FanPost

49ers-Raiders shared stadium proposal thread: Facts, Rumors, Opinions, and Rants

I want to start by sharing SBL language that is taken directly from my SBL agreement:

"Event(s)" means concerts, sporting events and similar types of stadium functions to which tickets will be made available to the general public, excluding Team Games and other NFL games. The term "Events" does not include private parties and corporate or other functions that are not available to the general public.

As you can plainly see the issue of rights to Raider home game tickets is not an issue. This language was probably not included for the purpose of aiding in the sharing of the stadium between the two teams. It's probably standard for any NFL stadium that wishes to host the Super Bowl. That is another NFL game and as a SBL member I don't have any first rights to those tickets.

Butt that was never the main issue of contention from a SBL member at this juncture in my opinion. The main issue as I see it is as follows, because the Raiders are no longer in a position to be an equal tenant; how will their sub-lease tenancy affect SBL members and the 49er organization and who controls the conditions of any potential sub-lease.

Well after doing some research, I was surprised to find out that one of the conditions the 49ers fought for and received in their negotiations with the city of Santa Clara, was that they have final decision on any other temporary or permanent tenants, including all terms and conditions. This was something the opposition group in Santa Clara was up in arms about. I will include a link to their site where this info can be found in a second post in this same thread.

Now as a SBL member here are my concerns:

1. Will Raider fans pay market prices or near market prices for the seats and the amenities that go with them?

Being that the 49ers have final say over the terms and conditions of any potential sub lease based on their lease agreement with the SCSA; I would assume 49er brass will construct a deal that is beneficial to them. But will it serve those of us that ponied up money for SBL's. Because with this extra revenue coming in, some going to the SCSA and some to the 49ers shouldn't that have an affect on future increases in pricing that is sure to come. Especially if the Raider fans don't have to buy an SBL.

Personally I wanted a club seat, but simply couldn't afford it. But a Raider fan potentially can pay far less than me and use a club I will only get to see the inside of when I take the tour. Really.........is that fair, even if it is for only 2-3 seasons?

If the stadium had been built jointly then none of this would have been an issue. Each team would have set conditions for season tickets independently but of course it would have reflected the economic costs of building the stadium.

2. My other concern is how long?

I know that the ship has sailed on the Raiders being equal tenants of the stadium, but that doesn't mean they can't and wouldn't be permanent renters. This I believe is where Jed and the rest of the 49ers brass must be careful. Once you allow the Raiders squatters rights in your stadium, it's not as simple as one might think to get them out. No matter how tight a lease agreement you construct. Like any dead beat, there is a long drawn out process to removing them, and in this situation, the league will have a lot of influence. And of course much will be dictated by whether the raiders have anywhere to go to.

And that should concern Jed and the 49ers because stadiums are potentially brand enhancing especially if they are deemed iconic and are associated with one team for a long time. The cowboys would never under any circumstances allow the NFL to force them to share their stadium with another Texas team. The packers would never share Lambeau because that would hurt its iconic nature and ultimately their brand. Levis stadium should be seen as a 49er organization accomplishment, and be allowed the opportunity to be an iconic and brand enhancing symbol of the 49er organization. That is not aided by having a 2nd rival team who is in the midst of an organizational free fall squatting in your stadium. Jerry jones would never allow it, and one thing if anything jerry jones is, he is a great business man. That is why he is so well respected by the other owners, because he has literally revolutionized the way you market a team. When he purchased the cowboys, he was ridiculed for overpaying for a franchise that looked to have lost all of the brand recognition it had built up during its glory days. What did he do? He turned it into the most valuable sports franchise in the world. The 49ers should be that and can be that, but a shot gun marriage with the Raiders hurts our brand immeasurably.

3. Raider fan behavior toward the stadium but more importantly the community of Santa Clara.

Now I know some of you might be rolling your eyes or think I'm being silly or stereotyping. But we all know the following: when something belongs to you and you struggled to get it, you tend to take care of it. For those of us who have made the trek to candlestick, who have dealt with the lousy traffic, tiny concourses, disgusting bathrooms, shitty food just to name a few things, and have now purchased SBL's at the new stadium making financial commitments for the foreseeable future; then believe me when I say this, we are going to treat it with care and respect because we are quite literally paying for it.

You aren't going to find that feeling amongst Raider fans. It will just be a place they go to see their Raiders, but for 49er fans it will be home, and I don't know about you but I don't trash my home. Now in all seriousness I don't think there will be throngs of Raider fans vandalizing the stadium. You will have them but they will be few and far between, and though they can do a lot of damage they are not the real concern. The 49ers are basically going to be in Santa Clara for the rest of my natural born life, therefore as 49er fan I am going to take pride in the stadium, and that will mean something in the long run on, and how it ages. So it isn't that I expect Raider fans to be carving their team name into the seats (though I'm sure it will happen), it is simply they will lack the pride that compels me to clean up after myself, to throw my trash away, to treat the facilities with a little care. It's that sort of pride that goes a long way in keeping a neighborhood clean and the same goes for a stadium.

I also have concerns about their behavior within the community. Again let me preface this by saying that no I don't believe all Raiders fans are thugs. What I do believe is that a fan base that is under the assumption that they are temporary residents are not as likely to tread lightly as a fan base that knows it will be in a city for 20 years. I think 49er fans (most of them) will recognize that it makes logical sense to behave like you have common sense in a community you want to welcome you and work with you regarding an event that causes many of them an inconvenience. Because speculation about where the Raiders will end up will take place from the moment the Raider team takes up residence at Levi's stadium; their fans will always be under the impression they will be leaving soon. People who are in that mindset don't have the same pride in something as those who are planting their roots in a place. And their behavior will reflect on 49er fans and how Santa Clara residents will view our presence in their city. Because remember we are the San Francisco 49ers and not the Santa Clara 49ers..........we are guests.

4. And lastly as irrational as it may be, I simply hate the Raiders and their fans. And though I would never go out of my way to look for a way to cause them grief. I'm certainly not looking to help them either. Simply put F@@kem let them build their own stadium because I don't want them around.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.