Post by TheShadow on Sept 20, 2006 18:43:19 GMT -5
www.mercurynews.com
By Paul T. Rosynsky
MEDIANEWS
The company in charge of running game-day operations at McAfee Coliseum admitted Tuesday that it fumbled preparations for the Oakland Raiders' home opener Sept. 11 and apologized for not serving the team and its fans better.
Wes Westley, president of SMG, said the company has installed a new management team to run operations during Raiders home games and has fired a subcontractor that handled parking operations throughout the Coliseum complex.
"(We) are committed to working with the Raiders to provide a first-class stadium environment for its fans," Westley said in a statement.
The debate over game-day operations began soon after the Raiders' 27-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 11.
Fans complained of having to wait in long lines to get into the complex parking lot and into the Coliseum, and several fights broke out during the game.
At least 102 fans were arrested at the "Monday Night Football" event, with law enforcement officials saying it was one of the most unruly Raiders games they had policed.
Those officials laid partial blame on staffing at the stadium, as did Raiders' top executives, who demanded a change in operations.
That change came Tuesday as Westley arrived with a cavalry of top executives from the company's various stadium operations. The Philadelphia-based firm manages five stadiums that host National Football League teams, including McAfee Coliseum. It also manages the home of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks and 72 arenas, including the Arena in Oakland.
"Mr. Westley's presence in Oakland speaks volumes," said Raiders CEO Amy Trask. "It demonstrates to the Raiders organization a serious commitment on the part of (SMG) to make all the improvements necessary."
Upon arriving in Oakland, Westley fired Classic Parking, which was responsible for parking operations. Sources said he also took control of Raiders game-day operations from Mark Kaufman, general manager for SMG's Oakland operations.
Among the changes promised by SMG was additional personnel to handle the Raider Nation before, during and after the game.
Changing the perception that attending a Raiders game is a dangerous venture was one of the team's top goals when it took over ticket operations this year.
Team officials constantly talked about how security was strengthened and how the organization took pains to ensure fans would have a "first class" game-day experience.
But after the first game, team officials were furious with SMG's performance.
Many of the incidents that led to fights and arrests could have been avoided, team and law enforcement officials said, if the stadium had been properly staffed.
Instead of having an usher for every section of the stadium, there appeared to be one usher for every two or three sections. Lines of fans waiting to get into the stadium stretched halfway around the stadium because not enough personnel were assigned to take tickets. And driving into the complex was a hassle because there were not enough parking attendants at the gates.
Despite the persistent complaints, Kaufman, at the time, defended the company's performance, saying he had "staffed 110 percent of what we normally staff for a sellout Raiders game."
On Tuesday, however, SMG admitted to others that it had understaffed the event.
Raiders executives expressed optimism that the new leadership will lead to the game-day experience they want Raiders fans to enjoy.