First, an advisory for tonight’s game, which will run concurrently with a concert at Oracle by the Mexican band Maná.
On Friday, September 14 the Oracle Arena is holding a dual event beginning at 8:00 p.m. The A’s recommend traveling to the Coliseum by BART. If arriving by vehicle, the A’s recommend early arrival. Parking availability is expected to be limited by game time. Parking gates open at 4:00 p.m. and stadium gates open at 5:35 p.m. Parking is $17 until 7:00 p.m. After 7:00 p.m. parking will cost $35.
The A’s are expecting at least 30,000 for tonight’s game. A really good walkup crowd could make it a sell out. Get there early, folks. Or take BART and avoid the hassle.
And now the news.
- The Santa Cruz City Council approved the now-$5.4 million arena plan on Pacific Avenue near Laurel, thanks in part to the City applying concessions revenue to the $4.1 million loan. If the Surf-Dubs leave before their seven-year term is up, the team will be considered in default of the loan. The City may try to bring UCSC sports teams downtown to play at the arena, though historically the athletics program at Division III UCSC hasn’t been much for bringing out crowds. [Santa Cruz Sentinel/J.M. Brown] Note: The “South Hall” tent at the San Jose Convention Center is seven years old this year and is scheduled to be demolished soon as it has reached end-of-life.
View of Santa Cruz tent arena site from east bank of San Lorenzo River.
- Seattle approved its arena deal with SF hedge fund guy Chris Hansen, holding out until Hansen guaranteed loan repayment, set aside $40 million for infrastructure improvements around the SODO arena site, and threw in $7 million for improvements for what would likely be the tentative venue, KeyArena. No word so far on a NHL team to partner up with the NBA franchise. KFBK-Sacramento’s Rob McAllister thinks that Hansen could buy the Kings from Maloof family for $450 million. The NBA’s relocation fee to Seattle is expected to be around $30 million, far less than the fee for the Kings moving to Anaheim, where the SoCal market already has the Lakers and Clippers. [Seattle Times/Jerry Brewer]
- Speaking of hockey, we’re less than 36 hours from the beginning of the NHL lockout. Players currently get up to 57% of revenue, owners want 47%, players have countered with 54%. Arena operators have already been told that if the lockout happens, the first month (October) of game dates can be cleared for other events. As for businesses around HP Pavilion, it’s not looking good. [AP/Ronald Blum; SJ Mercury News/Mark Purdy]
- The 49ers announced that they’ve sold $670 million worth of club suites and suites at the new stadium. 72% of the suites, which cost $100-500k per year to lease in long contracts, have been accounted for. That’s important because I estimate nearly half of the pledges are coming from suites. Three years ago I wrote about the tough task the Niners would be faced with in financing the stadium. They’ve been up to the task, mostly because the premium accommodations are priced as much as double the price of other new stadia. For the Niners that’s a distinct first mover advantage in a largely untapped market, Silicon Valley. It would make sense for the Niners to wait to extend an offer to the Raiders to share the stadium until after certain sales targets are met. The Raiders could benefit from a less onerous lease package, but they’d also be somewhat shut out of Silicon Valley. [Merc/Mike Rosenberg]
- Save Oakland Sports’ fundraiser was held at Ricky’s in San Leandro last night. Proceeds will go towards either the construction of venue(s) or “community projects associated with” the venue(s). [KRON/Brian Shields]
- Long term lease talks between the Buffalo Bills and New York State/Erie County broke down, resulting in a one-year lease at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills aren’t seeking a brand new stadium, but they are trying to get around $200 million in improvements to the 39-year-old stadium. The team will miss a deadline to apply for the NFL’s G-4 stadium loan program, forcing the negotiations to move in the short-term direction. NY Senator Chuck Schumer wants the NFL to modify G-4 so that teams won’t have to complete loan payments when a team is sold, a touchy situation considering Bills owner how Ralph Wilson’s advanced age and sensitive health may affect the team’s ownership situation in the near future. [AP/Michael Virtanen; Buffalo News/Tim Graham; The Score/Devang Desai]
- The independent St. Paul Saints, last at the trough, received $25 million in economic development grants for a new ballpark to replace Midway Stadium. Renderings of the ballpark are unlike other ballparks.
