We have had a good debate, so far, about the merits of offers to purchase, and arena build plans. But, I don't think that's where the "bidding war" is actually being fraught at this point. I expect comparisons to naturally trend toward corporate support.
The scramble by Sacramento to get a term sheet together for an arena better not be the same kind of effort they display going into April 3rd's meeting with the NBA. But, to this point, nothing indicates that their show and tell of corporate support will be anymore organized and executed.
The news out of Sacramento yesterday may have hinted at a discussion that is not likely going to be in the public sphere, and where things are moving on to behind closed doors.
Just days after it was announced that Silicon Valley entrepreneur Vivek Ranadive had joined Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle in their bid to keep the Sacramento Kings from moving to Seattle, Ranadive himself announced tonight, in a phone interview with The Sacramento Bee, that he is adding a fourth heavyweight partner to the mix: the Jacobs family of San Diego, which heads Qualcomm, an international high technology company.
The trio, Paul, Jeff and Hal Jacobs, could not be reached immediately for comment. But Ranadive, a co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, told The Bee the trio bring added heft and expertise to the Sacramento team.
. . .Qualcomm is one of the largest companies in America, with more than $6.1 billion in earning last year, according to US Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The family-run company was founded in 1985, has offices in more than 150 countries, and purchased the naming rights to San Diego's Major League Baseball stadium.
Ranadive said the addition of the Jacobs family is not necessary, however, for the Sacramento group to compete with Seattle, it just adds to the heft of the local bid.
"Each person in this has the capacity to do this on their own," he said. "This is about building a global brand. It's about putting more wood behind the arrow."
Read more here: SacBee, Sacramento bid to keep Kings attracts fourth heavyweight investor
So, building the family name as a global brand? Uh, no. Families don't do that, corporations do.
It just looks like they are building up for their corporate support pitch. And, you'd have to be not paying attention to think Chris Hansen wouldn't be preparing for this, too. He has prepared for everything else. He's taking names for ticket waiting lists, don't you think he would also be working on corporate support, too?
It would be great for discussion sake if Hansen announced on April 1st some corporate support when he reveals how many people signed up on the waiting list, but don't hold your breath.
Chris Hansen is building an arena and he is going to bank on naming rights. I'm not sure why he wouldn't have engaged in at least preliminary talks, and I don't see why he wouldn't make those efforts known to the NBA board of governors (not for public consumption).
For those of you that have followed this story over the past 3 months can attest, it's always been the corporate support that is Seattle's advantage.
It still is.