Lewis Wolff: Difference between revisions

Wolff has a long history of sports franchise ownership. In the past, he has been a co-owner of the [[St. Louis Blues]] of the [[National Hockey League]] and the [[Golden State Warriors]] of the [[National Basketball Association]].<ref name="MW&C profile">{{cite web | url=http://www.maritzwolff.com/exec_wolff.html | title=Executive profile: Lewis N. Wolff | publisher=Maritz, Wolff & Co. | accessdate=2007-09-21 }}</ref> On April 1, 2005, Wolff and an ownership group led by [[Gap Inc.|The Gap]] heir, [[John J. Fisher]], purchased the [[Oakland Athletics]] baseball team for $180 million from [[Stephen Schott]] and [[Ken Hofmann]].<ref name=Bloomberg$1.8BHotelsales /><ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-09/the-oakland-a-s-don-t-belong-in-oakland.html Bloomberg: "Why The Oakland A’s Don’t Belong in Oakland" By Jonathan Mahler] Oct 9, 2012</ref><ref name="Oakland As bio">{{cite web | url=http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/oak/team/exec_bios/wolff_lewis.jsp | title=Lewis Wolff | publisher=[[Oakland Athletics]] | accessdate=2007-09-21 }}</ref> Wolff's investment gave him a 10% ownership interest.<ref name=SanFranGateAsNewEra/> In 2006, the A's ownership group purchased an option to revive the [[San Jose Earthquakes]] franchise of [[Major League Soccer]].<ref name="SF Chronicle Quakes option">{{cite news | url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2006/05/25/SOCCER.TMP | title=A's gain rights to revive Quakes | work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | author=Michelle Smith | date=May 25, 2006 | accessdate=2007-09-22 | deadurl=yes | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060612211654/http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F2006%2F05%2F25%2FSOCCER.TMP | archivedate=June 12, 2006 | df= }}</ref> At the [[2007 MLS All Star Game]], it was announced that Wolff had exercised the option, and the Earthquakes began play during the 2008 MLS season.<ref name="usa today">{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2007-07-18-earthquakes-san-jose_N.htm | title=Earthquakes return to San Jose in 2008 | work=[[USA Today]] | accessdate=2007-09-22 | date=2007-07-18}}</ref>

Wolff had been actively pursuing a new stadium for the [[A's]] for a decade. His initial attempts to relocate took place in 2006 when he sought to move the team to Fremont. After Fremont fell through, Wolff began advocating a move to a new ballpark in San Jose. However, the [[San Francisco Giants]] own the territorial rights to San Jose, and the two teams appeared to be at an impasse. In the past, some fans have called for Wolff to sell the team.<ref>{{cite web | last = Gammon | first = Robert | title = Lew Wolff and John Fisher Should Sell the A’s | work = East Bay Express | date = May 8, 2012 | url = http://www.eastbayexpress.com/92510/archives/2012/05/08/wolff-and-fisher-should-sell-the-as | accessdate = May 8, 2012 | deadurl = yes | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120511123252/http://www.eastbayexpress.com/92510/archives/2012/05/08/wolff-and-fisher-should-sell-the-as | archivedate = May 11, 2012 | df = }}</ref> One sportswriter called him "the most hated man in Oakland."<ref>{{cite news|last=Saracevic|first=Al|title=A's owner Lew Wolff is losing the waiting game|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/19/SP3J1OKBQF.DTL&tsp=1|accessdate=May 22, 2012|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=May 20, 2012}}</ref> He was also criticized for covering almost all of the upper deck of [[Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum]] with a tarp, eliminating the use of the upper deck with the exception of the "Value Deck" sections, just behind home plate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1361071-oakland-athletics-should-owner-lew-wolff-remove-3rd-deck-tarps-for-playoffs|title=Oakland Athletics: Should Owner Lew Wolff Remove 3rd-Deck Tarps for Playoffs?|last=Houser|first=Nick|work=Bleacher Report|access-date=2017-04-16|language=en-US}}</ref>