You Think You Know Heartbreak Sacramento, You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet

Some Sacramento Kings fans like to point out that here in Seattle we have the Mariners, Seahawks and Sounders.

Yes, they say, you’ll surely be fine; you have baseball, football and soccer. And you have UW. “You should be giving us a break.”

This piece also says that “few cities know heartbreak like Sacramento.”

Sacramento may know a little heartbreak, but we know its tendencies much better.

Sacramento also likes to remind everyone of the uncertainty and ever-present-nervousness that nearly resulted in a move to Anaheim.

Yes, it’s true, Kings fans have lived in fear of losing their team for a very long time, and I feel for them in that regard, but to ask for a break from Seattle?

The difference is that while Sacramento has been in a struggle to try and keep their team, they have had a team. A product on the court. We haven’t had that product.

It’s one thing for the Sacramento fans to believe that they can comprehend the disaster of losing a tem, especially when they have teetered on the edge of it. It’s another thing to understand it when it has happened to you.

I have nothing against Sacramento fans. I applaud them for making a strong effort to try to retain their team.  Kings fans would have a reaction similar to mine if roles were reversed. Let me try to put it this way:

As a town without an NBA franchise it’s hard to give a break to a town that already has one.

Just saying.

In Case it Wasn’t Obvious, Three More Reasons to Have a Professional Basketball Team in Seattle

  1. Duh.
  2. Exposure. This isn’t to say that NBA scouts are ignoring the Pacific Northwest. Kelly Olynyk and CJ Wilcox have drawn numerous professional scouts over the course of the season. There is just so much talent that might be overlooked due to the gaping black hole that is the non-presence of an NBA team in Seattle. Washington’s Big Three of UW, Washington State and Gonzaga have produced a good number of pros lately. Brandon Roy, Klay Thompson, Nate Robinson, Ronny Turiaf, Isaiah Thomas and recent Spurs’ signing Aron Baynes highlight a solid group. Again, NBA scouts aren’t necessarily overlooking the Northwest; it is just harder for it to get exposure for the second-tier guys without an NBA team. I say second-tier guys not because of their level of play or potential, it’s just usually the pro scouts go to see a big-time college player and might stumble upon another guy who they want to bring on to their team. Washington colleges as a whole haven’t had a lot of “it” guys like I referenced before, so it’s harder for other guys to get noticed who should be.
  3. Duh. And this isn’t just for repetition (though it partly is.) Seattle provides a much better “market” (I guess you could say) and landing spot in general than prospective cities Virginia Beach, Las Vegas and Anaheim. Plus Slick Watts’ headband has more NBA history than the three cities combined. Just saying.

Let me know your reasons in the comments section below.