Author Archives: Marine Layer

09.07.12
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My small SOS conundrum

I don’t know that this rises to the level of requiring a post. Here goes nothing.

You may have noticed over the past several weeks that events for the Save Oakland Sports booster group have shown up in the calendar. Normally the calendar is reserved for events such as City Council meetings, MLB owners meetings, and other generally newsmaking dates. Save Oakland Sports has made news recently by getting started, organizing, and planning or being involved with additional events such as next week’s fundraiser. That’s good, I encourage that sort of activity.

Yesterday, one of the principals for SOS asked me to link to an article in the Tribune that featured the group. It seemed more like a profile piece than something with real news or in-depth analysis, so I held off until I was asked again by the same individual, at which point I added the link to the 9/6 news post.

I’m a little concerned that I’m effectively providing free promotion and publicity to SOS, even though they’ve barely begun their work and aren’t newsmakers the same way a team owner, elected official, or league executive might be. I think I’ve given SOS plenty of coverage by attending and writing up a visit to one of the group’s meetings. SOS also has a link in the sidebar. That’s more than I can say for the Baseball Oakland and Baseball San Jose groups, whose output has generally been lacking and little more than talking points.

Moreover, SOS doesn’t operate in a fully public manner. While I attended SOS with no incident and Jeffrey has been invited to do the same, the group doesn’t post meeting minutes publicly, not even in a redacted or edited form. I was taken off SOS’s email list after some members felt that I couldn’t be trusted, though no one bothered to explain that to me until after I noticed it and mentioned the removal in a post.

From the beginning this site was built to analyze and report news. Should a booster group be given the space of a newsmaker when they, for the most part, don’t generate news? It may seem like splitting hairs, but I’m worried about setting a bad precedent. Given that one of the heads of SOS is a PR man, he or others can easily get column inches at one of the local papers, even though there’s no new story there. Should I link to every one of those stories? Should I put SOS items on the calendar even though we don’t know what’s happening? If a San Jose booster group had similar activities, should I treat them the same way out of a strained “equal time” sort of fairness? I’m uncomfortable with the idea of giving free pub to anyone more than is merited, and I’d like reader feedback.

FWIW – this is not about an extra effort that’s required to maintain the calendar or write a post. That’s minimal.

Post your opinion in the comments, and thanks in advance.

09.05.12
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News for 9/6/12

Update 9/6 10:30 AM – Several items added.

Not much to celebrate on the field, so we’ll focus off it.

  • Sure, the A’s didn’t draw well Tuesday and Wednesday. Neither did the White Sox, Nationals and Braves. Yet league attendance is up 3% over last year. Nothing changes overnight.
  • Brodie Brazil wrote a goofy column about stuff that should carry over from the Coliseum to a new A’s ballpark. [CSN Bay Area]
  • Good to see that the regular media (Merc, NBC BA, KQED) picked up on the recent S4SJ lawsuit activity. I’ve heard that S4SJ is expected to respond with its own motion by Monday 9/10, followed by another response by the City by 9/14. If nothing else it keeps the case in the news.
  • Forbes NFL team valuations are in right on schedule. #1 is the Cowboys at a whopping $2.1 billion, followed by the Patriots and Redskins. The 49ers are at #9 with a $1.175 billion, thanks to the team’s playoff run and the start of stadium construction. The Raiders came in at #30 with a $785 million valuation, and were one of two teams to have an operating loss (according to Forbes). [Mike Ozanian]
  • We’re 9 days from the NHL’s lockout deadline, and there’s no telling what will happen. The two sides are reportedly very far apart. [SB Nation DC/Ted Starkey]
  • With ESPN’s TV deal signed, MLB may be looking for $800 million per year for the combined Fox/Turner schedules. Combined with ESPN, MLB would net $1.5 billion per year, translating to $50 million per team. Add other central revenue to that (merchandise, MLB AM, XM, etc.) teams should be able to get $70 million in national revenue every season starting in 2014. That figure doesn’t include revenue sharing (local redistribution). [Sports Business Journal/John Ourand]
  • So I guessed wrong on 95.7 The Game getting the Warriors and switching to NBC Sports Radio. The station stayed with Houston-based Yahoo! Sports Radio, and the W’s chose to renew their deal with KNBR, apparently feeling that the signal coverage was worth the third-tier status on the stations. That’s a bad loss for Entercom, though it highlights the biggest problems with The Game: its ratings aren’t going to get much better until they get more local pro teams and boost the station’s signal. The new deal runs through the 2015-16 season.
  • The good news for The Game is that the station posted a 1.1 rating for August, the highest since the programming change. The A’s haven’t moved the needle at The Game for well over a year. Perhaps this is a sign that now they are effecting change. [BA Sports Guy/Scott Willis]
  • Legislators are attempting to bring back redevelopment through various bills that have just reached Governor Brown’s desk. I won’t give the bills much attention unless Brown signs them into law. In the meantime, some groups are applying for federal tax credits to help foot the bills for projects. [ABC 7/Kendall Taggart; 10 News San Diego]
  • Save Oakland Sports has a profile in the Tribune. When talking about the upcoming fundraiser, co-founder Jim Zelinski said, “A cynic might laugh … but it all adds up.” Sure it does. Fundraisers like this, which has no set fundraising goal, can help – about 1 PSL’s worth at a time. [Oakland Tribune/Matthew Artz]
  • The federal government will lose up $4 billion in tax revenue ($146 million annually) thanks to tax-exempt bonds used on many stadia, including the Coliseum and the new 49ers stadium. [Bloomberg Businessweek/Aaron Kuriloff and Darrell Preston]

