Silver & Black Blog: Santa Clara Raiders wouldn't be the worst thing

With news emanating from the Bay Area that Santa Clara and the 49ers are closing in on a marriage, one that could include the Raiders, it's time for those at Silver & Black Central in Alameda to face facts: This is your best chance at a new stadium.

The nearly $1 billion proposed stadium in Santa Clara, which could open by 2014, could easily house two NFL teams, according to a San Jose city councilmember. He all but said it would be a lucrative situation for all involved if a second team climbed aboard.

While I enjoy the Oakland Coliseum, the organization apparently does not. They've been squawking about a new stadium for a couple of years, and have even explored the 580/680 corridor as a possible residence.

My feeling is in this economy, and with everyone downsizing, it only makes sense to share a stadium, especially when NFL teams only have 10 home dates a year. The NFL has even endorsed the two-team, one stadium approach in the Bay Area (mirroring the one in New York), and when is the last time the NFL tipped its hat to anything Silver & Black?

Fact is, Al Davis has been selling part of his stake in recent years. He's a football man, not a business mogul. I hardly think he and his business partners would have enough money to finance a stadium, and I don't think there's a city in America that would use public money to help the Raiders.

A Raiders move would be a pain personally. The 80-minute Sunday morning drive is pretty easy, and our tailgate situation on the west side of 880 makes for a quick exit. Going all the way to Santa Clara would no doubt be a commitment to something.

Plus, there's a twofold effect here.

If the Raiders move out of the Coliseum, that would give the A's a chance to blow up Mt. Davis and build a baseball-only stadium at its current site.

Let's face facts. I can't imagine, in this economy and at a time where people are finding out they can survive without shopping every day, the A's building a baseball stadium linked to a retail and housing complex.

Even if the A's were to build a slick stadium in San Jose or somewhere in the South Bay, NorCal is Giant territory. The Black and Orange have a 50-watt marketing blowtorch in KNBR, a great stadium and fan-base dominance over the Green and Gold.

A $1 million condo with a view of home plate and a three-floor Nieman Marcus isn't going to lure A's fans, or a San Jose resident searching for sports legitimacy. (Sorry, but hockey and soccer don't cut it).

What will guarantee a decent crowd, outside of winning baseball, is a 200-yard walk from BART. Baseball, far more than football, is a public transportation sport. The A's have the perfect spot right there along the BART line. That's always been their home, people are comfortable with it, and it should remain that way.

You build a nice stadium on the old site, put a winning product on the field, and my guess is that'd be the best and most prudent way to reach or stretch profitability.

It all starts, though, with the Raiders.

Hopefully, if they get a chance to climb aboard the train to Santa Clara, they'll hop on.