As noted earlier, Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times and I had a chance to talk today with Kings governor Tim Leiweke on a wide variety of topics. Here’s how it went…
Question: You’re excited about getting to the second round but that’s something, at the beginning of the season, that was viewed as the bare minimum, so how do you view that?
LEIWEKE: “The one thing I like right now is the way the team is. They’re pretty focused on the second round. I don’t think there’s a lot of joy right now. I don’t think we feel like we’ve done what we had to do this year, and now everything is gravy. I think we came into the year with a different attitude this year, and I think the team is demonstrating that, and I think a lot of the credit for that maturity goes to Darryl and the impact he has had, making them understand we haven’t done anything yet. So, previous years, maybe this would have been a stepping stone, but we believe the organization now is past getting satisfaction or joy out of just getting out of the first round. We want to win the Cup. I think taking one step…it’s 16 games, not four.”
Question: When Darryl came in and Terry was dismissed, what was your sense of what was going on?
LEIWEKE: “I think Dean handled it as well as it could be handled. I think it was unfortunate, because I think Terry is a good man. It’s never easy to go through those sort of things, and it certainly wasn’t for us. We were trying to find a new philosophy of consistency, and change is not a good thing when you’re trying to become an organization, like Detroit, where you have consistency year after year. That said, i think it was the right decision. I think bringing Darryl in was 100-percent Dean’s decision, and I think he did a good job. Ownership was involved in the decision, as to a change, because we believed, like Dean did, that we were not living up to expectations. But Dean really made the decision as to when to go and where to go, and I think he did a very good job. I think the team responded well, and I think Darryl has been exactly what we needed.”
Question: When you say ownership was involved, did you go to Dean and say, `We’re not getting results. What are you going to do?”
LEIWEKE: “No. I think Dean came to the realization that we were not getting results. But Dean and I do talk a lot, and so he understood the expectations that we had for this team, this year. He understood that we were not living up to those expectations. There was no lack of communication between Dean and I. We were disappointed with where we were at. The only thing that we communicated to Dean is that not making the playoffs was not an option.”
Question: Had you not made the playoffs, might there have been some other changes?
LEIWEKE: “You know what? I don’t ever worry about what could have been or what should have been or what didn’t happen. We did make the playoffs. That clearly was not only a goal that we had, but an expectation our fans have. It’s good, where we’re at, because what it means is I think our players are living up to their potential. I think there’s a realization, on this team, that they are capable of great things. Getting to the playoffs was not good enough. Getting past the first round is something I think our players understand is a growth. It’s part of the path of where we want to get to, but I think they understand that, for our organization, we need to compete for the Cup. This team is pretty good, as are the other teams that we’re playing. Certainly we were disappointed that, halfway through the year, it looked like we weren’t even going to make the playoffs.”
Question: Because you spent a lot of money, on Doughty, taking on Richards’ contract, and it impacts you on a personal level watching the team…
LEIWEKE: “It’s two-fold. As a business, ownership has done a lot, especially this year. This is as large a commitment as we’ve ever made. We’ve been near, or at, the cap (ceiling) for a while now. Certainly we were big and bold with the Mike Richards trade. We did not take a back seat on the commitment to Drew Doughty. We clearly were committed and stepped up there. Obviously, as a business, we felt like we had made the right decisions to create an environment for this team to succeed. As a fan, I was probably like every other fan of the Kings. We were excited about the year. We had high expectations. So, that said, you had to be patient. Although it was tough with Terry, because we were very respectful of everything that Terry did for this organization. If you look at the success that we’re having today, a lot of that is the system and the defensive mentality that Terry built into our organization. So getting rid of Terry was tough on all of us. That said, I think what this team has achieved is not only what we expected out of them, but I think they have room for growth and you know it.”
Question: Is this a Stanley Cup-caliber team?
LEIWEKE: “Well, the good news is, that’s up for them to decide, not me. I’m like every other fan. I get to sit back at this point and watch them grow. But I’m proud. Beating Vancouver is something not many people expected, outside of L.A. and the two of you. [laughs] I think that was a good first step, but what I’m most proud of is the attitude that Darryl has with this team. I get no sense of euphoria here. These guys got right to work. When Darryl kids about the fact that he, within two minutes, was thinking about St. Louis, we’re still the eighth seed, last time I checked.”
Question: Did you go to the games in Vancouver?
LEIWEKE: “I did go for the second game. We’ve learned to quietly sneak in and sneak out of the visiting market, especially Vancouver. I think they probably would have kicked us out of our room if they had known. I had my brother come in from Seattle. It’s always interesting when you go there, because it’s a religion there. It’s a way of life. It’s the very fiber of that community, and so you go from L.A., where you have a dozen teams competing for the marketplace — and, to a large extent, during the regular season hockey is almost an afterthought — to Vancouver, where there was almost an expectation they were going to compete for the Stanley Cup again this year. Clearly, they probably didn’t give the Kings as much of a chance as we felt we had. It was interesting to watch our team grow in that environment, because that is a tough environment to play in. The expectations are high, and I think they’re still struggling to comprehend the fact that they just got knocked out in the first round.”
Question: You mentioned the other teams competing in the market. AEG also owns the arena that other teams (the Lakers and Clippers) are competing in. Three playoff teams in one arena…
LEIWEKE: “It’s as good a run as we’ve ever had in the building. For me, personally, I’m excited and happy for all of the fans just as much as you want to do well for the Kings fans. They deserve it. They’ve earned it. They have put in a lot of time and energy, and we have served up probably more disappointment than overachieving, and we understand that. So it’s great that we’re finally giving them the run that they’ve always hoped for. But to see it come when the Lakers are going to be in the playoffs, and now the Clippers are in the playoffs, we’ve never had all three teams in. So it’s great for the city, it’s great for the building, it’s great for the district and this is the vision we always had. We’re that unique beast in professional sports in North America, where we have three teams in one building. So this is a great time. The Dodgers are playing well. The Galaxy are coming off an MLS Cup. USC is going to have one of the top-rated football teams in the country. The Angels have Albert Pujols. So this is a great time to be a sports fan in L.A., and I’m glad that the Kings are in the mix now. Normally, they wouldn’t have been part of the conversation in May. It’s nice to be playing hockey in May.”
Question: Can you update that situation with Montreal, or maybe other teams who might be interested in talking to your guys (Robitaile and Hextall)?
LEIWEKE: “I haven’t had any conversations with them, nor is it really our place to comment on their process. What I do know is what Luc has told me, which is I think Luc is happy being a part of the Kings organization, and I don’t expect that to change. I think, from Luc’s standpoint, he, like I, we’re excited about the future, we’re committed to the future here, and so I’m not speaking on behalf of Luc, but my understanding is that Luc is pretty committed and focused on the future here. I’m not going to comment on any other thing going on in Montreal. That’s not our business, nor have I had any other conversations with them.”