More as it comes.

09.04.12
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49ers Stadium going up quickly

I’ve been taking pictures of the 49ers Stadium site every so often from the Amtrak station. It’s amazing how quickly it’s going up. First, a shot from five weeks ago.

July 30

Now one from eight days ago.

August 27

Then from yesterday.

September 3

Much of this is possible due of the extensive use of steel. The foundation was drilled piers, so locals didn’t hear constant piledriving racket as they did when the garage across the street was built. And unlike the garage, the stadium has little concrete at the moment so there’s no curing time. This allows the crews to put up level after level very quickly, starting with what I assume are the field club and main concourses. Clark Pacific in Woodland is building the precast concrete risers that will eventually make up the seating bowl and many of the concrete walls inside. At this rate I’m starting to think the Niners will make their Fall 2014 opening date. I just hope that Turner Devcon will take this expertise to the Quakes and A’s stadia.

09.03.12
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City of San Jose seeks to depose Stand for San Jose

Update 9/5 10:30 AM – If you haven’t seen it yet, the Merc’s John Woolfork has picked up the story and gotten quotes from San Jose City Attorney John Doyle.

Activity regarding the astroturf group Stand for San Jose‘s lawsuit challenging the A’s Diridon land deal appears to have picked up in the last week, as the respondents, the City of San Jose and the A’s, have submitted a request to depose Stand for San Jose and its members. I’ve uploaded a copy of the motion (6 MB PDF) for your perusal.

The thrust of the City’s argument is that it complied with S4SJ’s numerous information requests, while asserting that it has the right to request information about S4SJ’s inner workings to determine if S4SJ has standing. The motion asks for relevant documents related to the operation of S4SJ, as well as a person to represent the group in a deposition. This maneuver comes after repeated requests made by the City for this information. Through attorney Geoffrey L. Robinson from the A’s-hired firm Perkins Coie, the motion asks for some in-depth information.

The matters on which the deponent will be examined include the following:

  1. The standing of Stand for San Jose to assert any or all of the claims raised in the First Amended Petition in this case.
  2. The nature of the beneficial interest held by Stand for San Jose in the subject matter of this litigation and the extent to which those interests differ from those of the general public.
  3. The origin and formation of Stand for San Jose.
  4. The organizational purpose, structure, functions and activities of Stand for San Jose.
  5. The governance, direction, control and/or leadership of Stand for San Jose.
  6. Taxes paid by Stand for San Jose to the City of San Jose or any other public entity.
  7. The funding or financing of Stand for San Jose’s activities.
  8. The legal or financial relationships between Stand for San Jose and its members and/or any persons or entities funding or controlling its activities.
  9. Any actual or proposed use of this litigation to impose regulatory burdens on the City or Real Party in Interest.
  10. The “fees and costs, including reasonable attorneys” fees and expert witness costs” (sic)…

Named individuals in the motion include Michelle Brenot, Robert Brown, Karen Shirey, Fred Shirey, Robert Shield, and Eileen Hannan, who initially didn’t know she’d be a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Just in case you’re wondering where her allegiances lie, here’s her Facebook profile picture.

