Response from Council member

Glenn · Mar 18, 2011

Here's my note to KJ:

Subject: Kings.

I understand that the Mayor can do nothing more with the Maloofs, Anaheim, etc. and he has been wonderfully energetic in helping some desperate but rabid fans.

I have another idea that I believe can only be answered from the Mayor's office (I'll settle for R.E.). Is it worth an attempt by us or you to approach the owners of the NBA teams and/or David Stern? The proposition has to do with small to medium market teams all moving to large markets. If the Kings move, a precedent will be set and there is no looking back. Small market teams will be flooding to large media areas and the NBA could turn out to be a 10 city league. It's all about economics. Money. Large city teams will eventually lose money. How many teams could the entire New York area hold? Four? Five? Chicago - three or four. You get the idea.

I want to approach quickly the ownership of all the teams with a letter signed by every NBA fan in the world, if possible expressing our concern about the precedent that is about to be set. Three teams in one market is a precedent.

A simple "yes, that sounds OK," or "no, you are nuts" would be adequate. If "yes" is the answer, does the Mayor or his office have any ideas about how to go about this or would he be willing to assist in any way would be greatly appreciated. Maybe just sign the letter.

I realize the Mayor and Council are helpless.

Glenn A. Weber, MD

Circa_1985_Fan · Mar 18, 2011

Warhawk said:

But do any of us REALLY know whether a deal with Anaheim has or has not been signed already? The answer: Positively no! For all we know the deal was signed a couple months ago, and they're just getting more time for merchandising/TV deals done.

Superman · Mar 18, 2011

Circa_1985_Fan said:

They need approval from the NBA to move, so it seems premature to finalize a deal to move when you don't know that you're going to be allowed to move yet.

kennadog · Mar 18, 2011

And why file for relocation if you can't get the contract deal you want? I'm sure they'd enter into some king of contract or agreement first, that would be contingent upon the NBA approval. If they can't reach an agreement with Anaheim, then they don't even need to bother filing the actual relocation request papers. (Whcih will be after the Board of Governors meeting.)

All I know is Grant Napear said on Tuesday that he knew they had not yet reached agreement with Anaheim according to his sources, that he feels are credible on this subject. We, in Sacramento, just need to hope they can't reach agreement.

Of course, the Maloofs seem dead set on moving the team, so they may be holding out as long as possible to get the best deal they can. Honestly, though, I think Samueli is going to drive a hard bargain, knowing how badly the Maloofs want this. And I can see them accepting less than they want, unfortunately.

Warhawk · Mar 18, 2011

Circa_1985_Fan said:

1. Any deal signed would leak out. There would be SOMEBODY that couldn't keep their trap shut on something like this.

2. They would sign it as soon as possible. If things are this dire money-wise and they think this is the only way to be profitable, why would you wait? Deals have a habit of falling apart if not signed in a timely manner. Players get injured. People get in accidents. Someone reconsiders and gets cold feet. If there was a deal, it would be signed.

3. If they had a deal to move, they would not have filed an extension. That means they are working on a deal that hasn't come together yet. Hopefully it never does.

Arena Skeptic · Mar 18, 2011

Frankly, I talked with (not sent a letter to) my own Council representitive, and he stood there shaking his head, saying something about, "Well, the City has a $35M deficit...".

This is now entirely outside our control. I'd urge people to keep trying, but right now, the NBA seems like the Borg to me.

Yes, I really am that nerdy.

I haven't been able to see a way out for quite a while, but the lights just keep getting dimmer anyway. I have felt for a long time that it's over.

I'm surprised Steve Cohn would write a letter that long; and I think my own Council member would have to be completely knocked off his feet by a FANTASTIC report from Taylor-ICON to change his mind. But this was over well before the Feb 8 meeting. The dies were cast when Convergence was rejected. Actually, I felt like Convergence was such a bad idea, I wouldn't be surprised if that's when negotiations with Samueli got more serious (as far as I know, the Anaheim rumor has been around since April 2009). Convergence was a 1 in 10 (or worse) shot, and the Maloofs weren't going to waste even more time in the event it failed. They needed to have something ready to go. They have it, and now they're ready to go.

