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49ers & Raiders might share new stadium

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell conceded Friday that the 49ers and Raiders stadiums must be replaced, and he said that a shared stadium facility may be the best option in a credit challenged economy racked by recession and job losses.
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Asked whether he and the NFL have determined that a joint stadium should replace the decaying Oakland Coliseum and Candlestick Park, Goodell said, "The point that you point out here is that this facility is badly needed in the Bay Area. We have asked both teams to evaluate the possibility of a shared stadium.

"We can't come to a conclusion right now if that's the best option. And in these times, when it's more challenging to get these stadiums built, we have to be more creative."

Goodell discussed the 49ers' and Raiders' stadium concerns during his annual "State of the NFL" address.

Unfortunately, he did not answer this part of the question: How will the league assist in the construction of such a facility?

Instead, Goodell promoted the new Meadowlands Stadium under construction in East Rutherford, N.J. - the $1.6 billion shared home for the Giants and Jets scheduled to open in August 2010 - as a model for the Bay Area teams.

That project received $300 million in funding help from the NFL in 2006, with the remainder being financed by the Giants and Jets 50-50. In the same 2006 meeting, league owners approved a $42.5 million loan for renovations of Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

But those projects exhausted the NFL's now-defunct stadium assistance program called G3, and the league has yet to fund a replacement, which means the 49ers and the Raiders - separately or jointly - are largely on their own.

Goodell clearly wants them to consider cohabitation.

"It's been successfully done in New York with the Jets and the Giants, and we think it's something that at least can be explored and evaluated by the two teams and by both communities," Goodell said. "If it ends up being the best solution, then I think that's a great thing."

So what does 49ers president Jed York think?

Are the 49ers - in the midst of haggling with the city of Santa Clara over environmental impact reports, getting a binding measure before voters, and securing a $136 million investment funded largely by redevelopment money - ready to scrap everything and start crunching numbers with Raiders owner Al Davis?

The Raiders are about to go a full month without an official head coach. It's hard to imagine Davis will ramp up stadium talks in time for the 49ers' desired opening date of 2013 or '14.

York said Friday that he is open to the prospect of a shared stadium. But he also emphasized he won't let any discussion about a joint project interrupt the progress the 49ers may be making toward their long-planned facility in Santa Clara.

"No, not at all. It's an option that we're going to look at. It's not something that anybody (from the NFL) is forcing on us," York said. The 49ers have announced they will expand the environmental report to examine how 20 NFL dates will impact Santa Clara.

"But we're still moving along with Santa Clara," York said. "I don't think any of the rumors, talk or the other options we're looking at, like a shared stadium, are going to hurt or hinder what we're doing in Santa Clara."

The recession was front and center in Goodell's rather gloomy address. The commissioner mentioned that the league and its teams have been forced to lay off employees.

"We're not immune from what's going on out there in the economy," he said. "We have to cut our costs."

The league also is headed toward a showdown with the NFL Players Association over a new collective bargaining agreement, which Goodell described as "imperative" given the state of the economy. Owners voted unanimously in May to opt out after the 2010 season, opening the door to a strike or lockout in 2011.

He dismissed the Players Association report released Thursday that teams turned an average profit of $24.7 million last year.

"The best way to answer that is it's completely inaccurate," Goodell said.

Comments

  • SanctionIISanctionII Posts: 11,660 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It will never happen while Al Davis is alive.

    The Raider's 16 year lease that was signed when the team returned to Oakland for the 1995 season expires at the end of the 2010 season. If Al Davis is alive when the lease expires [or even next season, or maybe even after this season] do not be surprised if the Raiders look to move out of Oakland and the Bay Area again. Back to So. Cal. would be a target destination for Al and the Raiders.

    The possibility of the Raiders calling Bekins to arrange for a move will prevent any possibility of the 49rs and Raiders sharing a stadium. In addition to that, the two franchises, the two fan bases and the two ownership groups share no affection for each other.

    The 49rs will be calling Candlestick park home for a long time. The Raiders will call the Colesium home at least until the current lease runs out.

    If the league and the commissioner try to ram rod a shared stadium on the two teams and/or if ithe tries to stop the Raiders from moving out of Oakland, again, Al Davis will do what he has done repeatedly in the past. He will sue.
  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 12,470 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Didn't Oakland spend over $100mm renovating the Oakland stadium not too long ago? It's now no good already?

    Maybe Davis can moved the team back to LA before he croaks.


  • << <i>Didn't Oakland spend over $100mm renovating the Oakland stadium not too long ago? It's now no good already?

    Maybe Davis can moved the team back to LA before he croaks. >>




    The economics of the NFL and the stadiums they play in is very complex, stadiums that a few years ago were doing ok are now
    outdated. An extreme example to me would be Indianapolis where the RCA dome was opened I think in 1983 but ended
    up being replaced just recently.
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