Larry Ellison could respond as soon as tomorrow to overtures made to him in regards to possibly participating in an outside offer to buy the Kings and keep the team in Sacramento.
Although Cook said he asked the attorney to make the inquiries about a week ago, the attorney told him on Wednesday that he still hadn’t reached Ellison, who Forbes magazine says is the third-richest American.
“I know he is making that effort,” Cook said of the attorney. “I would expect by Monday or Tuesday next week he probably will make contact with him.”
Cook said he thought Ellison “would be a good possibility” to buy the 65 percent interest in the Kings that is held by the Maloof family, which has announced a deal to sell their share to a group that would move the team to Seattle.
Read more here, Oracle’s Larry Ellison has been asked to help keep Sacramento Kings basketball team from moving - San Jose Mercury News
Larry Ellison, do you want to be part of a land development project in Sacramento, California, and be majority owner of the Kings?
It involves a public battle to attempt a hostile takeover of the Kings.
Kinda weird that the entire source for this Ellison gossip is a minority owner who has forfeited his ownership to bankruptcy. Seems like some snow globe wishful thinking from a not too reputable source. A lot of that going on down in Sacto recently.
The City is going to have to determine really soon if they can stay separate from these guys. Kevin Jackson is going to pretend that he is operating separately from Cook but the reality is they were sitting together court side at the game on Friday. You can’t distance yourself from the consequences of suing someone when you are in fact instigating it.
I’m going to make a call on Monday to this guy Rob Stutzman. I get what he is doing but he has to get that we are either doing this thing with manners or the damage is going to go both ways. I’m approached DAILY by people who want to undermine the Sacramento efforts. Funding their own initiative 91, assisting anti-arena forces to get their message together and frame this as a “jocks VS Schools” argument, etc. I tell them every time that this is a race not a wrestling match and it is not appropriate for either city to undermine the others efforts.
If they cross that line then it will be on for me and we can throw down like we did with the port.
Sacramento’s built-in political class has rallied to the cause. When the Kings’ owners considered moving the team south to Anaheim, Republican consultant Rob Stutzman collected signatures in an effort to block public financing for a new arena there. The plan eventually fell through.
“Don’t think we won’t take a look at Seattle and what they’re going to do with public funds up there,” Stutzman said in an interview.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sacramento-kings-20130127,0,1077399.story?track=rss
Saw that quote from Stutzman in the LA times too Brian. I get that Steinberg was threatening Microsoft contracts, but what exactly does Stutzman think he can do in regard to “public funds up there”? Does this dude know it’s a done deal other than a couple of frivolous lawsuits and an environmental review? What is he suggesting, filing a couple of more frivolous lawsuits with front groups and playing some dirty tricks in regard to the environmental review? IMO this is just a douchebag blowhard that thinks he can get his way with a bit of tough talk. Laughable at best, but I suppose it’s always good to keep an eye on these yahoos.
My bet is Van Dyk and his “Citizens for Crapping on Arenas And Stuff” sues this Stutzman for working their side of the street.
They start any signature drives up here and the gloves are off.
http://stutzmanpa.com/
There is a website for him with phone number and email for his offices.
The second we need to take action Brian we will rally!!!
When you have as much money as Larry Ellison does you are always a factor. People here like to down play him theorizing that the NBA doesnt like him or a number of other conspiracy theories. Some claim that the NBA doesnt want them in San Jose for some territory issue. There are no territories in the NBA. See Los Angeles.
The main reason is that hes not working for us and he really is a threat. Larry Ellison is Chris Hansen. They are the same guy looking to do the exact same thing but to different markets.
But with that said, the main reason Ellison isnt going to get into this is the price. Hansen is grossly overpaying for a percentage of this franchise. If this was a move Ellison was willing to make………he could have done this years ago…….and bought an entire team for that price.
I mean if Ellison wanted to own the Kings wouldnt he have put in his bid/effort already?
There was a report that the Maloofs already floated the $525 million valuation deal by Ellison prior to coming back to the Hansen group and he rejected them. It may be that he’s already turned away from this. I agree that in theory he’s a threat, but I still don’t see Ellison’s potential involvement as a reason to turn away from a signed, binding sales agreement.
