Once upon a time, dirt infields were a way of life through September (and possibly beyond) for teams like the Dolphins, Raiders, 49ers, and Chargers. Many others that played on green cement in dual-purposes venues had to deal with the seams and irregularities of the turf toupees covering the bald spots at first base, second, third, home, and the pitcher’s mound.
Now, only one NFL team shares a stadium with a Major League Baseball team. It’s in Oakland, where tonight the Cowboys and Raiders are playing on a gridiron that encompasses the entire A’s infield.
And owner Mark Davis has had enough.
During the broadcast of Friday night’s Cowboys-Raiders game, sideline reporter J.T. The Brick said that Davis dubbed the situation a “travesty.”
We’ve got an easy and obvious solution. Next year, a new, billion-dollar stadium opens in Santa Clara. The 49ers will use it only 10 times per year. The Raiders could use it 10 times, too.
By all appearances, neither the Raiders nor the 49ers want that. The league should nevertheless clunk their heads together and force them to do it.
And if that doesn’t work, the Raiders should be one of the teams that moves to Los Angeles.
It makes no sense to build up to three new stadiums for NFL teams in California (one for the Raiders, one for the Chargers, and one in Los Angeles), when the Raiders can share a venue in Santa Clara with the 49ers -- or when the Raiders and Chargers can share a place in L.A.
As long as neither the Dodgers nor the Angels move there, too.
