Oakland Raiders looking to the suburbs for a new stadium

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January 11, 2008

Oakland Raiders looking to the suburbs for a new stadium

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Jerry Macdonald reported today that the Oakland Raiders have approached the city of Dublin, California about building a new stadium on some space in their city. This would be a good move for the Oakland Raiders as they would have space to build a state of the art stadium complete with parking. There is far more space in the Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore area than there is in the western part of the east bay.

This move would be advantageous to the Raiders for a myriad of reasons. The first and most obvious would be the space to get a brand new state of the art stadium, the kind to which the NFL loves to award Super Bows. The current MacAfee Coliseum is 40 years old and was built to be a multi-purpose stadium, and was not even a top of the line stadium upon completion. There have been "upgrades" to it, with the most significant one being the addition of "Mount Davis" which added luxury suites and an additional deck to the eastern portion of the stadium. Even with the additions, the Coliseum is one of the smallest stadiums in the league with a capacity of around 63,000.

Another thing about moving to Dublin is that it would shed the ghetto image that surrounds the Coliseum. The current stadium is in the middle of East Oakland which has the image of being a high crime area, and that turns away many potential fans from attending the games. The new stadium would also be a fresh start and a chance for the image of thugs running around mugging everyone in a different jersey to be washed away.

The Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore area is also the home to many software companies, and is a northern extension of the Silicon Valley. This would provide the Raiders with easy access to corporate sponsorships. The revamped image and proximity of the stadium, as well as the newness of the stadium would likely prod many of the local companies to purchase the luxury suites and blocks of season tickets.

The above sounds like I am advocating the Raiders become just another corporate NFL team. No way. Contrary to popular belief, Raider fans are not all incarcerated at San Quintin. The Raider Nation would expand and be loud and proud. The blackout problem would become a thing of the past, even with expanded seating though these other opportunities to sell tickets. It would also increase the revenue stream for the organization, so that the Raiders would be able to provide a more competitive team.

Dublin's mayor, Janet Lockhart, does not seem to see the advantages that would come with the Raiders being located in her city. ��My personal opinion is it would destroy the city of Dublin if we even considered it.��

Apparently, Mayor Lockhart seems to be of the idea that Raider fans coming to town 10 to 14 times a year would be like a tribe of Huns coming out of the mountains to rape and pillage. There would have to be some road construction and changes to accommodate the additional traffic on game days, but there would also be great economic rewards.

She does not see that building the stadium would create many construction jobs. Construction jobs are also usually fairly well paying jobs, and those will recycle their wages back into the community in the form of additional purchases. Each of those jobs would recycle money back into the local economy, as the money paid in wages would be spent, much of it right in her city.

The operation of the stadium would also generate hundreds of new jobs, which would again increase the economic base of the area. There would be a definite benefit to local businesses as it is repeatedly shown that when people on the lower end of the economy have additional income, their spending increases. Many of these jobs would be part time jobs that could go to students at nearby Las Positas College.

The new stadium would be a way to put Dublin on the map, so to speak. It would make it a destination for at least ten weeks a year, as 80-100,000 people would come into town and many of whom would spend their money in local restaurants and hotels as they come to see the Raiders play. Now Dublin is just one of those places that people speed though without a second thought on Interstate 580 as they drive from the Central Valley to the Bay Area.

If Mayor Lockhart was a visionary, she would be jumping on this deal, and making arrangements with PeopleSoft or any of the other multitudes of local companies in the area to sponsor a new college bowl game. She would be looking at other ways to use that stadium when the Raiders are in their offseason such as big concerts to generate more income for the workers of her city.

I guess bringing in the cash cow of an NFL team, and flooding the public coffers would ruin her city. Maybe the Raiders negotiating team can make an offer to Livermore or Pleasanton and they could reap the rewards that Mayor Lockhart opposes.

This is something that is a great idea for the Raiders, as long as they keep the Oakland name tag. Oakland is still the center of gravity in the East Bay, and it would not be a stretch to keep that name. The New York Jets and Giants both play in a different state. Hearing the Dublin Raiders would be hideous, and hearing something stupid like the Oakland Raiders of Dublin would be worse. Keep the name Oakland Raiders for the tradition, but since the city can't get a stadium deal done to save their lives, play in the suburbs.

Tags: NFL, Oakland Raiders, Raiders

Discussion

16 Comments on "Oakland Raiders looking to the suburbs for a new stadium"

Posted by Cliff, January 12, 2008 7:40 AM

They should build a stadium in central Ca. around Bakersfield plenty of land to build on descent year around weather and have a large enough population much bigger that Dublin that is for sure and it would make easy access for fans from northern and souther Ca.

Posted by Paul Missan, January 12, 2008 2:08 PM

Raiders should be smart and go for the money so they can sign free agents and leave the shadow of the 5 superbowls won in the bay area by the Niners and go back to where they belong and should always be, Los Angeles baby!!!!!

Posted by Tom Beltran, January 12, 2008 4:03 PM

Dublin would be a great idea. I totally disagree with Paul Missan because they'll never go to L.A. and they DON'T BELONG IN L.A. Get your your own team buddy and stay out of the Bay Area!!!!!!!!!!.