At least we know where Ms. Hannan “stands”

The challenge is a technical one – if the plaintiffs don’t have standing, the suit can be dismissed. S4SJ claims they have standing by the nature of the suit (originally an EIR challenge). The tax issue is interesting, in that the City is arguing that if the plaintiffs aren’t taxpayers in San Jose they have no standing. The motion will be made on September 21 at 9 AM. (Come on people, I’m supposed to be in an iPhone 5 line at that time! You’re killing me.)

Seriously, this is the first real sign that the legal team that the A’s were assembling in the spring is breaking out some weapons to use in could be a lengthy legal battle. Could the lawsuit blow up if it’s found that the Giants were behind the whole thing (snicker)? I guess we’ll find out.

P.S. – I look forward to reading the various lawyers’ assessments of this motion in the comments. Also – I’m not a lawyer or legal reporter, so forgive my butchery of the legalese.

09.02.12
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California Memorial Stadium Reopening

Six years ago I went to the first game at the new Stanford Stadium. Yesterday I went to the first game at the renovated California Memorial Stadium on the UC Berkeley campus, eager to compare and contrast the experiences. Both home teams lost their respective first home games. Both stadia received major upgrades in terms of amenities and comfort. That’s where the similarities end. Stanford Stadium is a modern facility that bears little resemblance to its forebear. Memorial Stadium was painstakingly renovated to maintain as much of its early 20th Century charm as possible. It’s with that key difference that I’ll start my review of CMS.

cal_memorial-16-panorama2_sm

Panorama from top of South End of California Memorial Stadium

Like many stadia built 80-100 years ago, CMS was a testament to classical form and simplified function. Slightly less than half of the oval seating bowl was built atop a hill on the east side. The other half was a concrete structure with arches and a single narrow concourse. All of the seats were wooden bleachers. A small press box was affixed at the top of the west side of the bowl. At one time 80,000 could be packed sardine-style into CMS.

Over the years CMS deteriorated noticeably, with huge cracks in the concrete and bleachers splintering everywhere. The stadium was situated directly on top of the Hayward fault line and the west half was not considered safe by modern seismic standards. Many calls were made to replace or refurbish the old girl, with nothing happening until the UC Board of Regents approved a $300+ million plan to rebuild the west side. The new half would contain three club areas, a new and wider general concourse, a large press box, and a training center for the athletic department that would be competitive with other major college sports programs.

cal_memorial-23-stairs_down_southwest

Area outside West façade descends into additional public spaces, press box hanging above the bowl

The debate over whether the upgrades were worth it will continue for years to come, as Berkeley continues its internal struggle over academic priorities and costs to attend keep rising. What the fan is left with is a sense of history and legacy preserved, with modernity accentuating itself in specific areas.

The three level press box and club building is the big nod to the new landscape of college football, where everything is driven by intense media coverage and alumni with fat wallets. The building is a glass-and-steel structure, its frame forged and delivered in pieces and put together on top of the new concrete support structure that holds up the rest of the west bowl. There’s even a space beneath the press level where the camera positions are located that makes the building appear to float. Chicago’s Soldier Field renovation may come to mind, but the work done at CMS isn’t nearly as imposing or potentially upsetting.

cal_memorial-13-student_side-wide

Press box “floating” above stadium bowl

What was once a single, dark concourse with water seemingly dripping from every crack and opening is now two: the swank lower club level (which I didn’t visit) and the regular concourse, which now lines up with the elevation at Gate 6. The result is that large areas were opened up, allowing natural light coming through the arches to flood the concourse. It also creates numerous scenic vistas of other parts of the campus and the Bay. As the morning fog receded, I was able to see all the way to San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The main concourse is 30-45 feet wide depending on where you are. Concession stands alternate with much improved restrooms everywhere you look. Blue tiles of different shades mark the restroom locations, while the concession stands are adorned with names like “Oski’s Place” and “The Fault Line”. Oski is, of course, the beloved bear mascot at Cal, whereas “The Fault Line” playfully notes that it’s located right on the Hayward fault.