Question: When the season-ticket price increases were announced, a lot of fans were unhappy. Do you know what the renewal rate was, and what do you say to fans who did get a substantial hike?
LEIWEKE: “It was a very hotly debated, and a very intense topic within our organization. I know, occasionally, our fans don’t think that we care, or that we don’t listen. That’s not true. We do. As you know, I’m at the games. I pay for season tickets. I have a whole group of people around me who let me know how they feel about life, which is a good thing. So it affected all of us, in a way, to have people come back and think that we were putting it to them. It was disappointing for a couple reasons, and that was our fault. I’ll take the blame on maybe that the communication wasn’t as good as we should have, and could have, communicated. There was a perception that we were already at the high end of tickets in the NHL. That’s not true. We’re not even at the medium. We are below the average. I saw other people talking about how much more expensive we are than the Ducks. Not true. So we have been good on pricing. We have been trying to maintain a reasonable ticket price here. I also believe you have to be accountable for your results on the ice. There were many years we didn’t deserve a raise, and many years we didn’t ask for one. We made a bit of an assumption here, that we were in a position to ask for a raise. At the time we announced the prices, two things happened. Number one, we weren’t in a position to earn a raise at that time. And two, there were some people that went through a restructuring that had a much more significant increase, and they were vocal. And I don’t blame them, and I understand it. The good news, today, is our renewal rate is the highest it’s been in 10 years. We are in the high 90 percentile. People now feel good about the raise, because we earned it, and that’s to the credit or Darryl and the team and Dean, by the way. For the adjustments, I understand there are still some people that are disappointed. We’re just trying to pull everyone into line, so that we have a uniform pricing concept that is shared by everyone. I’m happy that the team is playing well. It makes the fans more focused on the team and less on the pricing. We don’t run this team to make a profit, and the good news is, we haven’t. This is a team that, ultimately, we are passionate about because it helped build AEG. This is not about, `How much money can we make on the Kings?’ We’ve never made a penny on the Kings. This is about getting to a point where they can be a stand-alone, break-even proposition, and trying to get ticket prices back to the middle of where the league is.”
Question: People are wondering what’s going to happen at the end of this collective-bargaining agreement at the end of the season. Is that something you’re thinking about now?
LEIWEKE: “The good news is, I’m in a position today where I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been since I’ve been involved with the Kings. On behalf of Mr. Anschutz, we have a team here that I’m really proud of. I love the run. I love the fact that (No.) 8 beat (No. 1) and I love Darryl and Dean and the tone that they’re setting for the rest of the playoffs. I’m not worried about anything else at this point, and I’m not going to get into where we’re headed, as a league, on other stuff. I’ll worry about that another day. Right now, this is a great time to be a Kings fan.”
Question: Do you have any thoughts about the bad hits and suspensions around the league, and have you communicated anything to Gary (Bettman) about what the league needs to do?
LEIWEKE: “I am on the executive committee and I am on the board of governors. This is a subject that makes its way all the way to that group. I think what the league is doing, and the crackdowns they are now establishing, is important. I support Gary and Mike and the team that Shanny has dealing with this issue, including Blakey. This is a game that ultimately, our best players need to be our best players. That is an element of the game I don’t think any of us want to see. I’m glad that the league is dealing with it in a stern way. If you look at the series that we just had with Vancouver, I think, for the most part, it was about hockey. That’s a good thing. That’s what our fans want. That’s what the players should demand. I know the league is trying to protect the players here. I think that’s important, going forward, that we can’t be going through some of the exercises and suffering some of the damage to the game that we suffer when players go out of their way to add an element to the game that shouldn’t be a part of the game. So, what I like about our team is, I think Dustin (Brown) put it very well. He takes great pride in the way he plays the game. He’s a physical player, but he plays within the boundaries. As proud as he is of his game, I’m more proud of the way he plays and how he represents our organization. When he puts that sweater on, Dustin lives within the guidelines and respects the integrity of the game. That, to me, is the most important part. So I’m glad our players have tried to do the right thing here, and again, I think Dustin put it the right way.”
Fire…Leiweke
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Maureen N. Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain,
Big time.
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, I found it interesting that he felt it necessary to say he pays for season tickets… so many things I’d like to pick apart, but why bother…
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TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
@Stuart, Yeah as if it matters when you make the boats of money that he makes (not that he doesn’t earn his money or anything like that), plus he can write it off as a work expense. That was a weird thing to bring up in relation to justifying the ticket increases.
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OneTimer Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain,
So in other words … what you’re saying is he loses in your eyes no matter WHAT he does?
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
@Stuart, He pays for tickets like government bureaucrats pay taxes…yeah, on the books it looks that way, but he’s a net recipient, not customer.
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Sebastian Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, you dont give up do you….will you say this in June if the Kings win the Cup?
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@Sebastian, winning doesn’t fix everything… and it won’t change the perceptions that some have, me included, about AEG and it’s minions…
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TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
@Stuart, agreed
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
@Stuart, I think you’ll see that winning does indeed fix everything.
TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:49 pm
@Sebastian, Yes, i’m not mad with their performance as much anymore, beating out Vancouver is very nice. But if the Kings win the cup, I still would wish that AEG would sell the team.
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Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, So winning doesn’t matter?
The Puck Stops Here Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, Why? I still don’t understand what your gripe is with AEG. Why do you wish they would sell the team?
TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 8:43 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, AEG does not equal winning, they have owned this team for a while, we have not been winning all these years, it’s only until recently…
Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, And….. we’re winning. “..if the Kings win the cup, I still would wish that AEG would sell the team.” Why? What sense does that make? What else could an ownership bring? The cup is all that matters. Is the Atlanta or Phoenix option better? You want an owner who files bankruptcy?
josh Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, We have reasonable prices compared to most teams in the NHL. Tried to Blackhawks tickets against the Kings at United Center this year and nosebleeds cost 90$. I consider us lucky, but the more we win, the more those prices will be raised and that’s just a part of being the fan of any successful team in any market.
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TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
@josh, I’m not complaining about the prices at all, that has never been my gripe
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BigMikeonD Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, I do love all the people that call for an organizations head because they run the organization as a business. Hockey is still a tough sell in LA. It’s better than it’s ever been but still a tough sell. I started going to Kings games in the 70′s and people in SoCal didn’t even know what Hockey was. Ask the average person the rules of Rugby now. That was what Hockey was like in the 70′s in LA.
