SF Wants 49ers to Stay in City

But San Francisco has a point -- Hunter's Point -- they want the team to occupy.

The NFL players and owners will be cutting each other checks for the next decade thanks to the newest labor deal that brings harmony to franchises and fans. The deal also kicks up some dust over where the San Francisco 49ers, and, possibly, the Oakland Raiders will play their home games.

The team and South Bay city, Santa Clara, maintain that the 49ers will move down the peninsula to new, sexy and high-tech digs. But what of San Francisco?

The city says: ISO Football Team, would allow roommate, with beautiful view of downtown.

The abandoned Naval base at Hunter's Point is going to be redeveloped, and some heavy hitters want the 49ers and Raiders to share a stadium there, serving what they say is the North Bay fan base of both teams.

None other than Carmen Policy, former president of the 49ers, is a believer in the City plan. He told the SF Examiner that "It just makes sense."

The Ex points out, righteously, that getting to -- and especially from -- Hunter's Point is, shall we say, less than great. Muni is trying to address the issue, but there is a tangle of highway, surface roads and narrow egress.

Present 49ers president, Jed York, maintains that the spoils are in the South Bay for the team. The trains and two federal highways lead to Santa Clara, but who really has a nice experience on 101, um, ever?

A spokesman said "Jed made it very clear we are moving forward with our plan here in Santa Clara."

Maybe they're moving forward with leveraging one -- and maybe two -- NFL franchises into a better deal with SF? It wouldn't be the first time an owner has played two cities off one another.

(Enter: Al Davis...)

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