Walking through the concourse, it’s hard not to notice the many expansion joints dividing roughly 100-foot sections of the stadium. These joints and piston shocks will help absorb motion in the event of a major earthquake, with as much of six feet of travel allowed. Flexible conduits are located in areas with expansion joints, which should reduce the chances of data or electrical disruption. Concrete columns are spaced every 20 feet, giving an appearance that the structure is overbuilt.

cal_memorial-18-expansion_joint2

Expansion joint with additional support for utilities

Lines for food were long towards the north and south ends of the stadium. Between the 20 yard lines the lines aren’t so bad. Crowds will figure that out by the end of the season. The fare was pretty standard, with a regular hot dog and a Saag’s polish on the menu. Prices were cheaper than at pro games, but noticeably more than at other college venues I’ve been to. Top Dog has three stands on the East upper rim, and those had 20 minute lines from the looks of it. The club most certainly has pricier options.

The only obvious change to the east bowl was the replacement gold aluminum bleachers, matching the rest of the stadium. Padded seat cushions with backs were available for rent. Down near the field where I sat, four rows were ripped out and replaced with ADA-compliant wheelchair locations. The old south tunnel is now just access to two ADA restrooms, from which security had a hard time shooing confused fans. The new Field Turf playing surface was also lowered four feet, which helps sight lines immensely. Way up above the field, Tightwad Hill is still there, with its spectators almost close enough to touch.

On the north side the tunnel remains intact, allowing for a pre-game procession through the campus into the stadium. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, with Walter Haas III doing the honors in memory of his father, the much-loved former CEO of Levi Strauss, one-time owner of the A’s, and philanthropist whose name is emblazoned on Cal’s arena, a staircase at CMS, and the business school (which faces the north entrance Gates 1 & 2).

cal_memorial-20-concourse1

Much improved main concourse

Just about all of the flat areas of the Berkeley campus are packed with academic buildings, athletic facilities and other structures, making open space rather scarce. There was some question going into the planning and construction phases for CMS about whether or not there would be places for fans to mingle or even tailgate before games. Some effort has been made in this vein by creating plazas outside the arched façade with tents for additional concessions or grills. It’s not quite the same as tailgating, yet these are spaces that can find a purpose in the future.

All told, Cal and HNTB did a wonderful job of holding true to the idea of maintaining California Memorial Stadium’s architectural and structural integrity. There’s no telling if Cal will be a good football team anytime soon. Nevertheless, Memorial Stadium is a beautiful place to watch a game and a reminder of how stadia don’t have to be overly utilitarian. It’s worth a visit.

09.01.12
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A moment to acknowledge how good we have it

While hanging out in the lower concourse after the epic 7th inning of last night’s game, I got word that the San Jose State Spartans had tied Stanford. Knowing that the game probably wasn’t showing in the West Side Club because of the Pac-12 Network’s carriage problems, I found myself wanting to head across the Bay to watch the finish of the football game. Then I realized that I was already doing another doubleheader on Saturday, starting with Cal reopening Memorial Stadium followed by the Saturday night A’s-Red Sox tilt.

Here in the Bay Area, we are practically drowning in spectator sports. I talk about it once in a while. The local and national media don’t. It’s a thoroughly impressive list of teams and events when you list it all:

  • 2 NFL teams
  • 2 MLB teams
  • 1 NBA team
  • 1 NHL team
  • 1 MLS team
  • Seasonal international soccer friendlies
  • 3 FBS/D-I football programs
  • 6 D-I baseball and men’s basketball programs
  • 6 D-I women’s softball, volleyball, and basketball programs
  • Prominent college men’s and women’s soccer programs
  • Nation’s most dominant rugby union college program
  • AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tourney
  • US Open @ Olympic Club or Pebble Beach (roughly twice every seven years)
  • Tour stops for ATP and WTA tennis tours
  • NASCAR, IndyCar, and other racing circuits @ Sonoma/Sears Point and Laguna Seca
  • Multiple stages of the Tour of California cycling race
  • 1 arena football team
  • 5 minor league or independent league baseball teams
  • 2 minor league hockey teams
  • 1 minor league basketball team
  • 1 perennial high school football state champion/national powerhouse
  • A hotbed for MMA training and events
  • 3 highly-ranked, world champion boxers
  • Mavericks surfing contest
  • America’s Cup sailing

Not even New York or Los Angeles can match that wide variety and frequency of teams and events, pro and amateur. There’s almost always something to watch. It takes me away from my non-sports fan friends and makes them wonder about my sanity sometimes. I don’t care. I love it, I cherish it, and I try to take as much advantage of it as I can. Or as Captain Comeback says:

Nobody.