Yeah Chris Daniels retweeted I think it was Aldridge from NBA.com who said the Maloofs floated the $525million price tag to Ellison but he turned them down. I believe it was the same day the sale was announced and after the Maloofs, Hansen, and the NBA released their statements about the sale.
It was this guy, actually:
I’m told Maloofs shopped deal to Larry Ellison (of course they did) but Ellison said no to the $525 figure.
https://twitter.com/MSteinmetzCSN/status/293408207492243456
Aldridge wrote this:
The source said the Maloofs, as late as a month ago, were in negotiations with a single, unnamed buyer who was prepared to keep the team in Sacramento for at least two more years. But the deal could not be consummated and the family turned back to Hansen last month.
There were other potential investors over the last couple of years as well, according to the source, but they ultimately didn’t have the money or changed their minds. The Maloofs didn’t have a “vendetta” against Sacramento or a desire to move, the source said.
http://www.nba.com/2013/news/01/21/kings-sale-to-seattle-aldridge/index.html
Didn’t Ellison have a spokesman come out and say something already about this?
I might have been just dreaming though, I do that a lot.
Or not, it was Mayor Johnson’s office that said this…
“The mayor’s office issued this statement: “Out of respect for the private nature of these conversations, we are not commenting on any of the ongoing discussions with potential equity partners, real or imagined.”
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/25/5140010/larry-ellison-courted-to-bid-for.html#storylink=cpy
Right, right, right, and right.
Working back up, a public “no” from Ellison this week will help everybody center on Burke. I think Ellison to communicate the “no” in print, through his people.
And Menace makes the point, and remember, the reason the Kings were advised to no go to Anaheim was the cost of stepping on the Lakers tv deal. Ellison likely wouldn’t have a problem paying for that where the Maloofs did. San Jose can handle having a team.
To Brian’s dilemma, every municipality should use Hansen’s deal with Eeattle as a baseline, a floor, to minimize the musical chairs.
On my own, I am rewriting the Seattle ordinance to fit what we really have now.
“San Jose can handle having a team.”
Exactly. With the Warriors moving back to San Francisco there will certainly be a market on the east side of the bay. Add to the fact that Silicon Valley is the economic engine of the region it makes more sense that Sacramento.
Yup & Ditto.
For Ellison, and even for SAC it’d be better to wait 4-5 years for a another team. you’d get it for a lot less, and avoid litigation which could piss off the NBA.
That’s even assuming Ellison would want a team in Sac…
Which in itself is a huge assumption
+1
But according to you some people here downplay Ellison as not being a threat. Which is it?
For what it’s worth, Milwaukee had bats in their arena last night. Easily a team that could be a replacement team for SAC 4-5 years from now.
I look at it this way, I think the Bucks have a good chance to get something done. The league will do nothing to undercut Kohl’s efforts by discussing the “E” word, not in Sacramento, San Jose, Kansas City, nowhere.
It’s going to be a difficult path as it is without muddling it up without diluting the pool.
I agree Mike, and the fact that the Bucks are owned by a US Senator leads me to believe they are even less likely to relocate unless every possible avenue is exhausted in Milwaukee. Politicains have thin skin and care a ton about how they are perceived. Moving a team or selling to owners who have intent to move isn’t exactly the type of publicity a politico type wants.
Hey, were were instructed by the Kevin in the last thread to just talk b ball. Nah, I prefer this right now.
I still can’t get into watching other teams at this point. I’m giving myself props for even having enough interest to watch the last three Kings games.
I’m rooting for the hated Lakers today - but certainly not watching. Can’t watch Sac either - - hard to see the fans in the stands and knowing they will soon join the “Lost our Team” club. A membership we know all too well. A membership I don’t wish upon any fan.
Lakers up 4 over the Blunder with 2:15 to go. Can they hold on?
We are all in limbo.
We all process things in our own way, at our own rate, in hopes of achieving our own preferences we have constructed.
Without question, when we are all ready to move on, Kevin will get a lot if reads and comments. Everybody isn’t there, yet.
He had his chance, and he passed.
Also, time to play “Really Bad Analogy.”
