WTF Are We Supposed To Do Now?

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:36 pm

Watch hockey.

The Seer · Post by **The Seer** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:13 pm

Start the countdown! Who was the best player on your team to wear # 245?

Killian · Post by **Killian** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:21 pm

The Seer wrote:Start the countdown! Who was the best player on your team to wear # 245?

#2 Tom Clements
#4 Lee Becton
#5 Paul Horning

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:05 am

Sudden Sam wrote:Okay. Ummmmmm....the season's over. No games to discuss. No rankings to bicker over.

What the hell happens now?!

Do I have to...shudder... WORK?!?!

Most balanced folks move on to other interests.

Nothing wrong with working, either. There's about 12 million Americans can attest to that.

If your fat, lazy ass justs sits in front of a computer all day posting about CFB while you get paid for it....

Then you are one lucky bastard.

Quit your whining.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:17 am

WW, look everyone here is devoted to college football.

We've got people here who passionately root for football programs like Kansas, Iowa St, Vandy, Washington St and Missouri. I'm talking willfully long suffering fans.

We're all fanatics about a sport which crowns a mythical champion through the most diabolically flatulent system ever created to avoid having a real champion.

So, yeah, WW, anyone here on this CF board is by definition "unbalanced."

Masochism is still considered a psychosis, innit?

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:21 am

National Signing Day isn't too far away

PSUFAN · Post by **PSUFAN** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:22 am

Masochism is still considered a psychosis, innit?

You're a Martin Amis fan?

Anyway, time was I used to retire during the offseasons. I bet there's plenty that wish I still did that.

These days, I try to catch myself whenever I am feeling bored. We don't get too many minutes here on this rock in space...why waste them drumming your fingers?

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:27 am

college basketball. hey hey.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:41 am

King Crimson wrote:college basketball.

What he said.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:49 am

Hockey and college hoops...baseball isn't that far away either.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:16 am

Meh. I'm not from the cold north. Pro hockey committed suicide years ago. College hockey is a non issue for anybody who doesn't sound like Fargo. College basketball doesn't even really begin until March and even once the tourney starts it's now just a shell of its former self.

Once football ends I'm pretty much stuck with the doldrums of the NBA and college hoops regular seasons.

So, screw it. Late winter and early spring are for reading books and trying at least for a little while to be a civilized human being.

March Madness is still at least mildly interesting but things really begin to perk up when the sun begins to come out and spring training is afoot. Before too long it's baseball season and then we get both the NBA and NHL playoffs, which is the only time those two leagues are worth a crap.

Hurry up, late summer. Hurry back, Fall. Fall and Bowl Season, those are the only two times of the year that matter.

Fall is everything.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:40 am

King Crimson wrote:college basketball. hey hey.

not when your team is bad.

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:17 am

Van wrote:We're all fanatics about a sport which crowns a mythical champion through the most diabolically flatulent system ever created to avoid having a real champion.

Sigworthy.

Add me to those who said college basketball. Conference play has just started, which means the true season has begun.

Before you know it, teams will be positioning themselves for conference tournament seedings, then Selection Sunday. Then, 4 days later begins arguably the greatest 4 consecutive days in sports -- the 1st and 2nd rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

And after that ... Van, I know you can't stand the NBA, but the San Antonio Spurs bandwaggon still has plenty of seats. That goes for the rest of ya'll as well. :wink:

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:30 am

RadioFan wrote: Add me to those who said college basketball. Conference play has just started, which means the true season has begun.

And it's BIG MONDAY starting off with Texas-OU.

Nice opener.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:39 am

War Wagon wrote:
RadioFan wrote: Add me to those who said college basketball. Conference play has just started, which means the true season has begun.
And it's BIG MONDAY starting off with Texas-OU.

Nice opener.

The Louisville-ND game was the opener and it was another solid Big East game.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:44 am

RF, oh no, I'm not one of those people who can't stand the NBA. You must be confusing me with somebody else. I follow the NBA far more than I follow college hoops, which has become so watered down in recent years as to lose almost all my interest.

It's true that the regular season of the NBA doesn't hold that much interest for me. It's way too long and the playoffs system is very screwed up when you have teams with losing records in the East making the playoffs while teams that are fourteen games over .500 in the West have to stay home and watch on tv.

