Damn. It's hard to hear, but was he talking about the decision to relocate to Anaheim?
Not exactly. Just an attempt at some comic relief on my part.
I have absolutely no idea what he was talking about. For all I know it might have been about my latest efforts to seduce my wife.
It's an 11 second clip. What's the point?
The key word in the clip was "Decision."
My decison to seduce my wife last night was ill conceived and I called David about it.
So does this mean there shouldn't be a 1 hour ESPN special on whether the BOG allows the move to the south beaches of Cali?
There should be, as long as we reverse the outcome.
It'll be starring Cousins with Jim Gray, as Cousins reveals "This fall, I'll be taking my talents to.....the Sacramento River?" Cue camera to a shot of the railyards by the river as a homeless guy waddles past.
It'd be amazing.
BTW, does anyone have a picture of the railyards? I don't know what is being talked about except in generalities from comments on this forum.
BTW, does anyone have a picture of the railyards? I don't know what is being talked about except in generalities from comments on this forum.
are those warehouses gonna be removed?
another thing that i didnt think about, if the downtown arena and riverwalk complex entertainment center along the river is created, maybe that will get rid of sacs reputation as a boring town and attract free agents like other big market cities....i mean if the arena/riverwalk project includes nightlife like bars and clubs and stuff what would sac lack that other big cities have? im sure there are other factors but it would be a step in that direction. it could maybe give sac a much more "livelier" reputation and in the future sac could add the other elements that could make this a major city
I've never understood the negative stigma about Sacramento. Granted Sacramento itself isn't a hotbed of excitement but it's location is ideal, i would think. It's close to Reno, Tahoe, Napa, and San Francisco. There's plenty of things to do in the area if you don't mind a little drive, which shouldn't be a problem for NBA players. Plus Sacramento has great weather (by most people's standards, too hot and dry for me). I really don't understand how cities like Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland, Memphis, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Orlando, or Charlotte are supposed to be more attractive destinations than Sacramento. I don't get it. What have they got in any of those cities that's so special?
I'm sure they would be. They've been vacant for decades, I think. They're just an eyesore at this pint.
The project features the preservation and partial reuse of the "Central Shops" buildings originally used for railroad maintenance and the Southern Pacific Depot. One of the Central Shops will be refitted into a public marketplace. A railroad museum and a performing arts center is also planned.
The buildings, even empty, are impressive: majestic brick structures with vaulted ceilings, arched windows and artifacts hearkening back to Sacramento's locomotive era.
As soon as roads are built there next year, Sacramento should hold events to introduce people to the historic shop buildings, considered among the most dramatic structures in Sacramento, panel members said.
Suggestions included farmers markets, festivals, Jazz Jubilee venues, and organizing a "Friends of the Shops" group to promote reuse of the buildings.
"It's really an opportunity for a wow factor," said Marlene Gafrick, planning director for the city of Houston.
I've never understood the negative stigma about Sacramento. Granted Sacramento itself isn't a hotbed of excitement but it's location is ideal, i would think. It's close to Reno, Tahoe, Napa, and San Francisco. There's plenty of things to do in the area if you don't mind a little drive, which shouldn't be a problem for NBA players. Plus Sacramento has great weather (by most people's standards, too hot and dry for me). I really don't understand how cities like Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland, Memphis, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Orlando, or Charlotte are supposed to be more attractive destinations than Sacramento. I don't get it. What have they got in any of those cities that's so special?
I once asked a few NBA players I got to know pretty well (Kings and opposition) back in mid 80s and early 90s what they thought of Sacramento as far as a big town (or city). They almost all called it things like quiet or boring, probably nice place to raise a family (most were single), nice outdoor activities (rafting, fishing, hunting, biking, etc.), nice weather, red neck. When I asked some of the ones who responded "red neck" they said while not necessarily blatantly "racist" it was not a place blacks (most of the players being black) felt comfortable or at least a bit wary beyond urban city limits. Of course, they had some negative and positive things to say about all the other NBA cities. I recall a lot of them liked Atlanta a lot. Deep southern city but with a huge black population and lots of black urban businesses, soul food restaurants, hip black clubs, etc. Chris Webber sold his Granite Bay home and retired to a sprawling multi-million dollar estate near Atlanta. I'm sure CWebb has no ill will whatsoever towards Sac. For me it's decent place overall to live but if a visitor I think I'd be bored stiff most of the time here.
