Three Options for the Kings and one for the City

In recents days, as yet another mediocre season comes to an end, a lot of commentators have suggested options for Sacramento's hapless Kings.

Eric Hogue, a local radio host, yesterday suggested that the city begin to hold the owners, the Maloof brothers, to their contracts which would in turn force them to stay in the city for a couple of more years.  Hogue speculated that the Maloofs have a series of obligations that could tie them up in court if they do not fulfill them.   Hogue suggested that would keep basketball in the city for a time and would give the city a better chance to attract another team.   The consequence of that action, if indeed it could be done, would be that the city would continue to have a laughingstock sports franchise (as if that were not the case already) because the Maloofs would not spend any more money on the team (as if they have in the last few years anyway).  

The second option, that some local sports fans would like to see, is to beg the Kings to stay.  That looks unlikely.  Evidently the Maloofs have already made their deal with Anaheim.   One alternative to that has been for some local owners to buy the team from the Maloofs.   The possibility of that option is near zero.

The third option is a variation of the first but let them leave but force the owners to live up to their contracts.  The Maloofs clearly owe the city $75 million in penalties to be able to move the club for jumping out of their contract early.  From my perspective it is likely they will try to slip away.  But the city attorneys and anyone else who could help should begin proceedings to understand what assets the Maloofs have and to begin to attach them with vigor.   If there are other obligations in the city - those two should be enforced with the rule of law.

As noted in an earlier post, some sports fans have suggested that without our basketball franchise that Sacramento will become a "cow" town, an also ran among cities.   The more I have thought about that logic, the less compelling it becomes.   Is Chicago a great city because of the Bulls and the Bears, the Cubs and the White Sox?  Or was it a great city before the sports franchises came there?  Is Albuquerque  a lesser town because it only has a AAA baseball team?   The simple answer is a city is vibrant or not because of all the things it offers - sports do not make or break a town.  When we learn that the city will be ready to continue up the ladder of prominence.