Tag: Kings

Maloofs open to “all options” for Kings

Regarding what to do with the Kings, dumping them on Anaheim or Vegas is now an option. I can’t really see Anaheimians attending Kings games, but maybe an underwhelming last place basketball team that is currently showing it can waste even a rookie of the year is just what that area needs. It doesn’t sound like the Maloofs are as secure in Vegas as they once were, so if they move there it won’t be for the same reasons it would have been a few years ago. I also can’t see the NBA going for contraction but it would fit the storyline of the day and age we’re in.

It would probably take at least 2 years to move the franchise to Vegas. At this point the grieving process, once the other shoe drops, will only take about 2 days…

Hitting the reset button

We at the Sac Rag realize none of you care about the Sacramento Kings professional basketball team, but you can’t help but be depressed moved bummed out by this post-game press conference after another ugly loss.

The sad state of the Kings is making national news and while a coaching change seems to make sense, owner Joe Maloof is denying anyone is on their way out.

When pressed, Maloof said definitively that Petrie and Westphal will be in their positions for the remainder of the 2010-11 season regardless of how many games the team loses. “Yes,” Maloof said. “We’re not making any moves. The answer is yes.” A person with direct knowledge of recent statements by a high-ranking member of the organization painted a different picture, telling CBSSports.com that frustration with the Kings’ 5-22 record had reached a breaking point. At one point after the Kings’ 84-79 home loss to the Bucks Thursday night, owner Gavin Maloof was overheard in the tunnel saying that the culture of the organization had to change. “It’s time to hit the reset button,” Gavin Maloof said, according to the source.

Maybe the NBA could take over this team, too?

Open thread: What to do about these Kings?

Is regicide the only answer?

Well, that sucked. There were some bright spots, most notably getting ‘Reke back, but otherwise not good. So, open thread especially for us mostly out-of-the-loop-don’t-really-care types to suggest what can be done to salvage this season. I’ll start off the discussion: More jazz bass. RIP Wayman

P.S. Sac Bee, what is the deal with the URLs lately? That one literally has “asdf” repeated about a dozen times. Is this a thing I don’t know about? Does purposely trying not to have SEO lead to greater SEO?

Kings assistant coach arrested on DUI charges

OK, what’s the deal? Kings assistant coach, Mario Elie, was arrested for driving under the influence early this morning. Granted, you’d celebrate, too, if your team won a game after sporting the league’s worst record.

“We are very concerned and disappointed in regard to Mario’s arrest for DUI. This is an ugly form of history repeating itself. We expect better, knowing at the same time there are limits to how far you can go to protect people from themselves. In spite of all of this, we still respect Mario’s right to due process,” said Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

Man, Geoff must be simply swapping out the names each time with these statements. I did enjoy the line about protecting people from themselves. That’s good stuff.

The last few Kings players/coaches who have been arrested are no longer with the team. If the phone rings, Mario, don’t answer it!

Is it Sacramento? Is it professional sports? Is it professional sports in Sacramento?

@SacramentoKings you’re not even fun to watch

The Sacramento Kings (yeah, they are still around, who knew?) are looking to reward “influencers” who tweet about them with the “royal” treatment during Saturday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.

“These influencers have tremendous online reach — they live to talk on Twitter,” Garth Holsinger, Klout vice president of global sales and business development, said in a news release. “The buzz comes in the form of a huge conversation on Twitter, Facebook and other major social networks.”

Will tweeting about the Kings make them play better? Can an influencer make them not cough up a 13 point halftime lead at home? Can the hash mark them enough to make the games exciting?

One person will be chosen to sit in on Coach Paul Westphal’s postgame news conference.

Oh, joy, that will be a scream. This person will get to listen to Westphal try and spin something positive out of another horrible performance. “Yeah, we’re doing some really positive things right now…we just need to execute down the stretch and not turn the ball over so much.”

Go professional sports!

Another DUI for Kings player

Another member of the Sacramento Kings was arrested Thursday night for driving under the influence. I know, blah, blah, yawn, yawn.

