Meeting the Oracle

Official Review by Tom Parr, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

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As a general rule, when one is presented with the opportunity to see an “Oracle”, one would be wise to accept the invite.

Neo knew it, so did Skywalker.

Both journeyed into previously unknown arenas in order to meet with an entity considered to possess (and the willingness to share) some type of prophecy or enlightenment. The voyage to visit the Oracle is never easy. The Oracle tends to reside in very unfamiliar and foreign territory – a Matrix, the Dagobah System or Oakland for example. Once these obstacles are overcome however, the juice tends to be worth the squeeze as the “seeker” learns valuable lessons that benefit him down the line.

It can be said that a visit to Oracle Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors, fits that mold.
I arrived at the outskirts of the Arena two hours before a 7:30 tip with the Utah Jazz. This was to be the final home game of the season for the Warriors and I had hoped to spend this time at a local watering hole or grill, soaking up some pre-game ambiance with die-hard fans. Unfortunately for me though, this part of Oakland did not lend itself to hospitality.

I spent the better part of an hour circling the Arena, expanding my search block-by-block until I was nowhere near where I should be. Some places looked open yet the swathes of local, indigenous population posted out front made entry risky. I decided to work my way back towards Oracle Arena, determined to find some food. I passed a Q_ _znos (the “U” and the “I” were gone, not out, but gone) and a few other fast-food joints. It appeared that I would be forced to meet my Oracle on an empty stomach.

Oracle Arena shares a massive Parking lot with the Oakland Coliseum, home to the A’s and Raiders. Through my fruitless prior journey for sustenance, I surmised that these lots were the only places made available for parking – probably a good thing considering the neighborhoods I was in. I paid $18 to park, foregoing the option to park in the “VIP” lot for two bucks more. The difference in walking distance was minute.

After parking my car, I entered the standard scalper’s gauntlet. A scene not unfamiliar to any major sporting venue yet made more harrowing due to the general lawlessness of the surrounding region. On a lighter note, not only was I harangued for tickets, I was also offered an opportunity to purchase a “mix-tape”, donate some change and bum a cigarette in the span of a mere two minutes.
I headed towards will-call to pick-up my ticket which I had purchased through the Warriors website a few hours prior. I showed the booth attendant the requisite ID (driver’s license and credit card used for purchase), was promptly issued my ticket and headed towards the team store located below the East entrance. The store was relatively tiny but well stocked with jerseys, tees, lids and framed Warriors autographed artwork. The prices were slashed as a result of it being the final home game of the season. Merchandise needed to be moved and the prices reflected it.

I left the store and headed up the open-air concourse towards the gate. I was still miserably early and hunger pangs were setting in. I waited with other early bird’s at the gate, serenaded by an impressive audio loop of Warriors season and franchise highlights. What it supplied in quality and depth it lacked in overall length and after about 15 minutes I had heard it one too many times. Who knew Kelenna Azubuike had so many highlights?

I finally entered the Arena, shook the last hour off and was welcomed by a booming program Hawker whose voice followed me down the somewhat tight but well stocked corridors. I tend to like to head right to my seat, eager to see what vantage my $25 got me – turns out not great. I found my seat in the last row of section 205, it was not terrible but there were some drawbacks. The ceiling at Oracle slopes aggressively and confusingly downward, starting 10 feet above my head and finishing its descent, from my vantage point, right in front of the video board. I could see it, but a spotlight crows-nest (one of six that hang down at Oracle) made it tough. The view of the court was fine though and I didn’t miss any of the action.

Food & Beverage   3/5

I tried a Buffalo Dog, which, quite literally seemed to be an attempt to put lipstick (albeit spicy lipstick) on a pig. The dog came dipped in hot-sauce and covered in blue-cheese kraut. Not bad, but for $7.50 it’s a little steep. A 20 oz. pop was $5.50, four-and-a-half times its MSRP. The beer selection was stellar (or should I say Stella?) with Sierra Nevada, Tecate and Red Hook all on tap. This being the last game of the season and with a Warrior play-off appearance seemingly a few seasons off, the crowd was sparse. As a result, many of the higher end eateries were closed.

Atmosphere   5/5

Last home game of the season meant “Fan Appreciation Night” at Oracle and it showed.

Neighborhood   1/5

A generous one at that.

Fans   3/5

The Arena holds 19,600 people, I’m not sure if half were in attendance that night, yet the ones that were seemed very into the game. They cheered at the right times and booed voraciously at blown calls. I’ve never heard 10,000 people start an impromptu “REF YOU SUCK!” so heartily before. The “Wave” made an appearance and picked up steam before dying out after five laps. Fair-weather? Sure. Knowledgeable? Apparently.

Access   5/5

Right off highway 880, exit 36 (Hegenberger/Coliseum) and follow signs or eyeballs.

Return on Investment   4/5

The starting line-up intros were great and I didn’t miss a thing from the nose-bleeds. Parking was a snap and reasonable, food seemed pricey but overall an entertaining outing.

Extras   4/5

The halftime show was pretty cool although it was “Fan Appreciation Night” so that may not be a nightly occurrence. Concourse lounges serving more adult beverages and plenty of flat screens were a cool addition.

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