"Hey, Jim Les, another reason why my comparison of Minneapolis to Sacramento is unfair. I've always known there is a lot of private money there as their museums, concert halls, are put up with big, big, donations from private companies like Target, Pillsbury, Xcel, General Mills, etc. These companies are located all around the immediate area. 19 Fortune 1000 companies are in the area which includes the suburbs despite the demise of a few like NWA. They tend to want their names on little signs as donors to projects like museums, theaters, zoos, concert halls and the like. It's a different world. Actually I am surprised there are so many for such a small area but its a place where private money flows. Between Mpls. and St. Paul there are 1.5 mil people. Take in the suburbs and you may get to 4 mil max which is less than twice as big as the Sacramento area. It acts far bigger than that.
Twin Cities are the 15th biggest media area and Sacramento is 20th. I am not positive as to the ranking but this is good enough for the purposes of what I am saying.
The people are different. It may have to do with the heavy German, Irish, and Scandinavian population (European). It's changing. People are homogeneous in their ancestry. It also may have to do with the weather. People become interdependent. In Minneapolis if you get stuck in the snow, people come to help you out. I have interviewed people looking to relocate and they mention the people. In California if your car breaks down, people whiz by thinking you are going to mug them.
You can always strike up a conversation with a stranger as the weather binds people together. At the very least, you have a shared experience with that stranger.
This is not a criticism of Sacramento. It is meant to be more of an explanation of the uphill battle we have to fight to keep the Kings and perhaps even a bit of "why".
It is what it is and a government town may be sleepier than another kind of town. As a matter of fact, St. Paul (the size of Sacto), the capital of Minnesota, is more a sleepy little town than Minneapolis. Immigrants settled in Minnesota and created communities. That occurred on a grand scale in the Twin Cities with one group settling in St. Paul and another in Minneapolis. The cities at least at their inception were homogeneous.
That is not true in Sacramento. In Sacramento there is no sense of identity - there is no "we-ness" in Sacto. We live in our homes with our carefully walled off pieces of property so we won't be bothered by our neighbors. Where I lived all over the Twin Cities, there were no fences. Just pieces of grass that melded with your neighbor. We knew what was ours to mow, though. Once a neighbor was mowing his lawn and simply did mine also just because he could. (True story) I have shoveled my neighbor's sidewalk because once the snow blower is cranked up, you just keep on truckin.'
Mpls. was once rated the best city to live in by Forbes and Sacramento was listed as one of the 10 worst. Little town Rochester, MN (I grew up in my early years 15 miles from Rochester - that's home to me) was also rated #1 one year. So which comes first, the chicken or the egg, the facilities or the businesses. In the Twin Cities it is the business and probably that's life. On the other hand why would a business have a headquarters in Sacramento where there is nothing to do.
Getting an arena built is going to be very difficult. We start with one foot in a hole. It's unfortunate and to me, a bit sad. I've lived here a long time.
In fact, as my life is at a cross roads and if the Kings leave, I may go home. My filipina wife has never seen snow but she is not against it at all as she has been back there with me - in the summer."
I don't know about anyone else, but a Super Sports and Entertainment Complex there will be absolutely gorgeous.Goodness I hope they can get this done!!
It seems like this is an ideal place to build for Sacramento and West Sac. 75% of the season ticket holders are not from Sacramento itelf but the surrounding area. There is going to be a problem with that. I am excited about the development of Sacto but only because it may mean that the Kings don't leave. Otherwise, I don't care.