Sports

Opinion: How I felt watching the Kings for the last time

2011-04-14T16:12:22Z

I couldn't make it to the game last night. I am almost glad, because crying at a basketball game sucks. I didn't cry when the Kings were behind, I didn’t cry when the Kings made a 20 point come back in the 4th quarter and then took the lead. I didn't even cry when Kobe made a 3-pointer with 4 seconds left (as I knew he would) and the game went into OT.
I didn't even cry when the Kings lost.

I think I started to tear up right about the time that the final buzzer sounded and not a single person moved. When, despite the loss the crowd stood and started applauding, loud thunderous applause like in the days of the great Sacramento Kings teams. I am pretty sure I actually had tears rolling down my face when head coach Paul Westphal walked out onto the court and started applauding the fans.

It is just a basketball team right?

Maybe...maybe

Watch this Youtube video of Kings TV annoucers Grant Naper and Jerry Reynolds signing off last night and tell me if this franchise is just a basketball team here in Sacramento. These guys aren't losing their jobs. What they are losing is 26 years of commitment, family and history in a city that has beloved this franchise through thick and thin. What they are going to is a sport saturated market full of front-running fair weather fans who will only go to the game if they can catch a celeb sighting.

What do the Kings mean to you? To me they mean memories. Memories of countless hours spent with my dad and my husband screaming at the TV or going to the games. Get-togethers with friends to watch play-off games. Group outings to the games because that was fun. So much fun.

Hell, I was at a Sacramento Kings game when I watched (from the upstairs Cantina Bar) my beloved San Francisco Giants win the World Series last November. I will never, ever forget that.

So how did I feel last night? I felt like someone died. I will never, ever forget that.

#HereWeBuild is calling all professionals

2011-04-03T18:41:47Z

If you have been following the news, or driving along any freeway in Sacramento the last few days, you have likely seen the hash tag #HereWeBuild. If you don't know what it is all about, refer to my article from a few days back for the details.

For a grassroots movement that just started Tuesday, #HereWeBuild has raised more than $400,000 dollars. No money has been collected, but the committed individuals behind the movement are taking this Twitter campaign to the next level.

In a statement released by idea man Carmichael Dave on the #HereWeBuild website, a team is being formed to take this groundswell of Twitter pledges to a viable donation campaign. "Version 2.0" as Dave calls. #HereWeBuild is looking for a Financial Institution, Legal Team, Accounting Firm, Public Relations representative, Web Design team, Product Distributors and additional merchant services. All services come in the form of a donation to the cause. For a business, you really can't find a better way to align your product with positive vibes in this community.

For anyone who is capable, qualified and willing to donate their time and services to the #HereWeBuild movement, contact ~~HereWeBuild@hotmail.com.~~ Carmichaeldave@hotmail.com

From HereWeBuild.com:

"Win or lose, succeed or fail, I believe we are well on our way to showing not just our city leaders, but the entire nation that the people of the Sacramento region will not go out quietly, and will not roll over without a fight."

-Carmichael Dave

Sactown comes together #HereWeBuild

2011-03-31T03:10:17Z

After a night full of deep sighs and deep sadness at the reality of the Sacramento Kings taking their game south, imagine my surprise when I logged-on to my Twitter account and saw post after post with the hash tag #HereWeBuild. What? It was obvious to me that this was Kings related, because this season has been "Here We" {insert hopeful verb here}, but Here We Build was a new one to me. So I followed the trail. I had no idea that a movement had started in this city last night. A serious movement. A movement independent of the government, of the politicians and a movement that was as heartfelt as anything that has happened since the beginning of this whole mess.

The people of Sacramento are raising money to build an arena. On TWITTER!

Maybe not today or even this year, but $10 by $1000 donations, private citizens are donating money to a fund called #HereWeBuild.

The idea was inspired by local radio show host and lifetime Kings Fan, Carmichael Dave. Check out his Twitter page to see the donations pouring in from all over the city, even outside of the area. The idea exploded after an innocent series of tweets ;ast night.

CarmichaelDave
"Anaheim has voted 5-0 to issue bonds for Renovations to the Honda Center."

CarmichaelDave
"I personally have voted 1-0 to issue 100 dollars cash towards a new arena in Sacramento. Who's with me. Any and all amounts welcome"

What followed was something even a diehard Kings fan like Dave couldn't have imagined. Donation pledges came pouring through over Twitter. In just a few hours, thousands of dollars had been pledged and the hash tag #HereWeBuild was formed.

As it stands tonight, a little over 24 hours after this groundswell started, well over $100,000 has been pledged and the media is all over this. Not just the Sacramento media mind you. #HereWeBuild is the number one most used trend in Sacramento and has drawn notice of the New York Times. Carmichael Dave has had a busy, busy day and it has only just begun. He has interviews lined up all night tonight and all day tomorrow. The power of social networking has become a reality.

