Why I Hate the Maloofs

[grandmastapoop]

The Maloofs are flat out looking to move the team to Vegas. In order to do so, they have done a number of things to sabotage their relationship with the fans.

1) They have pushed Stern to ALLOW a team in Vegas, and pushed the other casinos to take the NBA off the books. This has been in the Bee numerous times over the past 12 months and cannot be disputed. Every time the Maloofs say, we don't want OUR team in Vegas, we just want A team. Uh-huh.

2) They have made ridiculous demands of the city of Sacramento with regards to the new arena. They essentially want the city to pay the whole thing, but for the Maloofs to run and own it. This also has been documented in the papers.

3) The Maloofs got Stern to back them in saying that Sacramento needs a new arena...soon...in order to keep their franchise after he toured it last season.

3) They have jacked ticket prices to almost the highest in the league, in one of the smallest markets in the league, effectively pricing out their loyal fans.

4) Along with the increased ticket prices, they have lowered the on court product by reducing payroll. They claim they want to get under the luxury tax which they paid a lot for a few seasons ago. The thing is, the luxury tax only kicks in if league wide player payrolls exceed some % of league wide income and was not levied on ANY team (even the Knicks) last season, and is not likely to happen again this year. So, they are actually getting away from nothing.

5) The reduction in payroll has forced Petrie to let go of players like Jim Jackson, Webber, Vlade, and Bobby J. Now, All had legitimate reasons to go, but Webber is playing well in Philly now (and not only that, but we got awful value with bad contracts in return). Vlade deserved to retire a King. Bobby J probably needed to go because he just can't stay healthy, although he is playing very well now. They never should have let Jim Jackson go 3 years ago. He was crucial.

This movement to cut payroll also forced them to not match the offers of up and coming fan favorites like Mo Evans and Darius Songaila. Evans' deal with Detroit is a paltry 1.5M per year. That is a steal for a young, strong, athletic, defensive minded player like Evans. Songaila got 2.2M, which might be a tad high, but he was a solid contributor and we could certainly use his banging mentality right now. Instead of keeping our young players, we got way older.



Through all this they are trying to pee off the fan base so much (high ticket prices, bad team), in the hopes that the new arena never comes, which would allow them to move (Stern has said they NEED a new one soon).



Furthermore, let's pretend the payroll issue is serious. Well, then, the Maloofs we once adored no longer exist. When they took over the team they wanted to WIN and paid to do so. No longer. They are worried about a possible 1.5million in taxes for signing Mo Evans? If they unleash Petrie, I think we make a run at Michael Redd or Larry Hughes this past off season. Do we get them? Who knows. Probably not. But at least we are active.

These guys rake in millions upon millions. Possibly billions. And they are worried about 1.5 Million for Mo Evans? I call bullsh-t. Either they are doing this to pee off the fan base, or they have become the callous businessmen type owners (think Donald Sterling) instead of the I'll-do-anything-to-win type (think Cuban or Steinbrenner). A professional sports team is not a "business" like any other business. It is a hobby for the obscenely rich. When you treat it like a business and look at your bottom like, this is the result you get. A bad to mediocre team.


I, for one, hope the Maloofs get their Vegas/Anaheim team. I just hope they sell the Kings first and find someone else to bring there.

 

[keflanag]

I smell a whiff of troll. Give me a break. If you hate the Maloof's so much, I'm sure you hated them during those damn winning seasons and deep playoff runs too.

 

[grandmastapoop]

I'm not a troll.

Just an angry fan. Of course I loved them, until after the 2002-2003 season. You could see the tides changing when they let Jimmy Jackson walk, as he was so key to our team that year. How can you ignore all that evidence? Either they are laying the groundwork to get out of Sacramento or they no longer care about winning. Which is it? Those are the only two rational explanations, and either one sucks. It's too bad, for a few seasons they were the best owners in sports. Now they are pseudo-celebs who don't want to have to come to Sactown to see their team play.

 

[swisshh]

The Maloofs didn't push Stern into anything. Stern has always been about money and greed. He just didn't want to deal with Vegas because he's afraid of snakes like him getting into the NBA biz. Stern wants to be the only King Cobra and Mob Boss.

