Two teams, one stadium

Mercury News sportswriter Ann Killion raised an interesting idea in a recent column — maybe the 49ers and Raiders should build a stadium together, just as the New York Jets and New York Giants are doing.

As Killion writes in her article "A's, 49ers trailing on stadium scoreboard"

Football stadiums are a questionable investment for everyone except a football team. Because of their size, they can be used only for NFL games, the occasional big soccer game, random bowl game or rare mega rock concert. NFL football stadiums are guaranteed for only 10 dates a year. Factor in the handful of other events suitable for such a venue, and you're lucky to push that number to 15 events a year.

And that's worth almost a billion dollars?

If it could be built and operated with private funding, a joint stadium would certainly make much more economic sense. Whether such a stadium — even one funded privately — would fit in Santa Clara, however, is still an open question.