Cubic Zirconium

"It's kind of like getting the engagement ring," Mahan said regarding Santa Clara City Council's decision January 15th to move forward with negotiations to subsidize a stadium for the San Francisco 49ers.

"I'm ecstatic," Jed York, son of team owners John and Denise DeBartolo York, said after the 6-1 vote.

San Francisco 49ers officials stated that paperwork would be filed first thing in the morning to start the Environmental Impact Report required for the stadium.

But something seemed to have been lost in the translation from ecstasy into action, as the billionaire's corporation did not submit paperwork first thing the next morning.

In fact, it was 8 long weeks before the SF 49ers made the very first move in getting the paperwork done for a stadium. March 14th, they ponied up a paltry $14,113 to start the review process for building a 68,500-seat stadium in Santa Clara.

It would appear that Santa Clara's suitor is treating us like the dumb cousin of our exotic neighbor to the north.

And Mme. Mayor, you might want to check your finger. That engagement ring just might turn it green.

"An all-out blitz"

... an all-out blitz to win a multimillion-dollar sweetheart deal from [elected officials] ...

Is this Stadium Facts ranting about the recent wave of glossy mailers from the San Francisco 49ers to voters in Santa Clara? Nope.

Despite making an eye-popping $20 billion from TV deals ... [this football operation] desperately wants to make $600 million more by taking eight games a year off of free TV and hiding them on the ... new NFL Network.

Is this some football-hater, carrying on about corporate greed and politicians with questionable ethics? Nope.

This is Duriel Harris, former All-Pro wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, in his letter to the editor of the San Jose Mercury News. He concluded:

This only hurts the fans who love our game the most... It's not too late for the NFL to resolve to treat fans right in 2008.

You can read the full letter here.