Maybe Kansas City isn't a viable option for the Islanders

A rumor that has been building steam for months – the Islanders moving out of Long Island and heading to Kansas City – was further flamed when the team announced it would take on the Kings in an exhibition game in the Midwestern city prior to the start of the 2009-10 season. The rumor was hardly squashed last night as I viewed team owner Charles Wang being interviewed on MSG+ during the Isles/Rangers intermission. (Although to be perfectly honest I only saw the first half of the interview because I was flipping between the MSG and MSG+ coverage during the commercials.) Even if the barbeque in Kansas City is delicious as Wang said it was, this report currently on the KMBZ-TV Kansas City homepage could be a little more sobering than the Islanders want:

“Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders said he's concerned the Chiefs and Royals could leave Kansas City because of the city's budget proposal.

Kansas City has an $85 million budget shortfall that has to be fixed by the end of the month.

Thursday, Mayor Mark Funkhouser put forward his plan, which includes eliminating nearly $2 million the city gives each year to the Truman Sports Complex.

Sanders said if the city pulls its $2 million annual contribution, it would break the lease and leave the city with no written guarantee keeping the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City for the long term.”

With the contracts broken both teams would be able to flea the city in search of the most attractive offer leaving the town without a major professional sports team to call home. That lack of entertainment would allow a very desperate city to entice a very desperate team to come west. The major sticking point would be the fact that Kansas City is broke and really could not afford to build the team that luxurious new arena they have been demanding Long Island to approve. (According to a report in Newsday, Wang has given Long Island the ultimatum, approve my $3 billion plan or I am out of here.) And so the saga continues…
(Photo: Getty Images; Source via cnn.com)