Plans for new stadium for the Raiders.

[Ottoman Empire]

Jean Quan has taken a political beating this fall, particularly from Occupy Oakland and the insurgent recall campaign. But on Friday, the mayor came out swinging with a new proposal to build a massive sports village at the Oakland Coliseum. Dubbed “Coliseum City,” the project is designed to be privately funded and would include a new ballpark for the A’s, a new stadium for the Raiders, and a new arena for the Warriors, along with a convention center, hotel, and retail strip.

Although some of the mayor’s critics scoffed at the sweeping plan, city officials said they’ve already received interest from six private development teams in response to a request for bids. Coliseum City also appears to have strong support on the city council. “It could really be a transformative project,” Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan told the Express. “I’m really excited.” Kaplan has been working on the plan with council President Larry Reid, who said he’s also jazzed about it. “It would just be incredible if we were able to do something bigger and better than AT&T Park or LA Live” in Los Angeles, he said in a phone interview.

The mayor’s announcement followed news last week that the Warriors’ owners had talked with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee about a possible new basketball arena near AT&T Park. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Warriors also talked to Quan about a new arena in Oakland — apparently it was about Coliseum City. In addition, the San Francisco 49ers have been trying to convince the Raiders to move to the South Bay and share their planned new stadium in Santa Clara.

There also has been widespread speculation recently that Major League Baseball will soon green-light the A’s planned move to San Jose. The team has been assembling land there, and A’s co-owner Lew Wolff is good buddies with baseball commissioner Bud Selig. However, it remains unclear how the A’s can overcome the San Francisco Giants’ territorial rights to the South Bay, which prohibit any other major league club from moving there — unless three-fourths of the league’s owners agree to it.

Still, if Oakland were to lose three professional sports franchises to nearby cities on Quan’s watch, it might be a death blow to her political career. And keeping the teams will be no easy task. It remains to be seen, for example, whether the city’s efforts to keep the A’s will be successful, because the team’s ownership desperately wants to leave. Moreover, questions abound as to how Oakland would be able pull off a major new development like Coliseum City, especially if the state Supreme Court sides with Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to kill redevelopment in California.

Kaplan, however, said Coliseum City could potentially be built without redevelopment funds because the city and county already own the land. Kaplan noted that the city has been buying up property around the Coliseum so there is plenty of space for the large development. Kaplan also is working on scoring $40 million in funds from the Alameda County transportation plan. Because of its proximity to BART, rail, and I-880, the project may be eligible for transit-oriented-development funding.

As for Quan, Coliseum City represents a chance to shift the conversation in Oakland away from Occupy and the recall. She said that her administration has been talking to Major League Baseball about Coliseum City and she feels upbeat about its prospects. That’s not to say, however, that she has completely given up on the possibility of a waterfront ballpark at Victory Court in the city’s Jack London District not far from downtown. “That’s still my favorite site,” she said.

http://kaplanforoakland.org/2011/12/coliseum-city-unveiled/

[R8RMR]

There is still a lot o work to be done to bring this to fruition. It would be good for the Raiders to stay in Oakland but there has to be some positive plans in place before the deal with the current venue runs out or I can still see them moving somewhere else.

[the watchman]

Well they were the LA Raiders when I started watching the NFL in the 80's and I think they may yet be the LA Raider again. Could also see the Rams moving back as dont think they are going to stay in St Louis.

[R8RMR]

Well they were the LA Raiders when I started watching the NFL in the 80's and I think they may yet be the LA Raider again. Could also see the Rams moving back as dont think they are going to stay in St Louis.

Add to that the fact that the Rams have committed to having 3 games in the next 3 seasons in the UK and you have to be sceptical regarding the motives. A move isn't out of the question.

[psj3809]

Yeah that Rams move surprised me, i cant ever see there being a successful London franchise.  Too many of us hardcore fans are devoted to our team, so if London gets the 'London Rams' i'm not travelling 250 miles on a sunday to watch them instead of the Raiders on gamepass for example.

[SuperRaider]

Don't know about that; get a newsletter from NFL UK and they were saying NFL viewing in UK was up like  30 %,  so I think there a chance that London will get a team and it be great for the UK fans as that mean you will get eight teams coming to the UK every year; and maybe the Raiders will be one...

The NFL want to expand and we are due a couple of new teams..

[R8RMR]

The NFL want to expand and we are due a couple of new teams..

I could see maybe one franchise in London eventually, but two in the UK would be a severe stretch anytime in the near future. I would think that once there is a team in London, the NFL may then look to other markets for further development.

[SuperRaider]

Looking at London and L.A. getting a team or even Toronto could get one...

But what I am saying is...Panthers and Jags came into the NFL in the 90's and we are due another expansion coming

[psj3809]

If it was a brand new franchise i would follow their games but wouldnt travel to many games (Unless it was against the Raiders).  But if they just move the Rams to London i cant see it being a great success.

