Tensions are "increasing behind the scenes" between the MLB Giants and the Warriors "over the NBA team's proposed waterfront arena," according to Matier & Ross of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The big issue is the "effect a 17,000-seat arena at Piers 30-32 will have on traffic along the Embarcadero when the Giants are playing down the road at AT&T Park." With as many as 200 Warriors games, concerts and other events per year possible at the arena, there "could be a lot of instances in which tens of thousands of people are trying to get to the two venues." The Giants "think the Warriors are trying to steamroll their project through City Hall without adequate vetting to meet their self-imposed deadline of having an arena open for business" by '17. Giants President & CEO Larry Baer on KCBS-AM said, "You need for traffic to work for 41,000 people at our games." The team privately has "made no secret that it would rather see the arena built at Pier 50, south of AT&T Park." The Warriors think the Giants are "using the traffic issue to slow the approval process and push the arena down to their preferred spot." They also think Baer is "still miffed that the Warriors decided to go it alone on an arena plan rather than hook up with the Giants." And "make no mistake, the Warriors are sensitive about this." Shortly after Baer's comments aired, the arena project's spokesperson P.J. Johnston called KCBS and said that "it would have been nice had the Warriors been given a chance to respond." Johnston said, "It's a little ironic for the Giants to be using the clarion call of traffic problems, given the enormous help with infrastructure the team got when they built AT&T Park" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/1).