Tickets aren’t cheap. I saw the final game of the season against the Sharks. I bought my tickets on stub hub and paid way more than the same tickets in Staples. In San Jose there is a lot of money and the Sharks are the only game in town. The Kings are a rock solid organization top to bottom.
They have built a team that should be good and competitive for a long time.
Regardless of how much money TL makes it should still matter to everyone that he still buys tickets and doesn’t sit up in a luxury box owned by the team.
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TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@BigMikeonD, My issue is with none of the things you mentioned
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BigMikeonD Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, I will take the bait. What are your issues with then? If this team was doing everything wrong including losing, wasting draft picks, not spending money properly or anything else I might get it. As it sits they are running this team in a fantastic way. This team really seems to be going in the right direction.
Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
@BigMike, were you a fan last decade? when this team was doing everything wrong including losing, wasting draft picks, not spending money properly or anything else? AEG has been here for awhile…
In fact, I’d even venture to say that they only started spending money on the kings once they knew they’re hold was strong on the land around downtown…
Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
@Stuart,
Why would you spend money on a rebuilding team? AEG didn’t waste draft picks, GM’s do. Didn’t spend money properly? That is a complaint?
So McNall running the team into the ground financially and Cohen and Sudikoff unable to meet team payroll were much better options. Did you forget Anschutz and Roski bought the Kings out of bankruptcy? Your right, Why would you want people that make sound business decisions? Why would you want stability in ownership? Ask the fans in Phoenix and Atlanta about that.
7milforhickey Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, ^ what he said. complaining about management after what the kings have done is just plain senseless. those guys shell out big bucks to keep this team running smoothly. i guess you’re just trying to prove that no matter how good things are, someone will always complain about something meaningless.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Yeah, to follow up with a blunt point, it’s hard to believe some people around here had a solid dose of The Disaster, Sam McMaster, or the monetary funny business that led up to it.
BigMikeonD Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, Yep been here. I understand that they did things incorrectly. The organization had the wrong people in place to do the job. Those people are gone. They made a commitment to winning and building and gave DL the keys to make it happen. I’d say the results are pretty good. Lots of businesses make bad decisions. Lots of them go through growing pains. It appears that they have righted the ship and are now on track.
Like I said, I don’t fault them for running their organization as a business.
InTheCrease Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, Then please, pray tell, tell us what your issues are. Maybe you can help educate the rest of us and explain why we, too, should hate AEG… Please be succinct.
KingsFan1971 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 10:24 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, its kind of like the guy who would complain if he gets hung with a new rope! I have been a fan for well over 35+ years and have lived through the bad and the good .And now this team has finally done the things that all fans expect,make the right trades keep the right players and pay them. I do not know if this team will be as great as the wings of the past….that I do not care one bit if they are. Simply put the kings are not the wings and that’s what I am proud of They Are Kings and I am and always will be a Kings fan till the day I die.
Marty's Fists Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:47 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, Better yet make him a congressman those guys have been giving themselves raises for years. Who care about the common fan. hum bug.
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Two words – Raiders Fottball Farmer’s Field – ok, so that was 3 words, what do you expect from a Raider’s fan. GKG!!!
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Michael J. Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@DesertKing,
Go Raiders! and take the Rams with you!
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brian spain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
@Michael J., That was funny, but I am a life long Rams fan so cool it. Haha
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IceGuy Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
@brian spain,
I hear my Vikings are looking for a new home!
Michael J. Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
@DesertKing,
Seriously, been a Raider fan for a long time? We had season seats back when Lamonica was the QB. Went to nearly every home game until we moved to OC in 1981.
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DesertKing Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
@Michael J.,
Fan since the Lamonica days also. Going to schedule a couple of Oakland trips with my son this season.
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Ted Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
@Michael J., Yep, George Blanda rules
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DesertKing Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
@Ted,
Jim Otto wasn’t too bad either. The Snake will always be my favorite.
Michael J. Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
@Ted,
I can still hear my day yellingfrom the stands at George Atkinson for “getting beaten deep again”.
Michael J. Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
@Ted,
dad not day
I call shenanigans on Liesweekly, I talked to my season seat rep today, and he said his renewals are in the 70′s and people are not ok with the price increases. I trust my rep more than I do the kool-aid salesman.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
@dana lytle,
Be careful or you’ll get your rep wished to the cornfield. He needs to get his renewals up. And not contradict God.
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So does AEG own the lakers and clippers also?
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
@Lake Forest,
25% of the Lakers, none of the Clippers.
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
@Lake Forest, “it’s great for the district”
but they own the district…
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I went off on TL in an email after the Sutter hire. Not only was I wrong in hindsight, but he responded gracefully and quickly. Keep him around forever as far am I’m concerned. Dude is a legit fan of the team.
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EJ Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
@Dave, kudos for admitting that.
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Lake Forest Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
@EJ, +1
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KC23 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
@Dave,
+1
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Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
@Dave, That is so cool! Good for Tim to respond and good for you to admit you were wrong. Not only did you admit you were wrong, you changed your stance. That is something so rare these days.
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Gary Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
@Dave, amazing how many people thought Sutter was a bad hire. Sutter has a long history of being a good coach. The best thing to happen to the Kings, was him becoming GM so he could hire his brother, Brent. He was a horrible GM, which is what the last thoughts of him were. Talk radio pundits ripped the hire, as well.
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“People now feel good about the raise”
I’m not.
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Lake Forest Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
@Maury, I wouldn’t be either, but KC23 had it right.
This is a business, so I can’t argue with it.
WWJD. lol
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
@Lake Forest, he would send in the locust.
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Paul G Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
@Stuart, Gears of War?
Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
@Lake Forest,
Let people keep some of their daily bread?
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KingMe20 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
@Lake Forest,
What Would Jari Do?
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Seems A Good Fellow Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
@Maury, I don’t think everyone realizes how cheap our seat prices are here compared to other teams. Obviously we aren’t in the same market as a Boston or Vancouver but when TL says we’re not at the medium for ticket prices, believe him. I have season seats in 216. I think my tickets run roughly $65 a game per seat. Those equivalent seats in Boston are 3 times the price! I went to a game there 2 years ago (before they won the cup) and they were playing Tampa Bay. The ticket ran me $185 thru the box office. If the team performs I don’t see a problem with a little increase every now and then. On the same token, if they under perform a little discount wouldn’t hurt.
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dana lytle Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
@Seems A Good Fellow, <y prices went up 20% last season and 29% this year, that is not a little bit.
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brian spain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
@dana lytle, my tickets haven’t gone up in three years, you guys have crappy sales reps. or you sit up top and those prices go up a little and its a high percentage. If your tickets were $20 bucks and go up to $25 thats 25%. Thats still a bargain for a hockey game.
