Sacramento Kings moving franchise to the OC, CA.

At least it's not Real Orange County. Take that, faux-Europeans in Salt Lake City!

On the other hand, if you go that route you can have a tie in with the Real Housewives of Orange County. Or perhaps the Real Housewives of Real Madrid. I mean, there's that Football Wives show, right? I think I need a headache pill.

 

If existing markets need another team, add one for Newark when the Nets move to Brooklyn and maybe a fourth for the New York market if the Islanders ever get an arena. Put another team in Phoenix in Jobing.com arena. If a new arena gets built in Detroit, a second team could play in The Palace.

Just put 30 teams in 15 markets.

 

I could care less about Anaheim since "Mighty" was removed from the "Mighty Ducks." Not to mention the old jerseys with teh duck on the front.

 

This is a real shame to Sacramento.

I was in college near Sacramento (and waiting tables at a fairly nice restaurant) when the Kings/Royals first hit town and it was a true love affair between the team and the citizens. The players were huge stars. It was great seeing visiting teams as well (never forget seeing Mark Eaton in person.)

Sad too that stadiums not 30 years old are frowned upon as old and outdated. Just another reflection of our throwaway society. I guess Arco Arena is one of the oldest in the NBA now. I'm actually glad that a municipality has said enough is enough, go take your ball somewhere else. Stadium deals are only good for the tenant, the contractor, and the surrounding property owners; never for the public builder.

 

Hasn't Sacramento also said it will build a new arena for a new NBA team? I mean, I see the upside in telling this particular team to go screw itself, but it seems like just bending over for someone else.

 

As I've said before, the Maloofs have a far better shot at financial success as the second or third banana in L.A. than they do as the only game in town in Sacramento. The Maloofs have clearly let the franchise go to pot, but they're also in an area that has consistently been in the top 10 in foreclosures, and things are going to get worse as the area's biggest industry -- state government -- takes more financial hits. Right now, on a county-wide level, Sacramento has the worst unemployment rate in the NBA. Even Detroit-Wayne County has a lower rate (barely).

 

All well and good if you ignore the fact that the Maloofs have billions of dollars and the NBA likes to peddle the bullshit that its owners are good corporate citizens who are in partnership with the community and aren't in it just for the money. "NBA Cares," I believe they call it.

All this franchise shifting tells me the NBA can't carry the weaker franchises anymore because it is in real financial trouble. So that would be awesome.

 

What is awesome about franchises being in financial trouble?

 

It means the NBA is headed down the tubes, or at least to a place where I can more easily avoid it.

 

So perhaps they should go with Nomads? Or Wanderers?

Hobos?

Orphans?

 

Or Ghosts? Because that's what the fan base will be in that oversaturated NBA market.

 

I don't understand why it's assumed that the Royals/King couldn't draw in Anaheim, even with two other teams in the market. Anyway, free agents and others who would have never considered with Sacramento will suddenly become much more interested in signing with a southern California team, where the opportunities for endorsements and whatnot grow exponentially above what you could get in Sacramento.