A good deal of this is simply bad circumstances. The Maloofs got way too fancy with the Palms, and now they're in danger of losing everything. It was a perfect storm, and they got caught in it. It's not our fault, and I don't even think it's personal.

I do, however, think it's over.

Glenn · Mar 18, 2011

Can't we stay on subject? I really think this is disrespectful. You have said nothing new. I have said something new. Can we talk about something new?

I thought a while before starting this thread. Sillly me. I thought it might generate a different kind of discussion. What we get is the same old crap. WHAT IS YOUR POINT! If you think you are going to change my mind, you are absolutely out of your mind. The fact you WANT to change my mind is beyond my comprehension. 338 posts in 5 years. I'd love to review them. Do you discuss the Kings? Just curious.

pshn80 · Mar 18, 2011

Arena Skeptic said:

I appreciated reading your post along with the two or three ahead of it.

I think we all think its over. That's not the point several of us are making. The Maloofs may fail at this. I want us to encourage them in having to play here next year. I want everyone to take positive steps to make that clear to the Maloofs. Also, we paying customers have a little mojo, too. It probably would be for naught but maybe, just maybe it might help the Sacramento KIngs stay in Sacramento.

So, in that vein, let's write a few letters, talk again to your City Councilman, righ Stern's bell, keep the Mayor's pulse up, put some money aside for next year's tickets, show up at rallies. You get my point. Now it's you all's turn to tell me I'm wrong. Meantime, please keep it going.

bajaden · Mar 18, 2011

Francisco d'Anconia said:

You beat me to it. This scumbag has done everything within his power to pull the rug out from any deal thats been on the table. I don't believe a freaking word he says or writes. Anything he says, and I mean anything, has political implications attached to it. In this case its probably, Cover your own a$$, so your not blamed when they leave.

Glenn · Mar 18, 2011

Some body get me the email addresses to Stern and the rest of the owners. I'll take care of the rest. If you can get addresses to fan forums, that would be grand. Houston used to have a good one. If no one wishes to do it, I'll start tonight. I'm not going to roll over and I think this city is a dead end. I know that's negative but I'm not going to put my energy there.

I know it's a long shot but what the heck. If I had to bet, I'd say the Kings will be gone. I don't need to be told that. I don't live in a cave and if you check back, I have supported the Maloofs and I don't think that's a sin. What this community has done is just a bit odd and I'm not used to this kind of reaction. The Maloofs are doing what is good for the Maloofs and if people would remember back to when threy came to town, I think you'll remember that a lot of people thought they bought the team simply to move to Vegas.

Get me the addresses. I sent out a trial email to dstern@NBA.com and it didn't return as undeliverable. Where it went when it got to NBA.com is another question. I envision this huge trash file like I have.

Once I write the letter, I just start copy, pasting and sending. No biggy for me. If 30 people (yeah, right!) each picked a team and got an address the 5 minutes spent would help me.

ArcoKings · Mar 20, 2011

Circa_1985_Fan said:

True or at least a letter of intent could have already been signed by all parties. No matter what we will all know soon for the official news.

Siranthony · Mar 20, 2011

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

Glen,
Did you include your avatar with your letter to the congressman? Just curious.

Glenn · Mar 20, 2011

Siranthony said:

What congressman? You know something, dude or dudette, you are too easy to pick on. I'll quit. I apologize. If you are posting here, you are a friend. No, I didn't send a picture of my avatar but I will use it if this discussion comes to threats. I will damn them to eternal nightmares.

My name is "Glenn." I wrote to the Mayor and all the councel people.

I got a council man to answer but didn't realize he was so despised by Kings fans. He apparently is so despised that the thread was hijacked for a moment or two while people symbollically roasted his "gentlemen's area" over a slowly turning spit.