Posted by GREG RAMOS, January 13, 2008 2:19 AM

Obviously Paul Missan is not a true RAIDER.First, just for mentioning the winers in a RAIDER topic. Second,the basis for RAIDER Tradition stems from Oakland,NorCal,where the first Bay Area Super Bowl trophies landed. As for smart, that's why Mr. Davis brought the team home because L.A. was a joke. L.A. could'nt even provide a stadium.Oh yeah,the great players will come because of the signing of Jamarcus Russell, and finally, I think Dublin,Ca. is a great place to start talking of a potential move for the team such as Pleasanton,Ca.,Livermore,Ca. and yes even Fremont,Ca. are. P.S. RAIDER NATION has no shadow of winer Super Bowls and the winers should get out of the Bay and head South where they belong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Eric, January 13, 2008 5:34 PM

The city of stockton would be great, their is enough land to build a state of the art stadium, surrounding cities would patronize the Stockton Stadium. Fans from the Greater Bay Area and the surrounding Sacramento Areas would welcome a central locations

Posted by Paul Missan, January 14, 2008 6:09 AM

For the fools in Oakland being scammed by Big Al...his son was in Long Beach and the Inland Emprie last week with the commssioner looking at possible sites in LA....So Greg your dumbass has no idea whats going on cause Al knows it was a mistake bringing them back 68 out 99 games blacked out, poor people in Oakland can't afford the games..sucks to be you....Both of us in LA and Oakland are getting ripped off by Al...

Posted by Paul Missan, January 14, 2008 6:10 AM

For the fools in Oakland being scammed by Big Al...his son was in Long Beach and the Inland Emprie last week with the commssioner looking at possible sites in LA....So Greg you have no idea whats going on cause Al knows it was a mistake bringing them back 68 out 99 games blacked out, poor people in Oakland can't afford the games..sucks to be you....Both of us in LA and Oakland are getting ripped off by Al...

Posted by JD, January 14, 2008 10:49 AM

I am not sure if you are familiar with the actual site that is being considered but it would take massive changes to the outlying areas to make it feasible for people to get to the stadium without major blockage. One of the only reasons that there is not a massive blockade on the 880 in Oakland during games is because BART has a direct link to the stadium. BART would also have to link to any stadium in Dublin.

Honestly, I would love to see them get a brand new stadium but I highly doubt it will happen in Dublin. The costs for renovating the surrounding area to accommodate the stadium would cost about as much if not more than the stadium itself.

-JD

Posted by RAIDER_DOUG, January 14, 2008 5:36 PM

I am a resident of Long Beach, but I have to say I much rather the RAIDERS be home in OAKLAND where they belong.. Some of the "FANS" in LA brought a bad rap to the good RAIDER fans and I'm glad to be able to travel to the MECCA that is NETWORK ASSOCIATES and check out a game.. IN as far as a new stadium, get it done up there, darn sure the RAIDERS definitely deserve a state of the art place to play, since we are coming back.. The AZ CARDS aint won nada and they have a new place.. As far as Long Beach goes, doubt the money grubbing idiots that run stuff here would see the coolness of a football stadium and a team here, plus, LONG BEACH RAIDERS!?!? NO WAY!

#10

Posted by jose, January 14, 2008 8:15 PM

I think the raiders need to build up thier team before they build a stadium and I am a big raiders fan

#11

Posted by Mike, January 15, 2008 1:46 PM

anyways. on the topic of the new stadium i think it'd be koo 2 get a new stadium but i dont know about Dublin.

#12

Posted by adam, January 15, 2008 11:10 PM

this is stupid. you guys are fighting over where they should play, but i don't where the new stadium is as long as it stays in Nor Cal. that is where they belong. if they build the new stadium then maybe they will start winning. p.s. Chris Long DE from Virginia to Oakland with their first round draft pick. it makes since.

#13

Posted by MeWeMy, January 16, 2008 7:51 AM

Peersonally the city of oakland needs to get it right they are the "Oakland Raiders" not the Dublin Raiders the Livermore raiders its the "OAKLAND Raiders"! They need to drop some of the crap buildings in the Alameda and assist them in building a Water front stadium. there is pleanty of room there they just need to allow it to happen. After years of being a Raider fan and supporting the city of Oakland, Oakland needs to step up and make it happen all I see is MILLIONS of dollars leaving the city of Oakland! I can not believe that teh Mayor of Dublin does not want to bring all that money to her town, actually the town of Dublin she works for them. Oakland needs to step UP!!!

#14

Posted by Raider29, January 16, 2008 10:39 PM

To Pancho and Mike, you guys need to chill. Ultimately the Raiders are going to do what they want to do, so trying to prove who is the toughest fan is not going not going to sway Big Al one way or the other. I knew the day was going to come that the team was going to look for a new site for a stadium. The constant violence in Oakland saw to that. Don't get it twisted I am OAKLAND! Born & raised spent 32yrs of my life there. So,I take great offense "Mike" to anyone taking personal shots at it's residents. So, please do not make ignorant comments about poor people unless u you've been poor yourself. Raider29 out- RIP E.Turner.

#15

Posted by Patrick Patterson, January 17, 2008 6:03 AM

Come on, people. I don't care what you think of me, but some of these comments are the type that give the Raider Nation a bad name.

Good Grief!

#16

Posted by Raider ant, January 17, 2008 9:55 AM

The bottom line is that Al Davis has lost it! And we will never be dominate like we once were unless he gives up his oldskool throw the ball down the field crap. He is the owner and should let his coaching staff do the coaching. Who the hell cares about a new stadium right now. We need to win first!