First thoughts on a WNBA relocation to Oakland from a Bay Area native
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posted by Swish Appeal In keeping with SB Nation’s innovative use of social media in reshaping sports journalism, our vision is a women's basketball site that goes beyond merely providing game reports; instead, we want to capture the narratives that fuel our passion for the game, while maintaining the critical stance that helps us understand the game better. |
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With Maloof Sports & Entertainment announcing that they will no longer operate the Sacramento Monarchs, the WNBA is in discussions to move the team to the Bay Area.
Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan has been campaigning for moving a WNBA team to Oakland so the idea is certainly not far-fetched. Given that one of the previous concerns was whether two teams could co-exist, according to Michelle Smith, relocating the Monarchs might seem like the break Kaplan needed.
But would this move in any way require discussions with Chris Cohan, whom San Jose Mercury News reporter Tim Kawakami has been reporting needs to might sell the Golden State Warriors since July?
Hopefully, the WNBA is not counting on Cohan, who has been in major financial difficulty for some time and probably would not sell soon enough for the WNBA to relocate the Monarchs, according to SF Chronicle writer Ray Ratto, despite the fact that change at the top of the Warriors is seemingly inevitable.
Kawakami has reported in the past that Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison and George Lucas are interested in buying the Warriors, so it might be interesting to know if either of them would be interested in taking on the Monarchs first.
As a Bay Area native, the thought of moving a team to my hometown is exciting…but as a Warriors fan, given Chris Cohan’s track record, he does not seem like a candidate to hinge one’s hopes on.
Let's hope councilwoman Kaplan can drum up interest elsewhere.
View Original Post at swishappeal.com
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- Basketball, Sports, SportsPLUS, WNBA, Business
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arebee55
I had been a Monarch season ticket holder for the past several years. I did not renew for 2010 season. Several reasons but it mostly boils down to traveling 4 hours for 2 hour game. If the Monarch came to Oakland I would be a season ticket holder again.
Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 1:19pm PST