When you walk into the commons area it really feels like LAX. The arena bowl needs an overhaul, especially new seats. It's showing its age.
Is it suitable for sitting and watching grown men play a game for 2.5 hours? Is it suitable for said grown men to play their game? I would answer yes to both.
Actually Key was about age 6 when Sonic owners first floated ideas of big major changes to it. Someone besides me saw that giant heap of rubble!! <kisses the ground> I knew that someday, someone would corroborate my story! I've been saying this for years, on this board and the old ESPN Sonic board, and people just quoted the websites, which are wrong and say the opposite, that KeyArena is just a new façade of the 1962 Worlds Fair.
Cool deal lol -- yeah, it was a weird thing to see and I can back you up. Seems like there should be pictures of it, but I did a quick search and didn't see anything.
A couple sports radio guys have been in Dallas all day and they think it's a foregone conclusion that relocation to Seattle will be rejected tomorrow. They have zero idea what will happen as far as the sale goes...going so far as to think it's possible that the finance committee may make a recommendation in the morning and the BoG votes on the recommendation in the afternoon. Totally blows my understanding about the 7 business day requirement for the BoG to review committee recommendations or maybe they just don't know what they're talking about. If the relocation vote goes down like they say, the chances of a team landing in Seattle any time soon are pretty small. Looks like the Blazers will continue to log the most miles for the time being.
I'v got a bunch of tweets from Tim MonteMayor on the subject, since he put out so many i'll piece them togethor to hopefully make a few none retarded paragraphs H&B news: This conversation started yesterday and continued in to this evening after a contact asked me about expansion in #Seattle .As I have previously reported, I was again told H&B have been aware of 2014-15 season but have not been willing to engage in that condoversation while The #NBAKings were still "in play". They have been aware of expansion for two months, in that time they have fought hard "to keep Sac alive" . However the tone and subject of NBA conversations changed this week after H&B where plainly told their relationship with the #Maloofs had damaged any good will they had built up with other owners in the league who have made it clear to H&B that the #Maloofs are not good partners for them and the "side deal" hurt them. H&B were told Monday that their chances of any #NBA ownership was fading fast because they continue to be aggressive and take steps that go directly against #NBA protocol in this situation Late Monday H&B began a conversation that was "concessionary" in nature and have "seemingly woken up to the reality of the situation" that the #Maloofs have made them look "Foolish" and it appears the #Maloofs "are directing the H&B groups direction". They were told in no uncertain terms that it was now or never. It was conveyed to me that H&B have told the #Maloofs that they needed to take a few days to reconsider their position ahead of Wednesday and that discussions surrounding expansion have now become a two way communication with H&B shifting their tone to returning the #NBA to #Seattle by any available means. The #Maloofs responded by reaching out to media member who they had previously ignored. My sources tell me that H&B took the day today to reach out and talk to #NBA people they trust who made it clear they were rapidly. losing the chance to own an #NBA team, they were told expansion is a real option, they were told the #Maloofs appear to be manipulating them. H&B were told that the #NBA was "shocked" at how the situation played out and disappointed that it appear H&B were "tone deaf to the reality of the situation" "how could they not know money was not the leading factor or consideration in any committee vote?" end. The #Maloofs made such a poor showing at the NY presentation that the #Seattle H&B group were warned in committee and in private that Continuing relationship with "that family" would substantially damage their efforts. They did not heed that warning until this week. My sources tell me the #NBA has been talking about how to "shake Chris Hanson out of this trance" for a month and that the Monday conference call focused heavily on how to salvage H&B as an ownership group. While I do not know who did what specifically it was made clear to me several #NBA owners and executives put a lot of effort in to opening a new dialogue with Hansen and it worked. A couple of other notes: Any one saying Hansen would own the #NBAKings in Sac and build an arena there is "in outer space" H&B is solely focused on returning the #NBA to #Seattle. Also the #Maloofs were so bad around the NY presentations that it not only made the vote a Formality but served 2 enhance what KJ presented I was told then and now that #Seattle was almost dead on arrival in NYC b/c of the #Maloofs I do not know what the next vote will bring as my sources say there is a lot of conversations to be had before any vote or decision but it is likely the next vote will bring some clarity and a path forward. That's all I have on the situation…the #NBA is working hard to cap source leaks and my sources have said they need to be very careful the #NBA has said any leak of information will be met harshly. For everyone saying I am a #NBAKings fan or apologist: everyone I know in Sac knows I am not a fan, I covered the team for a few yrs I only report what I am told, I am not paid to source or break news. My sources have been rock solid and accurate …and I stand by my reporting 100% Everything said was just put in order from Tim MonteyMayors(@TheMontyShow) twitter today. Was to much to post 40 tweets so I figured putting the information in paragraph form would be better.
