Candlestick in the Wind

A place that I grew up knowing almost as well as Vaught-Hemingway in Oxford, might be seeing its last days, as the San Francisco 49ers are looking to potentially move things to the suburbs in Santa Clara.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco 49ers ended negotiations with the city about building a new stadium Wednesday and have turned their focus to the Bay Area suburb of Santa Clara.

Owner John York notified Mayor Gavin Newsom of the team's decision earlier Wednesday, the mayor's spokesman, Peter Ragone, told The Associated Press.

Team spokesman Aaron Salkin declined to comment but the 49ers issued a news release late Wednesday night announcing the decision.

According to the release, the team decided after studying the area around Candlestick Park for the past year that the site needed too many infrastructure and public transit improvements, as well as one of the largest parking garages in the world.

The team said the cost of the infrastructure improvements could have exceeded the cost of the proposed stadium, which was estimated to cost between $600 million and $800 million.

Also, the team said it was unlikely it could achieve its goal of opening the new stadium in time for the 2012 season.

Now the team is seeking to build a new stadium in Santa Clara, near the Great America amusement park and the Santa Clara Convention Center. Santa Clara is located in San Francisco's South Bay area near San Jose.

"We're excited to work with Santa Clara officials to discuss this project," owner John York said in a statement. "Based on our initial analysis, Santa Clara has strong potential to deliver the game day experience our fans deserve."

York said the team would not change its name under any circumstances.

"Nothing will persuade us to change the name of the San Francisco 49ers, one of the most storied brands in the world of sports," he said.

The 49ers headquarters and training facility are currently based in Santa Clara, located about 30 miles south of San Francisco.

"We have been looking to expand our entertainment options in the Great America-Convention Center area for years, and this stadium can be a great addition," Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan said in a statement issued by the team. "The 49ers have been clear that their goal is to put together a project that has no impact on the City's general fund and no increase in taxes, and we are ready to give this project our full attention."

The 49ers and San Francisco officials had been talking over the last few months about building a privately financed stadium at Candlestick Point that was going to be part of the city's bid for the 2016 summer Olympics.

Ragone did not know how the 49ers' decision would impact the Olympic bid. San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago are the three cities competing to be the U.S. Olympic Committee's choice to bid on the 2016 games.

The team's current lease at Candlestick runs through the 2008 season and the team holds three five-year options that could extend it through 2023.

The current stadium at Candlestick is one of the most run-down in the league, leading to the team's desire to seek a new stadium with revenue-generating suites and luxury boxes. The plan to build a stadium also included public housing, retail and office space.

The city was not going to contribute any money to the stadium but was willing to possibly help with some of the infrastructure costs.

York assured San Francisco officials that he was only negotiating with the city, but Ragone said the team had talked in recent weeks to Santa Clara officials about the move.

Ragone added that York told the mayor he would consider moving the team somewhere else in California. Los Angeles and Anaheim also are seeking an NFL team.

The mayors of the two cities met last month with new commissioner Roger Goodell to offer their competing plans to lure a team back to southern California.

Los Angeles city leaders want to build a new stadium within the walls of the historic Memorial Coliseum, featuring 200 luxury boxes and 15,000 club seats at a cost of $800 million.

Goodell also met with Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle about his city's plans to sell the NFL 53 acres at the below-market price of $50 million to build a new stadium adjacent to Angel Stadium.

The Los Angeles area hasn't had an NFL team since after the 1994 season when the Raiders returned to Oakland and the Anaheim-based Rams moved to St. Louis.

Candlestick has been called about a million names to this point, 3-Comm, Monster, The Stick, etc... Many great memories for people have occured within the confines of that stadium.



That's Dwight Clark. He made this catch against the hated Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC Championship game and send the 49ers on to the SuperBowl.

I don't remember this catch because my brain was not fully developed yet as I was just a youngster.

I do remember this catch:



That's Terrell Owens, you might know him as "T.O." This catch sent the 49ers to the NFC Championship game. After this catch T.O. cried like a wittle bitty baby. It let people know he was human. Years later he would do sit-ups while conductin an interview in his driveway. This would let people know he was a human asshole. It let me know why I liked him. He doesn't care.

Point is, Candlestick will be missed. I watched many a game on tv from that stadium, and cheered for a 49er team that I loved for over a decade. But, I can't be too sad, because this isn't the same team playing in that stadium. These are the new Alex Smith and Frank Gore led 'Niners. They are comparable to Montana, Rice, and Roger Craig...right?