To My Unborn Child
by Exhibit G on Jun 25, 2009 9:06 PM PDT
in NBA Draft
64 comments
To be a fan of the Sacramento Kings is to endure anguish, confusion, and disappointment.
On April 13th, 2009, my girlfriend had purchased lower-level tickets for me to see the Sacramento Kings visiting the Denver Nuggets. It was an amazing early birthday present. A couple hours before we left for the game, we found out she was pregnant.
Finding out you're going to be a father is a lot like being a fan of the Kings during the NBA Draft. At first there is a sense of not understanding what has just happened. Then comes fear. At a certain point you accept what has happened. And then you get excited at the idea of it all.
I'm ecstatic to become a father. But I've struggled with one very important question: Do I want my child to be a Kings fan?
We're fans due to a variety of reasons. Some of us were born in or near Sacramento. Some of us got hooked by a specific player. Some of us fell in love with the golden days of 1999-2002. Some of us might have been inducted by family ties. Regardless of why we became fans, we stay fans because we hope that someday we'll be rewarded. Kings fans in particular have struggled a lot. I'd rather not recap the struggles, because after the disappointment some fans felt during this draft I fear that I would push a few folks over the edge and cause a major incident.
But we hope for the payoff. We look forward to the Kings winning an NBA Championship, and being able to say that we were there through it all. A fairweather fan of the [redacted] cannot appreciate how much a Championship would mean to a Kings fan. But this joy would be produced from pain, struggles, and disappointment.
I've wondered to myself if I want to put my child through that pain. Do I want him (I'm going to say him, although my girlfriend insists that it is a 'her') to expect to be disappointed? I live in Colorado, so it isn't easy to be a Kings fan. My friends laugh at my team. The Kings are never on television. If it wasn't for this site, I'd be terribly out of touch with the day-to-day events of the team. What kind of fan experience is that?
The Kings had the 4th pick last night. Griffin, Thabeet and Harden had all been taken, according to our plan. My cousin in Sacramento texted me, saying that things had gone according to plan. Rubio had fallen to us. My response? I told him I wasn't going to celebrate until I heard Rubio's name called. What kind of reaction is that? Everything went to plan, and I was expecting to be let down. Do I want my child to know that pain?
I've always trusted Geoff Petrie. It's the greatest thing about being a Kings fan. Last year I wrote a piece defending the pick of Jason Thompson with the 12th pick. I wrote about how I trust that Petrie knows more about basketball than I do. I wrote about how if Thompson proved the naysayers wrong, we'd love him forever. This season I detested any notion of trading Thompson for the chance to draft Rubio. Thompson validated Petrie, as he's been validated so many times before. And yet again this year I felt like I couldn't believe what Petrie had just done.
My initial reaction was that this was the time when Petrie was wrong. At this moment, I still feel this way. But just like Hawes and Thompson, like Williams and Stojakovic, like Turkoglu and Wallace, I'm ready to be proved wrong. I want to be proved wrong.
I loved the trade for Sergio Rodriguez. I like the Omri Casspi pick. I hadn't heard of Jon Brockman. Overall, this draft could have been a lot worse.
I was horribly disappointed, but I still hold out hope. How many fans can say that after this draft? Do Minnesota fans have any faith that Kahn knows what he's doing? Do Memphis fans trust that Thabeet was the best choice? Do they feel that confidence, year after year?
As a majority, we're disappointed. Some were never sold on Rubio, but many viewed him as the guy for us. But we still believe. This may be Petrie's tipping point. It was a high profile pick where he went against the common logic. Not unusual for Petrie, but it is on a bigger stage.
So back to the question at hand, would I want my child to be a Kings fan? Yes. It is painful now, but if my child can enjoy that redemption with me when the Kings win a Championship it will all be worth it. If it happens when the child is 5 years old, it may not mean as much to the kid, but it will mean a lot of great things to me. If it happens when he's 20, it will mean a lot to the kid, and a ton to me. I'd be 46 at that point. That would be a long time to have waited, but it would suddenly all be worthwhile. I'd love to be able to share that moment with my child, and have my kid understand the importance, well, it's one of the greatest things I can imagine.
Being a fan of a small market team is painful, but it comes with great potential for reward. No pain, no gain, and all those other lessons our fathers taught us. I'd love to share those lessons.
