Santa Clara Mayor Says 'We Cannot Trust the 49ers' over Stadium Issues

The San Francisco 49ers have only played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara for three years, but there is already a strained relationship between the team and the city.

"We learned we cannot trust the 49ers," Santa Clara mayor Lisa Gillmor said last week, per John Diaz of the San Francisco Chronicle. "They are our partners, but they have exploited what we've tried to do in the city. They recognized the fact that we were ill prepared ... they were professional; they knew what they were doing."

Among the issues that have been debated are security cost overruns, curfew violations and the team's request for a rent reduction. However, the biggest cause of concern is the money due to the city, which is supposed to come from non-NFL profits while the 49ers keep all football revenue.

"We are not able to verify the numbers they give us," Gillmor said. "They lump them together without detailed financial information in dozens of areas. Dozens."

The mayor reportedly regrets not having enough experienced people in charge who could protect her against the team. Hopefully this becomes a learning experience for other cities set to build new football stadiums.

Considering the Santa Clara lease is for 40 years, the team and city better learn how to solve their problems before things get even worse.