Response from Council member

Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#1
#1
Glenn,
Thanks for your email. Without divulging any confidential information, I can tell you that there have been repeated attempts on behalf of the City and others who care about Sacramento to try to keep the Kings. In particular, Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA all-star point guard, who is a complete basketball junkie and utterly devoted to keeping Sacramento’s NBA team, has talked in recent weeks and months with the Maloofs to figure out what it would take to keep the Kings here for even one more year. The hope is that if they stay one more season, we’d have time for the Icon-Taylor team to develop a solid arena plan for Sacramento. After all, they are THE experts when it comes to financing and building civic projects such as arenas and stadiums. But the Maloofs made it clear there is absolutely NOTHING that we can do right now.

Not even the magical moment that I shared with 17,000 other Sacramentans who sold out the Kings game on February 28th and showed the Maloofs what a real home town advantage can be has swayed them. If they can complete their negotiations with Anaheim in time for next season, they are gone. Period! They are not willing to discuss any of the terms with us, and they have ZERO interest in hearing counteroffers from Sacramento unless and until the Anaheim negotiations fall through.

Their reasons for moving have little to do with the arena, though obviously if we had built a new arena, they’d have been contractually bound to stay and would not be able to even consider offers to move to another city. But they aren’t legally bound to stay at Arco Arena/Power Balance Pavilion, and they have no intention of staying unless the Anaheim deal falls through. The attraction for Anaheim is a $100 million loan and a chance at a larger TV market that’s ten times the size of Sacramento’s market. So right now, the issue is money and TV markets, which the City of Sacramento can do nothing about.

So where does Sacramento stand now? I agree with our Mayor and others who say that the goal here is bigger than basketball. With or without the Kings, we will build a new entertainment and sports complex. On Tuesday, February 8, 2011, the City Council unanimously agreed to select the ICON-Taylor development team to take the next three months to analyze and develop a finance plan for a new sports and entertainment complex. This team plans to move forward even if the Maloofs move the team to Southern California.

ICON is a Denver based company that has built several arenas and sports facilities throughout the world. David Taylor, a local developer has been the driver of much redevelopment in Downtown Sacramento, including the U.S. Bank Tower on Capitol Mall, new City Hall, Esquire Plaza and the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. The team also includes New York based Turner Construction, Populous, a Kansas City, Missouri sports architecture firm and Dan Meis, who designed the Staples Center in L.A.

I would also like to see Sacramento’s sports scene more diversified with a professional soccer team and a major upgrade to Sac State’s facilities and teams. We should not be a one-horse town. I’ll keep you posted on these developments, but as always, I welcome your ideas as well.


STEVE COHN
 
P

Peter_Gibbons

Starter
#3
#3
Glenn said:
Can we now move on to pressuring the NBA and its owners?
Click to expand...

Unless those reasons STEVE COHN stated can be proven, I doubt the Maloofs will admit to the loan being the motivation even if it was true. I mean, we've all thought the $100 mil loan is a big motivation. Nothing new there. But it would be so hard to prove that it was what made the decision for the Maloofs.
 
Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#4
#4
My repsonse:


Mr. Cohn,

Thank you for your response. Last I heard ICON/Taylor was balking at what the City Council was asking, a two part evaluation with and without the Kings. The arena is dead without the Kings and I think it is very wishful thinking to think any other way. If people can't get it through their heads that a tenant willing to spend $10 mil a year is not worth keeping, I can't imagine anyone wanting an arena without that tenant.

But I see your hands are tied and that's what I figured. The defeatist attitude is based in fact but our Mayor has publicly made his pessimism known publicly three times and that kills the energy of people who have other avenues of hope. I don't like it but you have no control over his political ambitions nor his mouth.

In any case, I hope to stir some energy to convince the NBA and its ownership that a three team market is a horrible precedent as all small and medium market teams will be packing their trucks for the bigger bucks of New York, Chicago, etc. and soon the NBA will be a 10 city league. I give it 20 years for all the old arenas to run their course and teams start looking elsewhere.

Glenn
 
stevetaebo

stevetaebo

Bench
#7
#7
Glenn said:
Glenn,
Not even the magical moment that I shared with 17,000 other Sacramentans who sold out the Kings game on February 28th and showed the Maloofs what a real home town advantage can be has swayed them. If they can complete their negotiations with Anaheim in time for next season, they are gone. Period! They are not willing to discuss any of the terms with us, and they have ZERO interest in hearing counteroffers from Sacramento unless and until the Anaheim negotiations fall through.
STEVE COHN
Click to expand...