Yes, I want my child to be a Kings fan, for better or for worse.
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I, too havea baby on the way
and he WILL be a Kings fan
For some really great insight on this I recommend picking up Now I Can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons (if you like him). He mentions it quite a few times about his dad raising him a Red Sox fan and raising his daughter as a Sox fan
www.mancancook.net
by vfettke on Jun 25, 2009 9:09 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
That was before his son
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 9:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Congrats!
Thanks for the recommendation, just not sure if I could read a whole book about the Red Sox.
Never forget: I am a complete idiot
by Exhibit G on Jun 25, 2009 9:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's nit about the Sox
It’s about being a Sox fan. That book is one of the reason I am such a Simmons defender. That and having spoken to him several times gives ke insight to his mindset. Kooky bastard.
Wait....Why is everybody clapping? Everyone around me is clapping.... I guess I should be clapping too... GO LAKERS!!! I hate living in So Cal
by 27freethrows on Jun 25, 2009 9:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed completely
I’m not a Sox fan but love his writing and the book is great
www.mancancook.net
by vfettke on Jun 25, 2009 9:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gotta concur with 27 & VF here
The book is tremendous. It gives you insight into HIM.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Never pictured you as much of a Simmons fan
www.mancancook.net
by vfettke on Jun 25, 2009 9:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He sucks
His book doesn’t.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You really are an idiot then
www.mancancook.net
by vfettke on Jun 25, 2009 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No doubt
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 9:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Congratulations G
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 9:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Congrats G, your best days are ahead of you.
Both my kids sleep in Kings onesies. As a parent it’s natural to want what’s best for your children, you offer them guidance and insight and hope they make the best decisions with the tools you give them.
Introduce them to the Kings, let them know why you are a fan and trust that they will make the right decision ( Which is to buy season tickets in 25 years).
Teh Dego Dagger
by BPaoliano on Jun 25, 2009 9:17 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Good post
I agree 100%… Rec’d it…
I also feel like it was the wrong pick.
For me (I’m a Dallas Cowboys Fan) it feels like a couple years ago when Steven Jackson had fallen to us by some miracle and Tuna took Julius Jones instead… Julius turned out to be OK, but we know who the pick should have been.
For the longest time I followed Petrie blindly. This is honestly the first time I am serious when I say this better work out for us better than Evans being decent. If I have to watch Rubio win an MVP or anything like that down the line, and Tyreke doesn’t do something GREAT in Sacramento, I would hold it against GP.
That said, I’m a Kings fan. So I definitely expected to get anything but what I wanted. So for me this is just another year like any other. We now have a young team with a broad spectrum of talents, a new coach, and the new pieces are nothing to sneeze at…
Maybe, just MAYBE this is the beginning of something special. Just don’t have that calm confident feeling in GP that I normally do.
I'm a limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheeling-dealing son of a gun!!! Wooooo!!!
by tlfairgo on Jun 25, 2009 9:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Your last sentence is where I'm at with it as well
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 9:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Congrats G & vfet
Raising the next generation of Kings fans.
I’m ashamed to say I missed a lot of games this year and haven’t been around StR much since pre-season but I am still a Kings fan…just not a very good one this year.
I still believe in Petrie knowing more than we fans and the ESPN writers but only time will tell the truth of that belief.
I doubt that Petrie has gone senile so if he picked Evans ahead of Rubio, even with the possible character issues, I have to believe he had compelling reason to do so, even though I am initially disappointed in the pick.
Go Kings!
Sometimes real life interferes with real fandom, darn it!
by KK on Jun 25, 2009 9:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
For me
it’s not just the Character issue… It’s that he may not even really be a PG. After the Beno fiasco, I thought we were finally getting that mythical “True PG” we keep hearing about every year. I still remember when Beno showed up, Peaches (isn’t that what you call Grant around here) kept saying he was it and Beno was saying it himself, lol! WOW! What a difference a short period of time has made.
I'm a limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheeling-dealing son of a gun!!! Wooooo!!!
by tlfairgo on Jun 25, 2009 9:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Kings
worked out both players. Obviously, even knowing that Rubio would likely draw more fans (at least initially) the coaches, scouts, and GM chose Evans over Rubio. You kind of have to believe that they know what they’re doing, no?