You (Sacramento) got someone’s (we’ll call this person Shamu for argument’s sake) number one night at a large function open to the public, like a basketball game. You try for a week to get in touch with Shamu and every time you do, Shamu blows you off/ignores your calls. At what point does Sacramento realize that Shamu is just not that into them?
Sacramento needs to read this:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/valley-girl-brain/201109/6-signs-hes-just-not-you
It’s probably already been mentioned, but I would think it would be in Ellison’s best interest for the Kings to move to Seattle. That would open up the San Jose market and allow him to move a team, Milwaukee?, to San Joses. I think they are a better potenial market than Sacramento, even with SF nearby.
Good point. Question is : Do the league/owners want/support 2 NBA teams so close in the Bay area ? I have no idea. I can certainly understand not wanting 3 NBA teams in SoCal.
I don’t think the NBA wants competition for Golden State. That isn’t to say that Ellisson cares what the NBA wants. I suspect he wants a team there and his set on making it happen. That is probably one of the reasons that the NBA is not enamoured with Ellison. As far as Sacramento, I just don’t see him wanting to own a team there. We’ll find out I guess.
The NBA has the Clippers and the Lakers in the same city/building. There are no territory restrictions in the NBA. They can “want” all they want. But in the end they risk antirust suits if they try to block teams from moving to markets based on competition.
Dont underestimate the size of these markets in California. Enough people and money to go around.
San Jose has a population of 7.6 mm people. San Francisco has 7.5 mm people.
Seattle. 4 mm
There are no territory restrictions. You just need an owner with the will and the resources to sue the league.
The population statistics are entirely pointless…
Where are you getting those population numbers? The metro area of San Jose has a population of 1.9 million and SF is 4.3 million. 7.5 million is the total amount for the combined areas of SF, San Jose, and surrounding cities.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure the Warriors wouldn’t be all that happy with a team moving to San Jose. It would cut in to the corporate support that made the team worth $450 million in the first place. Really doubt they would let it happen.
Im not saying the Warriors would welcome it. Of course they wouldnt like it. My point is the NBA could deny relocation. But keep in mind thats never really happened before. And if they do that…. they open themselves up to an antitrust lawsuit.
The +/- guy says population statistics are entirely pointless? Times have changed.
My numbers are probably off. But there is enough money and people in those markets to fuel two teams.
Has Ellison been actively seeking to purchase a team in the past years or has he just been kind of a last resort option as a buyer?
He has tried to buy Seattle, Golden State, New Orleans, and Memphis.
And why did he fail 4 times?
Because Ellison has made it no secret that he wants a team in San Jose.
And Stern is not fond of that prospect.
so…. why is he a threat then?
Because hes the 5th richest guy in America
But yet he still should be considered a threat … because …. ????
As good of a relationship as Sacramento has with David Stern, can you imagine his reaction if he hears they are trying to interfere with public funding for an arena in a potential NBA market? They need to step back and decide just how nuclear they want to take this thing.
They are downright out of their minds if they wanna make this nuclear. We all know how Stern will react to that. The sooner they realize the train has left the station, and they need to wait for another train the better. Making this ugly does not help their future chances with an NBA team.
We need to be careful talking about ‘them,. Who is ,them,? The main group / KJ may have nothing to do with this planned interference.
You sure? That Stutzman is rogue or maybe KJ knows that he is on the other side of th aisle and so he can look rogue
we just don’t know. but we should not assume what we do not know. sorry for the awful punctuation in the last message! ;)
Monte Carlo Simulation: a process that runs many caculations to assess probabilty of outcomes and risks.
As a Financial Advisor, we use a form of this process all the time to assess the probabilty of achieving financial retirement goals.
Hansen, hedge fund manger, has run his Monte Carlo simulations before ever signing the PSA. His simulations would have included: Stern/NBA cooperation and approval. KJ/Sac. Ellison, Burkle, and all other potential buyers. EIS, ROFR and lawsuits.
He has calculated all the possible outcomes and risk. Hence, the binding signed PSA and $30mill Feb 1 payment. He already knows the outcome.
I have stepped away from the Ledge.
As a project manager, there are a ton of risk/mitigation scenarios you walk through, all the way to the preferred completion of a plan, before you commit to executing a plan.
I think this thing was a done deal the minute they faxed their commitment (PSA) to the league office.
