FanSection Blog

I needed to pass some time; my heart was hopeful and there were butterflies in my stomach. To distract myself, I went to the gym, where I endured the longest workout of my life (even though it was, in actuality, only about an hour). Then I raced home, hoping for some good news. Still nothing.

It wasn’t until the next morning that I got the news I’d been waiting for: The Santa Clara City Council had approved financing plans for a $937 million stadium for the San Francisco 49ers! Though there is still a long road ahead (think environmental impact reports, a citywide ballot that needs to be approved, potential legal action from the owner of Great America, term sheets…), it is the first big step towards giving one of the oldest professional sports teams on the West Coast the stadium they deserve.

To be fair, despite being old and rather run down, I do think Candlestick is a lovely stadium. I have many fond memories of watching the 49ers play while snuggling up with my friends/family to stay warm against the cool ocean breeze and just… being content. As a diehard fan, I know that nostalgia won’t ever go away.

Having said that, it’s an absolute mess to get there, park, and leave in a timely manner. There is no public transit nearby to alleviate these problems. Also, the residential area surrounding the stadium has bars over every window, which definitely does not inspire feelings of safety. It is for these reasons - coupled with the fact that I know they won’t change the name of the franchise to the Santa Clara 49ers (more about that in a moment) - that makes me think the idea of moving the team south is a good one.

I should note that I live in the South Bay and their moving would make games much more accessible for me, but bias aside, I think the move would benefit everyone else, as well… from the fans (who deserve the best stadium) to the corporate office (located in Santa Clara) to the players (many of whom live in the South Bay), it just makes sense.

And speaking of the fans, one reminds us that it is common for professional sports teams to play in stadiums that are not in their namesake city: “The Cowboys play in Arlington. The Cardinals play in Glendale. The Patriots play in Foxborough. Hell, the Jets and Giants play in a different STATE entirely (New Jersey).”

Another fan adds, “The team worked with the city for a decade trying to get this done and nothing became of it. Right now, the city of San Francisco is refusing to put up the money to keep Candlestick running that they are CONTRACTED to pay already. If there was a workable option in SF, the 49ers would be all over it.”

However, it seems as though many Bay Area residents strongly disagree. When we asked members of our San Francisco 49ers Fans application whether or not the stadium should be moved to Santa Clara, the majority voted against the move:

I do feel very strongly about this issue, yet the journalism major in me wants to be fair and balanced, so here are a few snippets, taken directly from the community, of arguments for the team to stay in San Francisco:

“Green Bay has got Lambeau, and we have The Stick. When you take your children to games, you will have memories to share - You can tell them where you where sitting when Rice made the one-hander in the back of the end zone. Have you been on the field and stood in the exact spot Clark came down with the clincher? I want my kids to be able to stand in that spot, which is not in Santa Clara!”

“I don’t see any reason to move, especially since Santa Clara is being asked to pay part of the cost. No other industry gets taxpayers to pay for their facilities.”

It seems as though the jury is out – The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reports that their online polls show that 58 percent of respondents said they support the deal – so it seems as though only time will bring us our final answer.

What do you think?

(For more information on the potential move, check out: http://www.supportourniners.com/)