The roaring fans shouting “MVP!” and “Let’s go Warriors!” is what gave the “Roaracle” its name. Ever since I can remember, I’ve cheered on the Golden State Warriors from section 108 at the Oracle Arena, but that’s about to change.
After calling Oakland their home for 43 years, the team announced Oct. 12 that they purchased a 12-acre parcel of land in San Francisco’s Mission Bay District. They plan to open a new arena there at the beginning of the 2018-2019 season, according to Forbes.
After years of initially promising yet ultimately disappointing seasons, the Warriors picked up their momentum this year and transformed into a golden team. The Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, dominated the court and brought so much energy to the Oracle that the arena exploded with blue and yellow. The city of Oakland has been at the heart of that success.
My closet is full of Warriors jerseys: Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Monta Ellis and more. When my dad comes home with Warrior tickets, I get so excited to see them play in my hometown. Walking in the south entrance of the arena to get to our seats is so surreal to me. That arena holds years of my family’s memories, from watching the Warriors play to seeing my favorite artists, like Beyoncé, perform there. The Oracle Arena holds a special place in my heart.
Though the Golden State Warriors were the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, San Francisco was not always their official home court. They bounced around, from the Cow Palace to arenas in Oakland and San Jose, and even played home games in San Diego. Once they permanently moved to the Oakland Coliseum in 1972, they became the Golden State Warriors, claiming Oakland as their home court. Oakland has been their home for more than 40 years, and that shouldn’t change just because they want a new arena.
The new arena doesn’t have to be built in San Francisco. They can build a new arena in Jack London Square in Oakland or expand the Oracle Arena. Oakland citizens deserve something for supporting the team through the rough years. We deserve a new arena or an expansion of the existing arena in Oakland; the city in which we, as Warrior fans, have thrived alongside the team.
Furthermore, in the months when basketball season and baseball season overlap, the San Francisco Giants and the Golden State Warriors will most likely have games on the same day, which will increase traffic coming across the Bay Bridge and on BART.
Around the world, Oakland is seen as a dangerous, crime-ridden city, and people don’t see its beauty. The Warriors winning a championship finally started to paint Oakland in a good light. Oakland residents finally have something to be proud of, and they’re taking it away from us. It feels like the team is abandoning the loyal fans that have supported them through rough seasons, like myself, to move on to a bigger and better arena since they’re champions now. The Warriors owe it to the loyal fans to stay in Oakland and let us enjoy living in a championship city.
San Francisco is already known for being the home of the 2012 and 2014 World Series Champions, the San Francisco Giants. We should let Oakland have the thrill of being the home of the 2015 NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors. Let the Oracle continue to roar.
wilsonblade • Jan 23, 2016 at 2:10 pm
The Golden State Warriors are the BAY’S TEAM, a simple fact that most Oaklanders can’t seem to understand. They didn’t even change their name to the Oakland Warriors, and that’s saying a lot. If I were you I would be worried about the the teams you still do have, the Raiders and A’s. Don’t you feel sorry for them at all? Having to share and play in that crappy stadium for years? The Warriors will only be a bridge away. But if Oakland can’t even support their OTHER teams, they’ll be driven out of the state soon enough.
eastbay • Jan 12, 2016 at 5:41 pm
lol Jimmy Johns is mad. Primas’ article made more sense than your comment. You’re obviously biased, and most people who attend Warrior games don’t need to live in Oakland–its about attending the game and experiencing the fanfare. the Dubs represent the bay area as a whole, why move the arena (where most fans are already happy) and move it to the city for the sake of money? Oracle Arena is notorious for being the loudest arena with the most passionate fans. Moving the venue will displace all the die-hard fans, the ones that have been supportive even before they were the 2015 champs.
why are you defending SF so much now anyway? its not even as fun as it used to be–all the silicon valley douchebags has gentrified the city that its not even recognizable anymore. if anything, moving the stadium is going to inflate the city with worst traffic, inflating prices, and driving out “undesirables”.
ps the Warriors never even played in the city, they were in Daly City. so with your logic, shouldnt they be called the Daly City Warriors? or the Philadelphia Warriors? (where they were originally from?)
when you stop living off of daddy’s money and sucking SF’s dick, let us know. You’re not a real fan if the reason why you want them to move is because you dislike their name. YOU GET OVER IT.
