the holdup. But that still doesn't mean the NBA is just going to agree to let a team move out of a market that size.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Do you seriously think the NBA would a) approve an owner coming in who has no money; and b) willingly allow said owne to cost them the Atlanta market (which is something like the 5th largest in the U.S.). Atlanta's attendance has always been pathetic, I consider them easily one of the worst fanbases given size of city compared to number of people who show (actually on that standard they are dead last). That would not be the holdup. But that still doesn't mean the NBA is just going to agree to let a team move out of a market that size.

Well, the NHL didn't seem to put up much of a fight to keep the Thrashers there. I mean, the Thrashers moved from that Atlanta (5.2M metro) to Winnipeg (700K metro) with nary a peep. Does the NBA fight harder to keep a team in a large market that doesn't support it?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

There should never have been an NHL team in Atlanta in the first place. That move was easy when you consider that for whatever reason the NHL insists on keeping the unsuccessful Phoenix team (the one stolen from Winnipeg and who many have been trying to bring back for years) in Phoenix so they shipped Atlanta off to Winnipeg and ended that problem.

Now for the NBA, who knows? I think its fairly clear that in most cases they support big city over big fan base, but at some point market size alone can't save you (see Seattle). Would be funny to see two teams trying to move into one market (though not if one was the Kings).

 

[Trueblood]

I seriously doubt the team is on the move. They have one of the best arenas in the league and while the fanbase has long been lousy, they've shown signs of life in recent years. Not to mention that they have a long term lease and just eliminated NHL competition.

The Atlanta market is a sleeping giant. They've been owned by corporate big wigs with no interest in their on court product. First it was Time Warner and then the ASG. I can't see an individual who has passion for the sport doing any worse.

 

[JB_kings]

Just my two cents from the Maloofs and NBA angle... no way Stern plays first come - first served with Anaheim. The Kings fate will be long determined by the time any talk of the Hawks moving gets serious. And I agree with the sentiment that only one team can really ever move into Anaheim, the Clippers.

I think Sacramento will find a way to get the ESC built. There are are still many big hurdles to jump, but I think the Kings stay. The opinion polls show a bit better than 50% of the town can agree with most of the funding sources the city has been hinting at using. I don't think there will ever be a public vote. There will probably be some council votes on selling land and that is where the poll backs them up without putting them out of their council jobs. I think the biggest hurdles will be some of the Maloofs demands with regards to the lease payments, parking concession and naming rights monies. So no surprise... money, money, money.

 

[Telemachus]

Do you seriously think the NBA would a) approve an owner coming in who has no money; and b) willingly allow said owne to cost them the Atlanta market (which is something like the 5th largest in the U.S.). Atlanta's attendance has always been pathetic, I consider them easily one of the worst fanbases given size of city compared to number of people who show (actually on that standard they are dead last). That would not be the holdup. But that still doesn't mean the NBA is just going to agree to let a team move out of a market that size.

I lived about 2 hours away from Atlanta for about 10 years, and they are easily one of the worst professional sports towns when it comes to supporting their teams. That whole area is smack dap in the middle of SEC & ACC country and are much more interested in college sports. Even the Braves when they were winning every year rarely sold out the first round of the playoffs.

I guess what I am trying to say is that they may have a huge market, but that makes little difference if the market doesn't support the team.

 

[venom_7]

I agree the Hawks will be moving. Atlanta is a horrible sports town for Pros. Colleges get more attendance. As for moving to Anahiem, I agree there is still the Buss stuff. But how does this effect the Maloofs desire to move if Anaheim starts courting the Hawks to move?

Should be interestin.

The Falcons sell out. That's about it. The Hawks did well in the 80s.

 

[Trueblood]

We also need to keep in mind that he's buying the arena as well. If he had any intention of leaving, I don't think he'd buy the arena as well.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

We also need to keep in mind that he's buying the arena as well. If he had any intention of leaving, I don't think he'd buy the arena as well.

Despite the fact that it's in the first sentence, I somehow missed that. I even missed it the second time looking for it. Had to do a ctrl-F to find it.

Weird.

 

[Bricklayer]

We also need to keep in mind that he's buying the arena as well. If he had any intention of leaving, I don't think he'd buy the arena as well.

Again its not up to him whether he gets to leave or not. Its the NBA's call. And this is the 5th largest market in the country. This is TNT's hometown for heaven's sake. Not happening. Fan attendance is somewhere well down the list of NBA interests. Its an owner interest, but not an NBA priority. Market size = priority. Building an arena = huge priority. Low attendance = really only a factor if #1 and #2 are missing.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Having been to Atlanta here's my take on attendance. Yes, it's a rabid college sports town like much of the south - and especially football crazy. Still, they backed the Hawks pretty consistently in 1970s and 1980s. Pistol Pete Maravich was big part of the early novelty before being traded to New Orleans Jazz, later part of that teams move to Utah. The Human Highlight Film Dominque Wilkins took over as the next big thing in town but it seemed after some good years yet no titles, many fans began to sour on their NBA team. Therefore, the point could be made that the Atlanta Hawks just need a big time superstar to get their mojo back - and it ain't Joe Johnson. But, I think it's deeper than that and a mix of various issues. Atlanta has a huge poplulation of transplanted folks from elsewhere bringing some or a lot of allegiance to other sports teams, making them just as likely to cheer for Kobe Bryant as anybody on the Hawks roster. I recall once on CNN (back nearly two decades ago) when they had a nightly sports roundup show Fred Hickman and Nick Charles joked together that they'd met so few Hawks fan on the streets of Atlanta after living in the city for several years, saying maybe it was because like all the folks at CNN world headquarters most people in Atlanta were not from the "captial of the south."

 

[Section 101]

Again its not up to him whether he gets to leave or not. Its the NBA's call. And this is the 5th largest market in the country. This is TNT's hometown for heaven's sake. Not happening. Fan attendance is somewhere well down the list of NBA interests. Its an owner interest, but not an NBA priority. Market size = priority. Building an arena = huge priority. Low attendance = really only a factor if #1 and #2 are missing.

You would think the NFL would have a team in the #2 market too. Doesn't matter the size if they aren't spending money on the NBA. Better to be in a smaller more profitable market.

 

[Trueblood]

FWIW, it would be pretty costly for the Hawks to move, regardless of whether or not it would be in the owner or league's best interest.

http://www.sbnation.com/2011/8/7/2350239/atlanta-hawks-sold-alex-meruelo-philips-arena-relocation