08.30.12
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News for 8/30/12

Here we go. We’ll start off with some minor league news.

  • The Santa Cruz Warriors continue to work with the City of Santa Cruz to get their tent arena built in time for the 2012-13 D-League season. Final approval hasn’t happened yet, let alone construction, so the D-League put the Surf W’s on a loooo-o-ng road trip before the team’s first home game around Christmas. That gives the two parties 16 weeks to get the arena approved, built, and buttoned up. No pressure. The Surf W’s could play on the road for additional games until the project is completed, or if there are extensive delays or the project isn’t approved, hopefully there’s a backup plan like the San Jose Civic Auditorium. Cost for the downtown arena have already ballooned from $4 million to $5 million because of foundation issues that were identified. Ticket prices have also been released. [Santa Cruz Warriors; Santa Cruz Sentinel/J.M. Brown]
  • Head north on Highway 1 and you’ll eventually get near the Cow Palace, where the San Francisco Bulls are quietly fixing up the old arena. $2 million of updates will be paid for by the team, including a center-hung scoreboard, a first for the Cow Palace. A schedule and ticket prices have also been announced. I may have to ring up the Bulls to see if I can get a sneak peek of the place. [CSN Bay Area; SF Bulls]
  • The first debate for the at-large seat on the Oakland City Council happened last night, and the two main candidates, incumbent Rebecca Kaplan and challenger (and current D5 council member) Ignacio De La Fuente both had something to say about the tenant teams at the Coliseum complex. [East Bay Citizen; Steven Tavares]

On the issue of the city’s professional sports teams, Kaplan and De La Fuente differed, if not, in terms of their priorities for retaining the A’s, Raiders and Warriors in Oakland, with Kaplan being more optimistic. “Let’s face it, the A’s don’t know the way to San Jose,” said Kaplan, and adding the current Coliseum City proposal will bring shop owners, bars and restaurants to the city along with fans and conventioneers to the area, said Kaplan, while also creating jobs.

De La Fuente was less sanguine saying he would only turn his attention to the Coliseum once crime in Oakland is sufficiently quelled. “I learned from my mistakes,” he said, referring to the botched return of the Raiders in 1995. “They are in the business of making money,” De La Fuente said, believing the public sector should no longer have a role in financing stadiums.

  • The Earthquakes announced their general seat pricing and posted a seating chart. The big ticket item is the establishment of a 1,400-person supporters section in the closed end, which will have its own bar and storage area for the flags and banners they use during the game. Interestingly, the language is “1,400-person”, not “1,400-seat”, which leads me to believe that this area will be a standing terrace. That’s fine since fans in the supporters sections are expected to stand anyway. I’m pretty sure it’s the only to fit 1,400 people in what looks like a pretty small space between the elevated seating bowl and the pitch. [SJ Earthquakes]
  • The Quakes also announced today that they are negotiating with three Fortune 100 companies on naming rights for their 18,000-seat stadium. Fortune 100, eh? Club president said that some of these companies are tech or Silicon Valley firms. Recently, new MLS stadia have netted $2-3 million per year in naming rights, which if matched by the Quakes would go a long way towards paying off the stadium. FWIW, I don’t think any local tech company should be ruled out, including Cisco (and no, that doesn’t mean Cisco is dumping the A’s). [SJ Mercury News/Elliott Almond]
  • On Saturday I’ll be in Berkeley for the first Cal football game at the rebuilt Memorial Stadium. I’ll be sure to get there early to take lots of pictures and document the experience. Somehow I was able to buy one of the last available $19.32 tickets for the opening game. I’ll be in the south end zone, a mere 5 rows up. As an aside, I was somewhat surprised at how many tickets remained for the game. I expected a sell out long ago. One thing to consider is that we’re the only market with three FBS (D-I) college football teams. Combine that with small or not-terribly-fervent fanbases and two NFL teams, and it’s easy to see why our general reaction to college ball is a collective “Meh.” [UC Berkeley]
  • On a related note, the Pac-12 Network launched two weeks ago and is still negotiating carriage deals. Comcast is not an issue since the cable provider is a partner. The issue is working out a deal with DirecTV, which is not only the provider with the most regional sports and college networks, but also the provider of choice in most bars throughout the country thanks to NFL Sunday Ticket. DirecTV purportedly rejected a deal of $0.80 per subscriber/month, leaving many fans up and down the left coast without many opening week games. Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, and AT&T U-Verse customers are also affected. [SF Business Times/Eric Young]
  • The State Controller reversed a slew of land transfers between the cities of Milpitas, Morgan Hill, and their respective (and now defunct) redevelopment agencies. That doesn’t bode well for the Diridon ballpark land transfer, though it has to be pointed out that the Controller has already ruled once in San Jose’s favor, saying that Santa Clara County went to far in holding tax increment funds that were due to the City. [Merc /Tracy Seipel]