Even from a pure business sense, Maloofs could use Sacramento's counteroffers to bargain more out of Anaheim. But I guess they are intent and don't want to scare Anaheim away from the deal. Talking to the city council means nothing in terms of "right now".

We gotta let Maloofs know that team means more to Sacramento than it does to Anaheim and that they need to try real real real hard to look past the $$$$$.



btw Thanks Gary. Truely helpful to get a real response from a politician.
 
Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#8
#8
We shared a few more emails back and forth and he's a good guy at least concerning the Kings. I DID throw in a comment about KJ being such a defetest PUBLICLY and the effect it has on US. I will write that to KJ also.

I must be the only one to think we can effect NBA owners. My goodness, they are human and looking out for their bottom line. Are you scared of them? If they can be convinced that what just may happen could hurt their bottom line, who knows what will happen? I can make a good argument that this will eventually hurt the bottom line of the big media market teams. Why do you think the Clippers and Lakers are against this? The other owners need to have the thought planted in their mind that flooding big markets may hurt them also.

As to Stern, this is the man who wants the NBA game in every nook and cranny of the US if not the world. He's a human that has more money than we do. That's all.

I know I am adding an urgency that may be premature and for that I will stand chastised BUT it will take scouting down email addresses, writing a great note, and figuring out how those petitions are created. They allow messages to be sent with multiple signatures. Of course, people could just send their name to us here but why do it the easy way. :) Duh!
 
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S

Smills91

Starter
#9
#9
Glenn said:
We shared a few more emails back and forth and he's a good guy at least concerning the Kings. I DID throw in a comment about KJ being such a defetest PUBLICLY and the effect it has on US. I will write that to KJ also.

I must be the only one to think we can effect NBA owners. My goodness, they are human and looking out for their bottom line. Are you scared of them? If they can be convinced that what just may happen could hurt their bottom line, who knows what will happen? I can make a good argument that this will eventually hurt the bottom line of the big media market teams. Why do you think the Clippers and Lakers are against this? The other owners need to have the thought planted in their mind that flooding big markets may hurt them also.

As to Stern, this is the man who wants the NBA game in every nook and cranny of the US if not the world. He's a human that has more money than we do. That's all.

I know I am adding an urgency that may be premature and for that I will stand chastised BUT it will take scouting down email addresses, writing a great note, and figuring out how those petitions are created. They allow messages to be sent with multiple signatures. Of course, people could just send their name to us here but why do it the easy way. :) Duh!
Click to expand...

Maybe KJ is being strategically a defeatist in order to give Anaheim the leverage in the negotiations, and thus making the deal less sweet towards the Maloofs in order to help keep the team in Sacramento another season....just a thought. Doubt it matters at this point.
 
Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#10
#10
Smills91 said:
Maybe KJ is being strategically a defeatist in order to give Anaheim the leverage in the negotiations, and thus making the deal less sweet towards the Maloofs in order to help keep the team in Sacramento another season....just a thought. Doubt it matters at this point.
Click to expand...
Devious but possible. What's the status of that $100 mil loan? I thought it was off the table.
 
R

rings4Kings

G-League
#11
#11
I'm wondering at what point do we (Kings fans) say enough is enough and deicide not to support the Maloof's quest to move. It's my opinion that the "here we stay" sellout games do nothing more than to provide the Maloof's more financial resources to move our team to Southern California. Of all places in the world to move our team-- Southern California! On those nights the Maloofs must see the stands full and laugh to themselves at how stupid we are to give them our money!!! I believe we need to organize a "There they go night" and have the game played in front of absolutely no one!!!
 
Spike

Spike

Subsidiary Intermediary
Staff member
#12
#12
rings4Kings said:
I'm wondering at what point do we (Kings fans) say enough is enough and deicide not to support the Maloof's quest to move. It's my opinion that the "here we stay" sellout games do nothing more than to provide the Maloof's more financial resources to move our team to Southern California. Of all places in the world to move our team-- Southern California! On those nights the Maloofs must see the stands full and laugh to themselves at how stupid we are to give them our money!!! I believe we need to organize a "There they go night" and have the game played in front of absolutely no one!!!
Click to expand...
Lame.
Selling out a few games won't influence the Maloof's financially, and it certainly won't "help them move the team" - the effect is tantamount to buying a meal on a road trip. But seeing a packed arena will hit them emotionally - they're running away from a supportive fan base. An empty arena will give them the justification they need. That would play into their hands.

