Hey Knicks, Marlins, Orioles, Redskins, And Islanders Fans: ESPN Says The Sacramento Kings Have The Worst Owners In Sports

Venerable Kings blog Sactown Royalty notes that ESPN: The Paper Thingy ranks the Maloofs as the worst owners in sports—all of sports!—in their "Ultimate Standings 2012," which rates organizations across the four major sports based on some arbitrary methodology that I don't care to look into. (The owners are rated by "Honesty and loyalty to core players and local community," which seems totally subjective, but OK.) In honor of the late, widely-reviled Art Modell, it seems worth pointing out (and vigorously disputing the reasoning behind) ESPN calling the doofy but relatively harmless Maloofs the worst owners in any major American sport.

Granted, trying to move your team (to Anaheim? to Vegas? to any place that can pay for a new arena?) will drop you on the list pretty fast. But the Kings were good and fun not too long ago, with a fan base that only got turned off to the owners pretty recently. The Maloof sister seems fun. There are some good memories there. Kings fans seem to be on board with the decision, but everyone likes to feel exceptional, even if it's exceptionally fucked.

Where are the good memories for Bobcats' fans*, who have to deal with Michael Jordan smoking cigars and drafting shitty North Carolina products just because he can? For Marlins fans dealing with the "spectacularly unlikable" Jeffery Loria, who finally spent some money this season, and of course, spent it all wrong? For Islanders fans that have to see Charles Wang lock up Rick DiPietro for 15 years, or Redskins fans, who have nightmares about Dan Snyder making them pay to park in their own driveway? For Bengals fans, who are dealing with this guy? Or for Knicks fans, who [breaks down sobbing].

Who am I forgetting here? Is your team the one that's exceptionally fucked, ownership-wise? The Maloofs aren't really the worst, are they?

*Just kidding.