Could Oakland Lose All Of Its Pro Sports Teams?
By Eric He
Oct 16, 2011; Oakland, CA, USA; General view of the O.co Coliseum before the NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the Oakland Raiders. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
Drive up Interstate 880 towards downtown Oakland, and you can’t miss it.
Two stadiums, side by side. One of them is Oracle Arena, the oldest stadium in the NBA. The other, a dilapidated dump with the words “O.Co Coliseum” posted on a crudely-made sign.
Perhaps you’re headed to this dump for an A’s game, where you can enjoy a view of a tarped-off third deck and the colossal Mount Davis that blocks the Oakland Hills from sight. You can also enjoy restrooms and concession stands in desperate need of renovations, listen to the PA announcer’s voice echo through the stadium like it’s still 1971, and squint at the tiny in-stadium monitors for instant replays.
Or perhaps you’re here for a Raiders game, where you can enjoy much of the same accommodations, only with the infield dirt running straight through what should be a perfect football field. Or as owner Mark Davis calls it, a “travesty.”
It’s funny to think that one day, we’ll stop talking about the mess that is the Coliseum, the only complex in all of America that still houses an MLB and NFL franchise under the same roof. We’ll stop talking about it if and when the owners of both teams decide they’ve had enough and bolt out of Oakland.
Wait…they’ve already had enough.
April 28, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob smiles against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Lacob has had enough, and his team doesn’t even play in the Coliseum. The Warriors owner has boldly embarked on a plan to move the team across the bay to San Francisco by the year 2017 and build a waterfront stadium that is expected to cost over $1 billion.
This project is still in the preliminary stages, and obstacles have popped up that could move things back a few years. But the important thing to note here is the Warriors’ desire to relocate and desert the place they’ve called home for the past 46 years.
February 25, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff watches a bullpen session during spring training at Papago Park Baseball Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Lew Wolff has definitely had enough. The A’s owner has made his intentions of leaving Oakland loud and clear, but so far has nothing to show for it.
There was the hype about moving to Fremont in 2006 and building a “ballpark village” called Cisco Field, but that idea was shot down by the city. There was the proposed move to San Jose in 2009 that’s still awaiting the approval of the commissioner’s office because of an issue with the Giants over territorial rights. This has now become a complete mess, with the city of San Jose suing MLB, resulting in a process that could take several more years to resolve.
But again, note the fact that Wolff has no intentions of keeping the team in Oakland, claiming that all other options to build a new ballpark in the city have been “exhausted.”
Oct 21, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis attends the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Jaguars in overtime 26-23. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
So now we come to Mark Davis, who is still fairly new to his job as owner of the Raiders. We do not know whether or not he’s had enough, but we can assume that by calling the infield dirt a “travesty,” he probably has noticed that his team needs a new stadium, badly.
Davis has done his due diligence, hiring consultants to propose an $800 million, 56,500 stadium in the city of Oakland. The problem is that the city would be responsible for $300 million, and that is something that will not happen, with the state that the city is in right now.
So, what now? The team’s lease with the Coliseum ends after 2013, and Davis has said that he does not want to sign a short-term lease. Even worse, rumors have been flying in recent weeks about a possible move back to Los Angeles.
In fact, the rumors have become so frightening to fans in Oakland that an online petition has been circulating around, imploring the Raiders to not move to L.A.
So really, what now?
The Warriors have a plan to move, the A’s really, really want to move, and the Raiders are at stage where moving may be the only option.
To be fair, Oakland has done its best to try to built a new complex and keep its teams. Coliseum City is an option. So is the Howard Terminal, which was recently freed up for a future ballpark. Mayor Jean Quan has been consistently supportive of keeping the A’s in town.
But that’s pretty much been it for the positives. The truth of the matter is that none of the three owners — Lacob, Wolff, and Davis — are satisfied with their team’s current venue, and if this keeps up, the future of professional sports in the city of Oakland is in serious limbo.