SAN FRANCISCO
'03-15-'09 9: 26 AM PST
Greetings folks; another day, another dollar, speaking of which, is the dollar worth anything or is that a subject for another day? Good, I thought so.
It's raining here in "same-sex-marriage-ville". Mayor Gavin Newsom has unilaterally anointed a street name to ex-Mayor and occasional 'journalist Willie Brown, so he's definitely running for Governor.
The A's are ticked at Oakland for being, we'll, in Oakland. Lew Wolff, the 10% frontman who owns the team aired a bit of frustration on Friday and essentially screamed bloody murder at city leaders saying "I'm done with you", only problem for Lew is that the Oakland pols have decided to play a little 'hardball of their own. In today's SF Chronicle, (http://www.sfgate.com/matierandross) 'Matier and Ross report that Oakland's lobbying Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, (who lives in Oakland) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee, head of the Congressional Black caucus, and Oakland's powerful rep in Washington.
Also in the mix is SF Giants owner Bill Neukom and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. Neukom is hellbent about protecting his franchise rights, and any potential move by the A's to San Jose would infringe on those territorial rights.
That's where Selig comes in, but he's in a pickle. Selig is buddy-buddy with Wolff; in fact, he was Wolff's frat brother at the Univ. of Wisconsin. Selig would have to persuade three-fourths of other team owners to go along with the A's desire to possibly look at San Jose.
Selig has repeatedly asserted the Giants rights to all of Santa Clara County, but he also gave Wolff his blessing to talk to other cities once the A's Fremont deal collapsed.
What we have here, as a certain man once chortled, is a failure to communicate. Me thinks the whole 'schemer is that the A's, for the time being are going NOWHERE, caps intended. It's a different world we're in right now. The stock market has been up for a few days and the banks had a good week, but the foreclosures are in full throttle-mode and unemployment continues to rise. Tell me this is a good time to talk about millionaires complaining about the house where their millionaire baseball players play. You think a construction worker in Concord, with a wife and 2 kids, who hasn't worked in six months, gives a rat's behind about where the A's are "headed"?
The A's have been "moving" for the last thirty years according to almost everyone on the planet, including, in order, Denver, San Jose, Fremont, Sacramento, Portland, Las Vegas, and did I leave out Emeryville? Next to the Denny's? Wait, there's also Berkeley too, or is that where the farms are?
Seriously, as I told my buddy Artie Gigantino, who writes a media column at the SF Examiner, that the A's , I believe, are going to open the season in, uh, Oakland, at the Coliseum, where they've been playing for about 41 years, if my math's correct.
The A's made money last year in Oakland. A lot of money, what with a sweetheart stadium deal, luxury tax revenue from the Giants, of all people, and the Yankees. They also get a good chunk of TV money, mlb.com revenue, and so on and so on. Come to think of it, when's the last time any company that made a ton of coin complained about their crib? In THIS day and age?
Yes, the Oakland Coliseum is a crummy place. But last I checked, the grass is green, the lights are on, and the specialty dogs are damn good and tasty! And get this: those A's have Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi, and brother, can those boys hit!
See, as I pointed out recently, I think the A's are staying put for at least the next five years no matter what transpires; whether they put aside their hussy with Oakland and build a stadium right next to the existing Coliseum; whether Wolff and majority owner John Fisher scope the area near San Jose, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Beverly Hills, La Brea, wherever, whatever, I just have a hunch that the A's are pretty much 'stuck at 66th and Hegenberger for the time being, and whatever happens later, get back to us, and pray a little for the construction worker in Concord.
***********************************************************************************
Stephanie Miller Show: Have you heard her? Locally, here in the Bay Area, she rules at "GREEN 960 AM) Anyway, so Miller is A. hot, we'll sort of cute, and OK, so I'm a man, but we'll, she's hot; what am I supposed to say? But more importantly, Miller and her male comrade/sidekicks do this little radio show, based in LA that airs from 6 to 9 AM PST, and while you may not necessarily like her politics, (left) the show is must-hear radio, with a delicious mix of sound-effects that work, a staccato-like round of monologues from Miller that borders on brilliant and hilarious, whether your on the right, left, center, wherever--better yet, Stephanie Miller is, did I say it?, HOT, I mean, HOT! and better yet, she doesn't look or sound anything like that fat guy, Rush Limbaugh.
************************************************************************************
FACEBOOK. After much plodding from my sister, I decided to become a "FBer", that's 'Facebook lingo for the five of you who are not on "Facebook", which took over the world a few days ago; I didn't know there was a coup, but it just sort of happened.
Go to http://www.facebook.com/ and you'll see what I mean, and better yet, you can be my "friend". I have lots of friends on Facebook, and by the way, "Mark is playing softball with the kids and Becky just ate the last slice of her vegan pizza", in case you were interested, and by golly, I just know you are.
************************************************************************************
THIS JUST IN: A's are really pissed at Oakland and are quietly courting Fresno. My sources tell me, there's this really, really large portion of land just off....
SHOUT-OUTS: Phil Tagami, Ronn Owens, Art Spander, Andy Dolich, Larry King, John Russo, Don Perata, Frank Sommerville, Mark Ibanez, and Larry Shannon from http://www.radiodailynews.com/ , Frosene Phillips, Bill Mann, and all the gang at Another Planet Entertainment in Oakland.
No comments:
Post a Comment