What are all of the risks, can I mitigate them all, what is the maximum cost to all risks.
Some issues (unmitigated risks) if handled the right way can result in other opportunities down the road.
This
and That
Anyone know if this is true? I knew about the February 1 date, but is it already in escrow?
Saving Ben Maller@SavingBenMaller
@PeterVecsey1 Peter, at time of Kings Master Sales Agreement [MSA] Hansen deposted $30M into escrow. Becomes non-refundable Feb 1
Good question and interesting thought. In real estate terms, it could have been Earnest Money that becomes a non-refundable deposit on Feb. 1.
Not sure if this was posted yet.
New video “Singing In The Reign!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgPRmLQY4m0
Lakers beat Blunder.
it never gets old watching oklahoma shitty lose. i love it.
“Stepped Away from The Ledge Club” Also know as SAFTLC. I’ve joined - anyone else?
I believe in Hansen.
BTW, the Coyotes thing is STILL not resolved. Don’t forget the NHL component of our arena…
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2013/01/18/glendale-unlikely-to-rework-coyotes.html
OKC! Again?! Grrr.
Well, if the NBA is paying attention, I am back on the NBA bandwagon. Prior to today, you could count the number of NBA games I have watched since the Sonics left on 1 hand. Today, I am on my third game.
When you’ve been so burned - - it hurt too much to watch. Now, I really can appreciate the beautiful athletisicm of this game again. Played by the best players of the game in the World. I travel internationally alot - - I always see alot of NBA gear worn by locals.
So nice to say once again . . . .
Yeah, we have a team - the Seattle SuperSonics.
I’ve watched more nba in the past 2 weeks then I have in the last 5 years
Meeee too…..great being able to enjoy it again. Forgot what I missed
A Heiku
Whales glance over at us
Yet just swiftly they swim by us
small pool escapes our eye
+1
@ChrisDaniels5: That’s a good question with no clear answer…(Coyotes) @Dah_knee: @ChrisDaniels5 What can this mean for Seattle? http://t.co/86KGf015
@ChrisDaniels5: Glendale unlikely to rework Coyotes arena deal before Jamison’s Jan. 31 deadline http://t.co/qRzKG5dJ via @phxbizjournal
@ChrisDaniels5: So…Thursday is deadline day for Coyotes & Friday, Hansen makes his $30M payment to the Maloofs. #NBASeattle #NHL
Wouldn’t that be something. A deposit on Sacramento and a Coyotes purchase in the same day. Talk about momentum. It’s fun to speculate. I can’t imagine the stars are that aligned.
Yeah a quick sale if need be would most likely be Quebec but fun to think abouy
I cried when the Nordiques left for Colorado but that is way in the past before I understood sports were a business. Get me a NHL team and I will be a happy man!
@ChrisDaniels5: #Seattle RT @dah_knee: NHL rumors: Agent maintains expansion coming to NHL http://t.co/wpW9jqx2 via @CBSSports
Yes It is because of the fact that the Jets Reallignment plan by the NHL called for 4 divsions two with 32 and two with 30 but it fell apart because the fact the players want the divsions to be equal which means two more team but the problem is the two divisions that probabley will not expand our in the west so unless the yotes go east it will be diffcult convincing the NHL to put another team in the west and fix the divisons again
Team could always be shifted to the east as well to get the divisions how they want them.
That being said, the way the Bettman is trying to keep the team in Phoenix tells me he either made a deal with Glendale to build an Arena and we’ll give you a team or they are trying to make the league more reliant on media revenue then ticket revenue so having more markets would get you more money. I think this sounds more logical considering they blocked the yotes from moving to Hamilton and placing a second team in the Toronto market.
That’s a pretty easy fix, though. Seattle would go in the Western. Move the Avs to the Central, then move one of the central teams, likely Columbus, to the Eastern division. Expand to Quebec and put them in the Eastern, and move Boston to the Atlantic. Or just put Quebec directly into the Atlantic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL
You can find the alignment there
Larry has been trying to buy my company for a few years now. He offered $35 billion in cash back in September. Didn’t realize he had that lying around.
I should say the company I work for.
