Comments on: Digging in the dirt

By: Marine Layer

Marine Layer — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 05:26:51 +0000

@BG – I don’t see how you can flip an ongoing operating cost into a financing model. Neither team is going to be at the Coliseum for another 25 years.

By: Bryan Grunwald

Bryan Grunwald — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:01:10 +0000

@ML–We are talking $100M that could be contributed to the Raiders and A’s for their stadia. Very interesting.

By: Marine Layer

Marine Layer — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 01:45:54 +0000

@BG – Not $250k annually. $250k per conversion. It’s upwards of $1 million per year.

By: Bryan Grunwald

Bryan Grunwald — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:44:32 +0000

$250K in annual field conversion costs equates to a capitalized contribution of up to $25M towards new ballparks without having to raid the current net revenue. Capitalized value is the amount of principal you would need to have to earn $250K. You would need $25M if you desired a 10 percent return.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:37:48 +0000

Dan from what I heard it sounds like they would become a traveling road team. But would see if they could get deal somewhere close temporarily.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:56:17 +0000

OT- Regarding the Santa Cruz tent arena possibly being stalled. I wonder what their back up plan is if they can’t play in Santa Cruz this year…

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:52:58 +0000

ML, Qualcomm/Jack Murphy/San Diego Stadium also had a similar piece by piece conversion as well. But of course that’s been locked in football configuration for over 8 years now. Oddly all 3 (Atlanta, Qualcomm, Coliseum) had or have grass.

By: pjk

pjk — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:52:21 +0000

…just looked at the 2013 sked: Unless I’m missing something, the A’s only play the Giants 4 times, not six. One soldout home game gone from the schedule.

By: Tony D.

Tony D. — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:54:35 +0000

Again, the city of Oakland should go all in with the Raiders, especially considering the Mt. Davis debt payments out to 2025. Perhaps a naming rights partner can provide $300-500 million for another round of football-only renovations at the Coliseum for Da Raiders!
A’s in San Jose and Raiders forever in Oakland…sweet!

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:49:07 +0000

Most of the circular cookie-cutter stadia had seats that were added in the end zones (Shea, Riverfront, RFK, Astrodome) that were not a part of the baseball configuration. I’m not sure where these seats came from, but I imagine they were added in a similar way as these, only on a smaller scale.

@Briggs, supposedly if there had been another year to build Mt. Davis (i.e. the Raiders could’ve moved somewhere else for the 1996 season), they could have at least made the 100 level seats pull-outs, like a high school gym’s seats (this was also done at the Metrodome). So there would be no need for the cranes and all that. I would think something like Mile High Stadium, where the entire section moves in for football and out for baseball, could’ve made those seats not so crappy for baseball and more convertible.