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I had season tickets back in 96-97 when the Warriors played in San Jose. The drive was less than half of what it takes for me to get to Oakland from my office in Mountain View. Parking was slightly more difficult, but it was in most cases free in one of the parking garages 4-5 blocks from the arena. There are numerous places to eat and drink before the game. Togos used to have cheap pitchers of beer, and by the time the game was over you were sober, or if you wanted to keep drinking you could take the train. The arena itself is nicer, with excellent site lines, a grand entrance, better concessions, bar and seating areas abound.
NBA Basketball in San Jose was a pleasant experience, and if the Warriors had decided to set up shop there, I never would have abandoned my season tickets. When the Warriors were considering moving to San Jose, the deal fell through because of disagreements over parking and concessions revenue. The Sharks also had final say in sharing the arena with another pro sports team, and they said no . Playing Oakland against San Jose allowed Cohan to cut a better deal. Fast forward a decade and San Jose is once again looking at an NBA team. With the Sharks under different ownership, and a decade late to the game they search for another NBA team to call San Jose home. Oracle's Larry Ellison was unable to secure the Sonics, so what is the next possible target? The Kings are local, have an active fan base and if you have been to a Warriors/Kings game, their fans love their booze, so that would be great for concessions. A new team in San Jose brings up an interesting question for Warriors fans. Do you switch team loyalties? Does it depend on what team lands there? The NBA in San Jose is a long shot at best. There are more than a few cities that have ready made arenas, or ones in the works to lure an NBA franchise. In addition, the Warriors would certainly try to prevent any moves, and the city that the team was coming from would in most cases try to keep their team. Mexico City will likely have an NBA team before San Jose will.
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