Phew! I thought you were a whale there for a moment! :-)
@ChrisDaniels5: KING5′s @schauffking5 interviews @petesteinbrueck on his mayoral run, & opposition to #SeattleArena http://t.co/ll0XFL8A
@ChrisDaniels5: In that interview @petesteinbrueck says his #SeattleArena opposition “distinguishes me as the lone voice of sanity” from other candidates.
@ChrisDaniels5: Candidate @petesteinbrueck says he believes Seattle Center, & a Rainier Valley spot should also explored as #SeattleArena sites.
Put some steinbruek tweets from c Daniels about arena opposition . Says lone voice of sanity in mayoral race. Wants rainier valley and center like at. Maybe they will come out of moderation soon
Rainier Valley is a terrible location for arena and Seattle Center? Where the hell is sonics suppose to play at? Has Steinbruek forgotten we need a NBA team before the arena is built? Perhaps he also forgets as soon as NBA approves the sale its essentially a guarantee sodo arena will be built.
He’s forgotten nothing. He doesn’t care about the Sonics returning. He’s a stooge for the port and the Mariners.
If he wants it in Rainer Valley he’s no voice of sanity. Yes it has light rail but that doesn’t serve enough places to be usefull. No major freeways or arterials.
He lied to Allen Schauffler, and I sent Mr. Schauffler an email to let him know.
Mr. schauffler,
I just watched your excellent interview with mayoral hopeful Peter Steinbrueck. It was unfortunate that Mr. Steinbrueck denied that he was a lobbyist with the Port of Seattle since city records show that he registered as a lobbyist for them.
It’s right here in the 2012 annual report.
http://www2.seattle.gov/ethics/lobbyists/whoforwho.asp
He is on an island.
Have a great day,
Mike Baker
Seattle, Wa
Reporters, like voters, don’t like being led to.
P.s. I’ll throw dirt on that guy every chance I get.
Mike- maybe we can take all the dirt excavated from the SODO site
good on you, baker!
Hopefully nobody will vote for this guy.
In theory it doesn’t matter because both reviews and final vote should be done FAR before the election. The two lawsuits he discusses is the chicken vs egg environmental review which is a worthless lawsuit because there is a final vote AFTER the environmental review and the other being the I-91 which can’t technically be applied to this deal but the current council is more then able to exempt it if this doesn’t get thrown out.
Great play TD pass by RW3!
Make that another TD pass by RW3 after a 13 yard run up the middle on 3 and 17
And another TD pass for RW3
He got robbed, should have been MVP of that game
So hold on, ellison? I thought burkle met with stern and was gonna save the kings? Who exactly is kj working with?
Anybody with money - - - he’s got a big donation jar @ his office.
Burkle met with Stern. Ellison supposedly has been reached out to by Cook (the guy who owns the 7% that’s to be auctioned off. No word on wether Ellison is biting. I wouldn’t bet on it.
I think Ellison passes. He will think that having Sac gone helps him later.
That’s what I think. He may try and beat Sacramento to the punch for the next round of musical franchises, and get a team in San Jose.
the Cook article and comment is LOL… the guy’s lawyer is like, yeah, we called Ellison’s people like a week ago and they should get back to us by next week. LOFL! A bankrupt guy’s lawyer is trying to get in with one of the richest dudes in the world. Of course he will be rebuked. #GraspingAtStraws
If Ellison passes, they have nothing. what’s to stop Hansen from buying Cook’s 7%?
Nothing really.
Hansen has already expressed interest in Cook’s 7% according to several sources. Has nothing to do with Ellison’s interest unless he would decide to overbid on the 7%. I don’t think there’s any point to doing that really, because even if you could apply a legitimate ROFR to the minority owners, surely it wouldn’t apply to someone who purchased a minority interest AFTER Hansen’s binding sale agreement was entered into.
Hansen will bid and in the end I believe by next season will own 100% of the team or however it is split between Hansen/Ballmer/Nordstroms/ silent partners
Are we sure he can even be grandfathered in? Either way i dont think the league likes all this drama
What if Ellison comes out and says that he was interested in buying the Kings to keep them in Sacramento and ctually had discussions but bowed out at the asking price of the Maloofs (David Aldrdges article) and Hansen bought the team afterwards?
