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Can Raiders share with 49ers?

The 49ers have made their pitch to the city of Santa Clara, putting dollar figures to a proposed new stadium there. The Santa Clara City Council will discuss the issue tomorrow, and may vote to send the stadium proposal to a citywide ballot in 2010.

As that daunting process gets underway, Raiders fans are wondering if their team will be sucked into the deal.

The 49ers' proposal reportedly includes the breakdown of a two-team scenario, and it makes sense that the second team would be the Raiders. Their lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2010 season, and there is little reason to believe they want to sign another long-term extension there.

It's no secret that the NFL office wants the Raiders and 49ers to consider sharing a stadium. The Coliseum and Candlestick Park are probably the two most rundown facilities in the league, and a two-for-one deal may be the best way to fund an alternative.

"I don't know if that's the best solution here or not," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on a visit to a Raiders game last season. "But that is something that I think needs dialogue, and everyone is going to have to evaluate that as one alternative to the long-term solution for both teams."

The first reaction by many Raiders fans is probably: yeah, right. The Raiders and 49ers will share a stadium when Al Davis and Lane Kiffin share a locker at 24-Hour Fitness.

But I don't think it's far-fetched. Davis is renowned for his feuds, and he had a whopper with former 49ers president Carmen Policy. But Davis and the DeBartolos have always been cordial. Davis likes to tell the story of convincing Edward Sr. to buy the team and turn over operations to Eddie in 1977.

And Davis, for all his posturing and boasting of the Raiders as the greatest franchise in sports history, is in many ways a pragmatist. His Raiders have always played in a two-team market - sharing the Bay Area with the 49ers and Los Angeles with the Rams. I don't think it ever particularly bothered him. He knows that his real rivals are the Broncos, Chiefs and Chargers, not some NFC team sharing his town. Or even his stadium.

Davis even told the media, last year after a press conference, that he was open to the idea of sharing.

Which is not to say he'd be an easy man to negotiate with, and that could be the rub that prevents a two-team stadium from becoming a reality. At that same press conference, Davis said any proposal would have to be financially beneficial to the Raiders. This is a man known for tossing out a dollar figure to a prospective coach, then offering an entirely different amount when it came time to sign the contract. He could drive the 49ers crazy.

So there are many obstacles on the path to a shared 49ers-Raiders stadium in Santa Clara. But the route is not closed entirely.

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Comments | Add Comment

Posted By: RaidersFan84 (04/07/2009 11:13:53 AM)
Comment: I am a die hard life long Raiders fan and I think this would be a fantastic idea. I'm also a Santa Clara native so it doesn't hurt that it's my home town their evaluating. But that aside I think this would be great, it works very well for the Jets and the Giants. And anyone who says the Raiders an Niners can't share because they're rivals doesn't know the first thing about football. We're in different conferences...real Raiders fans hate the Broncos, Chiefs, and Charges, we could give a s*** less what the Niners are doing; yeah it's fun to raz a little because we're all in the same area, but if you're really a football fan you're more concerned with the other teams in your own division and conference. I think the sharing idea makes sense all the way around, brand new home for both teams and us local Raiders fans don't have to worry about them moving somewhere far away again.

Posted By: Skip (09/06/2009 8:41:59 AM)
Comment: Sharing a stadium is too logical. It will never happen. Here's a thought- A new shared stadium on Treasure Island. Level all the existing stuff out there, make it a sports island destination. Traffic would be a bitch, but it is already and the fans and bay area are used to it.

Posted By: jake (03/06/2009 5:01:37 AM)
Comment: With the financial condition of the country and Calif, nothing is impossible and it may be the only avenue open to the Raiders and 9ers for a new stadium. The tax payers are not going to pay for a stadium or even a part of one. All you have to do is look at the current tax revolt that is finally taking place by tax payers. Citizens are fed up with the way our taxes are used and they will continue to waste and spend in the future. All we have to do is watch what is going on in Calif and at the fed level to see no one trust the gravy train government officials to tell the truth. If money was allocated for a new studium, you know they would figure a way to use it in the general fund and then say we need more money to build the stadium, but it may be the only option for the Raiders and 9ers to build a stadium without tax payer money involved. It works in New York and it makes sense to cut your cost in half. Why not? Both fans would benefit, the only problem I see is the Psl cost. Raider fans have been down the psl road and know the sexual act done to you with a psl. It is not comfortable. The 9er fans haven't been there before. Hold on to your wallet if they agreed to build a joint stadium.

Posted By: raider64 (02/06/2009 10:43:43 AM)
Comment: The better deal would be to share a new stadium built south of the Coliseum. Access to BART and mass transit, easy freeway access and continued availability to North and East Bay fans are all pluses. I agree that the teams can share but I don't expect Santa Clara voters to approve the deal so it makes sense to keep both teams close to their historical roots. Or either team could take San Diego after the Chargers move to the City of Industry next year. Bye-bye Niners!