 

[Bricklayer]

Just an angry fan. Of course I loved them, until after the 2002-2003 season. You could see the tides changing when they let Jimmy Jackson walk, as he was so key to our team that year. How can you ignore all that evidence? Either they are laying the groundwork to get out of Sacramento or they no longer care about winning. Which is it? Those are the only two rational explanations, and either one sucks. It's too bad, for a few seasons they were the best owners in sports. Now they are pseudo-celebs who don't want to have to come to Sactown to see their team play.

Option #3, they care about winning, but not enough to lose $10mil a year over it? Always easy to talk about somebody else blowing that sort of cash.

The tide turned when Webb blew out his knee, and we went down in that playoff series despite all the amazing depth. Think the Maloofs learned a painful lesson there that all the depth does not matter if you lose your main horses. And so they pulled back and drew a line. They've still got an old arena, a small market without much corporate money. Having a middling payroll under such circumstances is well within the norm, and probably still above it. I woudl mike to see them open the pursestrings back up, but very few owners do under similar cirucmstances. Nor have the "buy a title" owners actually succeeded at doing so -- no rings in NY, Portland or Dallas despite teh massive spending.

 

[kennadog]

The Maloofs are flat out looking to move the team to Vegas. In order to do so, they have done a number of things to sabotage their relationship with the fans.

1) They have pushed Stern to ALLOW a team in Vegas, and pushed the other casinos to take the NBA off the books. This has been in the Bee numerous times over the past 12 months and cannot be disputed. Every time the Maloofs say, we don't want OUR team in Vegas, we just want A team. Uh-huh.

And has Stern allowed a team in Vegas? And have the casinos taken the NBA off the books? Did they announce this when I wasn't looking? Even if Stern ever allows it, I don't think #2 happens. Too much loss of revenue. Also, Sacramento is a proven NBA market. Why would any owner want to give that up, if they didn't have to?
2) They have made ridiculous demands of the city of Sacramento with regards to the new arena. They essentially want the city to pay the whole thing, but for the Maloofs to run and own it. This also has been documented in the papers.

The Maloofs have NEVER asked the City to pay 100%. They have always said they would be willing to finance the share "typical" in the league. Even mentioned up to 20%. You may not like that figure, but don't be non-factual. Nothing like that has ever been "documented" in the Bee.


3) The Maloofs got Stern to back them in saying that Sacramento needs a new arena...soon...in order to keep their franchise after he toured it last season.

Arco is a dump. A dump that was built extremely cheaply with 100% private money. So cheap that the lousy foundation isn't good enough for a renovation. Whether the Kings leave or not, Sacramento should be ashamed that it won't build a decent entertainment venue. Hell, Fresno and Stockton have nice, brand new arenas with no pro teams at all to share any of the costs.

3) They have jacked ticket prices to almost the highest in the league, in one of the smallest markets in the league, effectively pricing out their loyal fans.

Yes, but there are some contributing factors: no corporate base here (no big sponsors and we can't even have too many luxury suites because of it); so average joe has to pay higher prices to make up for that lack of revenue. By the way, tickets used to be cheap and public dollars subsidized those cheap tickets prices. The team was swimming in red ink. That's why the City provided the team with the two loans. And the Maloofs ran in the red for a few years too, until we went deeper into the playoffs (more ticket sales).

4) Along with the increased ticket prices, they have lowered the on court product by reducing payroll. They claim they want to get under the luxury tax which they paid a lot for a few seasons ago. The thing is, the luxury tax only kicks in if league wide player payrolls exceed some % of league wide income and was not levied on ANY team (even the Knicks) last season, and is not likely to happen again this year. So, they are actually getting away from nothing.

The years that the Maloofs wrote hefty luxury tax checks, people predicted it wouldn't be levied. No gurantees. Besides, they realized you don't have to spend a ridiculous amount on salaries to win a championship. Take a look at the Spurs and Pistons.

5) The reduction in payroll has forced Petrie to let go of players like Jim Jackson, Webber, Vlade, and Bobby J. Now, All had legitimate reasons to go, but Webber is playing well in Philly now (and not only that, but we got awful value with bad contracts in return). Vlade deserved to retire a King. Bobby J probably needed to go because he just can't stay healthy, although he is playing very well now. They never should have let Jim Jackson go 3 years ago. He was crucial.

Hindsight is always 20-20. And we did have one of the highest payrolls in the league at that time. Still didn't win a championship. (either have the Knicks, despite their ridiculous payroll.)

This movement to cut payroll also forced them to not match the offers of up and coming fan favorites like Mo Evans and Darius Songaila. Evans' deal with Detroit is a paltry 1.5M per year. That is a steal for a young, strong, athletic, defensive minded player like Evans. Songaila got 2.2M, which might be a tad high, but he was a solid contributor and we could certainly use his banging mentality right now. Instead of keeping our young players, we got way older.

Check again, we are younger this year.

Through all this they are trying to pee off the fan base so much (high ticket prices, bad team), in the hopes that the new arena never comes, which would allow them to move (Stern has said they NEED a new one soon).

SACRAMENTO needs a new arena with or without the Kings. Major events have already started passing up Arco. It's just not financially lucrative enough for them to book here, because of the limitations of the arena and it really is a dump. Oklahoma City's arena looked way nicer than Arco.

Furthermore, let's pretend the payroll issue is serious. Well, then, the Maloofs we once adored no longer exist. When they took over the team they wanted to WIN and paid to do so. No longer. They are worried about a possible 1.5million in taxes for signing Mo Evans? If they unleash Petrie, I think we make a run at Michael Redd or Larry Hughes this past off season. Do we get them? Who knows. Probably not. But at least we are active.

These guys rake in millions upon millions. Possibly billions. And they are worried about 1.5 Million for Mo Evans? I call bullsh-t. Either they are doing this to pee off the fan base, or they have become the callous businessmen type owners (think Donald Sterling) instead of the I'll-do-anything-to-win type (think Cuban or Steinbrenner). A professional sports team is not a "business" like any other business. It is a hobby for the obscenely rich. When you treat it like a business and look at your bottom like, this is the result you get. A bad to mediocre team.

Sorry, but it is a business. It may be something they really enjoy, but its still a business. No good businessman runs an investment into the ground or deliberately tries to lose money. Otherwise they would bever have become obscenely rich. And since when should they blow money just to please you. Its SO easy to spend other people's money, isn't it? Cuban decided to stop spending anything to win or hadn't you noticed? Said so himself. And if it were true that money would get you a good team, the Knicks would have been great a long time ago and the Pistons or Spurs would never have won.

I, for one, hope the Maloofs get their Vegas/Anaheim team. I just hope they sell the Kings first and find someone else to bring there.

No problem. Just don't expect a pro sports team in Sacto anytime soon. And don't expect first rate entertainment to make stops in Sacto either. Maybe you don't mind having to go back in time to when you always had to drive to the bay area to see anything. Yeah, that was cheap and easy. Its taken me up to 4 hours to get back to Sacramento after an As game. That sort of takes the fun out of it, even if the tickets are cheap. The gas cost alone can be murder when you idle that much.

Like or don't like the Maloofs. I could really care less. But you sound like you just have a personal hate for "rich" guys.

 

[Bricklayer]

The Maloofs didn't push Stern into anything. Stern has always been about money and greed. He just didn't want to deal with Vegas because he's afraid of snakes like him getting into the NBA biz. Stern wants to be the only King Cobra and Mob Boss.

That's B.S.

Stern not wanting to deal with Vegas should be celebrated by NBA fans everywhere. Drawing a line for the integrity of the game. If it was all greed, he'd be there in a minute.

 

[grandmastapoop]

Option #3, they care about winning, but not enough to lose $10mil a year over it? Always easy to talk about somebody else blowing that sort of cash.

The tide turned when Webb blew out his knee, and we went down in that playoff series despite all the amazing depth. Think the Maloofs learned a painful lesson there that all the depth does not matter if you lose your main horses. And so they pulled back and drew a line. They've still got an old arena, a small market without much corporate money. Having a middling payroll under such circumstances is well within the norm, and probably still above it. I woudl mike to see them open the pursestrings back up, but very few owners do under similar cirucmstances. Nor have the "buy a title" owners actually succeeded at doing so -- no rings in NY, Portland or Dallas despite teh massive spending.