Finally, I have to thank a reader out there for giving me four prime tickets behind the A’s dugout for Wednesday’s day game against the Angels. I’m only going to use one, so if anyone’s interested in joining me and talking baseball and ballparks or economics, reply with a comment or send me a tweet.

More tomorrow.

08.29.12
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About Oakland….

I was born in Oakland. This simple fact means that I will always have a fascination with the city. It also means that I will always root for good things to come Oakland’s way.

I regularly visit Oakland. My favorite thing to do in Oakland is impossible to say because there are so many things I love to do in Oakland. I love to see my daughters laugh and have fun at the Oakland Zoo, for example. I enjoy strolling up and down College Avenue and eating at the Crepevine. It goes without saying that I really enjoy spending time at the Coliseum Complex (be it A’s, Raiders or Warriors games). And Rudy’s Can’t Fail‘s $5 shot and PBR isn’t all that bad either (except the whiskey tastes like gasoline, but what should I expect for $5?).

So folks who prefer Oakland stay the home of the Athletics long term, let’s start from a position here of “We agree, Oakland is a nice place.”

There are other things we agree on, as well. One is that Oakland some times gets short shrift in the local papers. Some times the headlines get a little gratuitous (when was the last time you noticed a positive headline?). We all know that Oakland, being the 46th largest city in the country and like many other medium sized and large cities, has certain neighborhoods with crime problems. That has nothing to do with whether the A’s should continue to play in Oakland, it has little to do with quality of life for the city as a whole and repeatedly pointing it out is tantamount to taking “pot shots” at the city.

So, let’s set that aside too. We agree that Oakland sometimes gets pot shots lobbed in its direction and they aren’t always fair.

Now can we have an honest discussion about the things we don’t really agree on? Let’s keep in mind that there is a difference between legitimate critiques and having “a bias against Oakland.” There is a difference between asking fair questions and casting aspersions toward the Bright Side of the Bay. In short, pointing out obvious challenges is not that same as leveling baseless attacks at Oakland or its citizens.

In the early part of this season I read a letter written/signed by some fans dedicated to keeping the team in Oakland and I had to shake my head. The very first point they made about off the field issues (the East Bay has traditionally supported the team by regularly drawing in excess of 2M fans) was an intellectually dishonest statement and symptomatic of the spin campaign that has been waged by Oakland advocates. This is not to say I don’t appreciate their passion, or that I have a personal hatred for them.

“Intellectually dishonest” can come off as fighting words, I agree. So let me clarify. First, by being imprecise with the English language and using a qualifier such as “regularly,” the Oakland boosters allow themselves wiggle room. How do you quantify “regularly?” For me, and I’d argue for most people, that word means “usually.” Which is to say, “often.” How many times have the A’s drawn in excess of 2M fans? If it’s regularly, it has to be at least more than half right? The A’s have been in Oakland for 44 seasons. They have drawn in excess of 2M fans 11 times. I don’t think it is a stretch to call it “intellectually dishonest” to tout something that has happened 1/4 of the time as “regularly.”

And further, who decided that 2M fans was the threshold for “strong support?” That is an arbitrary number. I have been consistent in arguing that the real measure of successful attendance is “How did a given team perform against the MLB median in a given year?” I’ll agree, this is also imperfect. It doesn’t directly account for how wins and losses impact attendance. It doesn’t account for the fact that baseball stadiums come in various shapes and sizes. However, it is a heck of a lot more objective and accurate than picking an arbitrary number. For the record, 2M fans in the current day and age is in the bottom third of all of MLB attendance, below the MLB median. How does that equate to “strong support?”