Peaches? I don’t care, call him Grant, Rant, Peaches, Ginger, buffoon, or simply annoying, it’s all the same to me.
Sometimes real life interferes with real fandom, darn it!
by KK on Jun 25, 2009 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mrs KK!
Glad to see you’re still lurking. Hope all is well madam.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks, Pook!
I’m still around, just not as much and life is getting much much better, it just took an unexpected turn last September which is turning out to be a blessing in disguise. : )
You still hiding out up in the PNW? I hope all is well with you too.
Best wishes to all, missed you guys (and ladies)!
Ms. KK
Sometimes real life interferes with real fandom, darn it!
by KK on Jun 25, 2009 9:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah I'm still hiding out up here
And sorry about the Mrs. :P
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice post
As a father of one with TWINS on the way next month, I have thought about the ruined nights and weekends because of a Kings loss, and whether I want my kids to go through that. Also, since I live in Utah and am not sure if we will ever be back in Sacramento except to visit grandparents, I don’t know if they will understand my love for the Kings.
As long as they don’t become Laker fans, I think I will be ok.
by spragueito on Jun 25, 2009 9:38 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
congratss to both of you future dads.
and twins are rad, i would know cause i am one.
by macramento on Jun 25, 2009 9:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
As the parent of twins (and an older son)
I congtratulate you, sir, and also strongly recommend that you get league pass. Kings games had an oddly soothing effect on the twins when they were young. Even when Mikki and Ron Ron were on the floor.
by Snakes in the Trees on Jun 26, 2009 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's like a Redsox Fanism Syndrome....
I totally believe that Petrie made the right choice. I was never a Rubio Hype believer. I saw the youtube videos and I still think Rubio will be a nice player down the road, but when you look at the tools Evans has physically, his ability to score, his defensive prowess, and his overall game, i have to believe that Petrie hit a home run with this pick!
My son, who is now 9, has been a Kings fan all his life. I fed him bottles watching the game, and now we watch the games together, screaming at the refs like a father and son should. He will reap the reward of success when it eventually comes our way. And it indeed will eventually come our way. I like the Draft picks Petrie made this year. I already explained why I liked Evans, who was the 3rd best player in the draft on almost every draft board and should have been picked by OKC. I believe that OKC fans will rue the day they chose a 7’3" guy who has little or no ability to put the ball in the basket even though it is at eye level. I think in 3 years when Evans explodes on the scene, and attends his first all star game as a starter, and the Kings are perennial playoff contenders, the OKC fans will look back in despair on this day.
There has to be a point where our luck changes. Since 2002 we have been snake bitten and luckless. We have suffered the humiliations that no fan should ever have to suffer. We suffered thru the years of our ownership learning that they can not make basketball decisions after numerous bad experiences that have seen our team go from the newest exciting young team to a team circling the porcelain rim and going down the drain like a turd. I believe our luck has now changed at this very juncture. I see brighter days ahead of us, and a resurgence that will bring the thunder back to ARCO, or whatever the new Arena will be called. I truly felt today, as my son and I watched the draft from start to finish, that our luck has finally pulled out of the 6 year nose dive we have been in.
My son is very excited, and wants an Evans jersey! I too have a renewed sense of hope. I truly believe that 1) Petrie is making the decisions now. 2) The team is heading in the right direction. and 3) We will see evidence of our luck changing in the number of wins we will have this next year. Maybe not a playoff run, but certainly not a 17 win clunker. Double that number to say…35 wins. To me that would be the sign of our luck having returned and the dawn of the new Purple Reign !!
Another year, another chance to hope for the team !!
by FaStRmAn on Jun 25, 2009 9:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
First - gratz,being a Dad and sharing any common interest is the best part
Second – the Kings aren’t winning a championship before Exhibita (Exhibitette?) G starts Pre-School. Tyreke may be a star, starter or bust but it will be known by then.
The kid is 19. Has skills. Impressed people who don’t impress easily. And I was pushing for Curry – but do I think for a moment that my ability to chose is better than Geoff Petrie, Scotty Sterling and Co. – no, I am dumb but not stoopid.
So once again, the music starts we listen not sure we like what we hear, but we start to tap a toe, than bounce the head. Summer League starts and we get up while we rock a bit. October and pre-season: wow, we are involuntarily shuffling and rocking and bouncing – Season Opener: full on dancing – Tyreke is our guy! Every box score from then on is a first glance for Evans. How did he do?