Kinda like the NFL. In the NFL we've got 8-8 teams making the playoffs while 11-5 teams sit at home. Same thing happens in baseball.

It's just all kinds of stupid.

I'm still somewhat into the NBA though, and I get into it a decent amount come playoffs time. Once the "40 games in 40 nights" thing on TNT with Charles, Kenny and the narco terrorist white guy Ernie Johnson kicks in I'm all there.

He's often an idiot but I love Charles Barkley, especially on that show. He's the only "tv announcer" I've ever seen who's honest enough to routinely say things like, "Phoenix has no chance. They stink. They play zero defense," or "Atlanta is done. Stick a fork in 'em. No way they can come back from 3-1. It's over."

He says things like this even about games and series he's covering. Gotta love that.

Of course the facts that the stupid Kings are now absolute moribund garbage and Arco is suddenly a morgue do tend to damper my enthusiasm for the regular season. That, and the fact that we all know the East will come down to Boston vs Cleveland (with Orlando maybe taking a sniff at it) while in the West it'll obviously end up being the Lakers again, with only San Antonio and possibly New Orleans having any say so in the matter.

The NBA might as well begin the playoffs now. There's no drama to this regular season, other than waiting to see who gets injured and/or arrested.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:48 am

This sucks. The season goes by too damn fast, too damn fast.

I'm not much of a b-ball fan, I know how the local teams, Neb and Creighton, are doing but only follow them pretty casually.

I guess now I just wait for signing-day, the Spring-game, and Fall camp.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:57 am

Van wrote: Of course the facts that the stupid Kings are now absolute moribund garbage and Arco is suddenly a morgue do tend to damper my enthusiasm...

They can come back to KC next week. Got a brand new downtown arena just waiting and the fan support would be phenomenal.

GIVE ME BACK MY FUCKING TEAM YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:02 am

College basketball...or basketball in general is a pretty big deal in the midwest, including upper midwest. There are some neighborhoods that have a hoop in every single driveway. Although I do think the NBA has soured many people over the years, and it's continuing.

I find college basketball interesting from out of conference play to March Madness. The biggest difference between college b-ball and football, at least for me, is that my Saturdays don't revolve around college b-ball. I make a point to watch MSU, but make no other plans. I prefer to spend my Saturdays going out and doing other things, but if I'm at home, then yep, I'll probably be watching CBB.

Saturdays during CFB season, however, WILL be spent watching CFB. No ifs, ands, or buts. I've skipped weddings in favor of CFB, and felt no remorse because if you're going to be that dumbfuck who schedules a wedding on CFB saturday, you're just asking for no shows.

Over the years CFB has expanded to various other nights of the week, and you can bet I catch most of those games as well. I've said it before, but I'd rather watch a Thursday night Sun Belt game than most any other professional game, whether it be football, basketball, whatever.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:09 am

War Wagon wrote:
Van wrote: Of course the facts that the stupid Kings are now absolute moribund garbage and Arco is suddenly a morgue do tend to damper my enthusiasm...
They can come back to KC next week. Got a brand new downtown arena just waiting and the fan support would be phenomenal.

GIVE ME BACK MY FUCKING TEAM YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!

By all means. Please, take 'em.

They don't have a single player who's worth a crap. You know you're gawdawful and beyond hope when your best player, your "franchise player," is Kevin Martin.

It'd be a stretch to even say they're "rebuilding." They literally have nothing on which to build, and nothing with which to build.

They're also fucking up my local sports talk radio since the local station is contractually obligated to keep running the usual Kings games and Kings Talk drivel.

Nobody cares.

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:13 am

Van wrote:He's often an idiot but I love Charles Barkley

Same here. I'm disappointed he's got a "leave of absence." Fuck that.

Van, have you read his book? "I May be Wrong, but I Doubt it" A quick read and funny as hell! Dude, you would LOVE it.

Van wrote:There's no drama to this regular season, other than waiting to see who gets injured and/or arrested.

Outside of a few short stints of the Spurs having Rodman and Stephen Jackson, I can't think of a single Spur who has ever been arrested for anything.

Especially when they are an active a member of the team. And that includes the aforementioned fuckups.

The Spurs used to be criticized in the mid-90s for being too "soft," both on the court and off.

Freaking priceless.