And I would be fine with that...except that ticket prices are STILL rising. That is what is ridiculous. The ticket prices would be stomachable if the team was good. It is not, though, because they have cut the payroll. So now we are paying top dollar for a bottom 10 in the league product. That's just unfair. I still maintain that a sports team is not like another business. If you have the money for it, and are willing to lose some of that money for the pleasure of running a team, then go for it. If not, sell the team, move on.

 

[AleksandarN]

Option #3, they care about winning, but not enough to lose $10mil a year over it? Always easy to talk about somebody else blowing that sort of cash.

The tide turned when Webb blew out his knee, and we went down in that playoff series despite all the amazing depth. Think the Maloofs learned a painful lesson there that all the depth does not matter if you lose your main horses. And so they pulled back and drew a line. They've still got an old arena, a small market without much corporate money. Having a middling payroll under such circumstances is well within the norm, and probably still above it. I woudl mike to see them open the pursestrings back up, but very few owners do under similar cirucmstances. Nor have the "buy a title" owners actually succeeded at doing so -- no rings in NY, Portland or Dallas despite teh massive spending.

Not mention not having a local T.V. for a long time. Maloofs have found resistance on every corner the last couple a year that is another reason why their was payroll cutbacks. They probably thought why should we spend more of our money on this franchise when we can not even get a competive T.V. deal and arena for the this team.

 

[kennadog]

They inherited the worst TV contract in the league. Only last year were they finally able to get something decent.

 

[AleksandarN]

They inherited the worst TV contract in the league. Only last year were they finally able to get something decent.

Exactly how long did it take to get that deal done?

 

[grandmastapoop]

No problem. Just don't expect a pro sports team in Sacto anytime soon. And don't expect first rate entertainment to make stops in Sacto either. Maybe you don't mind having to go back in time to when you always had to drive to the bay area to see anything. Yeah, that was cheap and easy. Its taken me up to 4 hours to get back to Sacramento after an As game. That sort of takes the fun out of it, even if the tickets are cheap. The gas cost alone can be murder when you idle that much.

Like or don't like the Maloofs. I could really care less. But you sound like you just have a personal hate for "rich" guys.

Fair enough. A few responses:

I agree Sacramento needs a new arena. But my point is that the Maloofs don't really want us to build one, which is why they make ridiculous demands, walk away from the bargaining table, and worst of all...diminish the product all while increasing ticket prices. It pisses off the fan base and ensures they won't fund the stadium.

I'm not saying they should spend the money. But how can they not if they keep raising our ticket prices? They want to have their cake and eat it, too. You keep pointing to the Knicks. If the Maloofs spent money and made an effort to improve the team and it didn't work out, I'd be fine. But they are purposefully ruining the on-court product and still raising ticket prices. It's insane. It makes zero sense, and that is why I think they are trying to sabotage their relationship with the city, in order to kill the arena deal, in order to move out. It's the only rational explanation to me.

And I don't "hate rich guys." That's just stupid. I've been an Angels fan since I was a little kid, and I love Arte Moreno. He cares about winning. He cares about his fans. I even have a new found respect for Steinbrenner. He tries to win and spends to do so. How can you not respect that? The Maloofs are shady, in my opinion.

 

[kennadog]

Well, I don't believe that. At least not at this point. If they are businessmen, they'd be nuts to move from such a great market. And they walked out of ONE city council meeting, where they were blindsided and treated in a manner that was rude and not at all the way things are negotiated with other business people that come to the city for money (and there are lots of them and a lot of money gets handed out).

And its so clear that they are terribly disappointed over the lack of progress or ideas on the arena. You can see it in their faces and hear it in their voices. I don't think they want to leave, but they can be driven out, for sure. What do people want? They are among the best owners in pro sports, they do care about customer service and the product. How many owners have given out their home phone numbers to fans? And they've been excellent citizens of Sacramento, contributing tons of money and volunteer time in the region. And what do they get for all their civic contributions to the region? A lot of bashing and references to selfish, greedy, rich boys. Good grief.

Actually, I think they'd like a new arena here. I think they'd like to bring a pro hockey team here (apparently they adore hockey), but that can't happen in Arco, because the antiquated system takes two days to make decent ice.

 

[swisshh]

That's B.S.

Stern not wanting to deal with Vegas should be celebrated by NBA fans everywhere. Drawing a line for the integrity of the game. If it was all greed, he'd be there in a minute.

