Would Kings fans still be known for pounding cowbells if the team were... the San Jose Kings?
With fiscal losses this season expected to total as much as $25 million, the Sacramento Bee is reporting that Kings' ownership may be inclined to consider relocation. The report indicates that "representatives from Anaheim and San Jose" were "particularly aggressive suitors".
"Particularly aggressive suitors"? Way to be, San Jose!
The Kings organization is in pretty dire straits — they have the worst record in the NBA, and probably the worst arena in the NBA too. Even the name "ARCO Arena" is one of the awfullest-sounding venue names in the despicable pantheon of corporate-named facilities. Sacramento voters have denied multiple attempts to provide public funding to replace ARCO Arena, most recently in the form of a proposed sales tax in 2006.
The HP Pavilion in San Jose is would seat roughly 1,000 more fans for basketball games than does ARCO Arena, and is a more modern and lucrative facility.
It would be downright nutty to see a city lose it's NBA team while an NBA player is serving as their mayor. But if Sac-town can't upgrade it's arena, then maybe San Jose has gotta have more cowbell.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer and a "particularly aggressive suitor."
