The Kings

Many of my Nextians went to UC Davis and became Kings Fans even though they weren't from the Sacramento area.  This was back in the days where Tivo didn't exist and the internet was used as an email machine and to download pictures of, well, you know what I'm talking about.  We couldn't watch our home team on TV or follow them on the internet.  For those of us from the Yay Yera, Warriors vs. Kings matchups were some of the most fun we had in front of the TV in college (aside from the OJ Trial, first season of South Park, last season of Seinfeld).  We'd sit in the Segundo Dorms or Arlington Farms Apartments with cheep beer and and watch Kings games with a passion.  My Sophomore year roommate even worked for the Kings pushing a button courtside that revolved the on-court advertisement panel.  He loved being there even though the job paid him $5.50 an hour which he spent most of in gas money just to get there and back.  The 2002 team was an incredible ride and much of our Laker hatred stems from Horry's 3 pointer and the official's screwing the Kings out of Game 6.  And even though most of us are in the Bay Area and can now be more committed Warriors fans, the Kings still have a place in all of our hearts.  They essentially were our college team.

I was trying to formulate some ideas on everything that's going on in Czar Stern's office, with the Maloof's relocation push, with Mayor Kevin Johnson's attempts to keep the Kings, with local Sacramento businesses promising more advertising money, and most importantly with the fans.  It was difficult to figure it all out.  All I know is that Sacramento really cares about their team.  Like they care as much about it as the Seattle Supersonics fans did about their hijacked franchise.



But then Sportsguy Bill Simmons wrote a great piece (finally!) on the Maloofs and said everything I didn't have the time or skill to compile.  It's not about DumbMarcus Cousins or Tyreke Evans or the inflated Beno Udrich salary.  It's about how the owners are trying to screw the city of Sacramento and are hopefully not going to be successful. It's about Czar Stern and his pandering to the owners of a franchise while giving a far less shit about the fanbase.  It's exposing the truth to what is wrong in the NBA today.  Taking a loan from the city of Sacramento and then trying to get Anaheim to pay your relocation fees while you haven't even bothered to pay back your loan to the city you're trying to abandon?  At the risk of sounding angry, I will never set foot in the Palms Casino and their new billion dollar tower again.