San Francisco Raiders? Why Willie Brown Thinks It Might Work
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) - The Warriors are leaving Oakland and the Raiders may not be too far behind, if former Mayor Willie Brown has his way. He put forward an idea during a weekend appearance on KPIX 5.
"San Francisco needs a football team. The Raiders want to get out of Oakland. It seems to me we ought to provide them with the opportunity to play in our city," said former Willie Brown.
Brown thinks the Raiders would be a perfect fit now that the 49ers have moved south.
"Let me school you as an Oaklander," said Chronicle Political Writer Carla Marinucci."The Raiders have the loyalist fans in the league. They have a visceral hate of the San Francisco 49ers and there is no way that their fans in the black hole are going to come to a hand me down 49er stadium.
Brown said the city should build the Raiders a new stadium using, in part, $100 million earmarked for the 49ers in 1997. He said sites at the old Hunter's Point shipyard and in Brisbane could be good fits for the project. Private funding would be key.
"We do exactly what we did for AT&T Park. We do what the Warriors are attempting to do with the old Salesforce.com site," said Brown. "We could be back in the Game."
Brown said the team could even continue to call themselves the Oakland Raiders.
"It doesn't matter where you play. It's a motorhome arrangement," said Brown.
Brown said setting up in San Francisco could essentially double the value of the Raiders franchise.
"The silver and black will never play in San Francisco. If you go to any of those tailgate games in Oakland, you'll know what I'm talking about," promised Marinucci.