Would that throw the assumption that local investors never had a chance to buy the Kings? Or would the excuse then be KJ’s hand picked whale didnt have a chance? This could throw a wrench in the works of Sacramento’s cause as much as it could Seattle’s. If Sacramento investors were approached in confidence (just not Burkle or KJ because the MAloofs hate both of them) then what argument does Sacramento have?
It really shouldnt matter anyway. They sold to hansen, bottom line. Wish we got all these chances with the sonics.
Either way i believe the league helped broker this deal. They want it to happen. It will happen imo. *knock on wood*
Hugh
You are correct if the NBA wants this to happen it will.
So, I know that it is reported that Hansen has an agreement with the Maloofs; but no one has seen the agreement. So, does anyone know if the 30 million Hansen would deposit is non-refundable only if Hansen backs out? Has it been reported that it is non-refundable if the Maloofs back out, or for some other reason the sale to Hansen does not happen?
Im guessing that if the Maloofs backed out that it would be open to litigation. I also think that the Maloofs at this point cant back out of the deal because the have signed a binding agreement….the only way out is if the NBA overthrows the deal that seems pretty clear to me
Never too early to think about a point guard. Think he moonlights?
darn. was trying to post a lame photo edit with Russell Wilson’s head on Dale Ellis’ body.
http://stutzmanpa.com/
Just in case we need to start peppering Mr. Stutman’s office. I already thought about giving him a call but I dont want to push the issue Ill let him do so. Just in case guys if you want to check it out and bookmark it if you deem necassary like me
IF the NBA overturns this and doesn’t promise us a E word franchise, we won’t get a team IMO. I think that’s HIGHLY UNLIKELY, but who knows?
Saying “E word” all the time negates the whole point of not saying the E word. ;)
Legit question regarding the use of the “e word” is it okay to talk about it if its in the context of the NHL?
Speaking of what should and shouldn’t be uttered, can we catch up to this century and call the minority owners “Owners of Color”?
+1
I don’t want to ask Stern to show me his E face.
Sacramento’s mojo is dwindling because they’re realizing that they’ve been screaming into a vacuum the whole time. No reason for us to be worried.
He just can’t help himself
wait. have we figured out whether or not peter is a 13 yr old kid? this the only explanation i can come up with for this behavior.
His story has been told here various times. It is a good story, I’m sure he’d be happy to share it with you again.
I was just trying to make that point, that’s all. if that happens, it means there’s no will by the league to bring a team here.
Or…that you’re overreacting a bit…
I don’t think that’ll happen, I agree we shouldn’t be worried. but I was just making an observation.
I have a question regarding a detail I’m not familiar with. What is exactly is the Agreement Bennett and the City if Seattle for relocating the Sonics and a payment from Bennett if Seattle doesn’t get a team back by a certain timeframe? I recall there was a stipulation for payment and wanted to determine if there is any incentive for that POS to support or work against the relocation of the Kings to Seattle.
There is no agreement…there is no payment…and don’t worry about the history since it will be a non-issue
@MarcosBreton: A pleasure to just be on @espnVshow. He asked if #nbakings was a done deal for #Seattle. I said: “It’s ain’t over. Pay attention this week.”
Ughh back down the rollercoaster we go…..
No need to fret. The Sac fans are the ones really on a roller coaster, and we’re letting their overreactions to things have too big of an impact on us. They have nothing else but to live or die on each tweet or announcement, we have a sales agreement.
Well, there needs to be something coming from SAC this week and I expect some guy being named.
If KJ can’t make that happen this week he might as well stop holding press conferences and just give up.
People need to remind that this upcoming Friday will be the deadline for Hansen’s $30 mil to become unrefundable, while we’re not even three weeks away from ASG anymore as well.
I’m not worried if Marcos Breton had anything to scoop, he would have done it on the ESPN platform. Instead he’s just trolling for clicks to SacBee.
Seriously dude? A tweet from a SacBee reporter to pay attention this week sends you back down?
I was half sarcastic half serious. I believe theyre gonna be here next year but im nothing would surprise me. Wont relax till its official
No man, Marcos Breton is a sactown columnist. Roller coaster doesn’t count when it comes from
Sactown
NBA is not going to deny the sale. It would be the second time they deny Steve Ballmer entry into the NBA, and Probably the last opportunity to have Ballmer.
