Sacto Mayor, Robbed in S.F., Gets Revenge: Steals S.F. Football Team

Jim Herd

Down in front!

​It would have been easy to make koan-jokes about trees falling in the forest and no one around to hear it for the United Football League's San Francisco opener. After all, the city's team was called the "Redwoods" -- and that's the crowd going wild above.

To be fair, perhaps 3,000 people made it to AT&T Park for the Oct. 17 home victory. And, to be honest -- it's no longer my problem. The United Football League yesterday announced that the Redwoods will shed their lumber moniker and play home contests in Sacramento.

That Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson was at the press conference trumpeting this news answers everything you need to know about why the erstwhile Redwoods moved north. Sacramento is the sort of city where the mayor is thrilled to show up announcing he's landed a professional team, even one that wears Jolly Rancher-green uniforms and plays in a league with about as many fans as the Whig Party. We phoned Mayor Gavin Newsom's spokesman Tony Winnicker to see what Newsom thought about having his pocket picked by Sacramento. After ostensibly huddling with his boss, Winnicker called back and answered, "We wish the team the best. Good luck and success." 

Perhaps the California Redwoods are one more item of the San Francisco-centric swag Newsom had hand-delivered to Johnson as penance after the former NBA star's suitcase was swiped in Union Square. "We gave the bags back," noted Winnicker. "Will he give the team back?"

Jim Herd

​In the long run, though, the move to Sacramento is probably a sound one. It was never explained how the UFL's mission of bringing football to regions without access to high-level games translated into placing a team here. After all, prior to the Redwoods' debut, we were forced to settle for the 49ers, Raiders, Cal, Stanford, and San Jose State.

Playing home contests on the campus of Sacramento State may upset fans of the Hornets, but seems to make much more sense. Just don't get caught blatantly smoking weed in your end zone seats. It's a good bet Sacto's cops are less charitable than San Francisco's.