Downtown wrote:I think you're talking more from a raw emotional state. The scorched earth policy isn't going to achieve it's goal.
In my opinion the Seattle group still has to deal from a professional business standpoint rather than a threatening stance. I honestly don't have any idea what Hansen has up his sleeve and I am still hanging onto a slim thread of hope with his message about not being done yet, but I just don't see him walking in and threatening every owner.
I do see him being blunt to them about using every legal means until the end and not giving up, and I would expect such, but that is different than being straight up hostile.
Suing is messy, lengthy, leaves a long lasting bad taste, and ultimately there is no guarantee of a win. This is business and at some point you have to cut a deal. I expect an olive branch from the BOG to Hansens group. I know Hansen said he wants the Kings and nothing else, but I believe he is playing tough business and setting the table for negotiating a guarantee for a team in any shape or form for Seattle, whether it's the Kings or otherwise.
1) Who said that Hansen only wants to Kings and nothing else?
The folks who're saying this are some dudes from the Bay Area who don't know jack about the process and are trying to portrait Hansen as the evil guy that wants to take the Kings and even turns down expansion because of that.
What I do agree with is Hansen using this to pressure the league into giving him a written guarantee of a team within a very short amount of time, which is most likely one or two(at most) years from now.
2) No one on the Hansen camp said anything about suing and those are also rumors by some media folks while the league's already handing out those usual subtile threads of "following the process" etc. as they want Hansen to give in.
Reasoning for that is them not wanting to vote on the sale, as they don't have any argument at all to deny it.
What Hansen said was that they'd keep on going the road they've taken and are fully committed to their PSA with the Maloofs and the process it comes with.
Also, suing would only be a possibility if the NBA does not hand the Kings or a written guarantee for a team to Hansen/Ballmer, because they'd then be most likely out of options for a team before the MOU runs out in 2017.
They wouldn't have anything to lose then and would go for it to show the league that they're not going to be used by them and want some $ to regain some of the money they've already invested.
BTW: Tomorrow's supposedly the day the Sacramento group will have to put down those 50% of the purchase price in escrow.
Many are still not sure about their financial abilities and will watch closely if they're able to do as the NBA has asked them.
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