SacTown is playing hardball with the Kings . . .

[Guest_Randy]

City wants to cap costs, split expense
[size=8]ESPN.com news services[/size]

Sacramento city officials want to build a new arena for the Kings -- as long as the arena's built on the city's terms.
 
The Sacramento Bee reported in Thursday's editions that the city wants to cap arena costs at $350 million and insists that the NBA team takes on half of the burden.
Not surprisingly, the Kings were not thrilled with the proposed arrangement. Reportedly, team owners Joe and Gavin Maloof walked out of a July 22 meeting where the proposal was first unveiled.
"We think it's a mistake to put forth those parameters at the very beginning," said John Thomas, president of Maloof Sports and Entertainment. "As far as we can tell, this approach is without precedent in the city ... and in 28 other agreements in the NBA, we haven't been able to find one that started this way."
Sacramento deputy city manager Richard Ramirez admitted that the city wants to keep the team, but argued that establishing some semblance of cost certainty at the beginning of the process was critical.
"We have to start someplace. It's a guideline," Ramirez said.
The man who drafted the initial city proposal, councilman Steve Cohn, said he was trying to craft a plan that would be accepted by a majority of the city council.
"We still need to push for a 50/50 deal, and if the Maloofs can't do that, they need to explain why not," Cohn said. "If they want to come up with a counterproposal, I'd welcome that."
According to the report, all of the posturing needs to be completed by Oct. 26, when the council must have approved language for an arena ballot to be voted on in March.

I'm really feeling sorry for the Maloofs -- they aren't getting the city to build a new arena so that the Maloofs can get richer.  I hope everyone is feeling as sorry for them as I am!  :cry:  

[JoMal]

The not so subtle threats over who will front the $350,000 costs makes this a very touchy topic at city council meetings. City Hall here in Sacramento, is the view I have from my 8th floor office here in downtown SacTown.  

[NYCdog]

Worst of all for Sac-Twon Kings fans......

Kansas City is about to start construction on the Sprint Center, a new 20,000 seat downtown arena built to attract a new NBA or NHL team.

Could a return to Kansas City be in the works for the Kings......

[JoMal]

I would not be surprised if KC is not the next home of the Kings. The way this whole thing is playing out is like watching a condemned man slowly being strangled to death at the end of a rope.

The Kings are looking like a lame duck team here for the next five years, maybe less, as the city screws up the negotiations, and the Maloofs get courted by other cities.

But why should ANY city provide billionairies with carte blanche arenas without any kind of fiscal benefit. No legitament, and independent, study of the fiscal benefits of arenas prove that the presence of the arena improves the neighboring businesses, though they sure are hit up to pay for it.

Along with the Peja/Webber soap opera, losing the team altogether seems less painful now.  :bash: