The new kings kingdom

So Cal Expo is the new proposed site for an arena. The first thing that came to my mind is where is all that traffic going to go? After visions of that bottle neck on I-80 along Arden faded I realized I didn't care when it came down to it, as long as the Kings stay in Sacramento.

Measures R and Q failed mainly because the tax payers didn't want to fork the buck over, but another underlying theme was the debate between keeping the arena in Natomas or putting it downtown for the sake of traffic. That debate roared on and all the while I was begging for it to pass and assure a 30 year contract extension between the city and Maloofs. As you know, it didn't happen.

Now we have the NBA involved and from what it sounds like, they are going put a lot of their pocket book into the project. Because of this, I think we should let them put the arena anywhere they want and worry about the traffic when it comes. I know I could tolerate a little extra time to get in and out of a new arena if the Kings put together another championship run and my tax dollars were being used for other things such as schools.

Thought I feel that residents of Sacramento have become immune to the threats of the Kings leaving by now, I know for a fact everyone would breath a sigh of relief the minute that first shovel is dug into the ground by David Stern and the Kings open up the 2008-2009 season with a new world class facility. The traffic hurdles I am sure can be engineered to function but there is one remaining factor should Cal Expo be the spot for the Kings. Where is the fair going to be???

Oh fellow citizens of the Sacramanento area...are we ever happy?

In with the new..bring back the old?

Last week the Kings signed Kevin Martin to a five-year, $55 million deal. This is something I have been waiting for for a while now and I think it is a good move for the franchise.

Martin was the leading scorer for the team last season during his tour as a full time starter. I doubt he is going to be the player that a lot of fans want him to be (the next MJ) but he is a solid player that can benefit the team for years to come.

Most likely, Mike Bibby or Ron Artest will be gone by the end of this season and hopefully the Kings can lure a superstar to share the load with Martin.

Seeing his incremental improvements in play (he finished second in the contest for most improved player last season) have been fun and I hope he can keep it up.

As for the old...Doug Christie has been talking about making a return to the league. As much as I would like Doug to come back to Sacramento, it is highly improbable for him to play for any team in the league.

At 37 years old and a few major injuries later, Doug is likely a shadow of what he was during the "golden years" of the Kings. His supreme talent was defense and to be a solid defensive player you need speed and quickness. He isn't Reggie Miller who could just casually run up and down the court and shoot jumpers if he needed to (Miller has ended rumors that he will return to the NBA to play for the Boston Celtics).

The point is, Miller could do it because his talent was shooting three pointers, Doug's is stopping players like Kobe Bryant. The time away from the game, mixed with his injuries and his age are against him.

We miss you Doug, even with your crazy hand nod to your wife all game long, but you must remain a memory to us or forever tarnish your reputation.

To the new, let's do this K-MART!