Venting and sad at the same time

Yesterday was a rough day for my hometown. Yesterday was, more than likely, the very last Sacramento Kings game. I am so disappointed in the Maloofs and the City of Sacramento for failing to work together to come to an agreement.

I watched a video today of the announcers getting visibly upset during the sign off last night and it brough tears to my eyes.

For years, I personally feel the Maloofs have been trying to get out of Sacramento and have in a way, tried to "Major League" or sandbag our team to get out from a mountain of debt and be able to relocate. Years ago, my dh and I went to Las Vegas and there was a very prevelant rumor going around town that the Maloofs were really wanting out of Sacramento. Sure enough the very next year, they traded some key players, and got some cheap no-names. Year after year, they have let the team falter and of course with that comes upset fans that don't wait to pay top dollar to see their team lose.

Sacramento used to be most NBA teams' worst nightmare. Why...because we loved our Kings and were loud and proud.

I know the economy stinks and that people can't afford to go to the games, but the Maloofs sat back and kept their mouths shut during every single disucssion about a new arena. They wouldn't support a single plan that anybody came up with and they kept flooring a team that had zero chance to ever have a winning season. David Stern sat back and let the Maloofs sandbag their team, just so that they could "prove" that they had just cause to relocate.

My husband even joked last night that we can go visit our team next time we go to Disneyland. Why on earth would one region need 3 teams???

Anyway, I'm sorry for the long post. I just had to get this off my chest.

Hi Melissa,

I've got no personal stake in the Kings, but I do feel for you. It's very, very frustrating to be passionate about a team and feel like ownership just isn't doing what it takes to win. Add that to the fact that they're trying to carpetbag the team out of town and it just makes it even worse.

i feel for you and all the folks in Sacramento who care about the team. I hope that, somehow, things work out for the best.

Hi! I live about 15 minutes from you and feel the same way. We used to love going to the games and seeing all the great players. In the last few years, there has not been one player we wanted to see. I felt like the team was being set up to fail. What I don't understand is, why? We have great fans in Sacramento that support the team. What more could owners ask for?

To me it is obvious that the owners are done here and want to move on. It is so sad though. They are not going to get the love and support anywhere else, IMO!

I personally feel that the Maloofs have intended to move the Kings for years. Can you imagine adding a stadium and having it attached to a casino and the $$$ that would bring in on multiple levels (not that the NBA would ever approve that)? Once they realized the NBA wouldn't go for that at all and that Sacramento wasn't ever going to be a cash cow, their next option was to move to a major market AKA LA. I think that once the Kings lost the championship to the Lakers, the Maloofs lost their heart in Sacramento and from then on they did everything they could to sink the team and the support of the fans in Sacramento.

I'm really hoping that they will either sell their team to this billionaire that is currently in the news in Sacramento or that he'll buy the New Orleans team for us. I guess we will wait and see what happens with the NBA and David Stern.

If you guys are lucky, maybe Ron Burkle will buy them. We have been hearing rumors about it in Pittsburgh. Ron Burkle co-owns the Pittsburgh Penguins with Mario Lemieux.

I have heard he wanted to keep them in Sacramento. Burkle seems like a pretty ok guy. Him and Mario fought forever to get a new arena for the Pens.

I am hoping you guys get to keep your team !!