A’s co-owner and managing partner Lew Wolff issued a follow-up statement Friday to the strong comments directed at his team a day earlier by Raiders owner Mark Davis.
Among other things, Davis said the A’s need to “commit” to the Coliseum site if they truly have ambitions to build a new venue at the Coliseum alongside a potential new Raiders stadium.
After Wolff and the A’s issued a brief statement Thursday that didn’t specifically address Davis’ comments, Wolff’s statement Friday was a bit stronger.
[STIGLICH: A's pass on counter-punch after Mark Davis' criticism]
Here it is in its entirety:
“It is unfortunate Mr. Davis decided to bring the A’s into his discussion about the Raiders’ stadium lease. We respect his right to explore his options in and out of Oakland, including his widely reported consideration of Los Angeles and other markets. The A’s signed a 10-year lease at the Coliseum because we are committed to Oakland. Mr. Davis has said he is fully committed to do a new football stadium in Oakland and there is nothing in our lease that precludes Mr. Davis and the Raiders from building on the Coliseum site.
As we stated yesterday, the A’s are aggressively working with the city to evaluate venue sites in Oakland. Our efforts are fully focused on Oakland. Although the Coliseum remains the main focus of our venue efforts, we are also evaluating potential sites throughout Oakland. We are confident our efforts will continue to move forward and we will share our progress throughout the process.”
Among the interesting points are his reinforcement of Oakland being the only city the A’s are currently studying for a new ballpark. Also, though the Coliseum site remains the A’s No. 1 target, the team clearly is considering alternative sites in the city. Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf has mentioned a desire for the A’s to build either downtown or near the city’s waterfront.
While Wolff affirmed his team’s commitment to Oakland, he also made sure to point out the Raiders’ well-publicized interest in other markets, perhaps trying to turn the tables on Davis’ assertion that it’s the A’s who need to commit to Oakland.
