Hello Followers. Hope you’re having a great week.
As for me, well, what can I say? I’m brimming with almost excitement.
You see, today marks the start of “Filibuster Thursday”, the day where we take any and all snippets of semi-relevant news and drivel, grind it into a quasi-meaty paste, and then put it all together into a nicely crafted cyber tube-steak. And we do all of this for you. So read on, won’t you?
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Followers, when us Blogfathers set forth to craft the schedule for the off-season, I was first to volunteer my services for Thursday. Of course, I did so without knowing that Football practice would be scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday, and Satruday; meaning that I would have virtually no opportunity to cherry pick from the previous night’s practice report. As a consequence, I now find myself in the unenviable position of having to delve deep into the cyber abyss for any type of content. So, this is what I have come up with (in almost dot-dot-dot-dot style) for this week.
Sonics-Kings
A few weeks back, I wrote a couple blurbs about how the Kings were not coming to Seattle, in large part, because the transfer of the team from Sacto to Seattle would require the Maloofs to sell a team that they just aren’t gonna sell. Then, this past week, George, Joe, and Gavin Maloof decided to throw a wrench into the City of Sacramento’s plan to build a new arena by accomplishing two tasks: (a) Getting the NBA to cough up the 200k needed to start with real feasibility planning which T’d everyone off; (b) Lawyering up in ways that included a self-leaked memo which essentially let the world know that their “agreement” with Sacramento was completely non-binding.
Of course, the City of Sacramento got totally P-O’d by this whole stance and started their own personal name calling campaign. What’s more, while all this has been going on, my sources in the Capital City Region tell me that George Maloof, the previous King of the Palms in Las Vegas, has actively stepped up discussions with the City of Anaheim, hoping that a move to So. Cal could generate 30 million dollars plus in annual cable revenue that could save the Maloof’s sinking ship.
So, how does Seattle fit into this?
Well, based on all that is being reported, it has become obvious to this dummy that the Maloofs don’t have the money to be majority owners of an NBA franchise anymore. The problem for them is that still are refusing to relinquish majority ownership over the Kings (They sold the Houston Rockets in the 1980’s and vowed afterward that if given another shot, they’d NEVER sell again).
Of course, the problem for the NBA now is multiple. For one, Stern is in hip deep now with the City of Sacramento. For two, Stern doesn’t want to see a third team in So Cal—and neither does anyone else. For Three, Stern has a top 12 market in Seattle that is looking to play ball. And for Four, well, when it comes right down to it, the league’s owners are reticent to tell any of the other owners what to do, in large part, because they don’t want any other owners telling THEM what to do.
So, the dates to keep an eye on are the NBA owners meetings April 12-13th. Personally, I would not be one bit surprised if the Maloofs are talking with Chris Hansen about a partnership arrangement, whereby Hansen buys 49% of the Kings, agrees to buy-out a portion of the Maloofs’ debt, and then gets sole rights of majority ownership in the event that the Maloofs want to (a) sell; or (b) relocate. Either way, Seattle gets a team and the Maloofs maintain their need for “controlling” ownership of an NBA franchise. Meanwhile, Stern can save face by then guaranteeing a team to Sacramento in time for the 2015 season (Charlotte), assuming that the billionaire prospective owner from So. Cal is still in play for the Kings.
Again, tricky issue because there are so many moving parts, but unless the Maloofs are given no other opportunity, I don’t see them selling and I don’t see them staying in Sacramento, even with the new alleged arena/parking deal. So, NBA fans, tune into SportsRadio on April 13th. Should be a doozy.
Mariners
Apart from the fact that no one cares about opening day anymore, the Seattle Mariners just completed one of the great debacles in pro-sports by publicly criticizing Hanson’s plan to build a new Entertainment Complex in SoDo. And in so doing, alienated all but 4 of their remaining 1500 fans.
You know, in my book, there is nothing wrong with strenuously and aggressively contesting ANY business move that you think could undermine your product and/or your profitability. The problem with I have with the M’s is NOT they tried to slow down the Arena, but that they ended the letter by letting everyone know that they would work with Hanson and the City if SoDo was the preferred site for an arena.
Really?
I mean, if you’re ultimately willing to work with all partners irrespective of the outcome, isn’t it just better to voice your concerns behind closed doors and just leave it at that? Otherwise, you run the risk of coming across as a bitter loser that whines and cries because they are incapable of doing something else, including that “other thing” known as winning. And, in a fair weather sports town like Seattle, being viewed as “the” Loser is not where you want to be.
Losers!
College Football
Lots of articles out in the internet about what Mark Emmert and company have in store for College Football once the current BCS agreement expires. While there is still considerable support for a Plus-One system which would keep the current bowl system intact, there is also growing support for a four team playoff, whereby the highest ranked schools would play host to the National Semi-Final games, and the Championship game would then be played on a neutral site following the Bowl Season.
Don’t know about you all, but don’t both plans kind of seem similar?
Put another way, would you rather see an National Semi-Final of Oklahoma playing Wisconsin in Madison on a Snowy December Saturday or would you rather see them face off in the Fiesta bowl in a plus-one format?
What about if the Cougs were in one of those games, would you rather see us play a road game or would you rather see a National Semi-Final played in the Rose Bowl?
Apparently, we’re gonna find out pretty soon which direction the NCAA and the Conference Commissioners will take on this.
Okay, that’s all I have on this Thursday afternoon. Next week, we’ll check in on the Cougs football fortunes and we’ll also have a few words about Cougar hoops in 2012-2013.
All for now. Go Cougs.
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