George Maloof stated that the Kings never agreed to the arena deal that was announced (Creative Commons/sarahinvegas)

Today, it seems as if the deal is all but dead, following the Board of Governors meeting and ensuing press conference as well as an insane press conference conducted by the Maloofs.

Six weeks ago, the region was in a state of ecstasy. Now, it is sickened and filled with disbelief.

This could be the final stomach punch thrown by the Maloof family to the Sacramento area. And the ultimate, concluding "eff you" move.

The Maloofs' poor judgment in the business realm is well documented, so it does not bear repeating. But now they seem to be flat-out dishonest. When the mutual agreement was reached at the end of February, Gavin Maloof cried at the "joy" he felt that this deal was finally completed. And now his brother George said that the framework was the only thing agreed upon, not the actual deal.

Yeah, OK. That's the party line you want to ride with, George?

That's like shopping for a house, getting a tour of one and saying you'll buy a house that’s exactly like what you just toured… but then you get defensive and deny it when the house you just saw is offered.

Yeah, that makes plenty of sense.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson wrote an open letter to the Maloofs released late last night, asking them to honor the agreement made in Orlando. This came after the news that the two sides would catch a red-eye to have a much needed sit down with NBA Commissioner David Stern. It was the only play for the NBA.

If anything, just agreeing to the deal could work, if the Maloofs realized how awful they look right now.

Then again, they seem stubborn enough to completely ignore that the only way they can escape being reviled is by not reneging on the deal, which is what they seem to be doing.

For the Maloofs to flip the tables, they would have to have a giant mea culpa. Like, "lining up and killing themselves in the media" type apology.

But that would likely never be enough. The Sacramento fans have heard them spout some version of "We're dedicated to the city" a number of times. Will another really do anything?

The only way they can save face is to sell the team. And for all parties involved, that would be the best thing.

The city cannot trust working with the Maloof family after years of distrust and shady dealings.

The owners have proved to be completely incompetent in trying to resolve the arena situation since the early 2000s as well as the mishandling of their family fortune.

And most importantly, the NBA looks foolish after this deed. Stern wants to have a control of basketball situations for basketball reasons (too soon?). Stern said today that the league has done all it can in this matter, and he can’t be faulted for that stance.

Sacramento business owners started a petition for new owners, and though it is nearly impossible to remove an owner from the league (ahem…), everybody must break up and move on.

George, Gavin and Joe, it’s most certainly not them. It’s you.

[Editor's Note: Kings spokesman Eric W. Rose sent a statement and two PowerPoint presentations used today. One was an economic analysis by Beacon Economics and the other was presented at the Kings press conference Friday morning.]

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