Sacramento Kings moving franchise to the OC, CA.

There's an Ontario Hockey League franchise that, in the last 35 years, has gone from Hamilton to St. Catharines to Hamilton to Brantford to Hamilton to Niagara Falls and to Erie, Pa., and it's reportedly on its way back to Hamilton as early as next season.

 

I read something on one of the sites that said that this isn't necessarily an indication that the team is going to move, just that they want to do a different deal.

Sounds like a ridiculously optimistic person if you ask me, although I really hope the team stays.

 

The two things that will work against the Kings staying are the McGoofs, and the overall Sacramento economy. This report projects unemployment among government workers -- nearly 30 percent of the area's economy -- will continue to go up.

http://www.cba.csus.edu/sacbusinessreview/Sacramento_Business_Review/Archives_files/SBR_Labor_Markets_12.pdf

 

The problem for Sacramento is that the Maloofs' only play right now is to leverage the team for cash money that will square away the rest of their debts -- whether a straight sale or, as was the case in Anaheim, a $75 million cash payment for moving. (They called it a loan. Mmm hmm.) They aren't going to get the cash for staying in Sacramento, and all potential buyers would be looking to move the team.

I actually think their best hope is that this goes on unresolved for the next however many months or years until the Maloofs completely run out of cash, they miss payroll or default on another league obligation, and the league can boot them and take temporary control of the team.

 

I know Arco is a dump, but that was a fun place to watch games about a decade ago...

 

There was one billionaire last year who wanted to buy the team and keep it in Sacramento or if they left, buy another team and move it there... Not sure what happened to him.

 

That was Ron Burkle. He continues to jet around the country banging broads with Bill Clinton and pretending to be the savior of newspapers. Likes seeing his name in the paper.

 

To be fair, that's not a bad gig.

 

Yeah, that was the guy...

 

The Kings are gone. While the last negotiations broke down over many things but the Maloofs refused to take a binding 30 year deal. They wanted out clauses. And the city can not obtain financing for a new arena if the deal has out clauses for the anchor tenant unless they pass a tax increase to guarantee financing and that will not happen.

 

George Maloof doesn't want to negotiate with KJ. Too freaking bad for the McCourt-Maloofs.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/kings/story/2012-04-14/george-maloof-kevin-johnson-arena-negotiations/54281730/1