Many folks in the pro San Jose camp point to things that happened when Jerry Brown was Mayor, or that didn’t happen when Ron Dellums was Mayor, as evidence of historical failures. I agree with you Oakland boosters that these failures are ancient history and irrelevant to the current state of stadium hunting affairs. However, the “slam dunk” you were all heralding at Victory Court turned out to be vaporware without a single peep about how you had been bamboozled. The grand “plan” of Coliseum City worked to convince the Warriors to leave Oakland (“We’ve met with Mayor Quan on numerous occasions,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said. “We’ve not gotten any definitive proposals from her.”). Next up is the many times visited, and previously rejected, Howard Terminal.

And let me be clear… It is not unfair to point out that Victory Court, once heralded as a viable site, turned out not to be. It isn’t a pot shot at Oakland to point out that Coliseum City (touted as the mega development that would convince the A’s, Raiders and Warriors to stay) is reportedly supported by a single sports franchise, provided the excuse for one to leave and was considered and rejected by the other long ago. It is also not a shot at Oakland to point out that Howard Terminal was the most expensive proposition in 2001 (which means it is still expensive) and has numerous hurdles before it can be built. Pointing these things out doesn’t mean that Howard Terminal couldn’t house an aesthetically pleasing ballpark. Pointing these things out is accepting reality. And really, that’s my biggest gripe with the “Keep the A’s in Oakland” movement, in general.

When is the “look in the mirror” moment? When do the people who want to keep the A’s in Oakland stop with the PR and start with the doing? Where is the outrage and indignation towards the Oakland City Leaders over the whole kabuki theater around an EIR for Victory Court that never happened? How does  whole group of people get so invested in a potential site and then not even make a peep when it comes home to roost that the site was as unrealistic as many critics pointed out? When do the Oakland proponents start pushing the City to begin an EIR for Howard Terminal? When do folks start to actually question if Howard Terminal isn’t just another Victory Court? Why is it the City leaders get a free pass?

Let’s get real. When folks point out that there are many more corporate/business customers available in Santa Clara County, in San Jose or within 21 miles of the proposed Cisco Fields site… Those aren’t attacks at Oakland.  Cisco pledged $120M over 30 Years for a Ballpark in Fremont. Are we really supposed to believe they wouldn’t offer something similar in the heart of their base of operation? No company has made a similar proposal publicly for a stadium in Oakland. Are we just supposed to believe that there is some mythical company that has this covered? 75 CEO’s signed a letter of support for the A’s potential move South and sent it to Bud Selig. Those 75 CEOs were writing on behalf of an organization that represents $3 Trillion to the world’s economy. Conversely, Don Knauss had 11 other companies (some of which are huge and some which haven’t turned a profit) with him at his press conference. It isn’t just a matter of perception. The business customers in San Jose are far more plentiful than in Oakland. Ditto the South Bay as compared to the East Bay.

Combine this difference in corporate sponsorship opportunities, with the paltry attendance numbers and there are legitimate concerns about privately financing a stadium. That isn’t an attack on Oakland. It is a legitimate concern. There has been one fully, privately financed stadium built in MLB since the influx of stadiums began in the 1990’s: AT&T Park. 48% of that private financing depended on advanced ticket purchases and naming rights. To get more granular, 20% of AT&T Park was financed by PSL’s and 28% was financed by a lucrative naming rights deal. Another ~48% was provided in the form of a loan by Chase Bank.

What I am saying is that if you want to get something done, you need to address the actual challenges, not fight perception. Making statements about how great attendance has always been, in the face of evidence to the contrary, won’t get a stadium built. Getting commitments from guys like me, or the 51,000 folks on the LGO Facebook group, to buy season tickets for a brand new Oakland ballpark will.

Arguing with folks that Cisco won’t sponsor a stadium in San Jose, when we all know they will, won’t get a new stadium built in Oakland. Getting Chevron, or Clorox, or some other very large company to agree to a naming rights deal that pays $4M a year over 30 years (and having them shout it out publicly) will.

These things won’t get you all the way there, Oakland proponents. But they can get you 48% of the way to paying for it and that’s a whole lot closer than you have come to date.

