My topic of the day is the Sacramento Kings and the demise of the Maloof public image. For the longest time, the Maloof brothers, owners of the Sacramento Kings, swore up and down that the team was in Sacramento for the long haul; that they would never move the team. Then, the downhill slide began. The team started losing, the economy soured, the arena got old, the local government couldn't or wouldn't come up with a solution for a new arena...and the Maloofs forgot what made them popular owners.
These brothers began to think that they were the star attractions, making lame Carl's Jr. commercials and thinking they were the be-all and end-all of popularity. They stopped caring about their image with the fans and cared about their image of themselves. They wanted a new arena, but didn't act as though they wanted to help with the plans. Instead, they expected city leaders to hand a new arena to them on a platter. "Here are the keys, Misters Maloof. Enjoy your new playground."
Sadly, the public couldn't justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars of tax money on an arena while teachers were being laid off and thousands of people were losing their homes. What a surprise. Instead of being patient, enthusiastic, or even giving the impression that they cared, the Maloofs instead began losing money themselves; selling their beer distributorship, watching their casino start a slide into the negative category (losing money on a casino??), and putting a poor product on the floor in Sactown to save money. They experienced a new surprise there...fans stopped filling the seats.
Anyway, I digress. The Maloofs showed their final bit of scorn for the fans in Sacramento by not attending the final game of the season against their bitter rivals, the Lakers. Instead, they were winging their way to New York to try to convince the powers-that-be to let them move the team that they swore they would never move.
What is my point? I don't really know. I only feel scorn and disdain for the Maloofs right now. I feel they are cowards and liars. They think that being the worst team in a three team city will be better for them than being the only game in town in Sacramento. What a joke. Wait a few years, Anaheim, and the Maloofs will be moving somewhere else. They will act as though they are in Anaheim to stay, and that they have the best fans in the world. Then, the Pond will get older and the shine will wear off, fans will stop paying to see a third-rate product when they can see their beloved Lakers win and win again, and the Maloofs will have to find somewhere else to park their toy.
Well, begone miscreants! We still have hope for the future. Perhaps Kevin Johnson's plan to bring in financial angels will work. Maybe we will have another team to join the Sac State Hornets (the Sacramento Hornets?). But that just means that New Orleans - a city that has suffered more than any should ever have to - will lose their team. At least they have a Super Bowl championship. All Sacramento has right now of memories of being a jilted lover.
Joe and Gavin...you are the worst kind of cowards. Not just lying to a city, but not even daring to state your case to the fans, or say "thank you" on the last night of the season.
Just go away. I'm done with you and any teams that may have the misfortune of calling you owners.
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