ONLY THE RAIDERS WILL REMAIN ! : COMMENTARY

By 

Scary Barry Rodriguez

June 14, 2013

Imagine it is the year 2014 and the landscape of the San Francisco bay area NFL football scene has changed forever. Like an abandoned orphan , Candlestick park lies empty and in disrepair. Wind whipped trash blows across the deserted parking lots as a flocks of seagulls fight over crumbs , where before on Sundays , the loud cheers of fans would echo off nearby buildings. The quiet is complete. It is a ghost town !

Across the bay in Oakland the 2014 season has started for the Oakland Raiders. Hordes of fans descend on the Oakland coliseum like Apaches attacking a distant U.S. Army outpost in the wild west ! Smoke rises from tents and vehicles in the parking lots. Fans dressed like barbarians warily strut about with menace towards opposing fans. The season is starting with a vengeance , like a clenched fist !

Meanwhile , miles away in Santa Clara , the well heeled arrive via limousines at the new home of the San Francisco 49ers , Levi field. There is a festive mood as red and gold colors adorn the stadium and all is good in the World ! High up , above the stands , in the luxury boxes the new breed of robber barons from the silicon valley are drinking toasts to themselves for the success they enjoy at the expense of the common folks. The working class fans are at home watching on cable television, something they can afford on their meager budgets.

It is now a fact that in 2014 the Oakland Raiders will be the only remaining NFL team in the San Francisco bay area ! What a great marketing angle ! The 49er organization and San Francisco mayor Ed Lee can spin it anyway they want . There is no doubt that the team has left San Francisco for good ! It didn't happen in the dark of the night but in plain view !

 
Some may consider Oakland the poor stepchild of San Francisco. Yet Mark Davis hasn't move the Oakland Raiders out of Oakland to the boondocks . 2014 , represents a golden opportunity for the Raiders to attract some Bay area fans who just aren't going to make the long trek down to Santa Clara ! After the game in Oakland they can still cross the bridge and dine in San Francisco !

The citizens of Santa Clara will get a big dose of reality in 2014 ! Business sharks of every stripe will exploit the Santa Clara city government for every tax break and backroom deal they can. The infrastructure will be challenged to handle the increased load of traffic , crime and things that just can't be planned for !

What is San Francisco's financial loss could be turned into Oakland's gain ! If the folks in Oakland rid themselves of their clown mayor and clueless city government maybe they can turn things around ! The folks in the east bay deserve a           break ! The Oakland Raider's success is important to the east bay community . It could shrine a light on the city !

To the citizens of San Francisco , the 49ers are just another form of entertainment. All the rich yuppy transplants from other states could care less as they sip their coffee mocha and tune out their surroundings , looking at the two inch screen of the latest cell phone or computer tablet. What original San Francisco residents remain struggle to survive and can ill afford to underwrite the cost of the new San Francisco 49er stadium !

Now , Oakland Raider's organization ! The ball is in your court !