Migden
Posted on 01/05/2007 9:27:26 AM PST by ConservativeStatement
Not sure what he will do if that gets shot down*
*Please move the team, please move the team....
If it is like most arenas and ballparks, it will be built with taxpayer money, so the taxpayers have a right to say where it will be. In this case, they are speaking through their elected representative.
If the taxpayers are footing the bill, then fine. But what if the 49ers get an offer from, say, Sacramento? An offer that doesn't involve California state tax revenue? Why shouldn't they be allowed to take it?
"Oakland, NY Jets, Atlanta, and KC may beg to differ."
Every one of those teams has at least BEEN to a Super Bowl. The Jets and KC are in the playoffs this year. Atlanta was in the hunt. Oakland... well, Al Davis has lost it, and they have almost fallen to the Browns level, except, they've won some Super Bowls.
I'd be happy to run the Browns out of town. I get no joy out of watching a team that can't even get one, just one, pro bowl player. The last legit NFL caliber player the Browns had was Jamir Miller. At this point, I'd at least like to see them change the name. This bunch of losers is soiling what I remember as a great Browns tradition. I often call them the Frowns, because that's what they bring.
Bottom line: The Frowns won't win, or even be competitive again, until Randy Lehner sells the team. He's relatively young and in good health, so my chances of seeing the Browns come back are almost zero.
If it makes business sense for them, they should go for it. The Cowboys found someone willing to build them a billion dollar stadium. I'm not paying for it, so I don't care.
Those were the teams the Browns beat this year.
I think Sacramento would be a good move if they don't want to stay in San Francisco. They and the Raiders draw from Sacramento, and I bet they would also draw quite a bit from the Reno area.
Who knows. I was raised a Raider fan. :-)
"Those were the teams the Browns beat this year."
So they were. Nice catch for a Lion's fan! :) In a season like this, it's difficult to remember that that team actually won a few. I went to the Denver game. The Frowns were 100% outmatched. That's what sticks with me.
I read an article earlier this week that mentioned the Vikings' off-the-field issues and how Zygi wants to get more involved. In a perfect world, they'll stay in Minnesota and not move.
Five yard penalty!
Migden
I doubt that the state can legally prevent the team from moving. This bill probably won't pass because it only benefits SF, but if it does pass the 49ers can challenge it as unconstitutional and I think they would win that case.
Logistically, SF is not a good place for a football stadium, but I have a hunch that the bigger issue for 49ers' management is that they really don't want to deal with those contentious extreme left-wing people in SF city government for the next 30 years. I'll bet they're fed up with the moonbats in SF city government who have so little respect for private enterprise and view business entirely as a source of jobs and revenue.
Of course, I'm pronouncing the name with a short "i."
Here is an update on the Sports Business web site:
http://www.sportsbusinessnews.com/
San Francisco 49ers Propose Exploring New Stadium with City of Santa Clara
Saturday, January 06 2007
The San Francisco 49ers yesterday delivered a letter to Mayor Patricia Mahan and the Santa Clara City Council asking the city to join them in a cooperative, good-faith effort to explore the development of a new, world-class NFL stadium.
Under the guiding principles outlined in the letter, the 49ers and a working group established by the city would carry out an initial feasibility study of a planned 68,000-seat stadium. The goal would be to complete this study within six months.
The state-of-the-art stadium will be designed to meet all NFL requirements to host the Super Bowl and would be suitable for other entertainment events, including international soccer matches and major concerts. The guiding principles also cover the retention and expansion of the team’s headquarters and training facilities, which already are located in Santa Clara.
“The San Francisco 49ers are dedicated to the Bay Area, our home for 60 years, and to providing a world-class game day experience for our fans,” said John York, the owner of the 49ers. “We believe the proposed Santa Clara site has all the assets that add up to that, and we’re looking forward to working with Mayor Mahan and the City Council to determine the feasibility of building that stadium here.”
Among the key guiding principles outlined in the letter:
The financing plan would be designed to have no negative net impact on the city’s general fund and will not result in any tax increases.
The stadium would be financed through a public/private partnership in a transaction structure that would be developed and evaluated during the feasibility study period.
The city of Santa Clara, or an affiliated governmental entity, would develop and own the stadium.
Since the stadium site is on land currently used to provide parking for Great America Amusement Park, any stadium development plan must address the parking needs of Great America and the city's obligations to Great America under their existing lease.
The stadium would require access to at least 19,500 parking spaces on game days and during other major events, including use of existing parking resources in the area.
The San Francisco 49ers would agree to play their home games in the stadium, subject to NFL scheduling requirements, for a term to be determined as necessary to ensure the economic feasibility of the stadium.
The team would continue to be called the San Francisco 49ers, consistent with its strong roots and staunch commitment to the Bay Area.
The city and the San Francisco 49ers would cooperate and use their best efforts to bring the Super Bowl to Santa Clara as soon as possible after completion of the stadium.
“Proudly, we’ve called Santa Clara home to our headquarters and practice facilities for the past 20 years,” said Lal Heneghan, executive vice president of football operations. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to the Bay Area and the prospects of bringing the Super Bowl here as soon as possible.”
The team’s proposal calls for the facility to be financed with a significant contribution from the 49ers. The city’s working group and the team would collaborate to structure a financing package for the development, operation and maintenance of the stadium. Potential revenue streams could include the sale of naming rights, founding corporate sponsorships, concession rights, user fees, parking and rent that the 49ers would pay for use of the venue, among others.
By developing a world-class stadium in Santa Clara, the team aims to help enhance the quality of life and recreation in Santa Clara and the broader Bay Area for residents and visitors alike – a position supported by Bay Area business leaders.
"It is important the 49ers, a valuable regional asset, stay in the Bay Area,” said Gary Fazzino, Chairman of San Jose Sports Authority. “And we, as a Bay Area community, remember that our city boundaries are only artificial."
“Although the proposed site is not in San Jose, Santa Clara is still a great location because of the economic and recreational benefits it brings to the South Bay,” said Pat Dando, President and CEO of the San Jose City Chamber of Commerce.
The new stadium would be developed on what is now the parking lot for Great America. The city’s working group and the 49ers will work to ensure the adequacy of parking and other public services — such as public transit, police and traffic support — for game days and other events held at the stadium.
“We have had a number of discussions with the City of Santa Clara and the 49ers regarding a new football stadium in Santa Clara. Our discussions have been at a conceptual level, including site planning ideas and how we might share some parking facilities,” said Peter Crage, Chief Financial Officer of Cedar Fair, L.P., the owners of Great America. “We think an NFL stadium could be a good fit at this site, and we look forward to working with the City and the 49ers to see if this can work.”
If the project is determined to be feasible, it will be subject to in-depth environmental review and community-planning processes to evaluate and address the impact on Santa Clara’s residents and businesses.
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