There's a new grassroots organization fighting to keep the Sacramento Kings from moving to Seattle and they're making some noise.
Here We Buy, led by online radio show host "Carmichael" Dave Weiglein, launched its website yesterday morning, allowing fans and businesses to pledge their support of finding an owner that will keep the Kings in Sacramento.
As of 8:43 p.m. PST today, 2,439 fans have pledged $8.4 million in season tickets a little more than 24 hours after the site's launch and the numbers continue to rise while keeping fans connected on Facebook and Twitter.
Currently, the Maloofs want to sell their majority ownership of the Kings to the Chris Hansen-Steve Ballmer group in Seattle for a reported $500-525 million. The group would move the team to Seattle's KeyArena until their new arena is built.
Seattle lost their NBA team, the SuperSonics, after Clay Bennett purchased the team and moved them to Oklahoma City. Bennett also heads the NBA's relocation committee.
While Seattle has NFL, MLB, MLS and WNBA teams to fall back on, Sacramento would lose it's only major league sport.
Here We Buy isn't just hoping to find new owners because there are potential buyers who are expressing interest in keeping the Kings in town.
Ron Burkle, co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, put together an ownership group and offered to buy the Kings when the team was in danger of moving to Anaheim in 2011. The Maloofs angrily rejected his offer, but Mayor Kevin Johnson said that he and Burkle have been in "constant contact."
Mark Mastrov, who founded 24 Hour Fitness, wants to purchase the team and keep the team where it is. He was the runner-up in bidding for the Golden State Warriors.
JMA Ventures, the company that replaced the Westfield Corp. as the Downtown Plaza mall's operator, is interested in keeping the Kings in town. Dale Carlsen, who owns Sleep Train Mattress Centers, told The Sacramento Bee that there are other investors that want to bid for the team:
Carlsen said he's definitely interested in participating in a bid, and has been contacted by other potential investors as well.
"My hope is we're given an opportunity as a community to put our offer in," Carlsen said today. "There's several groups that are trying to put that together."
Potential owners who want to keep the team in town is one way to get fans excited. Here We Buy Night will bring those fans together at Sleep Train Arena on Feb. 9 when the Kings will host the Utah Jazz.
If Kings fans have learned anything since the team almost moved to Anaheim, they've learned that it's not over until it's over. Here We Buy is taking that to heart.
Update: As of Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. PST, Here We Buy has gathered $10 million in pledges.
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