Rendering of St. Paul Saints ballpark in Lowertown neighborhood
Enjoy the game tonight and the fireworks. That other miracle team of destiny is in town. I’d dress in my Boba Fett costume, but that would look pretty stupid as I asked Bob Melvin questions during today’s blogger event.
newballpark.org 
Tonight’s game MUST sell out– even if it’s a fake sell out. It’ll be embarrassing if it doesn’t.
Now I wish I woke up a couple hours early and started working. Leaving Petaluma at 4:30pm, picking up the kids from daycare and getting on the freeway is going to make for an annoying parking experience.
I have a sweet boba fett rig too… Unfortunately I will be driving to Hanford, CA as the game is unfolding.
Han Solo… Harrison Ford… Hanford…. maybe it’s your destiny to drive there as Boba Fett?
FYI – Bernie Lean video up on A’s site! (http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?tcid=mm_oak_vid&c_id=oak)
Sorry, here’s the direct link: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24739917&topic_id=&c_id=oak&tcid=vpp_copy_24739917&v=3
@ML–curious if you have any insight/take aways from the ‘9ers selling $670M of suites/club seats so far—also–realize the two programs were different but how does that compare to what happened in Oakland when the Raiders returned in 1995–
@GoA’s – I forgot about that article from last week. Adding to post shortly.
If that’s try about the Kings being able to be sold for $450 million, that’s not good news for Sac. Particularly if Hansen’s reported opening offer of $400 million turns out to be true.
Niners selling millions in club seats/suites? And people wonder why the A’s know the way to San Jose 😉 MLB recognizing the Niners phenomenon in due time $$$…
@GoA’s- The Raiders were different for a few reasons than the 49ers.
1. The Raiders had zero control of ticket sales until 2006 and Oakland/Alameda County were selling PSLs that had a 10 year term limit on it. The 49ers are offering lifetime rights, major difference.
2. 49ers fans are simply far wealthier than Raiders fans. White collar wine and cheese crowd versus the Raiders blue collar lunch pale crowd. Therefore the 49ers can get away with charging higher prices than the Raiders.
3. Silicon Valley is full of 49ers fans, the Raiders once upon a time before their move to LA were the toast of the Bay Area including San Jose. When they left for 15 years the 49ers won 4 SBs (the first SB the Raiders were in their last season in Oakland). That is a lost generation of fans (including myself) to the 49ers and their massive success in the 80s and 90s….Makes it tougher to sell suites and tickets when you have serious competition in the same general market.
Finally, people underestimated the financial might of the 49ers fan base. Corporations and fans alike all over the Bay Area love the 49ers and the influx of sales is no surprise to me, especially with Harbaugh putting this team back on the winning path.
When ML posted his numbers a few years ago about the 49ers I openly argued he was off and he disagreed with me vehemently. He was not the only one, now as one can see clearly this stadium is going to make Santa Clara and the 49ers a ton of $$ in the coming years with or without the Raiders involved.
One of the best deals in stadium construction history for a municipality and naming rights have yet t be sold!
I just tried to buy tix to tonight’s game on StubHub. Sold out.
Sid i agree with you that the 49er fan base has a lot of disposable income to throw at the SBLs and ticket prices, when they first came out with the prices people where up in arms about how much it was going to cost. And that no one was going to pay those prices, but SC, 49ers, and the Banks knew that this market existed and they are definitely tapping into it. Two question come to mind:
1. Does this show that SV will support the San Jose A’s in the same manner? Or is this a unique situation because its the 49ers?
2. From my understanding the city of Santa Clara put in about 10% from tax money (redevelopment and future tax on hotels) into the project. Why would the 49ers need Santa Clara and their minimal investment? Why not go at it alone? Shared risk? Seems like the 49ers put up with a lot to just get a small investment from the city.