4 championships later, and without anyone being arrested, much less any "controversy" ... funny-ass shit.

Like I said, the bandwagon's still open.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:24 am

By all means. Please, take 'em.

You fuckers steal my team 24 years ago, make KC an NBA exhibition outpost, and now you want to give it back?

Fuck you and fuck Suckramento. Fuck Jeffrie Lurie and everyone of that owners group who moved a team from a real major league town because they had fallen on temporary hard times.

Freaking vagabonds, that's what that franchise has become.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:31 am

The concept of "Charles Barkley" and "author" juxtaposed just cracks me up.

No, I haven't read it. Didn't even know such a thing existed. I bet I would love it though, at least if it involves his usual candor.

No need to make room for me on the San Antonio bandwagon. I've been there my whole life. San Antonio has always been my second favorite team in basketball. I used to love the old Hemisfair Arena and I always rooted for Artis Gilmore and George Gervin.

I was genuinely pleased when Iceman burped up those 63 points to snatch away the scoring title from David Thompson, following his 73 point night.

I was never that much of a David Robinson fan because yeah, I did think he was a bit soft. Still, the guy was everything you could ever hope for in a person so I rooted for him anyway and then when they added Tim Duncan I really had to root for them.

Ever since Duncan and Pop have been there San Antonio has always been the model of quality character people for the NBA. They do everything right, so I root for them.

Tony Parker and Manu...more of the same.

Robert Horry's little hip check and that brief experimentation with Dennis Rodman are to be excused. Not San Antonio's fault. Horry's a fuggen Kings killer and Rodman's a Piston and a Bull. He was never truly a Spur.

That's whay I say, anyway.

Yep, SA was always my second favorite team. I grew up a Tiny Archibald fan, then it was all Dr J for me, and then MJ. Despite growing up in L.A. I was never a Lakers fan, except for when they played Boston in the '80s. I always rooted for S.A. to beat the old Lakers.

Didn't happen much. Oh well.

In any case S.A. and N.O. are the only things standing in the way of the Lakers going back to the Finals. Yeah, I'll be rooting hard for S.A. to get and remain healthy come May and June, and I hope it'll even matter.

Wouldn't mind seeing S.A.'s Big Three taking on Boston's Big Three, for all the marbles.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:35 am

War Wagon wrote:
By all means. Please, take 'em.

You fuckers steal my team 24 years ago, make KC an NBA exhibition outpost, and now you want to give it back?

Fuck you and fuck Suckramento. Fuck Jeffrie Lurie and everyone of that owners group who moved a team from a real major league town because they had fallen on temporary hard times.

Freaking vagabonds, that's what that franchise has become.

Well, point of fact, K.C. never supported the Kings the way Sacramento supported them for their first twenty years here.

Until two years ago Sacramento supported the Kings the way Chicago supports the Cubs. They sold out every night, no matter how bad they were.

Definitely not the case, back when they were in K.C.

They're about done here though. People here are fed up with the Maloof's meddling and everyone's obsession with and inability to get a new arena buillt.

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:47 am

Van, can we get married?

Holy shit, dude, you just brought up a pleathoratoric flood of memories. And then some.

I saw tons of games in person in the old HemisFair Arena (along with a shitload of absolutely sick concerts, of which ... if I ever had a time machine ... but I digress).

Gervin, Gilmore, and later Johnny Moore. OMG!

That place was fucking INSANELY fun! Especially during the playoffs.

And yep, Barkley's book: Link

And YES, it involves his usual candor, which is what makes it a great read. Hell, I read it in two nights.

Buy the paperback. You'll be fascinated, as well as cracking up, hard, at certain points. Good stuff!

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:53 am

Okay, I'll see if I can order it up on Amazon or whatever, in paperback.

Compared to all the more serious shit I've been reading lately, yeah, some laughs via Charles Barkley The Author would be mighty welcome.

RumpleForeskin · Post by **RumpleForeskin** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:22 am

Deck the attic in January
Extend the patio in February
Landscaping in March
Garage sale in April
Fuck around with Ubuntu in May
Extend shelves in pantry and utility room in June
Paint the master bedroom and bathroom in July
Countdown to football, baby!

