Sports

Downtown LA NFL Stadium Plan Declared Defunct; Others Remain

Published

8 years ago

March 10, 2015

This undated file artist’s rendering provided by AEG shows a proposed NFL football stadium, to be named Farmers Field in Los Angeles. A transportation consultant said Monday, Sept. 26, 2011, the $1.2 billion football stadium proposed for downtown Los Angeles. Developer AEG said in a statement Monday, March 9, 2015, that it is “no longer in discussion with the NFL or any NFL team.” The announcement leaves two clear contenders for the NFL’s return to the area, both in cities just outside Los Angeles: A stadium in Inglewood proposed in January with the backing of St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke, and a project in Carson announced last month with the joint backing of the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers. (AP Photo/AEG, File)

ANDREW DALTON, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Farmers Field had a prime location in downtown Los Angeles, big-time boosters, a builder with an impeccable professional sports resume, even a name and sponsor — rare for a project in the planning stages.

What it did not have was an NFL team attached. And in the end that was all that mattered.

Just months after it was the latest, greatest hope for bringing the NFL back to the city for the first time in 20 years, the stadium project was declared dead by its developer AEG on Monday.

Its demise was sped by a pair of competing stadium plans that had the unbeatable advantage of having NFL owners and their teams attached.

“We are no longer in discussion with the NFL or any NFL team,” said Ted Fikre, vice chairman of AEG, which owns the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the downtown Staples Center, home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers.

The developer had spent five years and at least $50 million on the project, but AEG now says it will focus on other downtown development projects.

The announcement leaves two clear contenders for the NFL’s return to the area for the first time in two decades, both in cities just outside Los Angeles: A stadium in Inglewood proposed in January with the backing of St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke, and a project in Carson announced last month with the joint backing of the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers.

The downtown project — which would have been unusual for the NFL where most venues are in suburbs instead of city centers — appeared to gain new life in October when the developer asked for and received from the city a six-month extension for its deadline to attract an NFL team for the project. AEG cited “new dialogue” with the league.

But Fikre said Monday that it will allow that extension to expire in April with no renewal.

The project’s boosters included Mayor Eric Garcetti, much of the City Council and local business leaders.

Michael Eisner, former chief executive at the Walt Disney Co., told The Associated Press in November that Farmers Field would have been an ideal addition to the re-emergence of downtown LA.

“It just felt to me that if we could pull this off, particularly in the downtown area, that the renaissance of Los Angeles … could be enhanced,” he said.

“I’m a Disney guy,” Eisner said. “I’m looking for the end of the movie to be happy.”

Garcetti’s spokesman, Yusef Robb, said the priorities of the mayor’s office “have always been about accelerating downtown’s revitalization,” but City Hall will be happy to cheer for a team and a stadium outside its borders.

“In terms of football, we continue to stand with the fans — we would welcome a team anywhere in our region that delivers the greatest benefit to our communities and economy,” Robb said in a statement.

In Inglewood, the City Council bypassed several environmental and other hurdles late last month by adding its stadium project to an already-approved development underway at the former Hollywood Park racetrack. That would appear to put it at the forefront of Southern California cities jockeying to build NFL facilities. St. Louis and the state of Missouri are working just as quickly to provide a proposal to build a new home there to keep the Rams.

In Carson, stadium backers turned in enough signatures last week for a ballot initiative that would allow a Chargers-Raiders joint stadium on the site of a former landfill. But those two teams have said the move to the Los Angeles area would come only if their current hometowns fail to offer desirable deals.

Amid what was becoming a frenzy, the NFL circulated a memo earlier this year reminding team owners that in the end, the league and the league alone will decide whether a team — and which team — will move to the Los Angeles area.

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Bay Area

New Women’s Pro Soccer Team Coming to Bay Area

Former U.S. Women’s National Team players Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner announced Tuesday that the National Women’s Soccer League has awarded expansion rights to their group. The team, which has not yet announced a name or home stadium, will start playing in the league in 2024.

Published

1 month ago

April 28, 2023

Oakland Post

Leslie Osborne had 62 caps for the USWNT and played in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China where the U.S. took third place in the tournament. Osborne played professionally for nine seasons and was team captain on all of her professional teams in the WPS and NWSL. (Allison+Partners via Bay City News)

By Bay City News

A new professional women’s soccer team is coming to the Bay Area.

The four soccer stars, who all have Bay Area ties including each hailing from Santa Clara University, spoke Tuesday about their efforts to bring a pro women’s team to the region starting nearly three years ago following the announcement of another NWSL expansion team, Angel City Football Club in Los Angeles.

“LA is doing this, why aren’t we doing it?” Osborne said the women were asking themselves as the group got to work to bring a team to the Bay Area.

The new team’s majority investor is Sixth Street, an investment firm with stakes in European soccer clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as well as the pro basketball team the San Antonio Spurs.

Chastain, who scored an iconic game-winning goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup final for the U.S. over China, said “it is a different time” now in women’s sports compared to her playing days, citing the high ratings and interest for the recent NCAA women’s college basketball championship. She said the Bay Area is the perfect place to help the sport grow even more.

“We here in the Bay Area are innovators, we’re thinkers, we’re creators,” Chastain said. “The Bay is where champions come to play, that is our call to action.”

Other members of the team’s board include Sheryl Sandberg, tech executive and founder of LeanIn.org, Rick Welts, who most recently served as president of the Golden State Warriors, and Staci Slaughter, former executive vice president for the San Francisco Giants.

More details about the team can be found on its website at https://nwsltothebay.com/.

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Bay Area

Town Parade Celebrates Oakland High and Oakland Tech Basketball Champions

Oakland’s pride was at an all-time high on Sunday afternoon as the basketball state champions of Oakland High and Oakland Tech paraded from Children’s Fairyland to downtown City Hall at Oscar Grant Plaza April 16. The parade celebrated the girls’ basketball team of Oakland Tech, winners of the state championship for 3 years in a row and Oakland High making history by taking the state championship for the first time.

Published

1 month ago

April 28, 2023

Oakland Post

The festivities unfolded in full force on the steps of Oakland City Hall as confetti blew through the air and photographers and videographers captured the excitement and happiness of the students. Special guest MC's featured Dr. Delores Thompson, a proud Oakland High graduate who said she also attended summer school at Oakland Tech, and Jonathan Piper II of King Makers of Oakland.

By Carla Thomas

On a double decker bus, team members danced and waved as they were transported through the city circling Lake Merritt. Onlookers honked and clapped in support as team cheerleaders waved pom poms. Once arriving at Oakland City Hall, the students were greeted with a decorated plaza of arching balloons of white, purple and gold for the Oakland Tech “Lady” Bulldogs and blue and white for the Oakland High Wildcats.

The festivities unfolded in full force on the steps of Oakland City Hall as confetti blew through the air and photographers and videographers captured the excitement and happiness of the students.

Special guest MC’s featured Dr. Delores Thompson, a proud Oakland High graduate who said she also attended summer school at Oakland Tech, and Jonathan Piper II of King Makers of Oakland.

Nancy Skinner said, “I’m especially proud of the Wildcats and Lady Bulldogs. “Will celebrate your success at the state Capitol.”

Mia Bonta led audience with a cheer: “Hold up wait a minute, let us put some O. High in it. Hold up wait a minute, let us put some Oakland Tech in it. Hold up wait a minute, let us put some Oakland in it.”

Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Kyla Johnson Trammell, a self-proclaimed ’80s baby from Oakland expressed her appreciation for the students.

“Congrats to the dynasty at Tech and a dynasty emerging at Oakland High,” said Trammell. “Our students are scholarly athletes and role models on the court and off.”

Oakland Unified School District Board of Education president Mike Hutchinson encouraged the winning team members to reflect and embrace their contributions to Oakland’s legacy. “Thanks for all your hard work,” he said.

Bart Board Director and Congressional seat candidate Lateefah Simon spoke of the state champions as “the best in the state. The very best in the Bay Area … I’m so proud, thankful and humbled to be in the presence of young geniuses and the best ballers in the state,” she said.

Representatives of Oakland City Council addressed the teams at the rally.

District 3 City Councilmember Carroll Fife said, “Today you are my heroes, and you are an example of what Oakland truly is. You are exactly what we all need more of in our city.”

District 4 City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran said, “We need to learn from you and the lessons of teamwork and resilience.”

District 7 Councilmember Treva Reid said she proudly represents deep East Oakland. “Thank you for putting some respect on Oakland, we got your back,” she said.

District 2 City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas all congratulated the teams. “When you fight and practice, you win,” she said.

District 1 City Councilmember Dan Kalb was proud that the Oakland Tech Bulldogs were in his district.

District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo said his three daughters graduated from Oakland High and went on to Stanford University and UC Berkeley. “At one time Oakland was the 5th largest market for athletes in the U.S., so I know these teams will go on to do great things,” he said. “Congrats on your accomplishments.”

Medals & certificates of honor were presented to each team member by California Assemblymember Mia Bonta, California State Senator Nancy Skinner and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. Each athlete posed for a group photo with the elected officials and were cheered on as they returned to their seat.

“You are special on and off the court, and we love you,” said Thao.

Thao also gave a special shout out to event organizer, Oakland Tech Parent Teacher Student Association Vice President Dunia Wilder and the “unsung heroes” behind the scenes. “Thank you, Dunia, Myra, Brooklyn, and Vice Mayor Kimberly, for making this event happen.”

Bay Area

Kareem Jabbar Brings Books to Oakland and Tech Champs

Published

2 months ago

April 4, 2023

Oakland Post

Tony Thurmond, State Supt., Mayor Sheng Thao, OUSD Supt. encourage Athletes to score Academically too.

Oakland Tech’s Girls Basketball team and the Oakland High Boys team received major support and recognition for being on top of California’s High School sports world from the State Superintendent of Education Tony Thurmond, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Superintendent and members of the Board of Directors of the Oakland Unified School District. The student-athletes were encouraged to score academically and become champions in their classrooms as they have on the basketball courts. Photo courtesy of OUSD.