To see Oakland go from having 3 major sports teams to losing them all in the span of a few years is really sad to see. To make matters worse, they will lose 2 of their teams to Vegas. Oakland fans deserve way better than this.
Given the way the A's have run their franchise the past few decades, it's not surprising to see a fire sale. But this time around it's more than just that. It's a fire sale into scorched earth.
As a Bay Area native, the Warriors were always leaving. Joe Lacob made that explicitly clear when he bought the team that he always envisioned the team's long-term future in San Francisco. I lean towards the Giants and 49ers, but the Davis and Fisher families didn't act in good faith. The Raiders wanted a new stadium paid in full by Alameda County taxes. The A's wanted a new stadium paid for with Alameda County taxes. There wasn't any money for a new stadium, let alone two. The voters shot down using public money, and the city said that they would need to build AC Transit stops for both stadiums, but the Raiders and A's balked. They wanted all the benefits of new facilities without the responsibility of making it accessible to the fans. John Fisher and Mark Davis are awful owners. Oakland deserved better, especially where the team owners were concerned.
A memoriam to Oakland sports teams that left: The Golden State Warriors: Moved their dynasty to the greener pastures of San Francisco The California Golden Seals: relocated to Cleveland, contracted after 2 seasons, and now exists as a footnote in history as technically a part of the Dallas Stars The Oakland Raiders: Despite not even being in the city, let alone state anymore the raiders are still the most popular team in LA, ironic. And now: the A's: somehow the owner of the most championships in Philadelphia sports history.
well yes, but actually no the Seals are (were) an incredibly complex situation of a team, and it would definitely help to do some independent research. but, to the best of my knowledge, here’s what happened: they did end up lasting only 2 seasons in the Bay, but they never contracted after moving to Cleveland. they were merged* (heavy asterisk there) into the North Stars, then when the Gund Bros wanted to cash out and leave Minnesota for the Bay, the NHL unmerged the Barons and North Stars, and created the San Jose Sharks with the Cleveland team slot filled again. interestingly enough, the Sharks later had an AHL team placed in Cleveland, naming them the Barons as a tribute to the team that would help spark the case for the Bay’s hockey revival. again, do some research, as i’m not completely sure of all this, but this is most likely the accurate description of the Seals/Barons/North Stars/Sharks franchise. it can technically be said that the Stars (via their owners at the time) gave birth to the Sharks, therefore giving Dallas automatic superiority, and therefore making the Stars the Sharks’ daddy.
the golden seals essentally eventually became the San Jose sharks because the owners of the seals [they bought it afgter it was created later relocated it to cleveland team and merged it with the north stars after they bought that team to adn were later granted n expansion team in san jose comprising of mostly North stars players after they agreed to sell the north stars
Everyone on here, you are all morons! If the Barons "merged" with the North Stars, then why did Minnesota get ALL of the home games instead of a 49-50% split? Let alone the team continuing to be called the *Minnesota North Stars?* Truth is, the Cleveland Barons FOLDED, with the North Stars ABSORBING the assets. How the owners managed to convince the other teams NOT to do a dispersal draft is one of those great mysteries that I couldn't care about! As for the North Stars being forced to give up half of their roster, to the Sharks, the owners really did a great job screwing over Minnesota like that I must say. And of course, the ultimate f you to Minnesota. The new owner moved them to Dallas, and won a Stanley a couple of years later. And once again, Dallas continues to own their ex-home (with Minnesota's stupid new replacement name), and might win the Stanley again this year. The hockey gods hate Minnesota.
@Matt Pizzano The Coliseum was gigantic (93k seats). The neighborhood was a warzone in the late 80s and early 90s(in 92 Los Angeles had 4x as many murders as Chicago had in 2022). Fights and violence at the games was common. Throw in the Rodney King race riots and regular folks just didn't want to go to South Central LA to watch football. Right now they would sell out every game if they played there but at the time there was a perfect storm of crazy that kept fans away.
The death of Oakland as a sports city has been a tragic one. So many amazing memories in the city across three different leagues, and now they have nothing. The fans deserve so much better than this.
@@dandrecollier800 The teams wanted the city to pay for new stadiums and stuff, the people there didn't want their tax dollars to go to that, especially since the teams didn't want to financially support public transit options to the stadiums, and even if those issues were solved did, Oakland didn't have enough money to do what the teams wanted. At least that's what I gather from most of the comments about the situation, although most expected the Warriors to leave eventually because ownership said they preferred it to be in San Francisco.
@@Saad-A16 I got it, I usually get "Oakland is a steaming shithole" or something of that sort. It's a pity but I don't blame Oakland's residents for not wanting to pay for things that aren't gonna benefit them.