Unless they promise an…never mind
Big whale sighting due this week?
I’m still lost as to why anyone has a right to match Hansen’s offer. Maloofs have already agreed to sell to him. Wake me up when this is all over..
Exactly. I don’t think they do. But I think they think they do.
I don’t think I’m overreacting, I know this falling apart is highly unlikely. but I truly believe if by some strange chance the sale is rejected and we don’t get at least some certainty from the BOG that we’ll have a team in the 5 years (however we get it) it means the league does not have plans for us. if they want a team here they’ll approve the sale.
No…you’re overreacting to the idea that if Sacramento somehow gets a billionaire to keep the team that this is some sort of evidence that the NBA does not have plans for us…
It is not as black and white of a situation as you think…
They will likely announce burkel. Will be interesting to hear exactly how resolute his commitment is. I’m betting he hedges his bet with his language.
May be news for both sides next week.
Hmmmmm what else could hansen announce? Maybe something in regards to the arena?
If it’s bigger than Sac actually having an investor, I’d imagine it’s got to be pretty big.
Coyotes? NHL? If he buys an NHL team then he has to be pretty confident beyond recourse that the Kings relocation is absolute. Just speculating but just trying to fit together pieces that would be bigger deal than whale watch ending
Mr Hansen has said repeatedly that the hockey team would be separate ownership. And if he buys a hockey team that would probably give the NBA a lot of pause in approving a kings sale be amuse of financial review would be thrown for a loop
What barely able just said
Feb 1st us d-day for the yotes
“I told Jamison that as opposed as I was to the deal — I thought that the city didn’t get a very good deal out of it — the fact is that the council made that decision. The deal that was made said that he has until the 31st to put it together. I’ll honor that, but I also told him that I wouldn’t honor it one second past that,” Weiers said.
Ours will be bigger than theirs. If not this week sometime soon. #sonicsarena doesn’t call press conferences for the sake of it.
Every day that goes by and Sacramento does not he a some clear win is a loss for them. They are running out of time.
Sounds great!
Wait what? There’s a press conference from Hansen coming up soon?
Has there been a PC announced?
This is NFL related…but I think we can get some insights on what we might see at the new Arena:
“8. I think Eric Grubman, the NFL’s vice president for business operations, has come up with a novel idea that may be the way of the future in the NFL. As Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reported, the next wave of stadiums may be smaller, with standing-room-only clubs at the corners. When you go to stadiums now — I’m thinking of Pittsburgh and Dallas especially — you see lots of fans standing in the area beyond the end zones, with drinks, talking with friends, or walking around the stadium at open points where they can see the game from different vantage points.
Said Grubman, via Farmer: “What if a new stadium we built wasn’t 70,000, but it was 40,000 seats with 20,000 standing room? But the standing room was in a bar-type environment with three sides of screens, and one side where you see the field. Completely connected. And in those three sides of screens, you not only got every piece of NFL content, including replays, Red Zone [Channel], and analysis, but you got every other piece of news and sports content that you would like to have if you were at home. Now you have the game, the bar and social setting, and you have the content. What’s that ticket worth? What’s that environment feel like to a young person? Where do you want to be? Do you want to be in that seat, or do you want to be in that pavilion?”
I wonder how it’d work out with getting ‘standing room’ tickets, like how chaotic it could potentially get with a big number of people fighting for a view.
I know that when I go to coughmarinerscough games with my girl, we almost always are down from our seats in the 300s to the perimeter standing area in the 100s a few innings in.
I am sure it would work exactly that way. The real issue is how would it effect the atmosphere of the stadium. I think for football they’d have to figure out how to make the area terraced so more people could get a decent view.
As a young(er) person I would find those seats significantly more attractive than normal seats. Probably for basketball as well.
Can’t wait until people see more about our.arena.
How cutting edge is this arena going to be? If we are going to be coming out with a bunch of new ideas and ways to enjoy the game it only helps our quest for BoG approval. Im getting excited
I can’t wait to see the inside. Especially after this quote….