I spoke with Dave for a few minutes and he seemed grateful, if not amazed by the whirlwind of activity in such a short period of time.
"It is changing hour by hour with fireball speed as most Internet trends do, but what is different is that we have a committed group of people unwilling to let the bumbling city leaders of Sacramento have the last word on the Kings moving. We'll make sure the fans get that."

The power of the people is truly an amazing thing. Just when everyone (including me) thought it was too late, a groundswell of support rises up so big that no one will be able to ignore it. Maloofs, I hope you are listening.

Opinion: Way to burn your bridge Sacramento

2011-03-29T18:35:24Z

I wonder if the Glass Agency will post a new billboard that will say "Ok, NOW it is over".

The letter written by Assistant City Manager of Sacramento, John Dangberg to the City Manager of Anaheim, Thomas Wood yesterday was the final straw. If there was any hope of the Kings staying, it is long gone. Not only was the letter impulsive and uncalled far, according to the Maloof brothers, who have finally spoken, it is off base.

The letter requests that Anaheim stop negotiations with the Kings because their actions are causing "irreparable harm" to the City of Sacramento. It then goes on to suggest that if the Kings do move, the Maloofs would blow off their 77 million dollar debt. Why our city representative would even suggest that is BEYOND me. The Maloofs have never missed a payment; have even paid forward according to Joe Maloof in an interview with the local Anaheim paper, The Orange County Register.

I am pretty ashamed of Sacramento today...I hate saying that but it is true. I am angry that I was represented by my Assistant City Manager in such a careless way. Too bad we can't get out of our own way. Good-bye Kings....

Love Sacramento, the forever Cow-town

Here We Stay...and other ways to be heard

2011-02-23T18:26:02Z

The city is buzzing with the news that the Kings appear to be heading out of town and down the coast. However, it hasn't happened YET and it isn't too late to let your voice be heard. There is a movement called "Here We Stay" that is asking Kings fans to sell out the February 28th game against the LA Clippers. That game falls the night before the March 1st deadline the NBA has set for owners to file for relocation to another city. Last I checked there were only 1,000 tickets left for the game.

A sell-out would be fantastic and certainly make a statement, but it is not enough. That is less than 18,000 people from the entire city showing their support. What about people who are not Kings fans, but support the building of a new entertainment venue? What about those who support the cause but can't afford a ticket to the game?

There is an opportunity here for anyone who wants to take action in their own way, on their own budget. Local PR firm Glass Agency put up billboards on I-5 proclaiming "Game Over: If the Kings leave, we all lose." Not everyone has that kind of cash or means, but you can let your voice be heard.

One option is to contact your city officials. This blog provides a sample e-mail and the addresses for your local city officials. Remember, this isn't only about keeping the Kings in Sacramento. In fact, the Kings are only a small part of the larger picture. Do you want a new entertainment arena in Sacramento? Tell them. Do you have a suggestions on where to put it or how to pay for it? Tell them. Don't stop with your city officials. Write the papers, the news stations and every other public entity you can think of. Get to the decision makers.

As a city, we do have options to get this arena built. A few cents extra on our taxes (seriously, a few cents) and we can not only own the arena as a city, but reap the benefits of it for the next 25 years. Alternatively, if we are lucky, some private investor will show up, plunk down the dough and we’ll be good to go. Either way, we have to quit thinking small town and remember that we are worth a new arena. Sacramento is a beautiful city full of amazing people who are capable of getting things done. So let’s do it.

A Kings move is a Sacramento loss

2011-02-22T22:20:01Z

For anyone who thinks that losing the Sacramento Kings is only that, the loss of a professional sports franchise, think again. If Joe and Gavin Maloof, Kings owners, choose to file for a move by the looming March 1st deadline and are granted relocation, this city will lose a lot more than 41 regular season home games a year. This is about more than basketball.

Arco Arena, soon to be Power Balance Pavilion, is an old, crumbling eyesore that is already being passed up by some of the big names in sports, music and entertainment for newer venues. Without the Sacramento Kings and the Maloofs, Sacramento is unlikely to build a new entertainment center and will continue to lose out to our shiny arena neighbors in San Jose, Stockton and even, gulp, Oakland.

A possible Kings relocation has been on the horizon for quite some time. We never thought this would happen. Some didn't (and still don't) care. Now it looks like it might finally happen as NBA Commissioner David Stern confirmed that the Maloofs have been in talks with the managers of the Honda Center in Anaheim, Ca about moving the team there.

You don't like the Kings you say? Ok. Do you like Lady Gaga, Disney on Ice, Monster Trucks, WWE, Taylor Swift, Usher, Dancing with the Stars, or Dane Cook? Did you like the 2 million dollars our city generated in NCAA play-off revenue? Oh wait, we lost that already due to our aged arena....An entertainment venue means jobs, it means visitors, it means revenue for this city that we are letting walk down the coast if we let the Kings leave.

Although Mayor Kevin Johnson is committed to trying to keep the team here, he can only do so much. Without support from the residents of Sacramento and beyond, the Kings should move. I just hope we understand what that means...You can give or take the Kings, basketball or the other entertainment outlets, but do you want to see Sacramento thrive or not?