He was very nice to me and it was after hours. We had a nice and spirited back and forth for awhile. I also sent him a followup that is personal. Maybe he has changed. People change. The situation sure has changed. I think the thought that the team, the team that represents the capiltal of California, may lose its team ON THEIR WATCH. No matter who screwed up, the ones to get the blame will be this council as memories fade. They are sensitive to that.

Otherwise, I got a form letter from the Mayor's office and a breifer form letter from a council person. As the only person to respond to my idea, Cohn stood out and it probably was a good thing I didn't realize that he actually was such an awful person. I wonder what the others are like?

Siranthony · Mar 20, 2011

Glenn said:

What congressman? You know something, dude or dudette, you are too easy to pick on. I'll quit. I apologize. If you are posting here, you are a friend. No, I didn't send a picture of my avatar but I will use it if this discussion comes to threats. I will damn them to eternal nightmares.

My name is "Glenn." I wrote to the Mayor and all the councel people.

I got a council man to answer but didn't realize he was so despised by Kings fans. He apparently is so despised that the thread was hijacked for a moment or two while people symbollically roasted his "gentlemen's area" over a slowly turning spit.

He was very nice to me and it was after hours. We had a nice and spirited back and forth for awhile. I also sent him a followup that is personal. Maybe he has changed. People change. The situation sure has changed. I think the thought that the team, the team that represents the capiltal of California, may lose its team ON THEIR WATCH. No matter who screwed up, the ones to get the blame will be this council as memories fade. They are sensitive to that.

Otherwise, I got a form letter from the Mayor's office and a breifer form letter from a council person. As the only person to respond to my idea, Cohn stood out and it probably was a good thing I didn't realize that he actually was such an awful person. I wonder what the others are like?

I'm not sure what all that meant in your quote. It's just that avatar is god aweful. No offence it's just really hard to look at over and over. Then you try to be so serious in your posts. I'm not sure what to think.

Shorty · Mar 20, 2011

the blame game begins. new poll...webbers knee 20% Tim donoguhy 15% David Stern 10% C.Cohn 55%.....lets be real, its been half a decade in the making, and downtown Sac couldn't support a new arena, and that was the problem. who is in charge of downtown sac.....the GOV'T...its their fault...should have built the arena in stead of that stupid waste of land called the capitol....that was meant as a joke, but seems more and more like the truth. either way...i love our journey to nowhere; and get your facts straight, if MSE and the city cosigned, and MSE defaults, who is stuck with the bill? its the same thing....i hate it when my slant version of reality is less gonzo than the best of us.

kennadog · Mar 20, 2011

All right, I'll repeat myself again. The city guarantees repayment of the investors who provided the money for the loan to MSE. IF.....repeat IF, MSE defaults on the loan the city is liable. However, Like any good little city investing bond funds, they took security for the loan. The security is the land/arena and a percentage of the team. (I think I saw 25% mentioned.) So if the Maloofs don't repay the loan they might not be majority owners of the franchise anymore. They only own 51% now. 49% is currently owned by the minority owners.

They would each lose a portion of the ownership, would be my guess, although without reading the documents, who knows for sure. But not owning a majority interest in the team anymore should be enough incentive for the Maloofs to pay off the bond investors. On top of that, they have repeatedly saif they ahve very intent of paying of the loan.

Anyway, someone hijacked Glenn's thread. He has been active enough to get off his butt and write to everyone he can think of to write to about keeping the Kings here and he just gets a bunch of grief. Then everything just goes off on a tangent. Whatever you think, try not to just shoot down people trying to make a difference. Geez.......

Anyway, potentially losing their controlling interest in the franchise should be plenty of incentive to pay off the bond investors.

Glenn · Mar 21, 2011

Dead subject but the reponse from the Mayor's office contained this quote:

"Rest assured that the Commissioner and Mayor are very much aware of the concerns about the viability of small market teams; indeed, both are very concerned about the stability of the NBA, not only in appearance but in reality, especially as that stability relates to smaller cities."