Is is an illness and you are infected. You are a Kings Fan. Oh, and it is contagious: you will be coo-ing to the WMBB (World’s Most Beautiful Baby) about the Kings. Done and Done.
by betweentheeyes on Jun 25, 2009 9:44 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Nice piece, G.
At the risk or raising pookey’s ire again, it seems to me that we drafted the best player available, which is what I wanted from day one. Whether or not he develops into a point guard, I think that Evans could develop into a bona fide NBA star. Maybe he is destined to play the 2, and that means eventually dealing Kevin Martin. Maybe he becomes a legitimate point guard. He seems to have more skills than Garcia for the position, and we noodled with that for awhile.
This is a team on the rebuild. Blake Griffin would not have made this team a playoff contender this year.
Whether Evans turns out to be the right pick or not, I applaud Kings management for having the balls to pass on a player that 70% of their fans wanted. That can’t be an easy decision when you’re not filling the old gas tank. That took balls.
Evans/Casspi/Rodriguez/Brockman. I’ll call that a good night.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jun 25, 2009 9:55 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Evans/Casspi/Rodriguez/Brockman. I’ll call that a good night.
Me too, maybe not perfect, but it’s the best the Kings have come away from the draft in forever.
One of these days you will need to admit you kind of enjoy poking a stick at Pookey. : )
Cheers.
Sometimes real life interferes with real fandom, darn it!
by KK on Jun 25, 2009 10:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually,
I am pookey.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jun 25, 2009 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions 5 recs
No risk of incuring my wrath
I don’t think I can say my opinion any differently than I have.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 10:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nope
that’s what makes you so refreshing. Not always agreeable, but definitely refreshing, and you know your shit. Admirable in both cases (you and 214).
Sometimes real life interferes with real fandom, darn it!
by KK on Jun 25, 2009 10:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well in this case Ms. KK
I hope 214 is correct.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2009 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hehe
My son who is 15 is a Lakers fan because he likes to be contrary to whatever dad does said to me this evening, “If the Kings pick Rubio, I am going to have to go down and get his Jersey!”
It was a lock! My son was going to join me with my new season tickets (first time for me, leap of faith, support the team GO KINGS! rah rah rah) and everything. And then the pick. It just felt like, well, being a Kings fan… I felt it at the end of all of these playoff series, and on the day of the draft lottery this year, punched in the stomach…
Congrats on the child. Raising him or her as a Kings fan is a good way to teach life lessons like “The good guys don’t always win” and “You can’t always get what you want.” if anything else.
With that said, I hope Evans is a monster and proves all of us wrong.
by OrangeLazarus on Jun 25, 2009 10:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Another lesson,
loyalty is not always immediately rewarded but it’s a good trait to have.
When the Lakers inevitably take another downturn and the Kings make their next upturn, don’t let him off the hook easily, OK? >: )
Sometimes real life interferes with real fandom, darn it!
by KK on Jun 25, 2009 10:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I dont think he went against "the common logic"
among true NBA scouts. Evans is the better player now.
You always take the better player.
And if you haven’t noticed,
the Kings have had doubts about even staying the city.
They need to get more wins, the only TRUE thing that keeps butts in seats—regardless of fancy passes—and they need to do it now, not 5 years from now.
by VirginiaBlue on Jun 25, 2009 10:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I have only one problem,
A fairweather fan of the [redacted] cannot appreciate how much a Championship would mean to a Kings fan. But this joy would be produced from pain, struggles, and disappointmen
A fairweather fan of the Kings cannot appreciate how much a Championship to a diehardcore kings fan. This was a a good read but it sounds like youre saying Sac is without fairweather fans. Dont forget about how empty Arco was last season, the ones who were there a few years back but aren’t anymore, fairweather fans. But, i agree…Id be rioting in the streets, yelling “Rodney-what, Rodney KINGS”
by passionforPERPS on Jun 25, 2009 10:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Do you know what tickets cost 10 years ago?
Do you know what they cost at the start of last season before the Maloofs instituted some promotions?
