San Francisco Targets NBA's Warriors
By Chris Glennon
City leaders in San Francisco are courting the Golden State Warriors, trying to woo the NBA team back to the "City by the Bay" within five years.
"I'd be very excited for a change in location," said freshman Tolu Adeoye, an avid Warriors fan. "The fan base and resources of San Francisco could provide them with the support they need to reach the next tier.
Mayor Ed Lee sent a letter on Friday saying the city would work with Warriors executives to bring the team to San Francisco in time for the 2017-18 season. The note, signed by all 11 city supervisors and numerous business and labor leaders, floats the possibility of building a waterfront arena. It was sent a few days after Lee met with new Warriors owner Peter Guber in Los Angeles.
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan responded Monday by sending the team her own letter. Quan says Oakland is committed to keeping the Warriors in the East Bay.
The only bay area teams that appear to be staying put for the foreseeable future are the San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks. The San Francisco 49ers will start playing in Santa Clara in time for the 2015 season, the Oakland A's have been rumored to be on the move to San Jose, and the Oakland Raiders are discussing the possibility of moving back to Los Angeles.
Now the Warriors, who have seen a decrease in ticket sales since their 48 win 2008 season, could be moving.
The Warriors have played in San Francisco before. After moving west from Philadelphia, the Warriors settled in San Francisco for the start of the 1962-63 season and stayed there through 1971. Since then, the Warriors have played in the arena currently known as Oracle Arena, with their lease expiring in 2017. Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, the home site of the A's and Raiders, sit next to each other and are two of the older venues in their respective sports.
"That complex has kind of a negative connotation to it," explained junior Bay Area sports fanatic Max Minowitz. "Neither of the facilities are very nice and the I'd say the surrounding area is one of the worst in the Bay Area. A lot of people around the U.S. don't even know where the Warriors play."
The Warriors are known for having one of the most loyal local fan bases in the league. Even though they have only made the playoffs once since 1994, the Warriors have consistently remained in the top 10 in league attendance despite the recent decrease.
After trading away fan favorite Monta Ellis for a more defensive-minded center in Andrew Bogut last season, it seems as though the Warriors are trying to change their identity.
A gem of a stadium on the San Francisco waterfront could only help with the transformation, according to Adeoye.
"In order to win we have to make drastic changes. Even though Monta leaving is upsetting, this new stadium could be a way to make a new identity and get rid of the Warriors old losing ways," said Adeoye.
Minowitz agreed that the Warriors could develop a new identity in San Francisco, adding, "I feel like we'd have a better chance of getting a superstar if we were in San Francisco."
Contact Chris Glennon at cglennon@scu.edu. The Associated Press contributed to this report.