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:34 am

at least EPSN has college football live all year round now

for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week i'll have a little chunk of heaven. Even if i do have to hear Holtz and May.

i'm going with the over of 5 shows focused directly on Tebow until kickoff.

today makes 1. nothing else on the entire show but tebow.

yay.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:14 am

Haaa! RF, I just ordered up the Barkley book. It was .09 cents, plus $3.98 in shipping!

I splurged on the nine cent edition. I coulda gotten it for one cent but those are only marked as "good condition" while this nine cent one was labeled "very good condition."

Such a deal!

Terry in Crapchester · Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:33 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:I find college basketball interesting from out of conference play to March Madness. The biggest difference between college b-ball and football, at least for me, is that my Saturdays don't revolve around college b-ball. I make a point to watch MSU, but make no other plans. I prefer to spend my Saturdays going out and doing other things, but if I'm at home, then yep, I'll probably be watching CBB.

Saturdays during CFB season, however, WILL be spent watching CFB. No ifs, ands, or buts. I've skipped weddings in favor of CFB, and felt no remorse because if you're going to be that dumbfuck who schedules a wedding on CFB saturday, you're just asking for no shows.

Over the years CFB has expanded to various other nights of the week, and you can bet I catch most of those games as well. I've said it before, but I'd rather watch a Thursday night Sun Belt game than most any other professional game, whether it be football, basketball, whatever.

^^^ Pretty much what he said. One of the other differences for me is that, being a fan of ND in particular and the Big East in general, I make a point of catching the first part of the Big Monday telecasts -- one of the few times I go out of my way to watch ESPN.

Van wrote:College hockey is a non issue for anybody who doesn't sound like Fargo.

I almost live in the Great White North. And my alma mater is currently ranked #1 in college hockey.

Notwithstanding the above, college hockey doesn't even budge the needle on my give a shit meter at least 99% of the time.

We could drop out of the top of the national rankings tomorrow, and it wouldn't affect my mood in the least. The same cannot be said, however, of a loss by the football team, or the mens' basketball team falling out of the Top 25.

As I've said before, if I were offered a Faustian (not Gerry) bargain wherein I would receive one national championship each in football and mens' basketball in exchange for a decade of winless seasons for every other varsity sport at ND, I would make that deal. In a heartbeat. Without a moment's hesitation or regret.

And yes, I realize that I just gave Screw_Michigan one more reason to hate ND.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:04 pm

Terry in Crapchester wrote:And yes, I realize that I just gave Screw_Michigan one more reason to hate ND.

Nah, no biggie, Terry. You're the norm there. Just be prepared to die without ever seeing another national title. You want what you can't have.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:51 pm

Van,

I have a feeling the Maloof brothers are driving the Kings into the ground intentionally. They want to clear the arena of fans during games so they can ultimately attempt to move the team to Vegas. With the NBA having the all star game in LV last year, I think they think the NBA will allow the move. In my opinion, Stern would never allow it.

Just my tin foil hat 2 cents.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:31 pm

Indy, 'round these parts Vegas is the (multi) million dollar question...

-Have the Maloofs already given up on Sacramento?

-If not, is there any chance of the Kings staying put long term if no new arena gets built?

-Wither to, should they decide to pack up and leave?

The Oklahoma City option is gone. The Kansas City option is still there, but it wasn't exactly a raging success last time. Ditto Seattle.

Vegas? Seems like a natural, doesn't it? It's the Maloofs' home base.

Many issues though with Vegas...

-Despite being horrible for most of their existence in Sacramento no team in NBA franchise history every received better and more loyal fan support than the Kings have received in Sacramento. In good conscience there's no way to justify ripping this team from this city.

Still, if it happened, most folks here are now of a mind to simply say...meh. Like I said, people here have grown weary of the Maloofs' meddling in team matters and of all the arena issue haggling. Also, expectations of success on the court have been established here to such a degree that no longer will the fans support what's happening now.

The fans here are now showing their displeasure...by not showing up to games...by sitting on their hands when they do show up for games.

-The Vegas economic crash. While Sacramento is among the hardest hit towns in the country in terms of the crashing housing market Vegas is right there with us. There's also the issue of the gambling industry in Vegas being hit to a larger and larger degree by the proliferation in California (and likely elsewhere) of Indian gaming casinos.

Now is not the time to be attempting a large scale arena project/professional sports franchise relocation to Vegas. Vegas has far more pressing issues.