Gary Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
I bought a ticket 2 years ago for game 7 in vancouver,through ticketmaster, $240 + fees. Kings didnt make it 7, but that wasnt the LA price for tickets. I got the refund – fees. Criticizing Lieweke, is like criticizing Bettman, or anyone with power: Easy to do, but, when you compare them to predecessors, lacking merit.
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Sucks with increases for those of us who can’t afford it. Being middle of the pack in ticket prices isn’t too much to ask for though, and the Kings owners have done more to build this franchise, and the surrounding area, brick by brick, than any owner in the history of this franchise.
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KC23 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
@Dominick (defrim65), Well said, we could do a lot worse than TL and AEG.
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Kingscup25 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
@Dominick (defrim65), I agree, they have done a great job with the whole area.
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This sentence baffles me: “This is not about, `How much money can we make on the Kings?’ We’ve never made a penny on the Kings. This is about getting to a point where they can be a stand-alone, break-even proposition”
While I technically can see the difference, pragmatically it seems like he just contradicted himself. That being said i don’t have a problem if an owner of a team wants to make a profit on his team, i understand that (I’d be the same way), I just have a problem when people don’t talk straight with me.
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:44 pm
@Shakes, I liked this one “This is a team that, ultimately, we are passionate about because it helped build AEG.”
They like the Kings because they were a useful tool to get in on the land grab when Downtown was dying to be reuilt in AEGs image…along the way TL happened to fall in love with them… Phil, not so much.
I asked earlier on, but if we make the SCFinals, you think Phil will show his mug in the arena?
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Jeff Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
@Stuart, I heard Phil comes to games more than most know, it’s just not publicized.
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
@Jeff, well that’s more than I’ve ever heard anyone say on the matter… thanks.
puckbob Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
@Jeff, they should put Phil on “undercover boss”
Bluline77 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
@Stuart, Actually I work at Staples for every Kings game. Didn’t notice Uncle Phil as often this year but I have personally seen him many times watching the games. He doesn’t sit in a suite and the team asks that we do not show him on TV. He’s usually dressed pretty casual and doesn’t have an entourage. Just a very private guy.
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Dominick (defrim65) Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@Shakes, I think he’s means their more concerned with the club being stable enough to carry itself.
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Shakes Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
@Dominick (defrim65), actually that makes sense. gracias sir… i’ll be honest when i hear a non-hockey suit wax poetically about the team (whether he’s a fan or not…and clearly TL is a fan) i have this childish natural instince to write something snotty…warranted or not
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Shakes Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
@Shakes,
natural instince = natural instinct
i give myself a -1
Dominick (defrim65) Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
@Shakes, I just read my comment again, and yours wasn’t even near as bad. I give myself a -2.
Jeff Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
@Shakes, Okay, granted I’m a CPA, but it made perfect sense to me. There’s a big difference between running a company at break-even vs trying to make money off them. Company’s like Disney want to make money, lots of it. If/when they break even (ie no profits) people are fired. He’s just saying it’s not about making huge profits, as lone as their costs don’t exceed their revenue they are happy.
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I said this to my rep. What TL does not seem to care about is that just because they are in the bottom of the league for ticket prices doesnt mean that the “raise” isnt hurting his fanbase, or should be warranted. In a few quotes before he mentions the 12 other sporting events he has to compete with. We dont play in Texas or Arizona or the mid west. The cost of living here is substantially higher and that effects the disposable income we may have. So the team may be playing great but I still believe they went too far with the ticket increases. The fan doesnt care that we are in the bottom, he says it like we are supposed to say “oh well we are in the lower price point so ya here is more money”.
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300x13 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
@Eric, I do agree that the cost of living is higher here, but so is the cost of doing business. The Kings (and any other business in California) pays a lot more just to do business here than other franchises do. Not saying I agree or disagree with the price increases, just simply pointing out there is a balancing factor to that argument.
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
@Eric, it doesn’t matter if the people in the seats are wearing jerseys or suits…
IIRC I believe it was @California Royalty (if I’m misremembering, I apologize @CF) who commented on how many suits sat in the seats at TOR games, versus actual fans…
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
@Eric, The fan needs to take into account that they’ve been holding the prices down to compensate for their lack of performance. It’s only natural that they should try to scratch the median when the team excels, and that would be at a minimum. I don’t think any fan can expect them to offer any better prospect than to “not make money” on the operation. Of course, there are intangible ways they still make money, such as occupying their own building. Nevertheless, I think you’re getting more than what you can expect out of an NHL franchise–as far as price is concerned.
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It’s interesting that he mentioned Luc but not Hextall.
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KC23 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
@Capt Jam, Hex tried for the Tampa Bay job last year. It is no secret that Hex wants a GM job and is actively looking. I actually think it would be a good thing for the Kings in the long run because it would open up making deals with another team. GMs tend to gravitate to the GMs they’re comfortable with and DL is obviosly comfortable with Hex.
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LOL is he campaigning for office or talking about running a team. I really would like to know what his influence is on Lombardi. I mean, does he say GO GET JEFF CARTER… if so we’re in deep doo doo. I’m totally mixed here, i like that he realizes no one in LA gives a care about the Kings during the reg season, besides us hardcore fans, but lets face it, most of us were fans when we were getting 2nd overall draft picks and would be fans forever! I know i will.
here’s the line that scares me
“We’ve never made a penny on the Kings. This is about getting to a point where they can be a stand-alone, break-even proposition, and trying to get ticket prices back to the middle of where the league is.”
Why else do you think at least i’ve never seen philip anschutz at a game or interviewe? To him the Kings are a F’n write off, i don’t care if you throw Luc, Dean, Tim, and Wayne Freakin Greztky out there to speak. When you are a billionare, a business that breaks even or loses money does not even register. I bet Phillip couldn’t name his own alternate capitans without an assistant telling him first.
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Meg Jarrell Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
@Dustin, I saw Mr. Leiweke introduce Mr. Aschutz to a Fox Sports staffer outside Staples Center at Game 3 or 4 (can’t recall which). I even managed to snap a photo of both of them. You may not like that they are businessmen first and hockey fans second, but don’t say they don’t care at all.
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
@Meg Jarrell, I’m suprised that dark-suited men didn’t come out of the wood work and destroy your camera for snapping a picture of the vampire…
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Steve W Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
@Stuart, They let cameras photograph him during the MLS Cup. True the MLS Cup trophy is named after him, and the Galaxy did win, but he was there in person, and not represented by a proxy.
Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
@Steve W, but I think PA actually “likes” soccer…
Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
@Dustin,
“Smithers, what’s that ‘A’ on your lapel stand for – A##lick?”
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Lake Forest Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
@Duncanz, Hap-py Birth-day Mr. Smitherssssssssss
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CL Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
@Dustin, Anschutz hasn’t done an interview in decades regarding anything. It’s not just the Kings.
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Kaiser Soze Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
@Dustin, I’m sure that, even to a billionare, if a business is loosing money, it’s going to register
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weequahic68 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
@Dustin,
Understand…..AEG and other corporate owners dont care about making a profit now…they are interested in building a steady team that will appreciate in value at a later date when they want to sell. THAT is where the money is made….
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
@weequahic68, truth
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Gary Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 9:39 pm
@Dustin, do you know how a write-off works. I’ve been a tax-preparer for years, and it cracks me up how many people say “They don’t care, they just write it off anyway!”. Usually, you can write off your loss against some other gain. Thus if you pay 15% or 60% taxes on that profit, you save 15% or 60% of that loss, NOT 100%! So if you lose 30 million, you really only lost 25.5 million or 12 million, or whatever your tax rate is. So, does PA want to lose real money on the Kings? Only to a limited amount, to the point it helps AEG, and gives him and his wife (an avid Kings fan)pleasure. If that’s a problem for you, too bad. Go find your ideal owner.
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responsible D Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
@Dustin,
The Kings are one of the draws that bring people to AEG-owned LA Live, so AEG’s incentive is to find the amount of spend on the Kings that yields the most return on investment across the whole AEG complex. That business approach doesn’t necessarily yield the best decisions for the quality of the on-ice product, but in the case of the Kings it’s hard to take issue with the current state of affairs, since they’ve ponied up the $$ to get and keep good players. The suggestion that for now they’re happy to have the Kings be a break-even organization is hard to parse. Maybe they think that saying they’re just bringing the Kings to break-even level helps sooth the sting of a ticket price increase, but in the future they’ll want to see them turn a profit. Or maybe break-even is good enough as long as fans are spending lots of $$ at the game and across the street before and after.
In any event, leaving hockey aside, AEG, Anschutz and Liewecke have done tremendously well in numerous high risk business ventures, which suggests to me that they have a high level of business competence and a willingness to spend on the right things. That makes them different from other types of ownership that I’d be less happy to have (the wealthy dilettante who runs the team as a vanity project, the passive owner who demands no real accountability, the underfunded, the hapless management, etc.).
Most of what I know about AEG I read in a profile that ran in the New Yorker a few months ago, it’s worth checking out.
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so they aren’t making money on the kings? Does this worry anytone else?
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:49 pm
@Perro, they’ve been not making money since they took over… I’m not worried.
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Michael J. Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
@Perro,
Nope. Kings were leverage to build Staples, then having Clipps and Lakers as tennants, then leveraging to build LA Live, Home Depot center, etc.
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pr0cess Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
@Perro, you can worry when the rest of there holdings stop making money
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KC23 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
@Perro, Nope. AEG makes money on the stadiums they own. They make money on the Kings it just doesn’t show up in the Kings ledgers. For example the Kings going to Europe they played in a couple of AEG owned buildings. Technically, the Kings probably lost money on the adventure, but you can bet AEG didn’t.
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Gary Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
@KC223, exactly. Not to mention that,if the Kings become successful regularly, they could start to produce profits, which would make the franchise more valuable every year. I think the Dodgers franchise went up in value a little, the last time they were sold.
Lots of businesses do this. Why do some networks pay billions to show sports. Some sports lose money, but when people see commercials for every show they have on their network while watching sports, guess what shows start to become popular? NBC had fallen to third, I think when they lost football. Then, they made the big push for the NBA.
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Well since they raised prices againm do you think now they can hire someone to wash the floors at Staples Center, as I don’t know about you guys, but the floors are so sticky, its terrible.
Staples needs a wash inside please!
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dana lytle Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
@Gail Web, It needs a vacumn job on the walls in the 300′s dust city up there
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Well since they raised prices again do you think now they can hire someone to wash the floors at Staples Center, as I don’t know about you guys, but the floors are so sticky, its terrible.
Staples needs a wash inside please!
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Is he really bragging about the fact they are finally putting money into the team? What a douche.
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“The only thing that we communicated to Dean is that not making the playoffs was not an option [because then there would be absolutely no way to justify a price increase to our ever-faithful fans].”
And does TL carry a mouse in his shirt pocket? Who is “we”? Does he mean the big green head behind the curtain and himself talked with Dean?
Q: Will Phil be at a Kings game and make an appearance?
TL: But nobody can see the Great Oz! Nobody’s ever seen the Great Oz! Even I’ve never seen him!
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DesertKing Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
@Stuart,
“If I only had a brain!”
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
@DesertKing,
Lombardi likes players with heart!
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DesertKing Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
@FKA PakiFro,
“Put ‘im up, put ‘im up I tell ya”
variable Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
@Stuart,
“The only thing that we communicated to Dean is that not making the playoffs was not an option”…
i found that quote to be somewhat interesting, too…mainly because that was thought to be the case before the season started and he’s finally come out and revealed the sentiment to be true…
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It’s never about serving the “loyal fan base.” TL doesn’t care about who sits in his seats. He only cares that people – any people – continue to sit in them at the highest consumable price possible. It’s business – and what should be expected.
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Dusty Penncakes about to come on NHL Live!
Should be good for some dry comedy.
Guess Jeff Carter wasn’t available today …
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I have mentioned my disgust of the ticket price hike here, so no need to say anthing more about it. Except to say how many of those renewed just for the playoffs and will then cancel once they are over, as I have and will do. I can’t afford over a 50% hike. Had they done it gradually over the years that I can do, but not all at once.
Now coming up on NHL Live is Pancakes….Coming on in a moment.
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brian spain Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
@Jeff_R, I hope you read your fine print, your deposit is NON- REFUNDABLE. so you would eat about $400.00 if you have full season tickets.
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Jeff_R Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
@brian spain, I know and my deposit is $150. I will use that for some kind of tickets next season, either a 10 game plan, holiday pack or whatever. I talked with my Rep all about that.
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man, can you imagine being a fly on the wall when this guy and DL get together to “chat”… by the time they’re halfway done with their conversation, these windbags would pass out from all the carbon dioxide in the room.
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
@Stuart,
The fly might leave…
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DesertKing Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
@Stuart,
And thus, the reason why California is destroying the world through global warning.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
@DesertKing,
I’ll leave resident PCer and All American non-American, @SVELTEY to fix this one!
