Reverted, not converted. 49ermania turns out to have been mainly fueled by the 49ers being good. There's still a large rump of fans (which is why they still sell out every game), they were SF's first major league team and its only championship team, and people like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice are local legends. The love for the Eddie D 49ers will be eternal. But they have terrible owners who ran the team into the ground, who don't like San Francisco and whine about not getting public money for stadiums, the Giants have great owners who are from San Francisco and love San Francisco and build beautiful stadiums without unnecessary dipping into the public purse and build pennant winners.

The public profile of the 49ers has never been lower. Judging by what people are telling me, they're just there now. Everybody is focusing on the Giants. Heck, I'm going to the London game today and the main reason I'm going to is to hang out with other Giants fans. I was ecstatic about this game six months ago. Now I could care less about the beady eyed little freak who can't coach, the bust QB and the awful offense which makes Bill Walsh turn over in his grave. If they moved to LA there might be a farewell party at this point.

There's still a large rump of fans (which is why they still sell out every game), they were SF's first major league team and its only championship team,

Can you say, "75" Warriors, Flynn?

San Francisco's baseball heritage extends back to O'Doul and the DiMaggios, to the Seals and Missions. With all due respect to the Angels and Stars, San Francisco -- not Los Angeles -- was the focal point of the PCL up until about the late 1930s (when the Missions moved south to become the second version of the Hollywood Stars, this time with their own stadium in Gilmore Field, after the original Stars -- who shared L.A. Wrigley with the Angels -- had become the San Diego Padres). Maybe it wasn't the majors, but the caliber of play in the PCL of that era was reasonably close.

“It’s the place to be. Whether you win or lose, (Chicago) Wrigley is the place to be. Same with Yankee Stadium. All of a sudden we’ve become the place to be.”

Here, it's easy to snark about Pac-10 frat boys substituting for Big Ten frat boys. As for the Yankee Stadium comment, go back two decades to the days of Cal's Kevin Maas, and it was hardly the place to be.

Can you say, "75" Warriors, Flynn?

Holy Cow Palace!!

Can you say, "75" Warriors, Flynn?

Didn't they play in Oakland by 75?

There's still a large rump of fans (which is why they still sell out every game), they were SF's first major league team and its only championship team,

Can you say, "75" Warriors, Flynn?

Sure, if you can also say "The San Francisco Raiders" or "The San Francisco A's." The Warriors stopped playing in San Francisco in 1971, and became the Oakland-based Golden State Warriors beginning in 1971-72.

EDIT: coke to Barack Obama.

I'm not entirely sure the exact ties a team has to have to the city proper to be the city's team, (**) but they played at least one playoff game in 1975 (Game 2 or 3 of the Finals) in the Cow Palace ... in San Francisco.

(**) Another wrinkle to add is that the Golden State Warriors have worn throwback uniforms from the team's San Francisco days, including the classic "The City" version.

I'm not entirely sure the exact ties a team has to have to the city proper to be the city's team, (**) but they played at least one playoff game in 1975 (Game 2 or 3 of the Finals) in the Cow Palace ... in San Francisco.

Then congratulations to Red Auerbach's multi-year champion Hartford Celtics.

(**) Another wrinkle to add is that the Golden State Warriors have worn throwback uniforms from the team's San Francisco days, including the classic "The City" version.

And if the 2013 Orioles were to wear St. Louis Browns uniforms to commemorate their last year in St. Louis, would that mean that we could refer to the "1966 World Champion Browns"?

Simple fact: The Golden State Warriors are the Oakland Warriors, and have been for nearly 40 years, including their 1974-75 championship team. San Francisco and Oakland are two distinct cities.

So are Dallas and Forth Worth, but I think they'll both be happy to claim the Rangers this year.

What if the Kansas City-Omaha Kings had put better parts around Tiny Archibald and won the '75 championship?

What if the Kansas City-Omaha Kings had put better parts around Tiny Archibald and won the '75 championship?

The parade would have started in Omaha, crossed the Missouri River into Council Bluffs, and then proceeded down I-29 to KC.

The real test would be whether half the people in the Bay Area were miserable when the Warriors won their title, as I imagine all true 49ers and Raiders fans have been over the years when the other team was more successful.

If everyone was happy, then San Francisco gets to claim its share :)

I'm not entirely sure the exact ties a team has to have to the city proper to be the city's team, (**) but they played at least one playoff game in 1975 (Game 2 or 3 of the Finals) in the Cow Palace ... in San Francisco.

(**) Another wrinkle to add is that the Golden State Warriors have worn throwback uniforms from the team's San Francisco days, including the classic "The City" version.

Still another wrinkle is radio coverage was on KSFO, which was a SF-based radio station.

I miss Bill King.

Still another wrinkle is radio coverage was on KSFO, which was a SF-based radio station.

And the main sports radio station in Washington carries the Orioles, not the Nats.

Both home games for the Warriors in the 1975 Finals were played at the Cow Palace. Because of conflicts the series, had it gone seven games, would have been in a 1-2-2-1-1 format.

However, the Cow Palace isn't even in San Francisco. It's in Daly City.

Both home games for the Warriors in the 1975 Finals were played at the Cow Palace. Because of conflicts the series, had it gone seven games, would have been in a 1-2-2-1-1 format.

That shows how small time the NBA was back then, and the 1978 finals were even worse. That seven game series was played in Seattle Coliseum - Washington - Washington - Seattle Kingdome - Seattle Coliseum - Washington - Seattle Coliseum. That's four cross-country trips in seven games.