What does interest me though are the comments and statements that make up these articles.

…said in the team statement Friday that his client is cooperating fully with police in nearby Rocklin.

Really? So we should think a little more of his client because he’s not kicking and screaming and telling everyone to eff off?

In a press release, Wright said, “I’m sorry for having gotten myself into this situation. I sincerely apologize to my teammates and coaches, the Sacramento Kings Organization, the Sacramento community and my family.”

In your prepared statement the best you could come up with was “having gotten myself into this situation”? And in the history of doing something wrong, how many people have not apologized afterward?

Now *that* would be a headline.

Math and the housing market

Help me out here, folks. I was reading this article about former Kings basketball star Kevin Martin being sent a notice of default on his million-dollar Rocklin home and I am left curious.

Martin, who will earn $10 million this year playing for the Houston Rockets, first missed a payment on his $1.5 million home loan in June, according to Foreclosures.com. His lender filed the notice of default last month…Martin’s Rocklin home is listed for $1.1 million as an “active short sale,” meaning that if someone buys at that price, his bank could take a loss…Martin paid about $1.9 million for the home in the gated Whitney Oaks subdivision in July 2007.

Is the 1.5 million number referring to what he owes on the house still? And how does someone making 10 million a year allowed to short sell his home? And we’re supposed to rest assured knowing that Kevin is not going to walk away from this home because he’s a stand-up guy? What if this property had gained in value? Would he have donated the profits of the sale to a local charity? You know, because he’s a stand-up guy? I wonder. You invested in a property that went south, you have to live with the consequences, right? At least you do when your income hasn’t been severely altered like so many others in this country. Obviously I am no expert and do not know the details of this particular case, but it sure is tough to read as a tax payer and Sacramento resident who is upside down on his home that someone with the means to pay his bills is finding away to get around them.

Help me out here. Am I way off base? I am assuming I can blame Obama here though.

More on Tyreke’s suspension

Tyreke Evans learning he's been caught on tape.
Why did they not follow the other car?
I can’t decide where I stand on this (horribly old, I can’t believe I’m taking about it, wish I was cool like…) Tyreke Evans speeding/suspension story.

Kings guard Tyreke Evans was suspended for one game without pay for his reckless driving charge on May 31, the league announced today.

This made the news originally, but was quickly passed up by other sports stories. Then, the video was released and things started back up again. And now the NBA decides it wants to crack down on these misbehavin’ kids.

Also suspended by the NBA were Brandon Rush of the Indiana Pacers and Kenny Hasbrouck of the Miami Heat. Rush was suspended for five games for violating the league’s anti-drug program and Hasbrouck two games for driving while intoxicated.

I tend to lean on the side of “these kids need to learn their lesson” as it is frustrating to read one story after the other about professionals athletes making bad decisions. And, although no one was injured in the incident, there were some seriously close calls what with the bobbing and weaving going on between the two cars. On the other hand, is this suspension in response to the action or the publicity of the video and subsequent renewed media attention? That is, is this like rubbing your dog’s face in the mess he made in the living room twenty minutes after you’ve cleaned it up?

Kings continue push for #RekeROY

As the Kings wind down a forgettable season (7 losses in a row and counting…) their “totally unnecessary” campaign to get Tyreke Evans the Rookie of the Year award (ROY, get it?) reached ludicrous speed when they enlisted the talents of Dude Perfect to make crazy shots around Sacramento.

Hey, I’m not made out of wood, these shots are pretty cool.

Where the magic happens…

Here’s an entertaining, low budget video of Kings Forward/Center Jason Thompson taking viewers on a tour of his house crib. I especially enjoy the SPOTlighting and Carl’s Jr. force.

His diet choices were not lost on hoopeduponline.com

Jason Thompson nearly has everything a NBA player could want. Money, fame, a nice house but he definitely does not have a chef of nutritionist. Just by watching this video of JT showing you his crib, you could go into a diabetic shock because it’s like Willy Wonka is his roommate.

Here’s to next season, right? And to Andres Nocioni for pulling down a team high 7.5 million this season! I’ll drink to that…