 

08.28.12
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Radio switcheroo

Adding to the intrigue regarding last week’s reshuffling of 95.7 The Game, several radio announcements have been made in the last week or so. First, KNBR’s Tom Tolbert will contribute a minute-long segment at the top of every hour on CBS Sports Radio. (The segment is much like ESPN Radio’s Sports Minute with Mike Tirico, which is heard in other markets with ESPN Radio stations.) The new network was announced in June and will launch on September 4, anchored by numerous CBS and Cumulus stations, including the two KNBRs.

This CBS Sports Radio is different from the previous one, which was syndicator Dial Global’s (Westwood One) mostly game broadcasts with the CBS brand. The new CBS Sports Radio is a 24/7 sports talk network with no carriage of the four major pro sports at the outset. That’s no big deal for the KNBR twins since they have the Giants and 49ers. They’ll be fine, although I’m curious to see how much ESPN Radio remains in the lineup.

You may also remember that, back in March, Dial Global cut a deal with Entercom to switch its game broadcasts from KNBR to 95.7 The Game, coinciding with the NCAA tournament. Dial Global has the NFL, It’s additional sports programming to help bring in new listeners, though it’s not the same as landing a team like the Warriors or Raiders.

Turns out that Dial Global and NBC Sports are also launching their own network. They’ve announced a flurry of new hosts to fill their talk lineup, including the oft-traveled Erik Kuselias (meh) and former NY Giants (and De La Salle Spartan) Amani Toomer. Toomer’s show will be in the late night Eastern (10 PM – 1 AM ET) slot. Current NFL TV analyst Rodney Harrison will get his own weekend show. The interesting thing about NBC Sports Radio is its launch date: also September 4.

That lines up with The Game’s scheduled programming changes, which have a few details remaining to hash out. For now, Dial Global hasn’t said whether it’ll go whole hog with the NBC branding, but it stands to reason that it will. The name Dial Global has no recognition outside of the radio industry, and NBC has been thorough in having the NBC Sports moniker permeate all of its TV sports properties, from the former Versus network (now NBC Sports Network) to the Comcast SportsNets, which have NBC Sports as part of their tagline with every broadcast.

I’m merely connecting the dots, but it makes sense, doesn’t it? Come Tuesday, fifth tier Yahoo! Sports Radio will be ditched for NBC Sports Radio, which has much stronger recognition despite its startup status. Funny thing is that for decades, KNBR-680 was the NBC affiliate for Northern California, a stint that only ended as the station switched to the sports format full time. Throughout the 2000’s the A’s shuffled between CBS-owned affiliates before signing with The Game. Remember how I remarked how cozy the relationship was between The Game and CSN Bay Area/California? That may well have been a prelude to something much bigger. And there’s still the Warriors situation to shake out. September could be a banner month for 95.7, as The Game literally changes.

08.28.12
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ESPN keeps MLB rights with $700 million/year deal

Six weeks ago we discussed here the implications of MLB negotiating new TV contracts, with up to $40 million in new national revenue going to each team as a possible outcome. Today the first domino has fallen, as Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand reports that ESPN and MLB are re-upping their deal.

The current deal calls for ESPN to pay $306 million per year ($10 million per team) to baseball for the rights to games on Sunday and Wednesday, occasional Monday nights, and immediate highlights and live look-ins on Baseball Tonight. Digital rights to select games were also added for $50 million per year. The new deal has ESPN paying $700 million per year ($23 million per team), which now includes digital and international rights along with domestic cable. The international rights piece is another coup, because it should clean up some rather disparate pieces. The “Worldwide Leader” will also get one wild-card playoff game per year as part of the deal.

Of course, this is ESPN we’re talking about, so there has to be a downside, and it’s that Bristol asked to carry more Yankees-Red Sox games (imagine that!). They got it. Now it can be written: ESPN pushed to expand their East Coast bias. Next thing you know they’ll have a Mark Sanchez-Tim Tebow reality show ready for Week 8 of the NFL season.

Remaining to negotiate are the deals for the Saturday Game of the Week (FOX), and the Sunday afternoon game (TBS). Both of those networks also have playoff series, so the stakes are just as high, even if the coverage is not as vast. NBC/Comcast wants in, and CBS is also in the running. Ourand thinks those rights will stay with their respective holders, so we’ll see about that.

As for the A’s, anything that can help the team keep players and start with a higher baseline payroll ($70-75 million), the better.