-No arena. The Thomas And Mack Center isn't what the Maloofs have in mind. They want a brand new luxury suites equipped palace.

Biggerbetterfasterstrongerglitzier, that's the Maloofs.

No such ready-to-move-in arena exists in Vegas. Are the Maloofs prepared to go through the same arena building hassles in Vegas they're already going through now in Sacramento?

-David Stern. Yeah, he allowed an NBA exhibition game to be played in Vegas. Would he allow real games to be played in the mecca of sports gambling, including having a team located there...a home team whose owners have made their family fortune through gambling?

So far nothing has publicly changed with Stern regarding his vehement anti gambling/anti Vegas stance. The Tim Donaghy scandal sure hasn't helped the Vegas cause either.

Stern is still pushing hard for Sacramento get the arena project done.

-Is Vegas even an NBA town? Sure, Vegas will show up for a star studded event like the NBA All Star Weekend. Will they however show up on a cold Tuesday night in Februrary when the lowly Kings are hosting the lowly T-Wolves?

Conventional wisdom says no, they won't. Vegas is a city of transplants. There's no inherent fan base there which would be loyal to some new carpet bagging NBA team. Moreover, Vegas is an "events" driven town. The nightly grind of the NBA is just not going to lure people away from everything else Vegas night life offers, especially when you're talking about a horrible product on the court.

I just don't see it. I could see the Kings moving to Anaheim or San Diego before I could see Vegas. Seattle, too. Seattle has at least shown the willingness and the ability to support an NBA franchise and Stern would be much more likely to push for a re-location to a wounded NBA city than to the one place on earth where he doesn't want to see an NBA franchise.

SoCalTrjn · Post by **SoCalTrjn** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:10 pm

Papa Willie wrote:
War Wagon wrote:
Sudden Sam wrote:Okay. Ummmmmm....the season's over. No games to discuss. No rankings to bicker over.

What the hell happens now?!

Do I have to...shudder... WORK?!?!
Most balanced folks move on to other interests.

Nothing wrong with working, either. There's about 12 million Americans can attest to that.

If your fat, lazy ass justs sits in front of a computer all day posting about CFB while you get paid for it....

Then you are one lucky bastard.

Quit your whining.

You're not from the South. You wouldn't understand.

Fucking your sister, having your washing machine on the front porch, wearing pointy white hats, waving racist flags, chain smoking, eating greasey food... its all part of being from the South and none of us from civilization will understand. Besides, those inbreeders have that merry-go-round auto racing bullshit to look forward to now.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:20 pm

Jsc810 wrote:
SoCalTrjn wrote:
Papa Willie wrote:You're not from the South. You wouldn't understand.
Fucking your sister, having your washing machine on the front porch, wearing pointy white hats, waving racist flags, chain smoking, eating greasey food... its all part of being from the South
Damn, I've only done one out of that six. Does that mean I'm not from the South?

You fucked your sister?

SoCalTrjn · Post by **SoCalTrjn** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:02 pm

awwwwwww is widdle wiwwie saying he doesnt wike stereotypes now?

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:03 pm

Van wrote:-Despite being horrible for most of their existence in Sacramento no team in NBA franchise history every received better and more loyal fan support than the Kings have received in Sacramento.

Oh, I didn't realize it was Sacramento that sold every ticket to every game for 22 years straight.

Oh, wait... it wasn't.

But looking at the first webpage that comes up on the subject, Sac does sell a big percentage of their available tix every season.

And they still want to move.

What does that say about your town, by your estmation?

The nickname Loserville sure comes to mind.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:47 pm

Dins, I know the Kings set an attendance record for most consecutive sellouts. Or, at least I know we here in Sacramento had that little factoid jammed down our throats for many a year, and not just by the local media. Any time network tv used to come to town to do a game in Sac they used to always bring it up, how the Kings were now working on their NBA franchise record 4,321,745th straight sellout.

And that was despite the fact that the Kings usually sucked, which can't be said of Portland or New York.

I don't know how the NBA arrives at those statistics. I do know that a year or two ago the streak ended and that's how it was described: "NBA record consecutive games sellout streak in Sacramento comes to an end."

If however Portland has the record, or New York, then I stand corrected. (I highly doubt New York would have it though...)

