Tom Ziller, one of the best sports bloggers on the internet, was kind enough to answer a few of my questions this week on a variety of Kings topics as we approach the NBA Draft. Mr. Ziller is the editor of Sactown Royalty, an online bible for Kings fans everywhere, and also brilliantly covers the NBA on FanHouse and Ballhype.
How did you become a Kings fan, and what led you to start the terrific and highly insightful Sactown Royalty?
As a youth in Sacramento obsessed with basketball, following the Kings became pretty common sense. Miss you, Walt Williams! I started Sactown Royalty (or, its blogspot predecessor) as an outlet for that fandom — there weren't any other Kings blogs at the time, and it seemed like the right medium for the commentary running through my brain (and my friends' e-mail boxes).
Who are your current and all-time favorite Kings players?
Donte Greene. Donte's a great kid with a ton of energy and a great NBA body. So I'm excited, even if his season was bad. Walt Williams. The Wiz was ... well, a wizard with the ball. A bad teammate to play with, I'm sure, but some killer, killer moves.
As a displaced fan in New York, I only get a chance to attend one live Kings game a year at Madison Square Garden. What are some of the subtleties I'm missing by watching the majority of games on television/online?
Spencer Hawes curses like a sailor. Donte Greene is a bundle of electricty on the bench, like Justin Williams set to "MAX." Ladies love Francisco Garcia.
Perhaps the most painful topic for Kings fans is the possibility of relocation, with Anaheim, Kansas City, and perhaps Las Vegas as the most frequently mentioned destinations. Let's get this out of the way — do you think it will happen, and if so, how would it affect you, as well as the loyal Sacramento fanbase?
I don't know if the current plan (build at Cal Expo) will work. The economy's bad worldwide, but doubly so in California and maybe trebly bad in Sacramento. If the team moves, I can't fathom how I'd follow them with the same level of passion. I'd probably abandon them and move into full-fledged liberated fandom.
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