http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13927387p-14764235c.html
Ailene Voisin: Find your cowbells and band together
Kings fans need to take a vocal stance on arena plans if there is hope of keeping the team here.
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Friday, December 2, 2005
Amid the confusing chatter that characterizes the ongoing arena discussions, we have heard volumes from owners, attorneys, environmentalists, developers, journalists and, even on rare occasion, local politicians attempting (and failing miserably) to sketch a semblance of a vision.
So whose critical presence is missing? Whose cowbells have been shelved?
The most important players have been silent too long.
If Kings fans are as impassioned and loyal as their reputation suggests, if area residents are intent on cementing the franchise's future - and luring Paul McCartney and other elite entertainers who are increasingly opting for superior venues elsewhere - then this is the time to barrage the Maloofs, the NBA, and regional and civic leaders with a torrent of calls and e-mails.
The campaign - save your Kings and secure a significant share of the community's image and culture - should be taken to the streets. Public pressure remains an immensely powerful tool. And given the inability of the involved parties to a.) adequately articulate the issues of any private-public undertaking, b.) maintain a meaningful dialogue that anchors negotiators at the table or c.) otherwise proceed in an effective, collaborative manner, the onus swings back to the people.
This is the time to wake up and storm the building. Be loud. Be demanding. Become obnoxious.
Denial is deadly, yet very much alive.
"I have seen a few reports recently on the news,but I didn't realize the Kings were at the point where they could leave," said Nikelle Gessner, an assistant manager at Joey B's. "And from what I've heard around here, that's what most people feel."
Yet the reality of the situation is this: Unless an agreement is reached, the Maloofs will trudge off for the obvious corporate advantages of Southern California and the superior amenities of the Arrowhead Pond. Unfortunately, not without some justification.
One critical look at Arco - long in the tooth and built on the cheap - exposes a variety of problems, among them poor acoustics and lousy lighting, a plumbing system that often leaves the visitors shivering from cold showers and a structure physically incapable of withstanding an expansion.
And those are merely the physical ailments. The financial limitations are equally crippling. Small-market franchises such as San Antonio and Indiana survive because of quality ownership and shrewd personnel decisions - which the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie consistently provide - and by squeezing every cent out of ticket sales, regional television deals, parking and concessions. Newer buildings, with club suites and luxury boxes configured to accommodate the size of the particular business community, more easily attract sponsors. Bigger isn't necessarily better, just easier.
For instance, the Spurs, regarded as the league's model franchise, in fact share common traits with the Kings. Their fans are outrageously vocal and intensely committed. They stage the only show in town before capacity crowds, though notably, in the ultra-modern SBC Center.
For these and other reasons - not the least of which is the Kings' league-leading sellout streak - NBA Commissioner David Stern is protective of his little teams. Coupled with the demographic and growth figures in Northern California, he also is stubbornly resisting any notion of abandoning the area. But for how long?
The process clearly needs an emotional and inspired assist from fans who, at the very least, deserve to be presented with the outline of a deal that allows for debate about environmental concerns, and whether voters should contribute the gap financing via the visitors tax on rental cars and hotel rooms.
"A lot of the problem is that we don't know what to do," said Christine Gillespie, the assistant administrator for the popular KingsFans.com Web site. "But we're out there. My gosh, we live and breathe Sacramento Kings. We have four generations of Kings fans in our family. At my granddaughter's baby shower, the theme was Sacramento Kings. But I am sensing that people only now are starting to understand how serious the arena issue is. You can feel it.
"It's like finding a puppy; you don't want to get too attached because maybe the owner will come back."
If the Kings truly are a civic treasure? If the prospect of becoming the largest television market (19th) without a professional sports franchise is troubling? If losing McCartney to, say, San Jose, rankles?
Come together. Speak up. Make it terribly uncomfortable - no, impossible - for Angelo Tsakopoulos to step aside, for Joe and Gavin Maloof to reluctantly run with their team (to Anaheim), for Mayor Heather Fargo and assorted county officials to continue hiding because of a fear of failure or for Stern to approve another relocation.
"What bothers me most is that this isn't just about the Kings," Gillespie said. "We need a new building so that people can get together at concerts and other events. Believe me, I see all the other venues on Dish Net and satellite. But no one has done a good job explaining that. ... I made a call to my county supervisor today. Maybe that's a start."
About the writer: Ailene Voisin can be reached at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
Ailene Voisin: Find your cowbells and band together
Kings fans need to take a vocal stance on arena plans if there is hope of keeping the team here.
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Friday, December 2, 2005
Amid the confusing chatter that characterizes the ongoing arena discussions, we have heard volumes from owners, attorneys, environmentalists, developers, journalists and, even on rare occasion, local politicians attempting (and failing miserably) to sketch a semblance of a vision.
So whose critical presence is missing? Whose cowbells have been shelved?
The most important players have been silent too long.
If Kings fans are as impassioned and loyal as their reputation suggests, if area residents are intent on cementing the franchise's future - and luring Paul McCartney and other elite entertainers who are increasingly opting for superior venues elsewhere - then this is the time to barrage the Maloofs, the NBA, and regional and civic leaders with a torrent of calls and e-mails.
The campaign - save your Kings and secure a significant share of the community's image and culture - should be taken to the streets. Public pressure remains an immensely powerful tool. And given the inability of the involved parties to a.) adequately articulate the issues of any private-public undertaking, b.) maintain a meaningful dialogue that anchors negotiators at the table or c.) otherwise proceed in an effective, collaborative manner, the onus swings back to the people.
This is the time to wake up and storm the building. Be loud. Be demanding. Become obnoxious.
Denial is deadly, yet very much alive.
"I have seen a few reports recently on the news,but I didn't realize the Kings were at the point where they could leave," said Nikelle Gessner, an assistant manager at Joey B's. "And from what I've heard around here, that's what most people feel."
Yet the reality of the situation is this: Unless an agreement is reached, the Maloofs will trudge off for the obvious corporate advantages of Southern California and the superior amenities of the Arrowhead Pond. Unfortunately, not without some justification.
One critical look at Arco - long in the tooth and built on the cheap - exposes a variety of problems, among them poor acoustics and lousy lighting, a plumbing system that often leaves the visitors shivering from cold showers and a structure physically incapable of withstanding an expansion.
And those are merely the physical ailments. The financial limitations are equally crippling. Small-market franchises such as San Antonio and Indiana survive because of quality ownership and shrewd personnel decisions - which the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie consistently provide - and by squeezing every cent out of ticket sales, regional television deals, parking and concessions. Newer buildings, with club suites and luxury boxes configured to accommodate the size of the particular business community, more easily attract sponsors. Bigger isn't necessarily better, just easier.
For instance, the Spurs, regarded as the league's model franchise, in fact share common traits with the Kings. Their fans are outrageously vocal and intensely committed. They stage the only show in town before capacity crowds, though notably, in the ultra-modern SBC Center.
For these and other reasons - not the least of which is the Kings' league-leading sellout streak - NBA Commissioner David Stern is protective of his little teams. Coupled with the demographic and growth figures in Northern California, he also is stubbornly resisting any notion of abandoning the area. But for how long?
The process clearly needs an emotional and inspired assist from fans who, at the very least, deserve to be presented with the outline of a deal that allows for debate about environmental concerns, and whether voters should contribute the gap financing via the visitors tax on rental cars and hotel rooms.
"A lot of the problem is that we don't know what to do," said Christine Gillespie, the assistant administrator for the popular KingsFans.com Web site. "But we're out there. My gosh, we live and breathe Sacramento Kings. We have four generations of Kings fans in our family. At my granddaughter's baby shower, the theme was Sacramento Kings. But I am sensing that people only now are starting to understand how serious the arena issue is. You can feel it.
"It's like finding a puppy; you don't want to get too attached because maybe the owner will come back."
If the Kings truly are a civic treasure? If the prospect of becoming the largest television market (19th) without a professional sports franchise is troubling? If losing McCartney to, say, San Jose, rankles?
Come together. Speak up. Make it terribly uncomfortable - no, impossible - for Angelo Tsakopoulos to step aside, for Joe and Gavin Maloof to reluctantly run with their team (to Anaheim), for Mayor Heather Fargo and assorted county officials to continue hiding because of a fear of failure or for Stern to approve another relocation.
"What bothers me most is that this isn't just about the Kings," Gillespie said. "We need a new building so that people can get together at concerts and other events. Believe me, I see all the other venues on Dish Net and satellite. But no one has done a good job explaining that. ... I made a call to my county supervisor today. Maybe that's a start."
About the writer: Ailene Voisin can be reached at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
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