An EAST BAY TIMES editorial states it is "time for Oakland and Alameda County officials to end their shameless self-dealing" of Warriors tickets that "costs taxpayers millions of dollars each year." Over the past three seasons, officials from the city, the county and the joint authority they formed to run the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena "received more than 7,000 tickets to Warriors games" worth $7.8M. As part of the Warriors’ deal with the authority, the team "allocates 20 luxury box suite season tickets to the authority, another 20 to the city and 20 more for the county" (EAST BAY TIMES, 12/20).
BEEN A TOUGH YEAR: ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner wrote proclaiming that the 49ers have "reached rock bottom after any" of their recent defeats "would be a fool's errand, because just when it seems things can't get much worse, they do." An optimistic view would "indicate the Niners are in year three of their rebuild, but the harsh reality seems to be that they are really only just beginning." And for a "true rebuild to begin, that means change." It "falls on" CEO Jed York to "figure out the changes needed and make the right decisions to get this thing headed back toward respectability" (ESPN.com, 12/19).
LONG TIME COMING: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Jared Clinton reported the Senators are making Bryan Murray the "first inductee into the team's Ring of Honor." The ceremony will take place Jan. 24 ahead of a game against the Capitals. Murray, who currently serves as Senators Senior Adviser, has been an "integral part" of the club for the past 12 seasons (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 12/16).