And Glenn, thanks for writing the letter. Hopefully I get a response from a one Mr. Kroenke someday, but I doubt it.
 
M

markymark1988

Prospect
#16
#16
Hey Glenn, just curious, did you email Steve from your own ISP or did you go to his website and email him from there?
BTW, I'm a new member, been lurking here for a while and registered to ask a question.
Glenn said:
Glenn,
Thanks for your email. Without divulging any confidential information, I can tell you that there have been repeated attempts on behalf of the City and others who care about Sacramento to try to keep the Kings. In particular, Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA all-star point guard, who is a complete basketball junkie and utterly devoted to keeping Sacramento’s NBA team, has talked in recent weeks and months with the Maloofs to figure out what it would take to keep the Kings here for even one more year. The hope is that if they stay one more season, we’d have time for the Icon-Taylor team to develop a solid arena plan for Sacramento. After all, they are THE experts when it comes to financing and building civic projects such as arenas and stadiums. But the Maloofs made it clear there is absolutely NOTHING that we can do right now.

Not even the magical moment that I shared with 17,000 other Sacramentans who sold out the Kings game on February 28th and showed the Maloofs what a real home town advantage can be has swayed them. If they can complete their negotiations with Anaheim in time for next season, they are gone. Period! They are not willing to discuss any of the terms with us, and they have ZERO interest in hearing counteroffers from Sacramento unless and until the Anaheim negotiations fall through.

Their reasons for moving have little to do with the arena, though obviously if we had built a new arena, they’d have been contractually bound to stay and would not be able to even consider offers to move to another city. But they aren’t legally bound to stay at Arco Arena/Power Balance Pavilion, and they have no intention of staying unless the Anaheim deal falls through. The attraction for Anaheim is a $100 million loan and a chance at a larger TV market that’s ten times the size of Sacramento’s market. So right now, the issue is money and TV markets, which the City of Sacramento can do nothing about.

So where does Sacramento stand now? I agree with our Mayor and others who say that the goal here is bigger than basketball. With or without the Kings, we will build a new entertainment and sports complex. On Tuesday, February 8, 2011, the City Council unanimously agreed to select the ICON-Taylor development team to take the next three months to analyze and develop a finance plan for a new sports and entertainment complex. This team plans to move forward even if the Maloofs move the team to Southern California.

ICON is a Denver based company that has built several arenas and sports facilities throughout the world. David Taylor, a local developer has been the driver of much redevelopment in Downtown Sacramento, including the U.S. Bank Tower on Capitol Mall, new City Hall, Esquire Plaza and the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. The team also includes New York based Turner Construction, Populous, a Kansas City, Missouri sports architecture firm and Dan Meis, who designed the Staples Center in L.A.

I would also like to see Sacramento’s sports scene more diversified with a professional soccer team and a major upgrade to Sac State’s facilities and teams. We should not be a one-horse town. I’ll keep you posted on these developments, but as always, I welcome your ideas as well.


STEVE COHN
Click to expand...
 
B

BMiller52

All-Star
#18
#18
Glenn said:
We shared a few more emails back and forth and he's a good guy at least concerning the Kings. I DID throw in a comment about KJ being such a defetest PUBLICLY and the effect it has on US. I will write that to KJ also.

I must be the only one to think we can effect NBA owners. My goodness, they are human and looking out for their bottom line. Are you scared of them? If they can be convinced that what just may happen could hurt their bottom line, who knows what will happen? I can make a good argument that this will eventually hurt the bottom line of the big media market teams. Why do you think the Clippers and Lakers are against this? The other owners need to have the thought planted in their mind that flooding big markets may hurt them also.

As to Stern, this is the man who wants the NBA game in every nook and cranny of the US if not the world. He's a human that has more money than we do. That's all.

I know I am adding an urgency that may be premature and for that I will stand chastised BUT it will take scouting down email addresses, writing a great note, and figuring out how those petitions are created. They allow messages to be sent with multiple signatures. Of course, people could just send their name to us here but why do it the easy way. :) Duh!
Click to expand...
Did he say they would try to bring the NBA back to Sac? Because I honestly dont care about Soccer, NFL is in the bay, I wouldnt follow a Sac baseball team because I'm an SF giants fan, and I hate soccer. If we are going to try to get a new arena anyway it'd make sense. Sac is a proven market.

btw I'd be willing to give you guys my name to add as a signature but I also think that if we flooded the NBA with emails from multiple people, that might make more of an impact. Imagine if they got 2-3 thousand emails to every owner/team? We could probably get their attention that way, and with the herewestay movement we'd have a chance to get that many people. You can bet fans in Anaheim wouldnt do that.
 