@@Saad-A16 The A's ownership had a half-stake in the Coliseum (A's owned half, the city owned half). If anything, it's Fisher's fault for not investing in the organization. He's the biggest cheapskate in MLB.
Honestly I hope Montreal gets another team. I don’t think it will be with the A’s since MLB would have to realign the divisions, but maybe the Rays will end up moving their.
The owner of the Orlando Magic is making a play for the Rays. Recent news from there has him aim for a stadium funded by the area's tourism tax. (Not sure whether City or County)
As a Bay Area native, the tragedy is the A's and Raiders wanted public money to pay for their new stadiums, even though Oakland and Alameda County didn't have it. I remember 20 years ago, at this stage of the year, Oakland would have 40+ homicides. With the crime the way it was, how could it be reasonably expected or possible that the city had any money? Fisher and Davis both didn't want to hear the truth when Alameda County residents voted down a ballot measure using public money for the stadiums. They just cried and said San Francisco built one for the Warriors, but that's not true at all. The Giants and Warriors had their stadiums privately funded with loans taken out by MLB and NBA execs respectively. Oakland deserved better.
Mark Davis wanted to build a new stadium from scratch that could accommodate both teams (the Coliseum as-is is a football stadium; you sit so far from the action when it comes to baseball). Fisher beat him out with a ten-year lease to keep the Coliseum in place...while also letting it rot.
Well vegas isn't a great city either but their residents have to deal with 2 major sports team owners using tax payer money to fund their billionaire owners stadium that's all on Vegas they can deal with the repercussions.
8:25 I think that's a huge reason why the Golden Knights have had far more success than the Raiders with winning over the locals. Their playoff streak helps, but they've always been marketed as Vegas's homegrown team, instead of one whose fanbase has been in Cali their entire existence. It's too bad the A's are pretty much committed to making the same mistake Davis did.
I can say this is 100 percent accurate. Hell one of the slogans for the Golden Knights is Vegas Born. This city embraces them in a way I've never seen it embrace anything before. Yeah the early success helped, but I think sadly it was the October 1 tragedy that really tied the team in to the city with everything they did to support the city after that.
This is the reality the Cardinals had to fight for a long time (and that the Coyotes are still fighting). They were rightly viewed as carpetbaggers, which is why for a couple of decades, ASU was outdrawing them in attendance, and the Suns were packing arenas. Both were homegrown.
Yes as someone who was born and has lived their whole live in Vegas the Golden Knights won us over immediately and they've felt like the one true team that was made for us unlike the Raiders.
As a huge die hard Oakland fan, seeing all my teams move out of the city in a few years hurts really bad. So much history in Oakland sports soon to be gone for good, we deserve so much better.
Now imagine Seattle losing the Hawks and Mariners in just a few years time too... And Montreal the Canadiens... That's the nut punch Oakland is receiving.
I feel so bad for my cousin, he's a diehard A's fan for pretty much his whole life, and always makes an effort to go to all their home games, I can't imagine how punched in the gut he feels right now
@@adanalyst6925 I would say that fortunes changed before that--when they signed Barry Bonds (1992-93 off-season) They were about to move to St. Pete, but then an owner came in last minute and saved the team, then signed Bonds, who was a 2x MVP, and grew up in the Bay Area since his dad played for the Giants. That momentum led to the construction and opening of PacBell Park.
@@EvanEscher good point, I hadn’t considered Bonds. I started following the giants after they basically cancelled Bonds (2009) so I forget he exists half the time
I can't say I've ever been a particular fan of the Warriors, A's, or Raiders; but I feel so bad for the fans in the city of Oakland that've watched their city go from being rich with sports history to an absolute ghost town in near-record time. Especially losing *two* teams to Las Vegas.
@@frederickglass1583No, in this case, I blame the professional league model for having private corporations "represent" a municipal area. I hope that MLS is more conscientious in this regard. But what you say has merit. The Rays saga will be the test of that.
@Donald Marco what other model do you suggest sports teams should operate under ??. they have to have a base of operations and place to build a fan base from to sell tickets at a stadium built for them specifically.. wtf are you suggesting.. honestly curious??
@@jessesantiago6575 I said it in a reply to another comment: You want public funds for your infrastructure? Then you cede a share of ownership to the respective jurisdiction. I mean, you can't fire owners and you may not be able to fire the actual board reps from those jurisdictions, but residents _could_ push change through city council/county commission elections, which may then have an impact on said board reps from said jurisdictions. If I were to write a model from scratch, I would allow each city (or county) that wanted a team in a particular pro league to apply. If the _jurisdiction's_ application was accepted, then so long as they were compliant with regulations and solvent, they could be in the league. Fail one of those two, and you would either have your team license suspended or your team relegated, whatever would be applicable. Private individuals could still have a place as financial backers and have _some_ say, but would not be allowed to "transfer" the license themselves. Taking San Diego's Measure C for example: If Qualcomm Stadium was _actually_ deficient by League standards, then Measure C's failure under this system would mean _the City of San Diego_ losing its license to field a professional football team. If the Spanos family was a principal backer, then Dean would be within his rights to withdraw his _investment_ but not _the Chargers_ themselves. The Chargers would become _dormant_ until San Diego either made the required adjustments, released their (suspended) license, or let it lapse after a period of time defined by the NFL. At which point, it'd be _Goodell_ "moving the team", not Spanos.