Can you say, "75" Warriors, Flynn?

I had no idea the Warriors returned to their ancestral home of the Civic Center, seeing as all living record has the Warriors playing in Daly City's Cow Palace.

Don't you think claiming the Warriors were really the Dale City Warriors and not the San Francisco Warriors is rather silly, Flynn. And changing the name from SF to Golden state doesn't change the fanbase one iota either.

That shows how small time the NBA was back then, and the 1978 finals were even worse. That seven game series was played in Seattle Coliseum - Washington - Washington - Seattle Kingdome - Seattle Coliseum - Washington - Seattle Coliseum. That's four cross-country trips in seven games.

This fan gets a little prickly about rips on the 1976-80 NBA, and the 1979 All-Star game which he proudly attended (**) was the antithesis of small time, but the Sonics played a home playoff game at U-Dub in 1987 or 1988, which might have even been a second rounder.

Interesting trivia question would be "Latest playoff game in any sport to be moved because of arena/ballpark availability." I'd wager quite a bit that the Sonic game at Hec Edmonson wasn't it.

(**) Now available in its entirety on YouTube in 14 glorious parts.

Don't you think claiming the Warriors were really the Dale City Warriors and not the San Francisco Warriors is rather silly, Flynn. And changing the name from SF to Golden state doesn't change the fanbase one iota either.

They aren't a San Francisco team. They've played in Oakland for 40 years. You might as well say if the Sharks win a Stanley Cup then San Francisco has won a sports championship.

They aren't a San Francisco team. They've played in Oakland for 40 years. You might as well say if the Sharks win a Stanley Cup then San Francisco has won a sports championship.

By that logic, though, the Giants have never brought New York a Super Bowl; ditto the Redskins for Washington.

It's one thing to say that the A's and Raiders aren't San Francisco teams, as there is an actual San Francisco franchise in each of those sports. But there isn't a "San Francisco" NBA team, so I feel like the Warriors could be considered a San Francisco team.

EDIT: Obviously, not being from San Francisco, I would defer to locals. But do locals really not root for the Warriors on the whole, because they play in Oakland?

They aren't a San Francisco team. They've played in Oakland for 40 years. You might as well say if the Sharks win a Stanley Cup then San Francisco has won a sports championship.

By that logic, though, the Giants have never brought New York a Super Bowl; ditto the Redskins for Washington.

Unlike the Warriiors, the Giants at least kept the New York name when they moved over the water. And all three Redskins Super Bowls were won while the Redskins played at RFK, which most definitely is well within the city limits of Washington. The Redskins now might as well be in Mississippi or Alaska as long as Satan owns the team.

Unlike the Warriiors, the Giants at least kept the New York name when they moved over the water.

Yeah but the Warriors didn't change their name to the Oakland Warriors either. They changed it to be inclusive to both SF and Oakland.

EDIT: Obviously, not being from San Francisco, I would defer to locals. But do locals really not root for the Warriors on the whole, because they play in Oakland?

They root for them by default but it'd be fairer to say that if the Warriors played in San Francisco (which may happen) they would be more popular and higher profile in San Francisco.

They changed it to be inclusive to both SF and Oakland.

The 49ers and Giants don't have to be inclusive because they represent San Francisco, not a region.

San Francisco is a pretty provincial place - people don't tend to look far beyond its borders. In local significance, it's Giants, 49ers, a yawning chasm, and then the Warriors on a plane not that far above high school football.

Unlike the Warriiors, the Giants at least kept the New York name when they moved over the water. And all three Redskins Super Bowls were won while the Redskins played at RFK, which most definitely is well within the city limits of Washington. The Redskins now might as well be in Mississippi or Alaska as long as Satan owns the team.

Thanks for the clarification on the Redskins, Andy. Though I agree with Mo's logic: the Warriors didn't call themselves the "Oakland Warriors".

I think the main question is what I asked in #21: do people in San Francisco not root for the Warriors because they play in Oakland? Or do San Franciscans consider the Warriors to be their default rooting interest, much like the people of Portland consider the Blazers to be?

EDIT: Thanks to Flynn for answering this question while I was typing it.

The Wizards'/Bullets' lone NBA title in 1978 was won while they were still playing at the Capital Centre in suburban Maryland, and Georgetown won an NCAA men's basketball title as a tenant there in 1984.

The Cow Palace is about 100 meters from the border of San Francisco/

And they played there while they were still the San Francisco Warriors.

San Francisco is a pretty provincial place - people don't tend to look far beyond its borders. In local significance, it's Giants, 49ers, a yawning chasm, and then the Warriors on a plane not that far above high school football.

When I was living in the area (this was like, 20 years ago), the Warriors seemed to have a fair bit of a following. Back then, it was the Run-TMC Warriors, and everyone seemed to love them. It's been a lot of dry spells since then, so I guess that support has evaporated. Like I said, it was a long time ago.

Wasn't there talk a few years back of building an indoor arena in San Francisco, specifically in the China Basin neighborhood where the Giants' ballpark is located? I guess it fell through for varied reasons.

The arena where the Warriors play is within walking distance of the BART Coliseum stop, I believe, so it's accessible from throughout the Bay Area.

I would love to see an arena across McCovey Cove from AT&T,fill it with an expansion team, and leave the Warriors in place. That would be an interesting test as to how SF would handle an NBA franchise that was truly theirs.

Now who can argue with that?