10 years ago I could get good lower level tickets/parking/concessions for about two hours of pay, last game I attended in 2008 cost me about eight hours of pay. That doesn’t make me less of a Kings fan, it just makes me a Kings fan priced out of the market for all but really special occassions or exceptional teams.
I love nothing more than seeing a game in the arena near court level, I like seeing the guys sweat, curse, and smack talk each other, I really do, it has no comparison to watching a team play on TV, HD or not. I’ve often declared that if I win any kind of substantial lottery prize, I’m buying KR1 seats, I’d love nothing more. Of course, the possibility of that ever happening would be improved if, you know, I ever bought a frickin’ lottery ticket which I don’t waste money on either.
I have friends who’ve owned season tickets for twenty years+ who didn’t renew, not because they’re not Kings fans any longer, but because the price vs. the product no longer made sense. In 2007 the price for pre-season upper lower level seats was $125 each, how does that make any kind of economic sense for normal fans?
Sometimes real life interferes with real fandom, darn it!
by KK on Jun 25, 2009 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I had season tickets as a 19 year old in 1994-
$9.00 a game- $387 a season with pre-season. Those same tickets are now $1122 before parking or an adult beverage and that is to sit upstairs behind a basket.
"Or, as Randy Jackson would say: Not feelin’ it, dawg."
-bench-blob- posting virgin.
by jjham15 on Jun 25, 2009 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, man
you make me wish I still had my old ticket stubs, I can’t remember exactly what eight rows back (before the floor seats existed) cost, something like $30 ten years ago? So very frustrating to be a middle class fan these days!
I just looked at season tickets and it appears prices are way down for the 2009, hurrah! Even so, it’s about $13K for the seats we used to be able to get for ~$2.6K that included parking ten years ago. I understand that prices and wages have gone up, but prices have far outstripped wage increases.
10x seat prices in ten years has far outstripped my wage increases. Ticket prices are completely out of whack for the average fan. If a two income family making $92K per year (top quintile) were to purchase two Kings season tickets at ~$13K they’d be spending 14% of their pre-tax income on Kings tickets, that’s insane.
Sometimes real life interferes with real fandom, darn it!
by KK on Jun 25, 2009 11:55 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Prices
Prices have gone down since last year, a lot. I decided to get season tickets a few months ago so I could attend the relocation event and move up like I had tickets for 08-09. We ended up with fantastic seats at a good price. With that said they are still expensive and a substantial percentage of our family income. I really hope things improve.
by OrangeLazarus on Jun 26, 2009 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is happening in every market
And im not talking about the difference in price over ten years seeing as we are only three years removed from a packed house. Im not calling you, personally a fairweather fan but its just wrong to say or imply that they dont exist or are fewer in numbers in sac. I dont know where to find tv ratings but i imagine their ratings have probably dropped similarly to Arco’s attendance.
by passionforPERPS on Jun 26, 2009 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is as good a place as any for a public service announcement.
Hi there!
I’m a Blazers Edger and I just joined your blog this evening. My main reason for joining is to keep tabs on my man Sergio who is now in your fold. Take good care of him — he will reward you with many an entertaining play.
Hasta luego.
"Just kidding"
by CatMan2 on Jun 25, 2009 11:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Welcome CatMan2-
Thank you for Sergio and for dropping by.
"Or, as Randy Jackson would say: Not feelin’ it, dawg."
-bench-blob- posting virgin.
by jjham15 on Jun 25, 2009 11:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good stuff G-
As a father of two young boys I pray that my guys will love sports and love the A’s, Niners and Kings. There is a something special about having a hometown team that you can bleed with and rejoice with. My oldest is 6 and caught his first game as a three week old in 2003. He sports a sweet Kevin Martin jersey, it replaced the size 2T #10. Although he doesn’t quite get it yet, I think eventually I will have added to the fandom by two.
Being an A’s fan means you see your best players move to your rivals for millions of dollars. Being a Niners fan used to mean you won Super Bowls, now it means you hope your team can compete and your coach stops pulling his pants down. Being a Kings fan means you keep watching, keep praying but in the end you know that some skinny dick head mother fucker of a Robert Horry is always waiting in the wings to shit on your dream.
I too hoped for Rubio but in the end, Evans was probably the right pick. Martin needs a Tonto to take the tough cover and God knows the Kings need some hard nose guys to change the culture of the team. It was a successful night- it would have been amazing if the haul looked like this: Evans, Casspi, Rodriguez and Blair- but we are Kings fans, someone is always waiting in the wings to steal our lunch money.
