How The Kings Would Become The Padres Of Southern California

Southern California has three professional baseball teams – right? Well, so were told…

Everybody knows about the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Anaheim Angels, or Angels of Los Angeles Anaheim, or Anaheim of Los Angeles Angels or…whatever the fuck they’re called. But what about the San Diego Padres? They play in the second largest city in the state of California and are essentially the third wheel of the So Cal baseball franchises. They’re a team who still has to take on the “small market” moniker despite playing in the densely populated San Diego area and a team who still has to do things on the cheap, especially when compared to the Dodgers and Angels.

Of course, there will be differences between the two franchises, but the similarities are there – and they’ll be ever more evident if the Kings relocate to Anaheim.

First off – if the Kings hope to eat into the Lakers and Clippers market, they need to re-evaluate their thinking – it’s not going to happen. Yes, Southern California will support a winner – and yes, Southern California will support a historic team (as they do with the Dodgers). The Kings, or Royals, have neither in their arsenal. Are the Kings on their way to being a promising team? Sure. A successful team? That’s still a while out – if it ever gets there. You know what they say about assuming…

Second – as I and many others have mentioned before, the Kings, err Royals, are going to be just one of hundreds of entertainment opportunities. I’d take the time to list the potential rivals, but I don’t want to get carpal tunnel at such a young age. Once the novelty wears off of the Northern California transplant – and the wins struggle to accumulate, the Kings will be just another number in So Cal.

Just for kicks – let’s look at the attendance records the last few years between the Dodgers, Angels, and Padres.

2010-

• Dodgers: 3,562,320 (avg: 43,979)

• Angels: 3,250,816 (avg: 40,133)

• Padres: 2,131,774 (avg: 26,318)

2009-

• Dodgers: 3,761,653 (46,440)

• Angels: 3,240,374 (40,004)

• Padres: 1,922,603 (23,735)

2008-

• Dodgers: 3,730,553 (46,056)

• Angels: 3,336,744 (41,194)

• Padres: 2,427,535 (29, 969) (Padres came off of two straight playoff years)

Third wheel is third wheel. Whatever moniker the Southern California Kings would go with – they aren’t going to disrupt what the Lakers have nor will they really even budge the Clippers off of their pedestal.

I’m not saying the Kings moving to Anaheim is a bad business decision – but if they expect to be anything more than the last resort on an island filled with other fun activities, they’re fooling themselves. Yes, anybody will support a winner – but the Kings are far from that, despite their solid building blocks.

It’s a crying shame that a fan base who actually supported the Kings through thick and thin during their woeful years is being thrown to the side like expired food. The Central Valley was absolutely demolished by economic woes and it seems as if this has become a what have you done for me lately scenario.

I mean really – who cares about the fourth longest sell-out streak in NBA history (when the team was AWFUL) and another smaller streak of 354 games? Sacramento fans clearly don’t care to support their team when it’s financially reasonable.