Feeling Rejected
The feelings I’m talking about are very well-stated by the Mercury News’ Marcus Thompson II in this article, and I think he treats the team fairly. I’m glad he includes props for the team self-funding the arena (which gives San Francisco two privately-funded sports arenas, which is pretty awesome). And I don’t think he’s wrong to feel the way he does. It sucks to see a team move away, no matter how far or close the move is.
And while the Coliseum (stadium) doesn’t have a lot of charm and when either the Raiders or A’s move, few will miss the ambience there…the Oracle Arena has a lot of charm. Not just from the crowds, it’s a nice arena (if cramped), and I doubt a new arena will enclose the noise the Oakland home had. But…the Warriors deserve that new arena, for sure.
All this said…I doubt any San Francisco natives, whether the tech bros everyone hates or the longtime residents and denizens who feel victimized by the tech in the city, will feel bad for Oakland, after seeing the 49ers make a move that is far, far away in Santa Clara…and frankly, to a stadium that is about as sterile as exists in the NFL. Candlestick was a hell-hole, but it had character. Levi’s has no character, even with that unique office-building for the suites. The poop-fest of the team that has played there hasn’t helped, nor has the toxic administration of the team…but the stadium itself sucks. It just does. It’s all erector set and unshaded seats (seriously, at the same time that NFL fans have become pretty lame for not liking sun, how does a non-shaded stadium get built these days?). It no history or ambience.
I don’t know how the Chase Center will hold up. It’s not a bad corporate name, all things considered, the exterior renderings look nice. The interior…looks like an arena. I have to admit, I’m sad the Pier-based one that had the windows showing the Bay Bridge didn’t happen, because that would have been so unique. Instead, it’s pretty….arena-like. We’ll see how it comes out. I have no doubt, in terms of amenities and moving around, it’ll be easier for fans.
But, Warriors fans, they will still be here. And one big difference between the 49ers and Warriors situations is that the Warriors ownership, even if they’re chasing money, they care about the team. They’ve done well by the Warriors and the fans otherwise, and not just in developing a championship team but developing a fan-friendly one. That gives me a lot of hope.
As a peninsula-based fan, I’m not invested in “Oakland” particularly. I don’t want to see Oakland lose all its teams. I’d like to see both the A’s and Raiders stay there.
But the villain here is an Oakland-based government that didn’t work with the teams well-enough. They negotiated badly in bringing the Raiders back. They’ve been slow to try and plan for the A’s and Raiders. And frankly, the Warriors were forgotten about, not in the plans for use of the Coliseum complex plans for the Raiders and/or A’s. The Warriors had the money to really build the arena, if Oakland had a plan they could start on to stay in the Coliseum area. But…the Raiders plan never came together, so the Warriors couldn’t be a part of it…so it’s not hard to see the Warriors looking elsewhere they could have more control. That’s why they aren’t on KNBR 680 anymore, either.
I can’t blame the Warriors. This move isn’t great for the East Bay, but the Warriors aren’t villains. No one really is. It’s just a tough situation…but it’s not the worst.