Jimmy Johns • Dec 31, 2015 at 6:09 pm
Stupid Article. Warriors represent San Francisco just as much as Oakland. Most people if not all that go to Warrior games don’t even live in Oakland. There is no backlash!!! You are obviously biased. Get your facts straight. They need to be called San Francisco Warriors not Golden State. Real Stupid name Golden State. I always hated that name. Warriors need to come back to San Francisco Warriors. Oakland is an embarrassment which is why they use the Junior College name of Golden State. All pro teams are named after the city they play in. They will play in San Francisco where they were originally from and will be called San Francisco. Get over it!
PS- Learn how to write and work on your grammar. This looks like a 6th grader wrote it.
Tyler Primas • Jan 24, 2016 at 11:06 pm
How is Oakland and embarrassment? Only thing you were correct on was that they represent San Francisco just as much as Oakland, in which they do. Not sure if you life in the bay area, but you sound like you don’t. When they move, ticket prices are going to sky rocket, and the real fans that attended the games while they were in Oakland won’t be able to afford it, so nothing but not real Warrior fans and rich business executives will be the ones attending the games. Maybe you should do some research. My grammar is fine, so maybe you should go back to school to learn your grammar.
Mike • Mar 29, 2016 at 9:06 pm
The last time the Warriors were in San Francisco they were losing so much money every single home game (due to low attendance) that they started to play all over California including San Diego! The last thing they should be called is the San Francisco Warriors.
I like Oakland they’re an authentic sports city. They deserved to keep their team!
SouthernGirl • Jun 4, 2016 at 5:32 pm
Oakland is an embarrassment? What an assinine and condescending statement. This Oakland season ticket holder since the Run TMC days will gladly give up my two seats if they change their name. Have at it gentrifiers.
Vincent Freeman • Oct 22, 2015 at 7:23 am
Beautifully articulated!! Kudos for expressing what all Oaklander’s feel. For so long, we are considered the “second-class citizen” to San Francisco’s more cosmopolitan cachet (HA!) – We have something that our city can rally behind and feel proud of …and yep …it’s being snatched away. Raiders wanna leave, Warriors leaving, A’s would if they could …One could easily get an inferiority complex. Oakland is LOYAL, Warriors …you should be too.
Mike • Mar 29, 2016 at 9:02 pm
I’ve always found this to be troubling. Now I’m from Los Angeles so I don’t have a personal stake in this. But it’s always seemed a little messed up to me just how much the media and indeed the Golden State Warriors’ team itself have tried to separate themselves from Oakland. The team will not call itself the Oakland Warriors despite having no problem calling themselves the San Francisco Warriors when they were in San Francisco. Their “The City” jerseys are a blatant homage to San Francisco the city they’ve always made it clear that they wished was their real home. The City is San Francisco’s nickname, the numbers on the backs of the jerseys are nestled in between a caricature of San Francisco’s world famous trolly cars. The media are also dismissive of Oakland. Whenever national transmissions of Warriors’ home games air on ESPN or TNT or ABC (during the finals), cutting to commercial breaks NEVER features the Tribune Tower in Oakland. Instead aerial and panoramic shots of the transamerica pyramid, or the Golden Gate Bridge, or the trolly cars, or San Francisco’s Chinatown. Whatever is shown it is always San Francisco. This seems completely disrespectful to one of America’s proudest sports cities.
I mean for god’s sake even Anaheim gets a showcase of shots of Disneyland when the Ducks or Angels play out here. Just seems to me like both the media and the team can’t wait for a move to a more glamorous arena now that they’re a more glamorous team. That’s a shame really, I’ve been to a game at Oracle when I was in the Bay Area. The Lakers were playing the Warriors. The sound in that arena is incredible!! And I doubt anything in San Francisco could come anywhere near matching the fervent passion of fans who have suffered for their team for years finally being able to cry out in victory, revel in glory, and fully savor a championship team. Cheers to you Oakland you deserve better than this much better! Maybe the Raiders can get it together and win a Super Bowl in the next decade? They are on the up for sure.