Not BS at all. Stern doesn't want competition at his own game. Stern's history speaks for itself, he's a damned snake. People like him and Selig destroy sports while putting a green ribbon on it.

 

[Smart_guy3]

When things go bad, you should atleast blame Geoff instead of the Maloofs you do realize; the Maloofs have been working there butt off ever since they got here? the Maloofs are like regular King fans they will do anything to make there team better... if your taking a blame towards someone put it on Geoff he's made some bad decisions.

Trading Jim Jackson away Hedo being traded Chris Webber getting traded for garbage and letting Vlade go ( the heart of the Kings ).

Those decisions were based on Geoff's accomplishment and he failed alot since the 02-03 season.

The Maloofs want winners but it's upto Geoff to make that happen did you see the Maloofs when the Rockets win? they were as disappointed as you will see in a fans reaction these guys care unfortunately the Kings moving to Vegas or whatever won't change the fact that they don't care about winning cause they do..

But it's upto the Kings management to realize 'RA' needs to be fired Rick's time as a Kings coach is ticking away very very fast.

 

[grandmastapoop]

What?

When things go bad, you should atleast blame Geoff instead of the Maloofs you do realize; the Maloofs have been working there butt off ever since they got here? the Maloofs are like regular King fans they will do anything to make there team better... if your taking a blame towards someone put it on Geoff he's made some bad decisions.

Trading Jim Jackson away Hedo being traded Chris Webber getting traded for garbage and letting Vlade go ( the heart of the Kings ).

Those decisions were based on Geoff's accomplishment and he failed alot since the 02-03 season.

The Maloofs want winners but it's upto Geoff to make that happen did you see the Maloofs when the Rockets win? they were as disappointed as you will see in a fans reaction these guys care unfortunately the Kings moving to Vegas or whatever won't change the fact that they don't care about winning cause they do..

But it's upto the Kings management to realize 'RA' needs to be fired Rick's time as a Kings coach is ticking away very very fast.

I completely disagree. You want Geoff to take cat food and turn it into filet mignon? The Maloofs have shortened his leash and he hasn't been able to do the things he needed to do. He's not a miracle worker.

Jim Jackson was not traded, the Maloofs said they could not afford him and let him walk.

Hedo: Hedo SUCKS. I have no idea why he was such a fan favorite. He's below average and always has been. And guess what? For Hedo and the oft-injured though loveable Pollard, Petrie got an All-Star center in Brad Miller, knowing Vlade would be gone soon. Where would we be without Brad? I shudder at the thought.

Webber was a bad trade. However, I have a feeling the Maloofs made the call on moving Webber over Peja. Obviously that is a conjecture, but it seems safe to say. So if Petrie is under pressure to move Webber, he did the best he could. Don't forget, the same reason we moved Webber is the same reason no team would give up a lot to get him. Knee.

I agree letting Vlade go was sad. He should have retired a King. But again, that was the Maloofs. They did not want to pay Vlade what he was asking for. And on that I don't really blame them. He was toast.

 

[Mike0476]

Jim Jackson was never traded. He left as a free agent.

 

[Smart_guy3]

Hedo: Hedo SUCKS. I have no idea why he was such a fan favorite. He's below average and always has been. And guess what? For Hedo and the oft-injured though loveable Pollard, Petrie got an All-Star center in Brad Miller, knowing Vlade would be gone soon. Where would we be without Brad? I shudder at the thought.

Hedo sucks? he was HUGE part of our sucess in our deep playoff run in 2002 and 2003

Hedo is not a superstar nor a all-star or even a all-star caliber player but he's a role-player he's a player who would be good for any tea, and unlike our bench "CURRENTLY" he would boost us with 12-15PPG something the Kings bench can't average overall.

Maloof's wanted Vlade to stay but Vlade thought the Kings treated him like crap.

 

[grandmastapoop]

Hedo sucks? he was HUGE part of our sucess in our deep playoff run in 2002 and 2003

Hedo is not a superstar nor a all-star or even a all-star caliber player but he's a role-player he's a player who would be good for anytime and unlike our bench "CURRENTLY" he would boost us with 12-15PPG something the Kings bench can't average overall.

Maloof's wanted Vlade to stay but Vlade thought the Kings treated him like crap.

