It seems like an awful lot of people are popping up to offer opinions on the fate of Kansas City as a viable sports town.
Mizzou athletic director Mike Alden insists that his new friends in the SEC surely will consider putting their postseason basketball tournament in Sprint Center – every once in awhile, at least.
Nope, says Texas AD DeLoss Dodds, scoffing at the SEC staging anything this far from home – but Dodds insists that the Big 12 will continue its long-term relationship with Kansas City despite MU’s departure.
These comments follow a long-running argument about the future of the Missouri-Kansas rivalry, and whether KU’s stated aversion to continuing the Border War means that a very lucrative event will disappear forever from Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City and Jackson County suits naturally claim they aren’t worried, that this area’s long tradition of sports enthusiasm will prevail – no matter when teams or events might leave or arrive.
And of course, the hue and cry over landing an NBA or NHL as an anchor tenant for the Sprint Center continues.
Doesn’t it seem like Kansas City has been through all this a million times?
Everyone remembers quite clearly when the sparkling Sprint Center was completed, and recalls Tim Leiweke – CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the monster company which manages the building – stating flatly that he’d have a big-time basketball or hockey team here “within two years.”
Leiweke presides over the most powerful entity in global sports. AEG owns or manages more facilities and content (teams, shows, etc.) than anyone else on the planet.
When Kansas Citians considered that kind of clout – not to mention that Leiweke sits on the NHL’s board of directors since AEG owns the Los Angeles Kings – it seemed like a no-brainer that we’d have a team in town fairly quickly.
Needless to say, it hasn’t happened.
The Pittsburgh Penguins used Kansas City as a bargaining chip to extort a new arena from the state of Pennsylvania, which was a bit insulting.
Now the NHL’s Atlanta franchise has moved to tiny Winnipeg, which couldn’t support major-league hockey the first time around -- despite the sport’s chokehold on virtually every Canadian.
The Phoenix Coyotes went bust and currently are owned by the league, which is desperately seeking a buyer – while everyone in Arizona continues to yawn.
Meantime, several NBA teams are suffering – and moving to places like Oklahoma City.
So…what gives?
What about Kansas City?
It’s impossible to know how the college tournament situation will sort itself out – though it’s tempting to agree with Dodds that the SEC is likely to ignore Kansas City.
Why would a conference that basically spans the Confederate States of America want to ask its fans to find their way to a city that, quoting Dodds, is situated “west of its most western school”?
Yes, it’s entirely feasible to see Mizzou hosting an annual holiday tournament here – but luring folks from Florida, George and Alabama?
Doubt it.
As for luring an NBA or NHL team to the Sprint Center, you have to consider them as two separate debates.
The NBA is struggling, as its superstars decide they’ll move in packs to a few big cities – leaving those once-successful smaller markets barely clinging to life.
Kansas City also has a reputation as a college hoops town – a fact that was mentioned ad nauseum when the Kings bolted for Sacramento.
Forget the NBA. If Kansas City is going to find a third big-league franchise, it will have to be hockey.
Now consider this: The Sprint Center itself is turning a profit.
There are several major arenas around the country that actually can make more money without a major sports tenant to snatch up 41 of the juiciest dates.
The problem, obviously, is that the Sprint Center wasn’t intended as a stand-alone business. The idea was to bring a new vibrancy to downtown and, yes, you do need a big-league sports franchise for that.
Why doesn't KC have one?
Simple.
Since Kansas City is a small market – less than 2 million in the entire metro area – with a limited number of corporate sponsors and other slam-dunk income sources, the route to landing a team like the Coyotes comes down to lack of a local owner.
Look around at other cities of approximately the same size and demographics.
Memphis got an NBA team solely because FedEx paid the freight. Portland was saved by billionaire Paul Allen. Minneapolis has Target.
If someone – an individual or a company – came forward with enough cash to prove staying power, then you might dream of the Kansas City Coyotes.
But Kansas City has a pretty bleak history of local sports ownership.
In fact, Ewing Kauffman is the only area money man to step forward and bankroll a major league franchise.
Ever.
Lamar Hunt moved the Chiefs from Dallas. The late and lamented Kings and Scouts each had weak group ownership that operated on shoestrings – and so both are gone.
On the professional sports side of things, it comes down to solid local ownership or nothing in a market like Kansas City.
The fattest corporations and individuals here have been approached again and again.
Sprint took a plunge on the arena, but that’s going to be the limit.
Where else might you look?
Maybe Google founder Eric Schmidt is a hockey fan, and since the cyber giant wants to put Kansas City on the map with high-speed communication…
OK, even crazy wishes are free.
But do you have any better suggestion?
One thing you can take as fact: Leiweke wasn’t just spoofing to land a management contract, he did intend to have a team in the Sprint Center and because AEG has enjoyed success all over the world, he actually does feel a bit embarrassed about the empty promise in Kansas City.
Remember that Leiweke may move mountains around the world these days, but he got started with indoor soccer and crazy promotions right here.
Financially, it doesn’t mean much to AEG whether or not the Sprint Center finds a big-league sports tenant – but Leiweke’s personal reputation is still on the line, and he hasn’t forgotten.
Leiweke has tried, honestly.
But without local ownership…and without a string of giant companies to sign long-term sponsorship deals…
Put it this way: When you think of the Sprint Center, hey, be thankful for a gorgeous venue to go watch “Disney on Ice.”
Coyotes on ice remains a long shot.
Just like SEC basketball.
