Posted on 11/03/2005 9:03:41 AM PST by SmithL
It's official. The deal that brought the Raiders back to Oakland 10 years ago is an unmitigated disaster. At Wednesday's news conference announcing the extinction of personal seat licenses, city and county officials smiled bravely.
And why not? It's better than crying.
As it stands right now, Oakland is clinging to the Raiders with a hope and a prayer, neither of which have proved to be an especially effective tactic in dealing with Raiders owner Al Davis. The team's lease on McAfee Coliseum expires in 2011, which means it has until then to complete one of the greatest marketing turnarounds in the history of the NFL or the team will almost certainly leave.
As Davis said at the news conference, "We have a deal we can live with -- at least for the next five years.''
Now there's a rallying cry.
The facts are these: Personal seat licenses, which were supposed to painlessly and effortlessly retire the $200 million bond issue used to spiff up the Coliseum-Arena complex, were the worst idea since drafting Brigham Young University quarterback Marc Wilson. The licenses not only weren't selling, they were less popular than the Denver Broncos. Even the stopgap idea, proposed by several pundits, that the Raiders should take the 10-year licenses and turn them into lifetime licenses, wasn't going to fly.
"If the PSLs had been re-marketed, there would have been protests,'' said Davis. "I'm not saying there would have been marches down Market Street . . .''
Of course not. Down Hegenberger Road would be much more likely.
So, if you accept the fact that the PSL money is gone, gone, gone, the remaining choices fall pretty easily into place -- cut your losses and make the best deal you can.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Raiders ping
If it weren't for New Orleans and Detroit, Oakland would be the worst hellhole in North America.
GO Raiders!!! 2 wins in a row, I think I am going to faint.
Aren't you going to include New Jersey and Cleveland?
Not really. Large parts of Oakland are very nice. The ghetto neighborhoods of any major East Coast or Midwest city are worse than Oakland's - primarily because they are bigger.
Oakland just has the same problem San Francisco does - a city government full of left-wing loons.
Can you believe the crap games that are on on Thanksgiving. My hubby and I are SO not watching...it's a bummer.
Don't forget AZ Cardinals in all that. You could say the same about them.
I don't know about NJ, but Cleveland seems to be using Detroit as its role model for growth and development.
Good point. I also forgot Miami. :)
My husband is a Cowboys fan so you know we will be watching that one.
Here's a revenue generator for ya --- make it so you have to buy an option to buy a pass to buy a permit to buy a license to buy a ticket...
...then charge $10 an hour for parking while you do all the paperwork.
"...less popular than the Denver Broncos."
Hey now.... don't go there.
Ewww. Them and Denver..ughg. Our least favs. We're actually Raiders, Packers and occasinally Cardinals fans. But we are also fare weather fans for the Cardinals. They don't do so well. It's a bummer neither are the Raiders this year. What's up with the teams this year anyway?
I will be screaming for the Cowboys to win. Denver is leading the division right now.
At last count the PSL's were costing the residents of Alameda County about 16$ million per year.This money goes right into Al Davis' pocket.In a city where the state had to take over the schools,money is spent on "violence preventiion" and other utopian nonsense,Oakland residents were induced to bring the raiders back by appealing to the "badness" of oakland and the Raiders.I'd be willing to bet a bunch of the dog-catchers we have making our laws got their pockets lined nicely by big Al.What a scam.
Don't make a deal with the Freeway Raiders.
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