Fair enough, I did say he sucked, but then corrected myself to say he is "average." But like I said, for it we got an all-star center in Brad Miller. We definitely got the better end of that deal.


Edit: I guess I said he's below average. I'll amend that to say he is average.

 

[Smart_guy3]

Fair enough, I did say he sucked, but then corrected myself to say he is "average." But like I said, for it we got an all-star center in Brad Miller. We definitely got the better end of that deal.

The Brad Miller trade was awesome but it was a setback when we traded Chris Webber mainly because we had to get a starter in-return but we failed doing so; we got 3 bench players for a All-star player it was a total ripp off.

If we just had a bench that 6th man ala " Bobby Jackson " we would be fine.

 

[4cwebb]

When things go bad, you should atleast blame Geoff instead of the Maloofs you do realize; the Maloofs have been working there butt off ever since they got here? the Maloofs are like regular King fans they will do anything to make there team better... if your taking a blame towards someone put it on Geoff he's made some bad decisions.

Trading Jim Jackson away Hedo being traded Chris Webber getting traded for garbage and letting Vlade go ( the heart of the Kings ).

Those decisions were based on Geoff's accomplishment and he failed alot since the 02-03 season.

The Maloofs want winners but it's upto Geoff to make that happen did you see the Maloofs when the Rockets win? they were as disappointed as you will see in a fans reaction these guys care unfortunately the Kings moving to Vegas or whatever won't change the fact that they don't care about winning cause they do..

But it's upto the Kings management to realize 'RA' needs to be fired Rick's time as a Kings coach is ticking away very very fast.

I wouldn't blame Petrie for JJax being released/not resigned...that was all Maloofs and concern about the luxury tax (was it even paid that year?). Hedo netted BMiller --- can't really complain too much there, at least not until now.

CWebb, as much as I hate to say it, wasn't willing to share enough in this offense. He still wanted 20 shots per game, and that wasn't the best thing for the Kings to continue to be title contenders. Now, trading him for the three guys from Philly may not have been worth it. Imagine if the Kings had kept CWebb, acquired Bonzi, and moved either Miller or Peja for some serious athleticism. Would things be different? Not certain, but right now, they aren't that different in Philly.

Imho, the blame doesn't belong on any one individual, or any one class of players, coaches, GM or owners. Blame lies with all of these individuals/classes, and not just one. Players aren't playing to the best of their abilities, coaches may not be using personnel properly, GM has assembled a team in the mold of the glory years, but that prior incarnation was catching lighting in a bottle --- hard to do it twice, and owners have gotten a little gun shy about spending millions of dollars when they realized winning it all may not just be about the money.

 

[QueensFan]

Interesting, I actually agree with a lot of the points that the grandmasta brought up, but FYI I think you presented it in a tone that was unlikely to get a lot of support from this crowd. I DO think the Maloofs have been unreasonable regarding a new stadium and I'm not entirely sure they AREN'T trying to tank their way out of town. Who knows at this point? I do think they have cheaped out quite a bit recently, and I think you're right, a few million more could have made a big difference in the final product. And of course, the rising ticket prices don't help - we are still a small market city although you wouldn't know it based on the prices.

 

[grandmastapoop]

Interesting, I actually agree with a lot of the points that the grandmasta brought up, but FYI I think you presented it in a tone that was unlikely to get a lot of support from this crowd. I DO think the Maloofs have been unreasonable regarding a new stadium and I'm not entirely sure they AREN'T trying to tank their way out of town. Who knows at this point? I do think they have cheaped out quite a bit recently, and I think you're right, a few million more could have made a big difference in the final product. And of course, the rising ticket prices don't help - we are still a small market city although you wouldn't know it based on the prices.

It's true, I can be a tad abrasive. But thanks for your input. I think the post above yours is spot-on. The blame goes around. I've been lurking for a while and I just don't get why the Maloofs seem to get a free pass. In my opinion, they are the most responsible, but everyone else is right up there. But for some reason no one ever seems to take them to task. It's always Rick, or the players, or Geoff. Never Gavin and Joe. Why? I have no idea.

 

[DocHolliday]

Angray fan looking for someone to hate. Looking for someone t point the finger down. Maloofs are some of the best owners in the NBA.

