Despite Francisco Garcia’s best efforts, the Kings hung on at the end to snuff out Rick Adelman’s return to ARCO, this time at the helm of the Rockets.

Instead of getting into the specifics of the game I would like to point out just how embarrassed and irritated I am over the coverage of Adelman’s return. This man, along with a handful of players long since vanished, turned the Kings from an embarrassing turd rodeo into a team that was an NBA fix away from a championship.

As the game drew near there were no shots of Adelman entering the arena from the bus, no shots of him on the sidelines, no pre-game “beat the old coach” stuff from Jerry Reynolds. It was almost like some petty schoolyard bull crap perpetrated by the Maloofs, who quite simply chased Adelman out of town after eight wildly successful seasons. There was one quick shot right before tip-off of him, but his highly anticipated introduction to the crowd occurred during a commercial break. A friend who attended the game called the crowd response, “not especially loud” but there was a standing ovation from those in the half-full arena.

That’s disgusting, Kings fans. You need to stand up and cheer like mad for this man. It was he who made you the fans you are, or rather…were. How dare you people call yourselves the best fans in the NBA, a hollow banner that swings idly from an era long gone. The thunderous roar that once shook the very foundation of the old building remains only in memories of glories past. The 5,000 empty blue seats that sit pathetically among those that still care to root for the home team are a disgrace. The yellow mass that consumed the eye at the recent Warriors game is not the ARCO I know. The ovation for Adelman should have stretched on for minutes, until the referees threatened to forfeit the game from the sheer madness of your screams. It should have reminded all of what this town used to be…a Kings Nation. The aura that once bled invincibility is dying away, and it really is a shame. This team is fun to watch.

The Kings won. Artest and Martin went crazy. The end.

Sorry that this entry was a bit of a downer, but the way this game was presented and how it played out was simply unacceptable to me. Thank you, coach Adelman. I’ll never forget what you did for us, the real fans. I will cheer you upon subsequent returns as well…win or lose.