There was also the idea that the league has nothing to say about teams moving because of laws and such. There is a hole in this somewhere that I don't understand.

KJ has been very active.

Glenn · Mar 21, 2011

Siranthony said:

Should I switch to the Pope?

Glenn · Mar 21, 2011

I have digested this subject for awhile and am still puzzled why the Mayor's office would say the league can do nothing. I thought the league had to approve. Whatever motivates KJ, whether it is Sacramento, basketball, the fans, or his belly button lint, he is working hard. I think the fans have made it very clear that they are going to work hard also. He is representing us. THAT is appreciated.

Now we move forward and I am at a bit of a loss. I thought the only people that could be influenced would be the league and Anaheim. This idea that the league can't govern where a team will go rings just a little hollow. Federal law is involved. But .. the recent small market teams that have moved have gone to small markets. I am stuck with that. If I were an owner, I'd go to a big market. I'd do what the Maloofs are trying to do. Why not move to Chicago instead of OKC? Why go to Memphis? Why go to Charlotte and then New Orleans? Were all of these moves uneffected by the league and Stern's vision especially considering that the Mayor's office says Stern is concerned if only about the perception of the NBA.

Does anyone have an answer?

Is this all really up to the Anaheim City Council and their vote on April 12 concerning a bond issue so the Kings don't have to share a locker with the Ducks and so they have a practice facility? Remember what the first things the Maloofs did when they moved here besides build their own homes? They expanded the dressing area and made a media event out of it. They built a practice facility and made it a media event.

I don't own a team but clearly these two items are important to the Maloofs and they are the people we need to worry about. They have no money for this unless a bond issue is floated.

Perhaps the barely hidden assault on the Anaheim City Council IS the key. It certainly is the easiest and the most devious which has a certain appeal.

Section 101 · Mar 21, 2011

Glenn said:

I have digested this subject for awhile and am still puzzled why the Mayor's office would say the league can do nothing. I thought the league had to approve. Whatever motivates KJ, whether it is Sacramento, basketball, the fans, or his belly button lint, he is working hard. I think the fans have made it very clear that they are going to work hard also. He is representing us. THAT is appreciated.

Now we move forward and I am at a bit of a loss. I thought the only people that could be influenced would be the league and Anaheim. This idea that the league can't govern where a team will go rings just a little hollow. Federal law is involved. But .. the recent small market teams that have moved have gone to small markets. I am stuck with that. If I were an owner, I'd go to a big market. I'd do what the Maloofs are trying to do. Why not move to Chicago instead of OKC? Why go to Memphis? Why go to Charlotte and then New Orleans? Were all of these moves uneffected by the league and Stern's vision especially considering that the Mayor's office says Stern is concerned if only about the perception of the NBA.

Does anyone have an answer?

Is this all really up to the Anaheim City Council and their vote on April 12 concerning a bond issue so the Kings don't have to share a locker with the Ducks and so they have a practice facility? Remember what the first things the Maloofs did when they moved here besides build their own homes? They expanded the dressing area and made a media event out of it. They built a practice facility and made it a media event.

I don't own a team but clearly these two items are important to the Maloofs and they are the people we need to worry about. They have no money for this unless a bond issue is floated.

Perhaps the barely hidden assault on the Anaheim City Council IS the key. It certainly is the easiest and the most devious which has a certain appeal.

I think they mean the league office, ie Stern.

JB_kings · Mar 24, 2011

This is the orginal story about what Cohn did to tick off the Maloofs: http://www.kcra.com/news/3570865/detail.html

Sorry to beat a dead horse. And yes maybe he really cares now, but this was the type of stuff that stuck in my mind.

Section 101 · Mar 24, 2011

JB_kings said:

You know what? That deal isn't that bad looking back now and what Orlando did for their arena. If you factor in the cost to build was lower then and the city covered all over run costs. The key part would have been the lease argreement which should have been close to zero if the Maloofs were putting up $150 mil. Considering Orlando footed $85 mil with $1 mil a year lease payments.

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