It'll be similar to the London Monarchs as in when theyre winning there'll be a decent crowd, the second the 'London Rams' go 3-13 then people wont bother going

Should be a huge sellout next year though what with the Pats coming over (and their army of 16 year old UK bandwagon fans

[SuperRaider]

London Monarch was a semi pro football team; and the fans knew that; even the pre-season did not do that well because fans knew that game mean nothing. Total different world when it come to a Pro Football team playing a really game...the fans will come....

Maybe by having the Rams coming 3 straight years and seeing how that sell might be a pushing point for bringing an NFL team to London...I mean if every year a sell-out, might make the NFL really think...

[psj3809]

London Monarch was a semi pro football team; and the fans knew that; even the pre-season did not do that well because fans knew that game mean nothing. Total different world when it come to a Pro Football team playing a really game...the fans will come....

Maybe by having the Rams coming 3 straight years and seeing how that sell might be a pushing point for bringing an NFL team to London...I mean if every year a sell-out, might make the NFL really think...

I know the Monarchs arent an NFL team but i've seen similar things in sports, same with a premiership club, eg my soccer team Reading, normally used to get 10-15k at a game, the minute they were in the Wembley playoff final they sold out their 38,000 allocation instantly, even the chairman at the time was like 'where are these fans from ?'

Just meant with the Monarchs they filled out Wembley when they were 9-1 and playing exciting football, 61k fans, the second they start losing it was crowds of 30-35k a year later.

Rams/Patriots is a great first matchup but imagine if the Rams were in London full time, are you telling me Rams vs Browns when both teams are say 2-9 would pack out wembley ? Course not

[Bakuron]

PSJ is absolutely right; Attendance is relative to success.

But the Monarch's attendance record was actually pretty damn good considering the UK exposure to the NFL was drastically limited compared to today.

[psj3809]

PSJ is absolutely right; Attendance is relative to success.

But the Monarch's attendance record was actually pretty damn good considering the UK exposure to the NFL was drastically limited compared to today.

Like you say we had limited coverage back then, i mean we would get highlights of one of the main games a WEEK later on a sunday !  Back then it was crackley reception on AFRTS and hearing some opera singer during a big play.

Now we're totally spoilt.  We can practically watch any game online we want live on a sunday, i'm glad the Wembley games have done well and i partly feel guilty for not going to them to 'support' them but again we're spoilt, its Raiders every sunday for me not travelling 250 miles to see the Rams vs Cardinals in a game who i dont care wins.

New fans might like a franchise to support like the Rams (Can still see those idiotic threads on NFLUK about 'who should i support ? The LondonRams ?....  then 19 pages later they say 'i decided to support the (fill in whoever has just won the SB!)

If it was an expansion team with 'our' own logo/colours for London i would support them for sure, but if its just a rehashed NFL team i dont care for them at all

[Ottoman Empire]

I hope this happens to be honest. Of course, being a UK fan, I will follow the Raiders even if they move back to LA.
 
This time though, it would be a little different. I have now been over to Oakland and the Bay Area a few times, I love the area, and have met some great people, so I now have something of an emotional attachment  to it.

As for the London franchise. I too think the only chance this has of working  is with an expansion team - a relocating Rams? No way! I doubt it would work with any relocating team. Even then, they would have to aim solely at new fans - I don't think any long term fan of an existing team will change allegiance, I for one would not. As psj has said - it's the Raiders on Game-Pass for me, every time. Yeah, I went to Monarchs games, but that was a whole different league.

There is of course a lot of buzz that the Rams are coming, based solely on the fact they have committed to the London game for the next 3 years, NFLUK is full of people believing this (which I find laughable). To my mind the only thing this means is the Rams are moving again - back to LA seems the most likely (Is not the plan to have 2 teams in LA again?). The 3 year commitment is simple logistics to my mind. From the NFL's perspective, it takes the pressure off - they do not have to persuade a team to give up a home game for the next 3 years. From the Rams' perspective? Well, St Louis is not exactly coming out to support them are they. It also sets the groundwork for another move quite nicely.

To be honest, I don't think it will ever happen. I may be in the minority on this - I don't actually want it to happen. The NFL should stay in the good old US of A as far as I am concerned.

[R8RMR]

To be honest, I don't think it will ever happen. I may be in the minority on this - I don't actually want it to happen. The NFL should stay in the good old US of A as far as I am concerned.

That would make two of us as far as it should stay in the US. If they do move a franchise or expand with London getting one, only if the Raiders are going there will I go too. I have been to three of the games at Wembley and they were fine but I didn't get to anywhere near the level of excitement as when watching the Raiders on TV. I was also a season ticket holder for the Claymores and had a lot of fun but it wasn't anywhere near the NFL proper, in terms of the quality of play and players. But it was a reasonable substitute until the real thing started again.