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If you can afford to go to a live Kings game then go, if you can’t then watch on TV. If it’s entertainment then it’s going to be expensive. Went to see Hunger games, cost 11.50 + 4.00 for drink. Suite night 175.00 to much for this guy. Unless I don’t pay the lights and cable bill. Look this is why the Staples Center is layed back. Only the rich can go see the games. And the rich don’t go around making fools of themseleves by yelling Go Kings Go. I went to a sharks game this year, had a great seat. I could only afford 1 good seat 125.00 Most of the folks down by the glass are playing it cool. They don’t shout and they drink mixed drinks all game long. It’s ok because we all are Kings fans right. I mean hell if we all could afford the suite tickets we all would go, but some of us are poor white trash and our cable bill comes before our rent. Uless you high jack cable, then your a hero!!! Anyway watch the games and like I said Not all of us are on top, so we must suffer through HDTV”S and lazy boy chairs.
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Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
@King Charles of Salt Lake, very good point, sounds like joe shmoe to me
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Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
@King Charles of Pork Chop, No kidding!
Well, for me it’s deckchairs, PBRS and a 19″ … but who’s counting? Not the gal next door who’s husband’s away in Azerbaijan or somewhere, that’s for sure!
Nice to be able to relate to you on one count especially … city slickers suck big fat ones!!! Cigars, I mean.
GKCoSLG & GKG !!!!!!!!
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Stuart Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
@Bumpcanz, I liked the first, but not The Legend of Curly’s gold…
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Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
@Stodgeart
, I’ll raise you (count ‘em) 9 Oscar nominations and a ‘Best Performance by a Washed Up Jewish Comedian Award’ for 1994!
B_O_O_M !!!!
(sorry Rich)
LB Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
@King Charles of Salt Lake,
Agreed. Nobody is forced to buy season tickets. If the prices are really too high, the building will be half empty and they’ll be forced to discount. If they can still sell out most games at the new prices then prices are not too high. Also over the past few years there are always tickets available on secondary markets online and in person for either face value or usually below face value. I personally don’t see the point in season tickets when Kings tickets are so easy to get, it’s not like they’re in the Lakers situation.
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Dominick (defrim65) Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
@King Charles of Salt Lake,
Don’t worry about being white trash, I’ve been able to enjoy your company (at that very Sharks game as a matter of fact) and I would consider you a wealthy man as far as character, and dedication.
Let us not judge a man by the size of his wallet, but the size of his heart.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
@Dominick (defrim65), … or his 19″ RCA telly screen … or his big fat, city-slickin’ C-gar ….
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Those Dirty, filthy G.Bettman mouthpieces on NHL Network are trying to make up for unrecoupable lost time by running a little feature on the Kings just now.
We know your game, NHL, just trying to keep us happy till you do an hourlong special on Sid the Kid springcleaning his basement laundry!
I mean, your not fooling anyone!
I mean, we all know you’re just trying to fill up some downtime till the Sedin gals get back to Sweden for their ‘missed it by ‘THAT’ much magical non-victory tour.
I’ve had enough of this crap!!!
Be real and get to the ‘Patrick Kane Bash Cab’ gameshow hour!!!
Did I tell you guys you’re not fooling anyone???!!!!!!
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Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@Duncanz, Hah Ha its from the horse’s mouth people
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I don’t know why year after year people here ask for new ownership. I’m not sure how it would make any difference. The team is just about maxed out to the cap.
AEG is in the real estate business. Sports teams are just a way to attracting people to their real estate ventures. They don’t make any money on the Kings. It’s true. In fact they lose quite a bit of money. I’m sure they make money in other areas of their business but almost no NHL franchise makes money. I believe only a few do. The NHL is the only major sport without a big national regular season TV contract. The league relies almost entirely on the gate revenue. Yes, including soda, beer, food, parking and merchandise. Give that the team is capped out, doing business in California, I don’t see why ticket prices here should be lower than any other part of the country. Our winning or losing not withstanding. These are simple economic facts.
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KC23 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
@bitter, For me personally. Soon as I hear someone complaining about AEG ownership regarding the Kings I know right then and there they don’t know what they’re talking about. We have lower than average prices for tickets, nearly at the cap for the team and we’re selling out every game. What the heck else should we as fans expect? Perhaps a free web site blog where all the fans can post that is run by a credible sports journalist that won’t let idiots insult each other? Oh yeah, I forgot, we got that too.
Be thankful people. It just doesn’t get much better than what we have right now.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
@KC23,
WHAT A LOAD OF ABSOLUTE COBBLERS, KC !!
(not really, just wanted to see if I could sneak it by the censors …)
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
@KC23, Hey! I resemble that last remark about insults!
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Winning and losing has nothing to do with economic facts. Only passionate fans thinking more with their hearts than heads think that way. The salary cap has gone up every year since the lock out. Every year expectations for this team go up. Fans are always screaming at ownership to sign the big name free agents. Spend! Spend! But when it comes time to pay, some people cry foul. Can’t have it both ways. There simply has never been or probably never will be enough hockey fans nationally to get big TV ad money for the league. Those 18k or so fans every game are practically wholly supporting this franchise. Kings spend more, we fans spend more.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
@bitter, … so you actually think NHL Network doesn’t give two brass bobby pins about me and my feelings then?
This sheds a whole new light on what I had thought was a massive multi-media conspiracy to keep my Kings locked up in the broadcasting broom cupboard?
I feel a lot better now.
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I go to a lot of games but have never bought season tickets directly from the team. Can a season ticket holder shed some light on what the increases have been over the last 3-5 years? I just want an idea of what all this chirping is about in a real dollar figure..
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Jeff_R Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
@DBking, I started my season seat holdership in the 00-01 with a 10 pack and they were about 18.50-19.50 then. My 2nd year I upgraded to a full season to be able to get All Star game tix, however they were $200 a seat so I didn’t go. Fast forward to this season and my 2 seats were $23.50 each for a total of $1940. I use the 10 month payment plan they offer so pay from June to February monthly. Now come to the price hike. My seats, section 328 row 2 will cost me $35 per seat for a total of $3040. SO that means I am paying over $24 a game more then this past season and $16 per seat more then I paid when I started.
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Jeff_R Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
@Jeff_R, Oh to make it plain I paid just over $900 for one seat this season and next season it is $1500.
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DBking Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
@Jeff_R, Thanks
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Jeff_R Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
@Jeff_R, Actually my total price for next season is $3400.
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Silk Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 8:53 pm
@Jeff_R, I share season tickets with a couple other friends in section 110. We have 4 seats and pay approximately $16,000 for them (includes 2 parking tickets per game) and our increase is 3% next year. Of course playoff tickets are also more every series. The increases all depend on where you are sitting. It appears that if you are in a 300 section, you are going to start paying a lot more than the great prices that you enjoy today.