The meeting starts at 11 am PDX time. Both Hansen and Ranadive groups will present, there would likely be some discussion time, so no telling when the action happens. One of the Seattle journalists thought we'd start hearing sometime between noon and 3 pm. I'd be pretty surprised if it's noon...guessing 1 or 2 is more likely. No one seems to know what actions, if any, will happen other than the relocation vote. Obviously, if they address other issues (like the sale agreements or the backup offer), then things will take longer.
Rhal -- thanks for putting all those tweets together. I don't buy that the NBA really raised any eyebrows about the Hansen and Maloof interaction until this weekend, when the backup deal was announced. Before that, it was pretty much purely a buyer/seller relationship and that had to happen if Hansen wanted to buy the team. At most, maybe the NBA was annoyed that Hansen had the deal locked up so that the Maloofs couldn't negotiate freely with Ranadive, but that's pretty standard business practice and they couldn't have been too surprised. Once the 20% ownership purchase was announced, I can understand why the NBA got annoyed. The way the facts are coming down, the Maloofs could be set up pretty well for a law suit...even better than the Hansen group and, of course, they wouldn't be worried about burning bridges with the NBA like Hansen and Balmer probably would. If the NBA forces the Maloofs to sell to Ranadive, the Maloof could point to: 1. Lost profit of $65 million 2. Erratic NBA process that extended timing multiple times to allow Sac to play catch up and also disclosed to Sac that it's offer was inadequate so that Sac could increase 3. Preventing Maloofs from obtaining funding to maintain ownership (aka rejection of the Hansen back up deal) 4. NBA consideration of the Ranadive deal despite Maloof's insistence that it not be considered Obviously, the back up deal adds another big factor to the list. The list of bad facts is long enough and significant enough that the Maloofs could make some pretty strong claims. Apparently, the Maloofs are subject to an arbritration clause, which could stop them from going straight to court. That said, Seattle sports radio interviewed an attorney yesterday, who seemed to think the Maloofs could beat that arbitration clause. As far as damages that that court might award to the Maloofs, that $65 million is a pretty good starting place and they'd probably try for treble/triple damages by claiming the NBA willfully violated the law. $65 million times three would obviously be pretty painful to the NBA. All of which is to say, assuming the owners force the sale to Ranadive, they could have a big mess on their hands. I get that they're annoyed at the thought of dealing with the mess, but they created the situation. The rabblerouser in me wouldn't mind seeing it all go south and both Hansen and Maloofs taking on the NBA...it would be interesting to watch. The more sane side would like to see both Sacramento and Seattle end up with a team.
Any chance there's someone tracking this closely and looking for the announcement that would be willing to email me the announcement if it lands between 1 and 2? I'm in a meeting from 1 to 2 and it's one that I can't be hitting reload on the phone constantly.
Dang, that's cold. The meeting is focused on a developing a drug that is very successfully curing certain types of cancer with minimal side effects. Does that help my case? We also sling the HCP acronym around frequently in that meeting, but everyone (other than me) is thinking healthcare provider when they use it.
I think I'd also be eligible for that five bucks because I wouldn't tell myself. Maybe I need to rethink this.
