Jed York's Oakland flirtation not that far-fetched; right-hand man Dolich key 510 op

Jed York's "Oakland is an option" in case Santa Clara is dead word to Matier and Ross was read in many avenues, (including mine) as a negotiating ploy for his proposed new digs in the South Bay and perhaps, a subtle message to SF that he wanted no part of a planned stadium in the Hunters Point naval shipyards.

As has been said in this space, the York's have no allegiance to San Francisco and have a deep disconnect with the powers-that-be, which includes Mayor Gavin Newsom and by extension, Newsom's front man for the SF stadium, ex-49ers prez, Carmen Policy.

Keep in mind that Policy was a key figure for Eddie DeBartolo, his mother's sister; coincidence? There's a lot more to the story here, but that's for another post.

York and current 49ers officials want no SF stadium deal. Its either Santa Clara or bust, and that's where Oakland comes into the equation.

York's right-hand man on the stadium deal is COO Andy Dolich, who many years ago ran the business enterprises of the Oakland A's. It was Dolich who turned the Oakland Coliseum into the baseball wonderment for the Hass family and made it the go-to place in the 80's and 90's.

Dolich has a strong connection to Oakland sports/business/interests. He's also very familiar with the political figures in the Eastbay and no doubt has fed York with the idea and concept of an "Oakland option."

Combine that with the Raiders Amy Trask recent statement that the best location of a stadium was the existing Oakland Coliseum, which sits next to Highway 880 and both BART and Amtrak.

Trask was also subtly receptive to the concept of a shared-stadium, in which BOTH the Raiders and 49ers would play in a new football palace that would be jointly financed by both teams. Its a idea that is also favored by the NFL.

One thing's for sure. The Niners are racing against time. They are clearly impatient about the on-going stadium happenings in Santa Clara. They want desperately out of aged and dilapidated Candlestick Park. They want a new stadium by 2014, and by all accounts, SF doesn't fit into their long-term business model.

The Oakland pitch by York could be seen merely as a last-ditch negotiating ploy by observers; partly, yes, but don't underestimate it by any means. If Santa Clara is a no-go; be it voted down by Santa Clara residents, or if the Great America owners throw a bunch of lawsuits at the proposal; whatever, York and company see the Coliseum site as a viable option if Santa Clara bails.

**Follow me daily on Twitter