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Jeff_R Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
@Silk, Yep…50%+ more. And it is just the first 2 rows of the 300s. The 3rd row in my section my rep said are $27.50 a seat, $7.50 less then the $35.00 a seat I would pay if I don’t cancel.
“Getting to the playoffs was not good enough. Getting past the first round is something I think our players understand is a growth. It’s part of the path of where we want to get to, but I think they understand that, for our organization, we need to compete for the Cup. This team is pretty good, as are the other teams that we’re playing. Certainly we were disappointed that, halfway through the year, it looked like we weren’t even going to make the playoffs.”
ok…
so now we all understand what “significant” and “measurable” improvement meant when timmy said this prior to the start of the season…having said what he said, it would be shocking if dl doesn’t finish out the last year of his contract…
furthermore, if we go on to beat st. louis and reach the conference finals, i think it would be safe to assume that dl gets somewhere in the neighborhood of a three year extension….and i think it would be safe to assume that sutter will be offered one, as well…
one thing i will say about AEG/Leiweke…:
i believe that they are committed and want to field a championship hockey team with the current management running the show…and i do think that there’s more sincerity coming from them rather than deceit and spin control…however, it worries me that they tend (leiweke) to respond when it’s convenient for them to do so…it’s easy to re-announce and/or redefine what said expectations are/were after the fact, especially when the team does something that most outside of la wouldn’t think possible in eliminating the top-seeded canucks…(tim says exactly that much up above)…and this point corresponds directly to situations like the increase in ticket prices…it’s as if they waited for the team to be successful to further justify/elaborate on their p.o.v’s to legitimize such actions…
in other words, full disclosure should be done BEFORE things unfurl and/or come into fruition, or lack thereof…it sounds much more believable when you use justifiable reasoning before it’s all said and done on the ice…i think if AEG/Leiweke became more specific about how they feel about the state of the kings organization when we, the fans, want it, we wouldn’t be left second-guessing in between such announcements, like what “significant” and “measurable” improvement means…we finally get the answer to that question during this interview – not when it mattered the most (before the season)…
don’t get me wrong…:…it’s great that RICH and HELENE had this opportunity to sit down and talk about where things are at…but we should have already known about how ownership feels in many of these situations…it shouldn’t be a guessing game…it shouldn’t have to take a surprising first-round victory for them to show transparency or feel obliged to clear the air – that should always be a given no matter what transpires on the ice…because, like leiweke says, we deserve it…
[Reply]
Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
@variable, Yes, but how early in the season do you make a premature announcement and rile up the fans and risk instant blowback, especially if the team begins to struggle and look like it’s not making playoffs.
You can’t make the announcement much later than they did, of course, but again, why would it be in AEG’s interest to do it at any other time than they did?
Also, no worthy business announces its ‘specific’ expectations for its progress and its employees since the landscape changes daily and you don’t want to have painted yourself into a corner with ill advised guarantees and proclamations.
[Reply]
variable Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
@Duncanz,
“Also, no worthy business announces its ‘specific’ expectations for its progress and its employees since the landscape changes daily and you don’t want to have painted yourself into a corner with ill advised guarantees and proclamations.”
i’m not sure that’s always true in sports, as opposed to running a computer company or a fast food chain…in fact, i would venture to say that when peeps know exactly what’s expected of them, even if the public becomes privy to it, it does more good than harm…the public knowing full well where a sports organization stands in philosophy and in expectations doesn’t hurt anyone, nor does it give its opponents any competitive advantage whatsoever…nor does it have to involve any sweeping proclamations or guarantees…it’s simply about relationship building with yr fan base – something that AEG/Leiweke has professed in the past as needing some improvement with…the way they handled the ticket increase is an example of this…leiweke even says that they could have handled it better during the interview…
it’s not like i’m requesting to see AEG’s books to verify their claim of losing money, like a fan did a few years back…all i’m saying is that it’s much easier to justify what yr intentions are/were after the fact…
[Reply]
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
@variable, I think it’s more to the point to say that LieWeakly said to himself “Whew! We finally won a round of the playoffs, and just in time, because I don’t know how much longer I could get away without doing interviews!”
[Reply]
Why does it seem that we only hear from Tim Leiweke during good times for the Kings?
[Reply]
Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
@Rainman, Wise communications practices.
“Hey, we just got OBL/SH! Now suck up your economic hardships for a bit and go spend some washingtons and celebrate … ‘
[Reply]
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
@Rainman, Look just above for the answer.
[Reply]
Golfnut Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
@Rainman, Because it is good times for the Kings right now and look how much hate there is for him.
Everyone’s griping about Anschutz, do you really think there would be an LA live without Uncle Phil? LA downtown would not exist, hell we’d still be at the GW Forum if not for Anschutz.
So what that he doesn’t do interviews, he does go to the games, He sits in the restaurant and watches the games when he’s there., Ive seen him at almost every opening night.
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I’d say leave it be. AEG saved the franchise. Without them we could be cheering on the Kings while they are playing in KC. McNall left this team in financial ruin. Sudikoff and Cohen couldn’t even meet payroll and the team ended up in bankruptcy. Then a relativity unknown AEG bought them lout of bankruptcy and ultimately saved the team.
Look what we had prior to them coming in. A 28 year old building in the middle of a not so good area in Inglewood (Don’t get me wrong I loved the forum) with nothing to do after a game except go to Hollywood park casino. We couldn’t pay the players, the team was terrible even WITH 99 on the team because his linemates were guys like Roman Vopat and Denis Tsygurov. Now we have arguably the nicest building in the world, with a great pre and post game area to go hang out afterwards.
Do I believe TL when he says he buys his season tickets no not really but what do I care. The guy is pretty passionate at games and I have seen anschutz at games during last years playoffs. The guy doesn’t do interviews because he is a recluse. He also lives in Denver and if I am not mistaken isn’t getting any younger.
I think TL’s comments are of a business man, a damn good one at that. I applaud and respect him for the job he has done. Was every decision the best one? No but no one is perfect.
I think everyone on here needs to stop worrying about stuff like this and what TL says and instead focus on the fact that we just beat the #1 team in the NHL!!! Were going to the 2nd round for the 1st time since 2001 and this time I think we have a serious chance to make a cup run.
GO KINGS GO!!!!!!!
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hockeyguy24 Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
@hockeyguy24, Sorry about grammar errors! I wrote this on my phone haha
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Kissmyblarneystones Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
@hockeyguy24,
I think you are spot on!! They’ve spent the money and improved the product. I got mugged and jumped in Inglewood after a game because I was white. The guy nearly killed me with brass knuckles then screams.. ‘Now give me some quarters Honkey!!’ I’m like, Quarters? You’re gonna kill me for Quarters? That place was rough.
