Chronicle Invents, then Rebuts, Mythical LA-SF Fight over 49ers

by Randy Shaw, 2006-07-25

Real news is apparently in such short supply at the San Francisco Chronicle that its crack reporting team of Matier & Ross is forced to invent a story one day and demolish it the next. On Sunday July 23, the columnists ran a huge piece with photos of Mayor’s Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa, titled “Golden State’s Golden Boys Spar over Rumors of L.A. Play for Niners.” But on Monday July 24, Matier & Ross told readers that staffers in the LA mayor’s office were unaware of any top-level contacts about a 49ers move, and that funding restrictions prevented the team from moving to LA. In other words, the pair’s previous day’s piece was simply false sensationalism that misled Chronicle readers.

I was skeptical about Matier & Ross’s July 23 report that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was recruiting the San Francisco 49ers, because none of the many articles I have read about the return of pro football to Los Angeles has mentioned the 49ers. But little did we know that the Chronicle columnists would make wild claims of a “testy” relationship and a “spat” between Newsom and Villaraigosa over the 49ers without meeting any of the criteria for a valid news story.

On July 24, the same columnists revealed-- without acknowledging their previous days falsehood---that Los Angeles cannot get financing for a new stadium by attracting a team already playing in California. Since San Francisco is located in California, their nonexistent plan to relocate to LA was a non-starter.

Or as Matier & Ross put it, “as for a (49ers) move to Los Angeles—forget about it.”

Since the columnists regularly have reported on the Oakland Raiders stadium fights, they might have recalled that the NFL takes the position that it owns the LA market and that another team cannot relocated there without its approval. Considering that the most recent expansion franchise in Houston went for $600 million, many estimate an expansion team in LA would enable NFL owners to divide at least $1billion.

Should the NFL allow a team to relocate---as it may for the San Diego Chargers---you can be sure that league owners will get a piece of the action. The movement of the San Francisco 49ers to Los Angeles has never been an option.

It may be that Matier & Ross needed even the false news hook of a 49ers move to LA to support their broader contention that Newsom and Villaraigosa have stirred each other’s “competitive juices.” While competition between these two mayors would give reporters something to write about, there’s a critical point missing from its thesis.

Assuming both their careers proceed without scandal or high disapproval ratings, Gavin Newsom will one day run for the US Senate while Antonio Villaraigosa becomes California’s first Latino Governor. There is no reason for Newsom to run against Villaraigosa for any office in 2010, because US Senate seats will be open both that year and in 2012.

If Angelides wins, Villaraigosa can take one of the two Senate seats or wait until 2014 to run for governor. If Angelides loses in November, the Los Angeles Mayor is a shoo-in to be California’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee in 2010. Newsom would be a leading contender for Barbara Boxer’s seat that year (she is not seeking re-election).

Fortunately for the news-starved columnists at the Chronicle, the 49ers stadium issue is likely to be still pending while both big-city mayors achieve higher office.

Here’s why. The 49ers stadium measure that barely won was backed by Mayor Willie Brown when his popularity was at its highest. The Mayor used every political chit at his disposal to secure endorsements for the stadium, and he personally campaigned hard in African-American neighborhoods. The 49ers were owned by Eddie Debartolo, a hero to voters for bringing five Super Bowl victories to San Francisco. The 49ers were still a competitive team in 1997. Jack Davis, whose track record of winning campaigns in San Francisco is unrivaled, managed the stadium campaign.

With all of the above, the stadium barely passed.

Now we have unpopular owners, the worst team in pro football over the past few years, a Mayor who will not feel obligated to sacrifice everything for the stadium vote, and a Bayview-Hunters Point voting base that has bought too many false promises to get fooled again.

And Jack Davis not only won’t be around to manage the 49ers campaign, but he opposes the proposal.

Until the 49ers start making the playoffs again, voter approval of a new stadium is dead.

Send feedback to rshaw@beyondchron.org