The NBA announced Monday that the pro basketball league bought the New Orleans Hornets, which must be making a lot of folks in the Big Easy nervous. Even after a hot start (11-1 before rounding out to 13-7) and arguably the best point guard in the league, Chris Paul, the franchise isn't meeting attendance goals. If attendance dips, the franchise can break its lease and bolt.
So we get a bunch of TV news reports claiming the the Hornets could be calling Kansas City home (I saw one this morning on KMBC). What those stories neglect to say is Kansas City doesn't have a rich guy or gal willing to buy the franchise. Until that person or ownership group comes forward, it's all talk.
So I'm a skeptic, even after reading a Fanhouse report saying "there is reason to believe the league is looking strongly at the
possibility of moving the team to Kansas City and the Sprint Center."
The league may want to fill Kansas City's empty arena but without someone willing to buy the team and move it to Kansas City, it's all talk. So I'll be a skeptic until we finally identify that person (someone with real money and not named Boots).
My friend and CBS NBA blogger Matt Moore looked at all of the potential relocation sites for the Hornets. Kansas City looks good, up until that whole lack of an owner problem. Take it away, Matt:
That said, the jewel in their crown is pretty simple. It's the building.Moore's plugged in. He knows what he's talking about. No owner means no team.Sprint Center, built in 2005 and opened in 2007, has a capacity of
18,555 with a considerably higher number of available luxury suites and
club seating due to how the building was constructed. Specifically, the
arena was built to capitalize on how current arena economics work.
Tickets are valuable, to be sure, but the money is made with
sponsorships, and luxury seating.
What's missing? A buyer. AEG who owns the Sprint Center, made noise
early on about pursuing either a hockey or basketball team to fill the
arena. But with the Pittsburgh Penguins using them as a straw man to get
a new arena in Pittsburgh, there has been no team to arrive.
Furthermore, it turns out the arena is making more money as a concert
venue than it may with a regular tenant. With the recession having hit
Kansas City well before the rest of the country and a lack of
progressive technology firms in the area, finding a prospective owner
outside of AEG is going to be a hard sell. Kansas City remains a viable
candidate but it remains to be seen if either AEG or the city will
commit to making a serious inquiry toward the Hornets.
Photo by Scott Spychalski.
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Ever notice how anyone who is registered on any website and has the word, "truth" anywhere in their screen-name is always a complete moron?
"KC can't make pro football or pro baseball work."
What??? The Chiefs just celebrated their 50th Anniversary (all but the first 3 years in KC), and Royals, their 40th. Other than a 3-year decline that resulted in Clark Hunt firing their GM, the Chiefs have sold out every game since 1991 and are well on their way to starting a new streak.
The Royals have an owner who doesn't even give a shit about the team and they've managed to still sell tickets. They'd probably sell out every game if they could win even 80 of their games.
I mean if you want to argue that pro-basketball can't work in KC, at least cite the Kansas City Kings. Not two franchises that have been at the very least moderately successful. Clueless...
KC can't make pro football or pro baseball work. What makes you think KC can make pro basketball work? .. Really? ... Thinkin' 'bout Hockey? Naw... Wake up, man, wake up. Soccer? ... Forget it man. .... Too many "save the dog before the aborted fetus liberals in this town."
... Say hello to the ".. 'we don't keep score soccer' leagues supported by the to rich to be normal soccer Moms."
F'ing liberals.
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