Is Larry Ellison the Bay Area’s new chief villain?

The decision on whether San Francisco gets jilted in favor of Rhode Island for the America’s Cup hasn’t been announced yet, and already recriminations have begun against Larry Ellison. Here’s columnist Mark Purdy in the Mercury News:

So I guess we can all be glad that Larry Ellison missed out on his bid to buy the Golden State Warriors.

Why do I say this? Because if Ellison had been successful, the team might be leaving Oakland for a new arena in ”… I don’t know, Hilton Head Island or Palm Beach.

Or perhaps you have not been following the strange and ruthless America’s Cup dance in San Francisco. It has been quite the entertaining example of how gazillionaires such as Ellison love to do business. Hint: Never take it for granted that they care as much about local pride and local people as they do about crafting a fabulous real estate deal.

Add Ellison: That follows The Bay Citizen’s Jonathan Weber’s column over the weekend accusing Ellison of arrogance and overreaching in his “anything but artful” negotiations with San Francisco. See a story line forming?