NFL PING
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Posted on 12/03/2006 8:39:19 AM PST by SmithL
The fight to keep the 49ers from leaving San Francisco is quickly expanding to Sacramento and Washington -- with both the city and the team arming themselves for a full-blown political and public relations war.
The Niners got an early jump on the slugfest. As far back as mid-October -- some three weeks before 49ers owner John York announced he was dropping plans for a stadium at Candlestick Point to concentrate on a "backup'' site in Santa Clara -- the team signed up veteran consultant Ed McGovern to start lobbying local politicians and community groups to rally behind the South Bay deal.
Team reps have also begun interviewing local and nationally known public relations and lobbying firms to help counter the state and federal legislative blitz that San Francisco has mounted to block the team from moving.
From the looks of things, the Niners will need all the political muscle they can get.
On Monday, the opening day of the new legislative session in Sacramento, state Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, plans to introduce Senate Bill 49 ( as in 49ers) -- which would bar any county from offering free land or other financial incentives to lure a pro team away from a neighboring county.
Migden's move is patterned on a law already on the books designed to keep big-box retailers and auto dealers from pitting one city against another.
Meanwhile, on the federal level, Sen. Dianne Feinstein plans to introduce legislation next month to give the National Football League the "authority to restrict franchise moves, as well as prevent teams from leaving a city and taking the city and team's name with them.''
"I remain determined to help Mayor (Gavin) Newsom retain the team in San Francisco,'' Feinstein said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
The NFL and San Francisco Politics Ping
Sounds like involuntary servitude to me.
Didn't the NFL try to stop Al Davis going from LA to Oakland and Davis won in Court?
I mean if SF isn't going to help with the stadium and that is what SF is looking for, why can't they move the team to another city who will?
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The politicians seem more concerned about the black eye the move would give to San Francisco Democrats than about the actual fate of the team or comfort of the fans.
Dump the current uniforms, dress them like US Marines,put US Flags all around the field, and SF will be glad to get rid of them.(but not the tax revenue)
John York has done nothing to help the team. He doesn't want to be an NFL owner, he has no ability to be an NFL owner, and the NFL should help him to sell the team right away. This isn't doing anyone any good.
York's announcement about Santa Clara was solely a negotiating tactic against San Francisco. York thought he was being clever, only to find out those on the other side of the table are a lot smarter than he is. York announced he was moving to Santa Clara, yet there had been no negotiations or plans to that effect when he made the announcement. Yes, he possible COULD move to Santa Clara, but you don't make an announcement that you are doing that, with 0 planning under way unless you are looking for a negotiating advantage. I'm no fan of Newsom, but York tried a naked bluff on him and he didn't fall for it. It's York's own faulyt he tried to bluff in such a patently transparent manner.
I bet LA or Sac would be interested in getting the team though.
The NFL definitely doesn't want the 49ers to move to L.A. I doubt there would be much benefit to someone owning the 49ers to move the team to Sacramento. Moving from one of the top media markets there would most likely decrease the value of the franchise. Los Angeles is a big market, but it hasn't been a good place for football teams, and the 49ers are so established in the Bay Area, it would be foolish to move them. Of course, John York might have that in mind, who knows?
"I doubt there would be much benefit to someone owning the 49ers to move the team to Sacramento."
Are you kidding? Sac would love to get an NFL team and would easily support it. All they have now is basketball.
I didn't say Sacramento might not want it, I said it wouldn't be beneficial to the owner of the team. The value of the franchise would not be as great in Sacramento as it is in San Francisco.
Sure it would. Sac is dying for a NFL team and would monetarily support it.
Hmmm, is San Francisco's government more conservative than Sacramento's, since they aren't willing to spend public money on such a project?
I doubt that. But I disagree. SF is just a hop skip and a jump from Sac. Population wouldn't be a factor.
Presonally, I think you're reading too much into this. It's still at the posturing stage. Someday, the 49ers might look to move elsewehere, but right now they are negotiating with San Francisco. Both sides are trying to "talk tough." It even says in this article Newsom wants to keep the team in SF. I see no concrete evidence that York is looking outside SF yet. If he really had decided to move the tea,, he would have done more than hold a press conference.
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