Even though in hindsight the Gretzky years were a looming finacial disaster, being a Kings fan then was a hell of a blast. But I think we’re in a much better position today due to AEG!!
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Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
@Kissmyblarneystones, Falling feels like flying for a little while.
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Kissmyblarneystones Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
@Osaka,
+1
Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
@hockeyguy24, You beat me to it. I was going to post how Anschutz and Roski bought the team out of bankruptcy, how soon they forget. LA is lucky to have a hockey team. Ask the fans in Phoenix and Atlanta if it is important to have a strong secure ownership base. Criticize them for making business decisions? Really? I understand you can’t please all the people all the time but…… Wow!
Good post @hockeyguy24
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
@hockeyguy24, To be brief, Love AEG, not so big on LieWeakly and his schtick.
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The key word of the day: “involved.”
I kind of read “It was a shame I had to fly all the way out there to make DL fire TM, but I’m glad he picked the right guy to replace him. For a while there, I thought we were going to have to fire him, too.”
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Also, it’s interesting he brought up Detroit, who I’m sure DL would not have brought up. I mean, the news I’ve been reading about Detroit lately is how bad this GM has really screwed them up–one of the oldest teams in the league, and no pipeline of young talent.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:44 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?,
I thought it strange he said you that don’t want to be making changes when you are aiming for a philosophy of consistency …. and you are trying to become like Detroit.
I mean, if you’re not Detroit already then some things – many things – are going to have to be changed, right?
I guess, maybe he just stated himself awkwardly.
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Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
@Duncanz, Unchanging is the change.
Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Winning year after year has screwed up Detroit’s pipeline.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
@Osaka, It may have screwed them up for the salary cap, but it shouldn’t affect their pipeline.
Great read, thanks for the update Rich.
I must admit as a business owner you try to bring in the best people to run the organisation and I think Tim has done well the last few years. Whilst he does not admit to having much influence on Deans picks I’m sure he was much more involved.
Not just in the Kings but also bringing in Bruce for the Galaxy, after signing Becks WOW he knew he needed a great manager and I’m thrilled to see Becks at the Kings games.
After all, that’s what turned me on to the Kings when I came over, just like 5 on 5 football (soccer) in the gym but on ice….love it.
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I pay $11 per game for my season seats. I love whatever the brass are doing that allows for those prices. I don’t care how much money the team is making or not making. And I don’t care whether TL or PA are fans of the game.
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The high 90 percentile is VERY deceiving. It just means they got the deposits.
Who in their right mind gives up their playoff priority. I know several people who put down their renewals in order to keep their playoff tickets.
After the playoffs they will cancel and use the deposit money on single game tickets and ice packs.
People just wanted to keep their playoff tickets. Plain and simple.
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So…reading between the lines…in TL s opinion, it’s the cup, or bust…anything less is a failed season
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Not only do I love the kings , reading all this , im loving all you great people too. Movin to la soon , can’t waittt.
Go kings go , been celebrating all week long since Sunday’s win . From Montreal to LA , luv u all . And TL adores the kings just like a true fan. So let’s go easy on him. Great job Rich , you are awesome.
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Anyone bashing Tim has never been personally connnected to him. If you ever get the chance, you will change your tune. I left him a voice mail many years ago (Thanks to a friend who provided the direct line # who shall remain nameless) about an issue with the red coats (Security pulling me out of games for being ‘Loud’. Not cussing, just cheering.
Tim had Chris McGowan (Back then a PR rep) personally contact me and invite me to the season ticket holders meeting to pubicly and in person, state my dilemma so he could respond publicly. Not only did I go and give my diatribe, he publicly answered in SUPPORT of my position and told the entire crowd that ‘This is not the Opera, it’s a hockey game. Cheer as loud as you want’. He even agreed that heckling the goaltenders (Clean of course) was a strategy that threw some minders off their game *cough* Steve Shields *cough*.
Tim gets the game, the hockey culture, and he is a regular fan like you and I. A very RICH one, but still very down to earth and personable. Don’t wish for a different option than Tim, it would be a big mistake.
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Cynic Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
@Cynic, That should be PUBLICLY not PUBICLY. ROTFL!! Wish I could blame autocorrect.
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Osaka Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 11:35 pm
@Cynic, That is a cool story. Someone else mentioned Tim responded to an email he sent about hiring Sutter, good stuff. I always felt indifferent toward Tim, never had a reason to feel one way or another, but I like what I am hearing about him. Thanks for sharing a first hand encounter.
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nykingfan Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 5:27 am
@Cynic,
Good stuff man.
He has to take the heat when things aren’t going well..that comes with the territory and his job, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a normal human being/fan like the rest of us.
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Dear Mr. Leiweke, Please contact your Premier Seat holders who are not using their tickets for Kings games to offer them on this site or LA Kings.com ticket x-change and allow us to fill the building with Die Hards. I was at game 2 of the playoffs in section 330 and the amount of empty seats in the PR sections is unacceptable. We need to find a way to get those tickets into the hands of Kings fans at a reasonable price. GO KINGS GO!!!
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Thanks for posting this, Rich. Great job as always!
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I’ll bore you with the details: I’ve been a Kings fan since they entered the NHL in 1967 and before that. We had the LA Blades before the NHL and my favorite player was Willie O’Ree because he was the fastest player on the team, I had no idea about the color barrier and could care less. My favorite # still is #10 because that was Willie’s on the Blades. As a kid growing up in Orange County I played goalie with my friends on back patios with steel wheeled roller skates and broke many a window with a golf ball that we used as a puck. Enough of that! I am 57 and in Sharks country in Santa Rosa CA now but remain a LA Kings fan and a hockey fanatic. My wife likes the Ducks and my daughter ..the Sharks….we have a lot of fun with it.
Having followed it this long I’ve taken my lumps but I don’t regret a moment of being a Kings fan. I can say without hesitation that when AEG took over I didn’t know anything about them but I couldn’t be prouder to be a Kings fan then I am today. From having the patience to build the team the way they have to honoring the history the way have to the ads on building a better life….the LA “Kingdom” should be at it’s proudest in it’s history! The league and the LA fan base is fortunate and as a die hard I THANK YOU!
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Duncanz Reply:
April 26th, 2012 at 12:47 am
@Chris Pennock, Good stuff, Chris!
Only thing is if you post 2 days late very few people go back and catch it, even though I know you wanted to post under the relevant topic.
Ok, cheers, and see you down the road!
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