J

JB_kings

Starter
#19
#19
Francisco d'Anconia said:
Steve Cohn is a SOB who actively, vehemently opposed the Q&R initiative. He is a two faced douchebag to posture now as some kind of concerned Kings fan. Steve Cohn is a big reason the Kings are leaving. What a creep I feel like I need a shower after reading his insincere response to you.

http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/node/4299
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Yeah Cohn was one of those who was always part of the problem. Dave Jones being the other vocal opponent. Too many to count have sat on the council and never did anything but pander to the naysayers. Now that it's pretty much too late, they are starting to realize that they made a mistake.
 
Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#21
#21
BMiller52 said:
Did he say they would try to bring the NBA back to Sac? Because I honestly dont care about Soccer, NFL is in the bay, I wouldnt follow a Sac baseball team because I'm an SF giants fan, and I hate soccer. If we are going to try to get a new arena anyway it'd make sense. Sac is a proven market.

btw I'd be willing to give you guys my name to add as a signature but I also think that if we flooded the NBA with emails from multiple people, that might make more of an impact. Imagine if they got 2-3 thousand emails to every owner/team? We could probably get their attention that way, and with the herewestay movement we'd have a chance to get that many people. You can bet fans in Anaheim wouldnt do that.
Click to expand...
We didn't discuss bringing the NBA back to Sac perhaps because the NBA hasn't left. That's my guess.

I don't care how this is done. If you people want to use this thread to trash the only person to write back to me and give me information, I'll just butt out and let you do your thing. I see hatred is more important than doing anything possible. I'm done for now. The Kings are gone. Long live the Kings. I am disgusted with myself for wasting my energy with this. Let's all be powerless; it must be in the water.

I am tired and have other concerns of far more importance than a damn basketball team.
 
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PurpleHaze

PurpleHaze

All-Star
#22
#22
Francisco d'Anconia said:
Steve Cohn is a SOB who actively, vehemently opposed the Q&R initiative. He is a two faced douchebag to posture now as some kind of concerned Kings fan. Steve Cohn is a big reason the Kings are leaving. What a creep I feel like I need a shower after reading his insincere response to you.

http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/node/4299
Click to expand...
Co-sign completely!

Cohn is a two-faced con-man who repeatedly along with Dave Jones and Heather Fargo represent probably three worst city council obstructionists towards getting a new arena in Sacramento going back a decade. Add in former local Board of Supervisor punk Roger Dickinson and you have a group of the worst, corrupt, self-serving, anti-business forces ever assembled in one place on the planet - except maybe Havana, Cuba. This Sacramento small minded manta, suspicious of outsiders, turf battling constantly, and pledging to keep the place "their little Cowtown," IS NUMBER ONE REASON Kings franchise will be leaving - most likely very soon to Anaheim. Absolutely none of this sad Sac mentality and pathetic politics applies to dynamic, common sense, pro-biz Orange County!
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#23
#23
Francisco d'Anconia said:
Steve Cohn is a SOB who actively, vehemently opposed the Q&R initiative. He is a two faced douchebag to posture now as some kind of concerned Kings fan. Steve Cohn is a big reason the Kings are leaving. What a creep I feel like I need a shower after reading his insincere response to you.

http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/node/4299
Click to expand...
Apparently, the "honorable" Mr. Cohn thinks Kings fans have short memories.

What's next? A heartfelt plea from Heather Fargo? I co-sign your need to take a shower or several showers to rid myself of the smarmy feeling I got after reading his replies.
 
B

BMiller52

All-Star
#24
#24
Glenn said:
We didn't discuss bringing the NBA back to Sac perhaps because the NBA hasn't left. That's my guess.

I don't care how this is done. If you people want to use this thread to trash the only person to write back to me and give me information, I'll just butt out and let you do your thing. I see hatred is more important than doing anything possible. I'm done for now. The Kings are gone. Long live the Kings. I am disgusted with myself for wasting my energy with this. Let's all be powerless; it must be in the water.

I am tired and have other concerns of far more importance than a damn basketball team.
Click to expand...
just ignore them dude, what they are saying might be true but that's kind of pointless right now. We need to get on the email idea.
 
