This has been quite a summer for basketball fans in Sacramento! For the Kings - a new coach in Eric Musselman, a first round draft choice, Quicy Douby out of my home state university - Rutgers in New Jersey and a free agent signing of John Salmons after it looked like his signing with Toronto was as secure as an open three pointer! Then there's the plight of Bonzi Wells who perhaps is headed out of town via a sign and trade. Wells and his agent must feel like someone stole the punch bowl as soon as they arrived at the "partay" after Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson signed for big $ with New Orleans!

More musings - got to love Ron Artest playing in the summer league in Vegas, doing some rapping coast to coast and predicting a championship for the Kings! He's definitely old school! Brad Miller looks like he's refining his game with USA Basketball who cruised past Pueto Rico in an exhibition game this evening! Miller is in fine company with Lebron, Carmelo, Dwayne et al plus Coach K at the reins! World Championships coming up in Japan later this month should be exciting and worth tuning in to NBA TV to check out!

And finally, the arena deal! The County Board of Supervisors and the Maloofs negotiating to bring a plan to the voting booth in November! The Maloofs will be like the Doobie Brothers - "Taking It To The Streets" - selling the deal in a PR blitz that will be interesting to watch. With the Maloofian sales skills, reminiscent of the Sponge Bob Square Pants episode - "Chocolate and Nuts" - if they knock on my door a la Patrick, I'll exclaim, "I'll take twenty!" (If I've lost you - you've got to TiVo the episode! It's a classic!

Sacramento is at a cross roads and this ballot measure is sure to be a watershed moment regardless of the outcome. Like the deal or not, there is no doubt that the city, county and the region will be much better off with the sports and entertainment district than without it! The part of the deal which is perfect is where the arena is to be located. The UP Railyards represent the largest piece of undeveloped urban land in the US and the scale of this project is prodigious. It's only fitting that that the arena goes there - redefining the dowtown Sacramento landscape!