At exactly 6:51 AM Pacific Standard Time on November 16th, when most Californians were waking up for their commute to school or work, the only major pro sports team the city of Oakland, California had, the Athletics, were approved a relocation to Las Vegas.
I’m not even an A’s fan, and this hurts.
On Twitter, I’m extremely critical of John Fisher, the team’s principal owner. And so are many others who are infuriated by this move. What Fisher did to the city of Oakland, the people of Oakland, and the team’s fans is extraordinarily upsetting.
With all that out of the way, let’s understand what this means for everyone involved.
Let’s start with Las Vegas. Casinos, resorts, clubs, and baseball? When the lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires, the A’s will scoot out to the desert and play in their brand-new Baseball Shrine. It is unknown where they will play if the stadium isn’t ready, but most likely, they would take refuge at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the A’s AAA affiliate, the Aviators. Vegas brought in around $80 Billion last year, and that number will only go up with the Athletics coming to town.
Now, let’s go to the citizens of Las Vegas. The new stadium will cost the taxpayers about $180 million, and the remaining $120 million will come from county bonds. According to Sports Pro Media, a special tax district will be created around the planned stadium site, with this thought to help create enough funds to pay off the bonds.
Now let’s talk about the people affected most: the fans. The most crucial factor in a relocation is the fans. John Fisher, the team owner, lost Athletics fans’ respect long ago, and for good reason. They are not investing enough in the team, are constantly rebuilding, have a decaying stadium, and the list goes on and on. The fans were screwed out of a winner in Oakland, and now they have to watch their greedy owner take the one pro sports team this city had right from their hands.
Oakland has lost three pro sports teams in the past half-decade, losing the NBA’s Warriors, the NFL’s Raiders, and now the MLB’s Athletics. Oakland will likely begin playing in Las Vegas in 2028, the season after their lease at the Oakland Coliseum is up.