“I can’t really say too much right now, I’m sorry,” Mathew Hallett told KIRO Radio. “I just know that what we have in store for this arena is something that you haven’t seen in any arena in the country.”
http://mynorthwest.com/11/2182171/Lead-designer-mum-on-inside-of-proposed-Sonics-arena
I have rarely sit through a Seahawks game. I stood 90% of the time. And I have seats with a good sightline. People just stand at Seahawk games.
the Cook article and comment is LOL… the guy’s lawyer is like, yeah, we called Ellison’s people like a week ago and they should get back to us by next week. LOFL! A bankrupt guy’s lawyer is trying to get in with one of the richest dudes in the world. Of course he will be rebuked. And they want us to be worried about this? Not so much over here. #GraspingAtStraws
The Whales don’t do business like this..lol
Gotta love how he’s gone to the media, too.
You could basically re-type the whole article as “Yo Larry, call me back!” :-)
i don’t get why ellison is thought to be a candidate to keep the team in sacramento when it is widely known that he wants a team in san jose. maybe he would put forth a clay bennett-like “good faith effort” for an arena in sacramento and then move the team to san jose, where he wants them to be anyway and where he can undoubtedly make more money. does anyone actually believe that he’s suddenly changed his mind and now wants to own a team outside of san jose? just like no one bought that clay wanted to own a team outside of okc when he had been working to bring a team there prior to buying the sonics. doesn’t add up.
crap. my post went into moderation… basically, i always thought ellison wanted a team in san jose above all else. why is he all of a sudden a candidate to keep the team in sacramento? i am wondering if he would put forth a “good faith effort” like our boy clay, then move them to san jose anyway…
Step Away From the Ledge - - - it’s dangerous out there.
Due diligence, Monte Carlo simulations, and NBA cooperation has been completed. Hansen is prepared.
Yeah I agree with this sentiment. I now want to know what Brian is saying about a bigger announcement than the Kings ending whale watch with a whale on the line.
Hansen, the Hedge Fund Manager = prepared financial calculations hedging risk.
With meticulous prepared professionalism and before entering this transaction, he would have never entered this “binding” PSA with a $30mill payment if he hadn’t calculated all the possible risks.
This isn’t a passing fancy, a toy, or an ego massage for Hansen. This didn’t happen overnight. This is a passion for a civic minded hometown boy who grew up loving his home team, the Seattle SuperSonics. He has been meticulously planning, purchasing properties, building NBA relationships long before most of even knew his name.
Hedging risk and calculating outcomes is Chris Hansen.
Yes the man is brilliant that is for certain. I like that you point out the NBA relationships and if he starts a new era in arena design (the inside experience) with cutting edge maybe controversial means like was talked about earlier by Myk while alluding to the NFL VP of Business Ops statements he could build an arena that is cutting edge for all sports and venues.
Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer may just revolutionize the business end of the NBA as it seems that is more than a possibility at this point.
I would love something that people will use when they build new arenas, sort of like Camden Yards started the retro revolution of mlb stadiums.
Yes, indeed.
Arrrr!
Where is that Moby Dick?
+1
I’m very curious what Brian expects our side to announce this week. Strategically, would it be better to announce it before Burkle is announced or after? Would it matter?
I could be totally wrong, but I think we’re going to hear he’s acquired the rest of the minority shares. Minus the 7% that is going up for auction obviously. Just think it’s be great timing to go with his $30 million dollar deposit on Friday.
I did see some twitter rumors that Hansen was in some kind of negotiation with the Sacramento minority partners, or at least those not going through bankruptcy.
That would be sweet, and would forever ground all those ROFRcopters!
Well…not entirely. Bankruptcy Boy would still whine about it, which would be enough to keep the flame alive in SacTown.
ROFRcopter won’t be totally grounded until ALL minority shares are purchased. If Burkle were some how able to acquire the bankruptcy share, there might be cause for a degree of concern.
The timing of that is pretty key. At issue will be has BOG already approved the sale before the bankruptcy auction? If not, does someone who ACQUIRES the bankruptcy share have the same rights.
Bankruptcy Boy…I like that :-)
I see know way that someone like Burkle could buy minority shares then have ROFR. These ownership changes in the NBA happen with the leagues blessing and I believe Stern told Maloofs to Sell to Hansen/ Ballmer and this is a done deal. Feel bad for Sacramento fans but this is the way the game is played!