Prior to tonight’s Quakes-Rapids game at Buck Shaw, the Earthquakes announced that the long-awaited, oft-delayed groundbreaking will finally occur on October 21, before the home finale against the LA Galaxy.
Quakes President David Kaval makes the big stadium announcement. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed (in blue) was also there in support.
Knowing how long the fanbase has suffered waiting for the Quakes’ permanent home to be built, the team is making the groundbreaking a big public event. They’re inviting every fan to come to the ceremony and participate, in hopes of breaking the Guinness record of 4,532 simultaneous “groundbreakers” at a similar ceremony in India. Sounds like fun. Will the Quakes have enough hard hats on hand?
Update 7:00 PM – The San Jose Earthquakes have put up a press release for the event, which will be at noon on October 21. Fans can RSVP for the ceremony here.
newballpark.org 
So, in the epic battle of “who can actually get a stadium built?” Lew Wolff 1, City of Oakland 0.
Suffering fanbases? Hopefully we’re next. Congrats Quakes!
The Quakes have also sold out of all their premium seating.
“Additionally, the Quakes announced that club seats at the new stadium are sold out. With luxury suites and club seats sold out, general seating in the new stadium will go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 23.”
Wow! Thanks fir the heads up A’s fan. May have to snag a ST for my daughter who loves the Quakes! Go SJ!
Wow Jeffro. In the pointless jabs battle…..
“Anywhere in the Bay Area” but Oakland.
Congrats to the Quakes.
It’s about time! Great day for Quakes fans. Hopefully it is a day that A’s fans can celebrate someday too.
D jr, I think that’s been my favorite talking point by people like Mike Davie, right field asshole and Jorge Leon. ” He can’t even get a soccer field built.”
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I am still in favor of the A’s playing anywhere in the Bay Area. I hope Howard Terminal is doable. I don’t suffer fools well.
I don’t understand the hatred of Mike Davie and Jorge Leon. Long time fans and go to almost every game. To make jabs at them in support of some billionaire owner who could care less about you is classless. I really hope Lew Wolff will compensate you for your loyalty. Because I know you’re better than that.
I don’t hate either of them, I don’t know either of them well enough to have such strong feelings. And frankly, you can take that “compensate” thing and blow it out your backside. I have had two 15 second conversations with Lew Wolff and he wouldn’t know me from a hole in the ground.
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I do however hate inane arguments put forward by people who act like complete a-holes to anyone who has a different opinion on the possibility that it may be better for the A’s to play in a different city. Especially when they can’t concede on any facts, many of which do not support their argument. They can paint bed sheets with ridiculous statements and call anyone who disagrees idiots all day but I can’t call them on it? Hogwash! Should I let them talk out of both sides of their mouth without saying anything? Lew Wolff is trying to lose on purpose! No he isn’t. Lew Wolff can’t get a stadium built for even soccer (this as a defense of Oakland’s ineptness at getting something good done). Until he can. Now what is the next level of bull they will spew? Maybe they can take up Rick Tittle’s line of crap about trading Suzuki being waving a white flag (even though the team still sits in a position to go to the playoffs). Maybe another article about how the Coliseum is just fine for the log term on baseballoakland? Maybe an article about how the 12 companies that support keeping the A’s in Oakland are enough to find construction?
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In summary of my feelings toward these guys (not personally, but professionally) I can only say that people who want to get things done accept reality and find ways to overcome challenges. They don’t dismiss real challenges as nonexistent. That’s PR, and while that influences opinions, it doesn’t get anything done.
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Might the A’s end up staying in Oakland? Absolutely. Will I be at a new Howard Terminal stadium as much as I am at the Coliseum? Yep. Do I think there are significant hurdles between here and there? Yep. Do I think there are significantly more hurdles between HT than Cisco Field? Yes. Would I be at just as many games in SJ? Yep. Do I care which one it ends up being? Nope.
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Also, I tired to email you privately but got a bounce back. My email address is jeffrey.august@outlook.com. Please send me an email, I’d love to chat about this stuff outside of comments on a blog.
@D Jr – Mike Davie has seen fit to declare me and this blog the enemy and not to be trusted. Frankly, that’s a stupid and unproductive way to look at things, but that’s his right. No matter, I have no enmity towards him and Baseball Oakland, and I know that he, his people, and many Oakland-only people read this site regularly despite their “distrust”. What Jeffrey and I want are solutions and open dialogue. We do our best to foster that. Davie’s messaging seems to run counter to that, so I’m not surprised that Jeffrey doesn’t have much respect for him. To each his own. Including you.
BTW, this is extremely off-topic. It should end here.
/offtopic
Has anyone RSVP’d got the groundbreaking ceremony? If so, have you heard from the club?
I RSVP’d, but haven’t heard from them yet. They have a small front office so they’ll probably get around to it this week or next if they’re swamped.
@Jeffrey / A’s Fan – The page clearly states that they’ll get back to RSVPs in three business days.
@ ML – usually when somebody declares you an “enemy” who is “not to be trusted”, that’s a pretty good indication that you are putting forth cogent questions that they have no intent on answering in full.
Good for the Earthquakes, and for Mr. Lew as well. He came close about five years ago at SJSU’s South Campus before that deal fell apart, and he was able to get past the Newhall NIMBY’s in pretty short order (even though somebody going NIMBY on a stadium when they live between a rail line on one side and a freeway and airport on the other just baffles the crap out of me).
We shall now see whether or not Mr. Lew can juggle two stadium projects simultaneously, or will he let HT/Cisco/fill-in-the-blank sit for a bit while he gets the soccer stadium completed.
ML, I saw the three business days thing. I was just wodnering if anyone had been contacted already. I want to bring my children to the groundbreaking with me and I was wodnering if the RSVP confirmation came with more info about the event/bring extra folks.
I got the RSVP confirmation a few minutes ago (8/28, 4:30 PM). It says “Redeemable for one digging spot and shovel.” Print it out and take it with you to the ceremony.