Kings reply to BSPN rankings

[VF21]

From the official press release:

Kings Challenge ESPN
- Fans encouraged to show up for the Nov. 15 game nationally televised on ESPN -
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento Kings today issued a challenge to ESPN The Magazine’s pronouncement on its current cover that the Kings are the worst franchise in sports. The team released advertisements saying, “Hey ESPN. Nice Airball. New Era. New Swagger. The Best Fans Await You. 11.15.13.” The messaging references the Nov. 15 nationally televised home game between the Kings and the Detroit Pistons on ESPN.

“Under Vivek's leadership, there is a lot happening in Sacramento: a new ambition, new investments in talent and arena infrastructure, and a new commitment to our wonderful community,” said Kings President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Granger. “We have the best fans in sports and we will work tirelessly until we give them the best franchise in the world.”

The rankings were based on last year’s data and didn’t take into account the Kings new ownership, new coaches, new GM, and plans for a new downtown arena.

“We love ESPN, but think they could have given us the benefit of foresight in their rankings,” continued Granger. “They know what we have going here. And, if they don’t, we’re going to show them when they visit us on November 15.”

Fans wishing to be part of the ESPN welcome party on Nov. 15 can purchase tickets by [url=http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C004B1EB63260D5?brand=kings&camefrom=NBAKG_Kings]Clicking Here.[/URL]

 

[Prophetess]

Nice to see management respond. Wish I had known before I got my tickets from Costco, would have chosen that game.

 

[Bosnian Diehard]

We're a worse franchise than the Astros? (I don't follow basbeball, but I know they suck bad). We weren't even the worst NBA team last year, can't see how we'd be the worst franchise in all of sports. Can't wait for the 15th of November now.

 

[randymoss1881]

Take anything written by espn with a grain of salt

 

[VF21]

Take anything written by espn with a grain of salt

There's a reason a lot of us call it BSPN.

 

[bajaden]

To be fair, I believe I read that the grading for this was done based totally on last season, and didn't include any changes since the new ownership group took over. From that prospective I can see where we might come in at the bottom of the pile. It wasn't just based on win/loss records, but also on how the team was being managed, financed.

 

[VF21]

To be fair, I believe I read that the grading for this was done based totally on last season, and didn't include any changes since the new ownership group took over. From that prospective I can see where we might come in at the bottom of the pile. It wasn't just based on win/loss records, but also on how the team was being managed, financed.

True enough, BUT when something as significant as a total regime change takes place you'd think it would merit a footnote. Just gives us more opportunity, however, to rise from the ashes and go from last to first. GO KINGS!

 

[jcwkings]

To be fair this franchise has been terrible from top to bottom for almost a decade now, sure some teams might be worse on the court/field, but when you combine ownership, management, players, performance, yes this team has been amongst the worst in American sports recently. Thankfully change has started at the top.

 

[randymoss1881]

Yes b

To be fair this franchise has been terrible from top to bottom for almost a decade now, sure some teams might be worse on the court/field, but when you combine ownership, management, players, performance, yes this team has been amongst the worst in American sports recently. Thankfully change has started at the top.

t anyone with a brain (which means everyone but espn) knows we have new ownership and the maligns were the worst owners in sports. Tyreke has even said in an interview that all those distractions impacted the players negativley

 

[mac]

Yes b

t anyone with a brain (which means everyone but espn) knows we have new ownership and the maligns were the worst owners in sports. Tyreke has even said in an interview that all those distractions impacted the players negativley

How would unproven but new ownership equate to better rankings though? Have we won any more games? Is anybody looking at our roster and thinking we're gonna make a splash in the league this year? Do we already have a new arena? How do you quantify or qualify the change in the organization when there are no results to base it on?

 

[VF21]

How would unproven but new ownership equate to better rankings though? Have we won any more games? Is anybody looking at our roster and thinking we're gonna make a splash in the league this year? Do we already have a new arena? How do you quantify or qualify the change in the organization when there are no results to base it on?

With a footnote that at least acknowledges that subsequent to the rankings there was a total change of ownership and staff.

 

[bajaden]

With a footnote that at least acknowledges that subsequent to the rankings there was a total change of ownership and staff.

Maybe its just me, but I really don't care much about these rankings. Their just toys for a bunch of pundits. However, the way I look at it, is that it validates everything we've felt about the Maloofs, and we'll probably make the biggest move up in the rankings of any other team next year. Out of the ashes, rose the Phoenix! As shall we......

 

[Chubbs]

With a footnote that at least acknowledges that subsequent to the rankings there was a total change of ownership and staff.

It was acknowledged. To paraphrase, the said something along the lines of that for the first time in 11 years of doing these rankings, the worst franchise gets a pass, acknowledging the team sale. They also said the current ranking is well deserved.

As of this exact moment, it's just an ownership change without a single game played. I'm confident things will improve, but it's too early to say with certainly that it will. Surely the future is brighter than the past, but it's hard to disagree with the rankings as of this moment.

 

[VF21]

Good points by bajaden and Chubbs. I know better than to get too worked up about anything written by BSPN. I think my defensive Mama Grizzly must have come out for a moment.

It's all good. I am more excited about the future of our Kings than I have been in a very long time. I don't need to see it in print to know we're on the cusp of something very special. We know it now and BSPN, as usual, will catch up to us eventually.


GO KINGS!!!

 

[Bricklayer]

Maybe its just me, but I really don't care much about these rankings. Their just toys for a bunch of pundits. However, the way I look at it, is that it validates everything we've felt about the Maloofs, and we'll probably make the biggest move up in the rankings of any other team next year. Out of the ashes, rose the Phoenix! As shall we......

The rankings are completely irrelevant, but the manufactured controversy here could actually be minorly useful as we again try to stoke the fanbase fires in the early season and get them into an us against the world mentality. If we could find a motivation, even a dubious one, to get the fanbase similarly riled up for every single game of the early season it would do nothing but help revitalize things.

 

[swisshh]

As Brick said, this is a clever way to use some meaningless rankings to stoke up energy for a nationally televised game. Good marketing. I imagine the ownership will try to pull in their celebrities for the game as well.