If someone wants free tix, i might be able to give them a few. Can’t go to tonight’s game after all. Just email me djst1love@gmail.com and I can try to arrange for you to meet my friend who is still going. And yes, it doesn’t matter if you’re an Oakland pundit or a SJ booster! 😉
Lake, looks like there’s still tickets through the website/box office.
Lakeshore, are you trying to get a specific section? There are still tickets on the team website as of 5 minutes ago. I am so pissed I can’t be there… Unless Boba Fett shows up in Hanford.
Still tix on StubHub too for that matter.
Is Boba Fett Swedish? I actually think he’ll be in Kingsburg tonight. All weekend better be brisk, who would have thought this series would mean so much earlier in the year, so excited!
Thank the Jedi for my MLB At Bat app, I can listen all the way down I5!!!!!!!!!!! Just know that I will sensing for disturbances in the force, hopefully caused by Darth Reddickulous’ light saber…
@all – tix really available on team site? Dangit! I tried that earlier today – I’ll give it another shot. And a “friend” of mine told me that tix were sold out on StubHub.
@Anon – yeah, there have been some relatively heated “conversations” in here but I think we are all united in our passion for the A’s. It can’t be understated how much ass these guys are kicking right now. Everybody in the country should be on the A’s bandwagon right now.
@ Lakeshore – /thumbsup! As you said, although things can be heated at times, we all are diehard A’s fans and want the best for the team! It’s too bad the O’s are stealing the limelight from the A’s with their similar level (and style) of play…but yes, I still chant “Let’s go Oakland” at the games! 🙂
PS- In all the playoff hysteria I forgot to mention… That St. Paul Saints stadium is freakin’ cool as all get out!
Jeff, at least until the termites and weather get to it. Something tells me we haven’t seen stadiums featuring lots of wood since the early 1900’s for a reason.
@Dan – Target Field has some Western Red Cedar façades. Termites don’t touch WRC, and WRC is especially weatherproof. It would make sense for the Lowertown ballpark to also use WRC.
“can’t be overstated”? Wait…how does that go? You know what I mean.
Two posts for the weekend: One Blog Day recap post, and another based on a conversation. You’ll like both.
video of the coliseum’s transforming from baseball to football. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVNny_S_1gs
@Dan – there have to be some tradeoffs for 5 months of sub-freezing temperatures, and relative lack of termites is one of them.
ooh, ohh, conversation with…. Fosse?
Hopefully it’s with Wolff or someone in ownership.
after 36k showed up for friday’s star wars firework night, only 20k showed up for sat’s night game. so those 15k were only there for the fireworks and or geeky star wars fans? had hoped we could’ve had 30k plus for the remaining home games which the home regular season schedule is coming to an end with only four more left beginning with sunday’s series finale against bal. do gotta hand it out to those 20k that did show up, 20k at the coliseum sounds like there’s double that much. if/when the a’s do make the playoffs, really hope those 3rd deck tarps come off. leave the ones on up in mt davis as those seats are horrible anyways, but would love to see 45k plus at home during the playoffs especially if it’s the one and done series between the two wild cards.
…
saw this tweet sat night, can’t say i’d argue against it. i’d still rather play in the outside venue of the coliseum than indoors in that dump in tb.
Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS
watching orioles at a’s. sorry, but the trop is a hundred times worse than oakland mausoleum. #29th best stadium!
@letsgoas
If the A’s could only have fireworks or giveaways 82 games out of the year than they would sell out each game. Hopefully the A’s can sell out their last 6 home games if the division title is still on the line when they come back from Detroit, NY, and Texas. I plan on attending Monday’s game in Arlington (24 Sep) woot 🙂 anyways I do hope the masoleum is sold out during the playoffs and the tarps are taken off the upper decks.
This is from the LA times I found the last paragraph of the article funny, but it would make for an interesting World series.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-shaikin-baseball-20120916,0,3153775.story
If the A’s and Giants meet in the World Series, Selig might be better off letting the teams play for the championship, and for the rights to San Jose.