49ers respond to Feinstein football bill

Screenshot courtesy 49ers.com

By Emmett Berg and Jenna Lane, Bay City News Service

January 12, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - San Francisco 49ers officials announced Thursday they were committed to building a new stadium "in the Bay Area," careful phrasing that signaled little about whether the team will move to Santa Clara.

The team statement was issued regarding U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's introduction of federal legislation, the Football Fairness Act, which would require National Football League approval as part of teams' decisions to relocate.

"The San Francisco 49ers are committed to working with officials and lawmakers, including Sen. Feinstein, to achieve our goal of building a new world-class NFL stadium in the Bay Area, our home for 60 years," the team statement began. "We also are committed to working with the NFL and the owners of the other 31 franchises at the appropriate time as the senator's bill would mandate."

According to the statement, the team has worked with Feinstein on their stadium plans and "appreciate that she understands the need for a new stadium."

"We do not believe this legislation will deter our efforts to create a stadium that provides a world-class fan experience that the Bay Area deserves."

Feinstein said she was motivated to introduce the "Football Fan Protection Act'' after the San Francisco 49ers announced in November that the team could move to Santa Clara.

"This legislation is designed to slow the movement of NFL teams and prevent communities from suffering the financial and intangible costs of these moves,'' Feinstein said in a statement.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (file photo).

"Our football teams are more than just businesses. They are a common denominator that cuts across class, race and gender to bond the people of a city. They are a key component of a city's culture and identity.''

Feinstein said the bill would require NFL approval for any team move, under a limited antitrust exemption. She compared it to an exemption Major League Baseball uses and noted that one baseball franchise has moved in the last 25 years, compared to seven NFL teams in the same period.

The bill was recorded as the "Football Fairness Act,'' No. 249, and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which Feinstein serves.

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