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Saturday, May 18, 2013
Basketball is a sport not a solution
by Rhonda Erwin, published on February 27, 2011 at 10:17 PM
Storyline: City Agenda's
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.
H. L. Mencken
Since High School I enjoyed attending basketball games. I use to love watching the Sport. As a youth I admit I was sports struck. Heck, I went to my prom with one of our high schools best basketball players.
As a middle aged adult I still enjoy watching a good game of basketball. But it is what it is-- a game. It is a band-aid fix not a permanent solution to the economic growth of our city.
Sacramento is in deficit. Having the Sports team in the city did not prevent the city's deficit. I would like to believe if the team were never here the city would have found other avenues to grow.
Yes, The kings leaving Sacramento will add to additional unemployed residents. But when life gives us lemons we make lemonade. We, especially those unemployed, will look for employment not follow the Kings. Heck, with the Kings in Sacramento many employed at the Arena were still receiving unemployment benefits many months out the year.
It seems Sacramento's ability to grow into a world class city might just be a complex problem. It appears our problem is more than catering to a simple basketball team. Our problem is looking to be a world class city while failing to have a vision-outside of sports or entertainment.
Can a basketball team- a game of Sports- make or break, thrive or hinder the economic growth of a city? If so, then perhaps the city will never draw, keep or convince another team to play in this city.
Perhaps "world class cities" attract sports team because the city offered more than a sports team for entertainment, economic growth and employment. Perhaps the Sports teams came to the cities because the cities offered entertainment for the Sports teams and its players and did not rely on the Sports team to be the entertainment.
Having a sports team in our city is great. But it seems the city should draw a team to want to live and play in the city and not the other way around with a sports team calling the shots in the city.
A Sports team should want to come to the city. And when the Sports team continuously threatens to leave the city then perhaps the city should stop looking at the team and start looking at ways to improve the city. Perhaps then it will attract teams to its city.
It seems in Sacramento leaders are continuously trying to solve complex problems with simple solutions. It seems we are continuously addressing issues on the surface, looking at quick money and not at lasting solutions.
Instead of the city developing an Arena task force, it should have developed an Economic Task Force for solutions towards unemployment and to create jobs to generate revenue. For the last few years low wage employees have been losing their jobs at Arco Arena.
It appears in Sacramento we are trying to solve a complex problem with a simple solution- a simple game of basketball to generate revenue. I can not imagine a basketball team as being a solution to the growth of Sacramento.
Having the Kings in Sacramento has been temporary entertainment and not a permanent solution to our economic crisis.
Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict. William Ellery Channing
Heck, I say "Hasta la vista" Sacramento Kings. The Sports team being here is appearing to hinder economic growth as a city becomes dependent on highly paid sports players bouncing, dribbling, throwing a ball for economic growth.
If the Kings decide to stay in Sacramento I hope Sacramento officials decide to look beyond basketball and seriously look towards other avenues to develop the economic growth of this city.
Giving too much power to high paid sports players, managers and team owners has to be wrong. If the main factor to a city thriving or becoming world class is sports then something is terribly wrong. It can't be right to attempt to solve a complex problem with a simple solution with a game of sports.
If the Kings decide to leave Sacramento the difficulties with the loss of jobs and revenue should make this city stronger. When we fall down we get back up. When one door is closed another is open. When we lose something we search for something of more value. We don't put Band-Aids on fractures. We don't continue to throw good money after bad.
To be a world class city we have to create resources, opportunities, employment, entertainment, crime prevention... A basketball team should not make or break a city; it should not be a major factor of a city thriving nor should the loss of a team hinder the development of a city. If it does then the city was also in deficit of a vision. And without a vision the people will perish with or without a sports team.
The Kings leaving Sacramento won't make economic growth impossible; it will only mean we never looked for or found the solution to economic growth.
Don't get me wrong I love the game of basketball. But this city is in deficit. The sports team, using a marketing firm now selling tickets at 10% of its value, did not deliver this city from deficit. The city should have looked for a Economic Task Force to determine what would bring revenue in a new Arena before looking to build a new Arena.
In this city our youth are fighting to live and living to die where death and incarceration are chasing them and employment, resources, youth activities/ entertainment grows further out of their reach. Surely our leaders should have saw the Kings would possibily be leaving the city. Afterall, this is not the first time the Kings threatened to leave.
If Sacramento loses revenue, by the Kings leaving Sacramento, we shouldn't blame it on the fact we lost our sports team. We should blame it on the fact some of our leaders did not have a vision to see beyond the game of sports/ basketball for the arena.
Basketball is a sport not a solution; to think otherwise just seems wrong.
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City leaders have tried for a new arena for years but it is the age-old question: who wants to pay for it? The small-minded people of Sacramento don't want to chip in to a small tax increase to support a building they, their family, or their friends will at some point visit for a reason other than a basketball game.
It's not all about basketball. The Kings play 41 regular-season home games per year. That leaves 324 other nights per year that the building will be used.
In other cities where a new sports and entertainment complex was recently built, the surrounding area was completely revitalized. Ever been to a Giants baseball game? The first year that park was built the surrounding areas were parking lots. Now? It's surrounded by high-rise living, restaurants, bars, shopping, and prime office space. Ever been to Denver near Coors Field? The area where the park is located was a dump before the field was built. Now it is a revitalized part of town where people go to eat, drink, shop, spend time, etc, whether there is baseball or not. San Diego? Same thing.
Sacramento is too narrow-minded, short-sided, and small-town thinking to deserve a pro sports franchise if it has been this impossible to get a building built. This city is missing out on so much and I can't wait until the day I can leave too.
Say good-bye tax revenue to the City if the Kings leave and the cutting of even more social services.
Another lame article that looks like something I would be reading in the SacBee comment section.
Has this city did a comprehensive study to determine the employment ratio, income ratio, fan base ratio in the cities with NBA teams and compared/ contrasted them to our city? I can’t afford to attend the games and I know many others who can’t either. Seems we should focus on bringing up the income level, supplying more jobs, businesses….. So more can support a team in Sacramento.
It’s not that I want the team to leave. But if they do, oh well, challenges make us go beyond the norm. Challenges are not suppose to paralyze us they’re suppose to help us discover who we are, what we can and should do, and look for another direction to go. I don’t believe in crying over spilled milk nor do I believe in being loyal to anyone who will follow the money and not care about the people it could affect. You appear more worried about the Kings than it appears the Kings are worried about this city. But that's just my opinion. And you are equally entitled to yours.
We are not entering an agreement of mutual respect; it is an agreement of what can you do for me - money is that simple answer and makes matters so complex and our response always wrong. Too many seem to think money will answer / solve the problem. Too many will think “we need more money- just as when addressing youth violence/ suppression vs. prevention…and the mentality of youth crime/ gangs….) So much can be solved if we stop putting the cart before the horse- stop looking at the money first. Heck, then we can solve our problems and the money will follow. But that’s my two cents. Thank you and blessings to all.