Report: Maloofs explore moving the Sacramento Kings to Virginia

[InspiredLebowski]

http://www.news10.net/news/article/206251/3/Report--Sacramento-Kings-moving-to-Virginia


SACRAMENTO - The owners of the Sacramento Kings plan to move the team to Virginia Beach, according to a newspaper based in nearby Norfolk.

The Kings would be tenants in a new arena to be built near the Virginia Beach Convention Center and operated by Global Spectrum, according to Inside Business.

The paper says lease payments would be guaranteed for 25 years by Comcast, which owns Global Spectrum.
Comcast would reportedly get broadcast rights and its name on the new arena.

Inside Business quotes sources as saying the Maloof family will join Comcast officials in announcing the planned move next Wednesday, one day Virginia Beach mayor Will Sessoms briefs the city council in a closed session.

A deal between the Maloofs and the city of Sacramento to build a $391 million sports and entertainment complex in the Downtown Railyards collapsed three months ago when George Maloof announced the family didn't want to assume the additional debt burden.

[Derrick]

Thats bs :biggums:

[DTreats]

Ewww Virginia

[niko]

What? Isn't it a bad market? It's not populous, unless you are pulling from the Washington market i guess (or Baltimore?)

Why there?

[Bigsmoke]

so there is going to be more east than west teams again?

why can't they have the team in Fresno or some shit?

[SilkkTheShocker]

It would have been cooler if they were moving to West Virginia. They could have played their games in a giant barn and handed out jars of moonshine.

[KG215]

Well, that should make conference and division realignment interesting. Taking a team from one coast to the other. Wonder if they'll still be a member of the Western Conference their first year in Virginia?

[InspiredLebowski]

What? Isn't it a bad market? It's not populous, unless you are pulling from the Washington market i guess (or Baltimore?)

Why there?I agree it makes no sense. I think it's probably bullshit, but just passing it along.

[SilkkTheShocker]

Ewww Virginia


This. Virginia is boring as hell. Its a state you drive through to get to another state. Its makes Milwaukee look like Las Vegas

[RaininTwos]

Virginia is a cool state, chill brah.

But why won't they just move to Seattle and call it a day?

[Maniak]

The only place the kings should move to that starts with a V is Vancouver.

[Killbot]

:biggums: WTF?

Some of the division names are already a bit skewed. Putting them in Virginia is going to make it worse. :banghead:

[StateOfMind12]

It's not official yet.

[swi7ch]

About time Virginia gets any team in any major sports!

[Jimmy2k8]

It would have been cooler if they were moving to West Virginia. They could have played their games in a giant barn and handed out jars of moonshine.


:kobe:

Spoken like someone who has never lived in West Virginia.

[swi7ch]

What? Isn't it a bad market?
Here's all you need to know about Virginia. They have ZERO team in any of the major sporting leagues! No team in the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, etc. :roll: Meanwhile, states like NY or Cali has 2 teams per league!

That should give team owners a big warning sign!

[SilkkTheShocker]

Wasn't Deliverance filmed in Virginia? :oldlol:

[KG215]

Here's all you need to know about Virginia. They have ZERO team in any of the major sporting leagues! No team in the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, etc. :roll: Meanwhile, states like NY or Cali has 2 teams per league!

That should give team owners a big warning sign!

There's no other professional sports teams in Oklahoma, either, and their thriving. If they do move to Virginia and win, that will eliminate a lot of potential issues.

Not saying it would be easy but going to a small market in a state with no other pro sports franchises and thriving, can be done.

[Freedom Kid7]

http://i.imgur.com/JxcdP.gif

[InspiredLebowski]

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/08/23/report-kings-could-be-moving-to-virginia-beach/


However, Kings part-owner Joe Maloof rejected the claim. “We haven’t talked to Virginia beach,” he said.

The statement was echoed by team spokesman Eric Rose: “The Kings have been approached by numerous cities interested buying the team and relocating it. We are not going to discuss which cities have approached the team and are not going to comment on every rumor. I can tell you that the Kings are 100% focused on putting a winning team on the court.

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms told CBS13 that discussions had taken place about building the new arena, but didn’t mention the Kings.

“Comcast, Live Nation and Global Spectrum have come to the city. They would guarantee us a professional sports team if the deal goes through,” said Sessoms.

Sessoms said he was unaware of the Hampton Roads Business Journal’s article, and wouldn’t provide further comment about it.

[swi7ch]

There's no other professional sports teams in Oklahoma
At least they have one, OKC Thunder. And that team went to the Finals last year!!!

VA has none. Zero. Zilch. Nil. Ever.

We have amateur sport teams here for hockey and such but nothing in the majors.

[insidehoops]

Not sure I trust the source of the report.

Jeff

[SilkkTheShocker]

They already started contruction of the new stadium

http://www.dingoroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/courtyard-construction.jpg

http://blueridgeblog.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341c831253ef01053563e974970b-800wi

[Haymaker]

Let's put it this way: The Kings players will be asking to be traded to the Bobcats/Bucks/Wizards. Virginia is one boring ass place to live.

[crisoner]

Those dude are a$$holes and should just sell the team because they are broke!!!

They told the city of Sacramento they will give them time to come up with $$$ and a new plan for an arena with in a years time. Mayor KJ and the city did just that and there was a new deal and new arena all set. The announcement was made and all seemed well in Sacramento.

THEN the Maloofs start making outrages demands last second that they know the city will not be able to work out. And the deal is dead.

Straight up pricks man.

[InspiredLebowski]

This is the Kings PR man.

https://twitter.com/C2KingsPR/status/238693414785409024

There are more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamt in twitter philosophy. Smh
https://twitter.com/C2KingsPR/status/238694016135360512

Virginia Beach? Huh? @gwiss (https://twitter.com/gwiss): @C2KingsPR (https://twitter.com/C2KingsPR) Is that you comment on Virginia Beach?
I'd say the news station got a bad source. But it IS the Maloofs, who knows what those shady ****s are up to.

[christian1923]

They should go to jersey

[swi7ch]

They should move the team to Europe so fans over there can finally see quality basketball from American teams.

[no pun intended]

Jamestown Kings

http://bevanddara.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/beavertail.jpg

[bagelred]

West Virginia or East Virginia?

[KG215]

At least they have one, OKC Thunder. And that team went to the Finals last year!!!

VA has none. Zero. Zilch. Nil. Ever.

We have amateur sport teams here for hockey and such but nothing in the majors.

You completely missed my point. Oklahoma had zero, zilch, nada, no professional sports teams before the Sonics moved to OKC.

[CLTHornets4eva]

I actually think it will be a good move. The Tidewater area has a perfect NBA fan base- high wealth and a high African American area. Population is actually higher than you would expect.

[CLTHornets4eva]

As a TV market and fan base:

VA Beach/norfolk/hampton/Richmond >>> OKC

[no pun intended]

I actually think it will be a good move. The Tidewater area has a perfect NBA fan base- high wealth and a high African American area. Population is actually higher than you would expect.
You're right.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/post-your-photos/111387d1323486914-landscape-cotton-fields-imgp3880_filtered.jpg

[Raz]

Virginia is a cool state, chill brah.

But why won't they just move to Seattle and call it a day?

Exactly. The NBA should step in and take the team away from these idiots, and gift the team to Seattle. Heck, Pearl Jam could step in and buy the team, and call them the Seattle Mookies, with Jeff Ament as the new GM.

I'd move to Seattle if that happened.

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

Ewww Virginia

what the fcuk are you on ur fcuking period??

[CLTHornets4eva]

a 2011 bIZJOURNALS study has VA Beach as the 5th most feasable market.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POTENTIAL MARKETS FOR NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION






Rank

Metropolitan area

Pro teams in other sports

Capacity index for NBA

Rating for NBA

Available personal income (billions of dollars)



1

Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.

0

100

Sufficient

$125.756



2

Montreal

2

100

Sufficient

$82.959



3

Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn.

0

100

Sufficient

$69.886



4

Las Vegas

0

100

Sufficient

$69.317



5

Virginia Beach-Norfolk

0

100

Sufficient

$67.473



6

Providence

0

100

Sufficient

$67.143



7

Austin

0

100

Sufficient

$66.937



8

Hartford

0

100

Sufficient

$62.213



9

San Jose

2

100

Sufficient

$55.326



10

Richmond

0

100

Sufficient

$52.231

[MetsPackers]

One thing the Maloofs do have going for them, wherever they move too, is the name of the team. The Kings. That'd be cool as hell anywhere

The Virginia Kings
The Jersey Kings
etc

[wang4three]

What? Isn't it a bad market? It's not populous, unless you are pulling from the Washington market i guess (or Baltimore?)