On a separate note- all of you baby having Kings fans- my little one has learned how to climb out of his crib this week so its time to switch to the big boy bed. If any of you need a relatively nice, well maintained, safe and FREE crib you are welcome to it. Feel free to e-mail me (jjham15@hotmail.com) I will send pics- no I won’t ship it to Colorado but I will deliver it free of charge in the Sacramento area (I live in Roseville).
"Or, as Randy Jackson would say: Not feelin’ it, dawg."
-bench-blob- posting virgin.
by jjham15 on Jun 25, 2009 11:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
thanks for sharing G
I’ve been a King’s fan from day 1. Seen the bad , from 1st rounders refusing to play here to suicide of upcoming star. and teams that couldn’t hold a lead, close a game or get a rebound that mattered.
once Adelman and G. Petrie came to town things have changed. A new brighter culture of winning came. I trust G. Petrie and his decisions , of course he isn’t perfect but as far as choosing in the lottery/draft he has picked solidly and at the time chose what was best for this team.
can’t refute the facts of the choices.
peja, wallace, hedo, J will, were some of his best picks.
GP has chose to pick free agent vetrens when possible that fit the salary cap and our needs.
Looking objectivly , sacramento still isn’t a place where star players want to be and we are going to remain in the Lakers shadow.
I think Evans is the right pick if only to change the perception that kings players are “soft” or as shaq put it so eloquantly in 99 those “Queens”.
Evans may be similar to Bibby in that he will probably be a decent PG with a SG instinct of getting to the basket. where they are different would be that Evans has a rep of being physical, a take it to the hoop strong player and in your face defender.
Rubio, I have seen the hype, but with the downside of the chance that he may not even make it out of his Euro pro contract, raw talent that needs to be refined (i don’t think the Kings have the time especially with Beno probably getting more playing time over rubio…that wouldn’t be good. I think with evans he’d beat Beno for heavier mins now.
I like the omri cassipi pick and the trade with portland that landed sergio rodriguez (i like this player as i followed his play because of fantasy basketball) a potential shooter who can hit that 3pt shot and plays hard.
I don’t know much about brokman but i listened to 1140 AM and he was interviewed by Carmichael Dave. Brokman is ranked 16 or better in his who college carrer vs. the whole college conference that he was in for rebounding. for a 2nd round pick and being the 4th player coming to sac. that is a good pick. 3 shooters and 1 rebounder. i say that is a good thing. I am not worried about any overlap of players overall because i hope the competition will push the current players to step up their game or lose their playing time.
Time will tell and I am not going to expect to the kings to get to the playoffs this year or year after, but I will hope that in 3 years we will comptete for a playoff spot with a solid team.
I was happy with the last 2 years that GP drafted. J Thompson and Hawes were solid picks and probably were the best they could have gotten where they picked.
I am where most of you die hards are at… I will put trust in G .Petrie even if there is a quincy douby pick once in a while.
My son is 2 1/2 and he watches the kings too! goodluck with the kid(s).
by solo 007 on Jun 25, 2009 11:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Nice post
I like Casspi at 23, worry that we still don’t have a PG ( I would have preferred Curry over Evans) and think a tough guy off the bench isn’t such a bad idea.
But whither Noce? And Donte’? Is Casspi a wake-up call or a pink slip?
hmmmm
Well, we paid for our share of tickets this last week, Blake Griffin or not, so I guess I’ll get to see up close how this works out.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Jun 25, 2009 11:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Congratulations G!
Anyway, I don’t feel at all like it was the wrong pick.
If GP, after seeing him working out two times for the Kings, decided he could be the man, I’m with him.
I would be disappointed if the pick would have been anyone who wasn’t Rubio, Evans or Flynn, so I’m happy.
Plus, the Zohan is a great pick and Brockman, while it’s sadly ironic that we lost Blair for a single pick, is a guy I loved watching him playing in college this year. He’s the only one in the draft who brings more energy than PsychoT on the floor, and he’s going to rebound every single ball in his sight.
Yes, today I’m happy to be a Kings’ fan.
