While new stadiums are flashy and attractive, they are not a necessity for every sports organization, nor should they be. There are alternatives to hemorrhaging hundreds of millions of dollars into a brand new stadium, while preserving tradition. The Packers have renovated legendary Lambeau Field, the Cubs have repaired Wrigley Field and the Red Sox have preserved Fenway Park. The Angels have even transformed their stadium from a shared football and baseball stadium, to a modern baseball-only stadium.

So why couldn't the 49ers do this? It's no secret that 49ers ownership wants a new stadium, but they could renovate Candlestick Park, avoiding an unwanted move to Santa Clara, while saving money and tradition.

The Red Sox have been playing at Fenway Park since 1912 in large part due to renovations over its 97-year existence. The most recent repairs have taken place in the last eight years, which have only cost the Red Sox an estimated $150 million, according to the Red Sox's Web site.

The renovations increased the stadium's capacity by 5,000, waterproofed its leaky bleachers and reinforced foundations to last another 40 years. The renovations have only spiked ticket costs 0.3 percent, up to $50 this season.

On the other hand, the Dallas Cowboys unveiled their new stadium this year with a retractable roof and a capacity of 80,000 seats that can increase to 100,000 for certain events. But they dropped an estimated $1 billion for their new 300-square-foot palace, which includes a 600-ton, $40 million video screen suspended 90 feet above the field of play.

Yes, new stadiums can give their respective cities trademark buildings as well as enhance the fan experience -- for those who can afford it.

The average price of a ticket to a Cowboys game is $160 -- a staggering 90 percent increase from last year, when they were playing at their old stadium. According to the fan cost index, which tracks the cost of attendance for a family of four to go to a game, the Cowboys rank the highest in the league at $759 -- $162 more than any other team in the league.

Stadiums are the hallowed ground for the legends who have played the game, and if we destroy all of them then we are destroying years of history and tradition that new stadiums can't offer.