Why there?

Baltimore is north of DC. I assume they're thinking Richmond or maybe Charlotesville. Or if they're ambitious, pull away any existing Bobcats fans.

[Eric Cartman]

I would like to get some vacation advise from Joakim Noah about how cool is Virginia.

[magictricked]

What the league should do is keep the Kings in Sacramento and move the Maloofs out of the owners box

[IGotACoolStory]

Virginia is a solid basketball state. Their college programs (UVA, VPI, VCU, ODU, George Mason, and Richmond) all have good or historically good basketball programs. For the most part, they have very supporting, knowledgeable, and dedicated fans.

Also Virginia is, easily, one of the best recruiting grounds in the country. Often grouped together with DC and Maryland, referred to as the DMV.

I don't know about the economic and tv market stuff, but it does have potential, purely from a basketball team and support stand point.

[bagelred]

Actually, moving to Virginia would be AWESOME.


Because we'd have a team called the Norfolk Kings. :bowdown: Comedy galore. :bowdown:

[DKLaker]

This. Virginia is boring as hell. Its a state you drive through to get to another state. Its makes Milwaukee look like Las Vegas


THIS X 1,000,000

[Haymaker]

I have no idea why Kansas City don't have an NBA team. It's a great city and they love basketball.

[Haymaker]

Exactly. The NBA should step in and take the team away from these idiots, and gift the team to Seattle. Heck, Pearl Jam could step in and buy the team, and call them the Seattle Mookies, with Jeff Ament as the new GM.

I'd move to Seattle if that happened. :applause: I'm all for that!

[UtahJazzFan88]

Personally, when I was in the VA Beach area like 5-6 years ago, I thought it was a decent area. VA Beach-Norfolk has been dying for a pro sports team for a while, but they don't have a decent arena at all. But it would be a nice small market team like OKC in terms of possible fan support.

However, the Maloof's look really stupid. If the Kings were to move, I wish it would be Vegas but there's not a decent NBA arena besides maybe the MGM Grand one. Would love to see some Kings games in Vegas since it's not that far away.

[BuffaloBill]

Virginia is a cool state, chill brah.




Yeah and Canada is a cool country.

[Da KO King]

The team would do very well there. Spent a few weeks working in Chesapeake. There are 3 major population areas all within driving distance.

[hawksdogsbraves]

Virginia sort of makes sense, but not as much sense as Seattle. Plus that way they'd still be on the West Coast.

[Kiddlovesnets]

lol this is quite funny if it does go through, especially if the Kings have to play in Western Conference while actually being a team located in the far east.
:lol

[crisoner]

Sac has a great fan base.
Sucks they are leaving...the Maloof's screwed them over hard.

[crisoner]

I guess Virgina beach can expect one of these as well.

http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/uploads/palms-hotel.jpg

[talkingconch]

They denied this on sportscenter

[crisoner]

They denied this on sportscenter

Which means they DID. Those bro's are full of it man.

I have no clue if Stern will allow this.

[Lebron23]

I hope MVP buy this team.

[InspiredLebowski]

Which means they DID. Those bro's are full of it man.

I have no clue if Stern will allow this.They already shut down an Anaheim (great market) move. The Maloofs are scumbags, they basically want someone to buy a minority stake, pay for a new building, while still letting them have majority ownership. They're ****ing jokes. Stern knows it and so do the rest of the owners.

[Rekindled]

why not move it to seattle

[bdreason]

People thought OKC wouldn't work either. Just sayin'.

[bdreason]

They already shut down an Anaheim (great market) move. The Maloofs are scumbags, they basically want someone to buy a minority stake, pay for a new building, while still letting them have majority ownership. They're ****ing jokes. Stern knows it and so do the rest of the owners.


Pretty much this also. Maloof's have major money issues, and shouldn't even own an NBA team at this point.

[InspiredLebowski]

People thought OKC wouldn't work either. Just sayin'.Stick the current Kings in OKC and see how great that market is. Jus'sayin. OKC's not only still in the honeymood period of getting a franchise but the franchise they got is GREAT. Unless we want to pretend like this current Thunder team wouldn't be selling out every game in Seattle, or literally any other market in the US.

I'll bump this in like...15 years when Durant retires and see how great OKC's supporting a franchise on its' second generation of fans. Could be great, but I doubt it.