New Stadium In Oakland 's Future?

So last week I wrote a blog about the future of bay area sports teams, and this morning there's some promising new to report regarding the futures of both the Raiders and 49ers. $125,000 has been approved to fund a study into whether new football stadium could be built next to Oakland Coliseum. The new facility could potential be the premanent address of both the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers, that is pending the November ballot vote on a new stadium proposal by the city of Santa Clara. This has been seen for a long time now as possibly the only option for the two teams. The Raiders last year renewed their lease with the Coliseum until 2013, while the 49ers and San Francisco have been in bitter battle with Santa Clara to keep the team in the bay area.


It seems that this news of the approved funds isn't enough proof that the plan will work for some. Oakland Tribune columist Cam Inman is very critical of the idea of the two teams sharing one stadium. In an article he wrote this week he gives an "seven-step plan" for why it won't work. This includes serious issues like; Naming rights for the new stadium, Ticket prices and private funding. He even goes as far as to say, "But don't let that stop you all from dreaming about a three-stadium hub — one for football, one for baseball (assuming the A's can't flee to San Jose) and one for whatever it is the Warriors do indoors to scam money off basketball fanatics."


Mr Inman seems to forget or refuse to acknowledge this point, the New Giants and Jets of the NFL both shared a stadium since 1984. Something the New York teams will do again when their new stadium opens up on April 10, 2010. If its work for them why can't it do the same for us? , Though the Jets and Giants situation their splitting the cost of what it will take to build their new stadium. If both Oakland and San Francisco figured out how to crunch the financial numbers, it could be an investment that pays off not just for the teams involved, but the cities as well. This could create hundreds of jobs, which in turn helps the struggling state of California. Both cities are suffering to do their own budget crisis' and unemployment. This while it won't solve all the problems, but might help slightly.