A Pro team in Omaha lost?

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:33 am

I'm not starting this to say Omaha is getting one but something I heard at work the other day made me put this here.

I was at work waiting for an elevator and some higher ups waiting in the nearby lobby where talking about how Omaha had missed out on getting an NBA team in the 70's or 80's before the Kings left KC for Sacramento. They said a group of local business owners were set on getting together to buy a team to help attract more businesses to the area with the lure that a pro team attracts. Some companies he named were Mutual, Enron or NNG (whatever they were called), and ConAgra.

Here's what kills me.

The reason Omaha lost out on the team was because certain business leaders and politicians didn't want to have a Pro team take away attention (or money) from the f*cking Cornhuskers. You thought I hated them before.

From what it sounds like the owners were trying to put together a deal to get the NBA back before they left KC with. But those damn red-bleeders promised to block the team with lobbying against a new arena or any other incentives they could give the NBA to locate to Omaha in the city and legislature and do anything they could so Husker Football would remain the dominant sport in the State.

Now I've heard this rumor before about the Huskers keeping a pro team out, but hearing this makes me truly believe it. Anyone else heard anything to back this up?

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:55 am

I'd never heard that, but I'd belive every bit of it. With the growth of Omaha (ie, people like me moving in from out of Nebraska) I can only hope that someday the powers that be will wake up and realize that not everybody here gives a |expletive| about cornchucker football. Damn where's that vomit emoticon when you want it.

GO HAWKEYES!

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:57 am

Exactly, the1wags!!!!......except for the Hawkeyes part ;).

And where did you move here from, again?

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:01 am

Iowa obviously. I think when I met him he said somewhere in rural Iowa mostly but lived in Des Moines before moving here.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:28 am

So this is what Cornhusker bashing has come to... faulting them with a lost NBA franchise from decades past??

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:50 am

Yep D'Shawn is correct, I grew up about 30 mins east of Sioux City, then lived in Des Moines about 9 months, now been here a bit over a year and a half.

Jeff, whatever it takes man.

edsas · Post by **edsas** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:16 am

Sure it wasn't an ABA team? This story sounds like bunk to me.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:40 am

You're kidding edsas... you're not familiar with the history of the Omaha-KC Kings?? Yes... believe it or not... NBA basketball was once played at the Civic.

edsas · Post by **edsas** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:13 am

Of course I know who the KC-Omaha Kings were. They're why I'm a Sacramento fan. What I think is bunk is the part of the story where a Husker kabal prevented some businessmen from going after a pro-basketball team. Makes no sense. Can somebody explain to me how a team of another sport in a city 50 miles away playing games for less than half of the college football season would drain money, attention or prestige from the Nebraska football team? The NBA in the 70s was not nearly the marquis organization it is today (or even 15 years ago), so why would the Husker Kabal block this venture and not any of the myriad minor-league and semi-pro teams that have called Omaha (or even Lincoln for that matter) home? If they had been going after an NFL team then maybe, maybe I would buy it, but I think this story, as told, is BS. I think some Omaha business leaders probably did try to get an NBA franchise for the city but failed for reasons other than a bunch of insidious Nebraska alumni strongarming them out of it.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:32 am

Oh right. I'm with you there. One only needed to look at the Kings attendance at the Civic to realize it wasn't feasible in Omaha at that time.

zedmib · Post by **zedmib** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:12 pm

I thought the Cornhuskers were the reason the Omaha area did not get the Saturn plant. The rumor was that Bob Kerry was pushing for the plant to be closed on football Saturdays so the employees could view or listen to the game. GM went elsewhere.

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:18 pm

Id believe that too.

projectman · Post by **projectman** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:56 pm

I think the reason the planets and stars did not align one Saturday last fall is because the NU coaching staff and Steve Pederson wouldn't allow it because it was a night game and they didn't want attendance to be hurt by star gazers staying home.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:47 pm

jhuston wrote:Oh right. I'm with you there. One only needed to look at the Kings attendance at the Civic to realize it wasn't feasible in Omaha at that time.

It wasen't feasible for KCMO either.. In fact, their attendance was about as bad in KC as it was in Omaha..Thus the franchise move to Sacramento..Of course, the Kings franchise..The Cincinnati Royals before KC-Omaha and the Syracuse Nationals before Cincinnati, ultimately moved for the same reason..Overall fan support..The NBA hasen't returned to any of these cities since..I'd also say, if the NBA wasen't feasible in KCMO and Omaha, the it wasen't feasible in Cincy or Syracuse, NY either..

As a side note, when I was a kid, my cousins has season tickets to KC-Omaha Kings games..For every season they played in Omaha, I attended most of the home games..I can remember standing room only crowds at the Civic when Boston or the NY Knicks came to town (for obvious reasons)..And really good crowds when the Milwaukee Bucks (who had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson) and the Chicago Bulls (who featured a backcourt of Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lear, Bob Love and Chet Walker at forwards and Clifford Ray at center) came to town..Both were Kings division rivals at the time and sucessful teams as well..

The Kings point guard at the time Nate 'tiny' Archibald is on record as saying he preferred playing in Omaha over KC saying the crowds in Omaha were more enthusiastic..He even stated he wished ownership would have just moved the entire franchise to Omaha and play ALL their games here (gosh I admit other than guard Jimmy 'the walk' Walker and center 'slammin' Sam Lacey, Archibald was my favorite King

)..

As a side note Nate Archibald's wife is also from Omaha..

It was great having box seats and watching the NBA in Omaha. I've always missed it..And it is one of my fondest memories growing up in the 'Big O'..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 3:13 am

Woa you're really dating your self there!

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 5:43 am

Swift wrote:Woa you're really dating your self there!

Hey now!..

I'm not that old..Late 30's early 40's ish..

..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace