Last week the SJ Merc ran a truly shocking piece indicating the Raiders are interested in building a new stadium adjacent to the existing Coliseum.
We'll, duh!
And in spite of what NBC Bay Area reported Monday evening; that the 49Er's are going all or nothing on Santa Clara, and that Oakland isn't an option is incorrect.
Just weeks ago, team owner/Pres. Jed York told the Chronicle's Matier and Ross that Oakland would be a viable option if the SC situation wasn't feasible.
We'll, duh, part 2:
To wit: all these stadium stories have a life of their own without any real tangible things called facts.
Of course, the existing Oakland Coliseum lot is the much more practical, feasible, and realistic site, be it Raiders only and/or a shared facility that would house both franchise' operations. Its a plan that both the NFL wants and maybe, (quietly) Raiders hierarchy is counting on.
WHY? Because like everything else, oh, money is an ISSUE. Breaking News: Would we rather stay kaput in our old dilapidated digs, or build a new one that would be state-of-the-art and ensure NFL football in the Bay Area for the next fifty years? Please.
There's no doubt that the Raiders have a better chance at this venture than do the 49Er's. They already have the land available, they've just negotiated a deal with Alameda County to look into a feasibility study.
The Coliseum site has infrastructure in place, sits next to BART and Amtrak, has excellent freeway access and tons of parking. Sure, the devil is in the details and financing and potential obstacles, (A's, Warriors, parking, etc) are bound to pop up, but nothing a few millions of dollars wouldn't settle.
On the other hand, for the Yorkies...in spite of an amazing amount of Santa Clara booster ism, (paid for by the Yorkies,) the chances of a new football palace on the Great American site are a pipe dream at best.
First off, there's a ballot proposition that needs voter approval. Reality check: you'll recall that way back in the 90's when the economy was rolling, the SC citizens twice voted down a stadium proposal for the SF Giants.
Speaking of which, there is heavy-duty residential/voter opposition to a Santa Clara stadium for the Niners. Even though the city promises no money from the general fund, they acknowledge that close to $90 million in infrastructure upkeep will be expected.
Yeah, try making that pass in THIS economy. Any wonder why it's hard to build a new stadium in California? Hello.
There's also a myriad of, let's call it the, "unknown factor"...like oh, say the financing, (the Yorkies still haven't provided the details of where they're going to get almost a BILLION bucks; am I crazy or what kind of bank is going to lend out that kind of coin? In THIS economy?)
Looking forward, if betting on any new stadium, there's a better chance in Oakland than in Santa Clara. And in reality, the shared-concept makes the most sense. The league wants it, the insiders want it.
And even if the York suits deny, deny that they have no interest in Oakland, (although the public record says otherwise) if Santa Clara fails, then what?
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