 

[nbrans]

In this thread, while talking about all the players the Kings let go people are neglecting the fact that Jim Jackson, Keon Clark, Scot Pollard, Doug Christie, Maurice Evans, Darius Songaila... they've all sucked since they left the Kings. BJax has been so-so, Webber has been Webber (great offense, anchoring the worst defense in the NBA but doing it with lots of heart), Hedo has been so-so. But it's not like the players that have left the Kings have been going out and lighting up the league.

 

[BLNINJA #81]

In this thread, while talking about all the players the Kings let go people are neglecting the fact that Jim Jackson, Keon Clark, Scot Pollard, Doug Christie, Maurice Evans, Darius Songaila... they've all sucked since they left the Kings. BJax has been so-so, Webber has been Webber (great offense, anchoring the worst defense in the NBA but doing it with lots of heart), Hedo has been so-so. But it's not like the players that have left the Kings have been going out and lighting up the league.

Your eyes are closed buddy.. I would love to have Maurice Evans on the bench right now.

 

[Diehard Jim]

The thing that is not being talked about is why have they had to jack ticket prices?

BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN OLD ARENA WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THEM TO KEEP COMPETITIVE PRICES!

It sucks that ticket prices have escalated, but the maloofs have also turned arco into a better experience than just some cow town gym that was in the middle of nowhere when it was built!

The maloofs have dropped a lot of cash on big salaries, and where does this money come from? a major portion is supposed to come from arena money and without luxury skyboxes they have a major cash flow problem.

It is really easy to blame someone, but to be this angry at people who have actually taken this team from the scrapyard and put it into the limelight of the nba is a travisty. The maloofs are a class act and do more for the city of sacramento, than just own an nba team.

 

[CruzDude]

Well kennadog and Smart_guy3 put it pretty well from kd's rebuttal at the top and comments to now.

1. "promote" Adelman up to management
2. "promote" Elston to coach
3. Trade Peja +1 for a couple of scorers
4. Get a new chemistry set (chemistry is good, just nothing is exploding anymore)

 

[grandmastapoop]

The thing that is not being talked about is why have they had to jack ticket prices?

BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN OLD ARENA WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THEM TO KEEP COMPETITIVE PRICES!

It sucks that ticket prices have escalated, but the maloofs have also turned arco into a better experience than just some cow town gym that was in the middle of nowhere when it was built!

The maloofs have dropped a lot of cash on big salaries, and where does this money come from? a major portion is supposed to come from arena money and without luxury skyboxes they have a major cash flow problem.

It is really easy to blame someone, but to be this angry at people who have actually taken this team from the scrapyard and put it into the limelight of the nba is a travisty. The maloofs are a class act and do more for the city of sacramento, than just own an nba team.

As I said later on in the thread, I don't see why they get a free pass. People bash Petrie and no one seems to care. People call for Adelman's head and most people seem to agree, if reluctantly. People bash Miller for not trying hard enough. People bash Peja for being soft.

And no mention of the Maloofs? Yes, they did lift this franchise from years of bottom-feeding to a title contender. But they have also been instrumental in its recent demise. Get your head out of the sand and realize they are not saints. It's a travesty because I point this out? I think not.

 

[Diehard Jim]

I did not say to give the maloofs a free pass, but DAMN~ where was this when the kings were winning?
Your points are like water on a ducks back, they just keep rolling off and really do not mean much.
There are bigger issues than the maloofs.
The fact that the political figures in sacramento do not want to work on keeping the kings is a joke and not wanting to front a mojority of the bill when all this does is create more jobs, taxes and income for the city is crazy. I could see if the maloofs built the entire arena with there own money and did not have to pay the city taxes, but this will never happen.
The fact is you have to look at the maloofs in the big picture, they are losing money on this franchise no matter how you want to look at it.
most people on this board if they lost 10% of their income every year and had nothing to show for it would do things to change it, and that is what the maloofs have been doing! It is unfortunate that it has come at the expense of our beloved Kings but this is just the business of the nba.
Some people act as though the Kings franchise has an unlimited flow of money! Being in a small market combined with the best fnas in the world does not equate to money.
And to only look at the maloofs as owners of the Kings and to not also bring in all of the good things they have contributed to the people and fans is CRAZY!
You have to take the bad with the good, And I would rather have the franchise of the Kings in the state they are in now than the one before the maloofs!