McAfee Coliseum

Address:7000 Coliseum Way
Oakland, California

This played home to one of the most notorious city-team relationships in sports history. In the late 1960s and early '70s, the bad-boy Oakland A's and Raiders terrorized opponents, and their fans did likewise, at McAfee Coliseum. Since it opened in 1966, the multi-use facility has seen numerous big games, championship teams, and one of the most unique atmospheres in sports.

The best era in the stadium's history was its early years. From 1972-74, the "Swingin' A's," with their colorful personalities, and equally wild uniform combinations, won three straight World Series. Meanwhile, Oakland's football's franchise, the Raiders, won an AFL championship in 1967, and the first of their Super Bowls in 1976, with another following in 1980. Along the way, they won their division every year in between, with the exception of 1971. During this time, the "Black Hole," a section of seats in the end zone where rowdy fans dressed in armor and various intimidating outfits sat, became known as a place where opposing fans did not want to venture, and even opposing teams got fazed. The Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982, but returned to McAfee Coliseum in 1995, where they reached another Super Bowl in 2002. Meanwhile, the A's had another run of success, reaching three straight World Series from 1988-90, including winning the earthquake-interrupted Bay Area bout with the San Francisco Giants in 1989. The stadium also hosted baseball's All-Star Game in 1987.

When the Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995, McAfee Coliseum got a major facelift. Under the direction of Raiders owner Al Davis, a new section of seats was built above the baseball outfield, obscuring the beautiful view of the surrounding hills, but adding capacity to the stadium. Baseball fans have complained about what "Mount Davis" has done to the stadium, and as a result of it, and other issues, the team plans to move out of Oakland to nearby Fremont, California in a few years. Since 2006, the A's have actually covered the seats, and most of the upper deck, reducing the park's capacity to just over 34,000 – the lowest capacity in the Majors.

The stadium has also been the home of the USFL's Oakland Invaders, as well as to a number of soccer teams, including the reborn San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer, who are playing their games here until their new stadium is built in 2010.

McAfee Coliseum is located adjacent to the Oracle Arena in downtown Oakland, and is accessible via mass transit on the Alameda County system (AC Transit) and the larger Bay Area system (BART). The stadium is also served by an Amtrak stop.