"Even when I’m old and grey, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game." — Michael Jordan
Go Kings!
by Panzerfaust on Jun 26, 2009 3:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Good Article...But
Evans was the right pick to help turn the franchise around…
I honeslty feel that Rubio (and his much documented need for patience in his development) would have expedited the Kings move to Anaheim or Las Vegas…The Kings simply dont have time to wait around a few years and watch a player develope
I’m dumbfounded by all the Rubio “lovers” on str….He was the “sexy” pick, but id be willing to be that 98% of people had only watched 1….Maybe 2 of his games.. and knew NOTHING about his game other than what analyst had stated…
We won 16 games last year people!!!!!!!! I dont care how “unsexy” this pick might have been, if it will immediately improve that win total I’m alll for it!!!!
by Hoops916 on Jun 26, 2009 9:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
HIstory says the team won 17 games
But, I’m with you, that last game against Minny didn’t count.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jun 26, 2009 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It doesn't matter anymore
But as I’ve said before, I feel like Rubio will be better than Evans long term. Evans will be better this next season, but I’m looking long-term. But we have Evans now, and we move forward.
Never forget: I am a complete idiot
by Exhibit G on Jun 26, 2009 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Sorry to tell you, G
If your girlfriend thinks it’s a “her”, it probably is. Women know these things.
by AnotherStupidSN on Jun 26, 2009 9:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
She thinks it's a boy
But she wants it to be a girl :)
Never forget: I am a complete idiot
by Exhibit G on Jun 26, 2009 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Then goodluck to your son with his future complex
Just kidding. Congrats, kids are pretty cool sometimes.
by AnotherStupidSN on Jun 26, 2009 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great post
But you already knew that, G.
by Ziller on Jun 26, 2009 10:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
was it really?
posting privs need to be revoked after this one…
by Pollard4LIfe on Jun 26, 2009 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Congrats G and wonderful piece...
Also, congrats to vfettke, others…
I actually became a dad and moved back to Sacramento in 2008 after spending 6 years away. I made it a priority to get my son to Arco quick. My wife and I took him to the game in February when the Kings trounced the Clippers. Not only was it great to have the team win for his first game (not that he’ll remember it) but we were on TV as well. I was bouncing my son on my knee during a timeout and Jerry Reynolds said something like “Now, there’s a great Kings dad!”
One of my prouder moments…
"geez its like this site is so serious i jus wanna git mai opinyons on tha Kings out there ok" - TZ
by sroufe on Jun 26, 2009 2:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Very, very cool
Never forget: I am a complete idiot
by Exhibit G on Jun 26, 2009 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
that was you?
you have a cute kid
by betweentheeyes on Jun 26, 2009 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not sure how you would remember
Any ideas on how I can get a copy of a particular game like that still? I can’t seem to find anyone who recorded the game that night…
"geez its like this site is so serious i jus wanna git mai opinyons on tha Kings out there ok" - TZ
by sroufe on Jun 27, 2009 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice post Ex G
However, I don’t think being a Kings fan is all that painful. We are relative babies in the sports landscape (although it’s hard to believe the boys have been in Sacto for a quarter century now). Even if we haven’t won a championship, we were lucky enough to watch one of the best offensive teams ever to grace a professional basketball court. We’ve created some nice rivalries and hosted a few of the best series the NBA has seen in the last two decades. Those are accomplishments many sports franchises haven’t seen over far greater periods.
Not bad for a little cowtown huh?
Now being a San Francisco Giants fan…that is some painful stuff.
Congrats on the impending arrival. Mine turned six this year, and I’m hoping she will find that love of the Kings and Giants like her Pops. I’m looking forward to buying her first “Martin”, “Thompson”, “Casspi” or “Evans” jersey. Problem is, right now she’d rather have a “Phinneas”, “Ferb” or “Mike Rowe” jersey.
Maybe by the time she comes around, we’ll be good again. :)
With the 4th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select Tyreke Evans, STUD out of Memphis.
by otis29 on Jun 26, 2009 4:44 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Rec'd for the Giants
No one seems to realize that it has been 54 years since they won a world championship, and they have not won one in there 50+ years in San Francisco. If the Cubs ever win it all, the Giants will be the new face of futility for major league baseball.
Buy your daughter a Lincecasspi jersey. I’ll go in half.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jun 26, 2009 8:06 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
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