P

pshn80

Starter
#25
#25
Warhawk said:
No more than it was a week or a month ago, and yet no deal is signed. This is nothing we didn't know already. Nothing has changed.
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Agree completely. Will someone give Cohn credit for answering? And we are talking about now and the future so please put the past aside. Blame game doesn't buy anything. Keep writing your letters, emails, etc. Soon enough we will hear one way or the other.
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#26
#26
Francisco d'Anconia said:
Steve Cohn is a SOB who actively, vehemently opposed the Q&R initiative. He is a two faced douchebag to posture now as some kind of concerned Kings fan. Steve Cohn is a big reason the Kings are leaving. What a creep I feel like I need a shower after reading his insincere response to you.

http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/node/4299
Click to expand...
Yeah, if I recall correctly Steve Cohn is NOT a person to be trusted on these issues. In fact he has been a primary cause of the entire current situation, and if you the people of Sacramento had voted him out years ago you would have had a much better chance of retaining the Kings.

Now that said I cannot dismiss what he just wrote there -- he just has to have more information on this issue than I do. But I do mistrust the messenger in a deep seated and sincere manner. Could he have reforemed? Perhaps. But for years there was absolutely nothing on the topic he would not spin in the most negative fashion possible, and if he and the Maloofs met in the street, somebody would be going down for the count.
 
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S

Shorty

Prospect
#28
#28
I can't agree with all the hating on Councilman Cohn, even though im not in his district, I know he likes sports. furthermore, he isn't the first and last person who signs the checks to finance the new arena. So all that hate just seems preconceived. Im forget if Councilman Cohn did or did not support QandR, but if he didn't, I would assume it was because the Maloofs were already receiving loans from the city, and he probably felt (like a normal person who loans money to a "trusted friend") that they should pay off existing debts because receiving any more "loan"/"compensation"/ or"TAX"....because otherwise we would probably just be paying ourselves back for their bad debt....whatever; it had to be said, also somebody has to be the dirt-bag responsible for loosing the kings right?? blame whoever you want, bush, obama, the economy, vegas, maloofs, bibby, webber, cohn....give me a break.
 
Warhawk

Warhawk

Give blood and save a life!
Staff member
#29
#29
Shorty said:
I can't agree with all the hating on Councilman Cohn, even though im not in his district, I know he likes sports. furthermore, he isn't the first and last person who signs the checks to finance the new arena. So all that hate just seems preconceived. Im forget if Councilman Cohn did or did not support QandR, but if he didn't, I would assume it was because the Maloofs were already receiving loans from the city, and he probably felt (like a normal person who loans money to a "trusted friend") that they should pay off existing debts because receiving any more "loan"/"compensation"/ or"TAX"....because otherwise we would probably just be paying ourselves back for their bad debt....whatever; it had to be said, also somebody has to be the dirt-bag responsible for loosing the kings right?? blame whoever you want, bush, obama, the economy, vegas, maloofs, bibby, webber, cohn....give me a break.
Click to expand...
THERE IS NO CITY LOAN TO THE KINGS. The City co-signed on a loan to MSE - the loan was from bondholders (not the City) to MSE. No money is due to the City. The money is due to the bondholders. The City was just the co-signer.

And read post #13 in this thread. Cohn was one of the headliners against Q&R. Get your facts straight, will ya?
 
J

JB_kings

Starter
#30
#30
Shorty said:
I can't agree with all the hating on Councilman Cohn, even though im not in his district, I know he likes sports. furthermore, he isn't the first and last person who signs the checks to finance the new arena. So all that hate just seems preconceived. Im forget if Councilman Cohn did or did not support QandR, but if he didn't, I would assume it was because the Maloofs were already receiving loans from the city, and he probably felt (like a normal person who loans money to a "trusted friend") that they should pay off existing debts because receiving any more "loan"/"compensation"/ or"TAX"....because otherwise we would probably just be paying ourselves back for their bad debt....whatever; it had to be said, also somebody has to be the dirt-bag responsible for loosing the kings right?? blame whoever you want, bush, obama, the economy, vegas, maloofs, bibby, webber, cohn....give me a break.
Click to expand...
It sounds like you are pretty new to this or just don't have a long memory. Many of us have been at this arena situation for over a decade. We've either been in council meetings or watching them online. I can assure that Mr. Cohn's opinions in the letter are very recently formed and in direct opposition to what he has shown in the past.
 
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