Maybe Portland has the all time record and Sac had the current record, before it ended? I know Portland is certainly no longer working on any 22 year streak and I know Sac had themselves a many multiple year streak.

I just spent twenty minutes scouring the web for a listing of NBA franchise records for sell outs. Nothing. The NHL record, yeah, that one pops right up. Nothing on the NBA though. Couldn't find any individual ones for Sac or Portland either, other then oblique references.

My point though rermains unchanged. Sacramento supported the Kings like motherfuckers. They supported the Kings much better than K.C. supported the Kings. They also supported the Kings much better than Vegas ever would.

In all fairness, no, Sacramento's fans don't "deserve" to lose their franchise. They may not mind losing them at this point but they've earned the right to not give a fuck for a little while even as they retain their franchise.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:07 pm

I also don't know how they come up with those stats.

The very little I could find in quick websearches seems to indicate Portland still holds the consecutive sellout record.

But bear in mind... Portland's consecutive sellout streak lasted... oh, about damn near as long as the Kings have been in Sacramento... do the math.

Also bear in mind that until 1995, the Blazers' building held 12,888 (12,666 before they rearrainged some rows of seats).

Also bear in mind, Kings' ownership(s) is equally full of shit as Blazers' ownership(s) -- both of them were very well known for sending in ringers to buy up the last of the single-seat tix and whatnot, to keep their "streak" going.

I'd like to see a mechanism put into the NBA to force out owners like Bennett and the Maloofs.

Now normally, I'm about as big a proponent of individual rights and the free market as you'll find. Except there's a catch -- the NBA is a joint financial partnership. And cities getting the shaft like Seattle and possibly Sacramento isn't good for the league's image, at all. It's digusting that ultra-wealthy owners are, during these tough economic times, using what are essentially extortion techniques to leverage cities into building things they can't afford.

These shameless douchebags need to be stopped.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:38 pm

Dins, I'd mostly agree, with the one caveat being that until very recently the Maloofs were among the most beloved owners in all of professional sports.

They were long viewed as one of the shining lights of the NBA and they were definitely viewed as being the main reason the Kings finally became relevant there for awhile. Compared to the Jim Thomas era the Kings under the Maloofs instantly became one of the most aggressive, fan friendly franchises in the NBA. It was plainly obvious that the Maloofs were willing to do whatever it might take to make Sacramento a winner, and to make going to Arco a great time for all.

Two very big problems occured though, which fucked everything up...

Vlade and Doug got old, and Webber got hurt. That was the end of the Kings, in terms of sustaining what they'd built.

Gavin and Joe began to believe that they were real "basketball men," as opposed to simply being ungodly fortunate rich dorks who sat courtside wearing their passion on their sleeves. Instead of letting Petrie do his job the Maloofs acquired a little bit of Al Davis-itis, especially where player personnel moves are concerned.

Like Al Davis their hearts are mostly in the right place. They truly do want to win and they truly do care about their fans. They're just too ignorant and egotistical to realize they need to back away from the real "on the court" decisions.

Because of their meddling Petrie has finally also come under increasing fire.

Is he a puppet of the Maloofs and his hands are tied, or is he an overrated fuck up?

In any case this whole thing is going to get a whole lot worse before it ever gets any better.

Forcing out Rick Adelman was the worst thing they ever could've done, especially in lieu of the fact that they had no one lined up to replace him. It was a stupid knee jerk decision which was based entirely on emotions that have no place in these decisions.

You simply don't can one of the five best coaches in the NBA, a guy who was the only successful coach for your franchise, not unless you have a damn good replacement already lined up and ready to roll.

Did the Kings have that? Nope. They then compounded their error by going with the useless Erik Musselman, a guy they felt they could "control." They chose that guy over people such as Larry freaking Brown and Don Nelson, both of whom were available at the time.

Erik Musselman begat Reggie Theus, who was never even given a a fighting chance to succeed before he was prematurely and very unfairly fired.

They're now staring at a season of being as bad as they've ever been, and that's really saying something when you're talking about the history of the Kings franchise.

Yeah, this thing is headed towards some new version of rock bottom. No one knows just how low that can be for these guys and there's no real end in sight either. Playing in the West, there's just no foreseeable light at the end of this tunnel.

They're definitely "Loserville."