Coliseum

In his April 19 opinion piece regarding the Raiders’ likely move to a new stadium at Hollywood Park, Sam Hall Kaplan points blame at everyone except for the true culprits: the Coliseum Commission. This is the same commission whose track record includes losing the Rams, UCLA Bruins, Lakers and the Kings.

Further, it was the commission that lobbied for and secured $100 million in federal funding for refurbishing the Coliseum in the absence of a long-term lease with the Raiders. It was the commission that, after spending an incredible amount of money, was still left with a stadium that remains an obsolete, outdated facility lacking in sufficient parking, decent sight lines, and luxury boxes and club seating. It was the commission that, time and time again, has continuously broken promises to renovate the Coliseum in a manner that retains its historical integrity while making it a state-of-the-art facility.

Further, Kaplan is wrong in thinking that a relocated or NFL expansion team will play in the current Coliseum. In the absence of considerable improvements, the long-term future of the Coliseum will be jeopardized. I would note that many old stadiums that lose their primary tenants have been demolished. Examples of such stadiums include Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, Sportsmen’s Park in St. Louis, Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, and the Polo Grounds in New York.

CHRISTOPHER A. JOSEPH

Santa Monica