As a fan of the Seattle Sonics, I see so many parallels between what happened to them in 2008 and what's happening to the A's now that I honestly just feel bad for everyone involved here, owners aside. It's like watching a sad movie that was given to you 15 years ago to make sure you still feel the same way you felt when you got it, and it just punches you in the gut all over again.
Honestly sad for the true Oakland fans who had to watch three teams leave their cities. But if I’m an As fan, I wouldn’t go to their games if the owner doesn’t seem to give a shit or at the very least make some effort to give fans a reason to go to the ballpark
The funny part is, the fans don't seem to understand that this is what they have been voting for. Oakland didn't become the hellscape that it is by accident or overnight.
I feel for the people of Oakland and the East Bay area, they were left feeling betrayed after more than a half century of unwavering support for their pro teams. And all because some rich retail store heir who never had passion for baseball screwed them over in the end 😪
Full stop Skippy, how dare you blame the owners of 4 sports teams that have fled Oakland and leave the 50 year long of gang of shyster ,money grubbing, skin flint mayors who were mostly indited out of office in financial scandals off of the list of causes.
Losing a professional sports team is a bummer. Losing all three of your major sports teams in five years is heartbreaking. It's a shame a team as historic as the Athletics will be leaving Oakland in such a depressing manner.
Thank you tree for another outstanding video on the sad saga of the Oakland A's, you predicted what was going to happen in your previous video, and you were 100% right....
I love how the Oakland owners are basically like that lady in Major League who wanted to tank the team to move it. They are literally the real life Major League movie.
Unlike the Indians in Major League the A's don't have a die hard fans. Since Cleveland got rid of the name Indians for their MLB team they don't have die hard fans anymore either.
The only difference. Is Rachel Phelps won. Because Oakland doesn't care. The started to explore their options. And when they did the fans just lost their passion. And the attendance plot to force relocation WORKED.
For me this is a little more personal and hits close to home. My mom grew up in the East Bay, in Alameda. Seeing what has become of Alameda County is just sad. Losing their teams is just sad.
@@nkmade2004 that and being the biggest laughing stocks of baseball and having their new ballpark being filled up of entirety of the visiting team’s fans. Sidenote: and in Mark Davis’ case, being too poor to fire coaches when they need to.
@@adamthespinygiant You got that right. My Cincinnati Reds, while not as awful as the A's, are still pretty damn bad in terms of ownership, playing quality, and attendance alike. Whenever they do get fans in seats, they are more often than not fans of opposing teams (esp. the Yankees, Cubs, Cardinals etc.)
@@nkmade2004 I’m purely a football fan, but I still watch the other 3 major sports to expand my knowledge. If there’s 1 thing that makes me more upset as a fan is when generational talent is wasted because of incompetent coaching and/or shitty ownership.
As an Oakland native, I am tired of losing all of our teams. But the city is still paying for mount Davis. There is adequate room to build a new stadium right next to the coliseum, which would still be inline with existing public transportation and freeways. However, money talks, and the city of Oakland simply has none.
The real reason is that Fisher blocked Davis with a ten-year lease on the Coliseum. That's why Davis moved the Raiders to Vegas to begin with: according to him, Fisher screwed them over by keeping the old, beat-up venue rather than putting up the money for a new building. It's just another example of how much of a cheapskate Fisher truly is. He's the wealthiest owner in MLB (worth well over two billion) but absolutely refuses to invest in the organization.
@@Dunkaroos248 It needs paying jobs more, Think about all the soon to be unemployed people that used to work at the stadium. And all that business that used to happen around the stadium on 168 game days every year because all of it is gone. All those bars, all those restaurants , all of those hookers, out of business. Oakland is soon to become "The Detroit of California"
In the late 80s/early 90s I LOVED the NHL. I was a teenaged kid, and the Minnesota North Stars made a Stanley Cup Finals run in 91, losing to some squad with a number 66 on it. By the end of the 1993 season, the North Stars moved to Dallas because the owner was facing a sexual assault charge and wanted to get out of the state with his team. Sure, the Wild showed up in 2000, but I was never able to get into them the way I was into the North Stars. Teams moving sucks, and should be avoided at all costs. It is bad for the game, bad for the community, bad for the fans, and most of all, bad for the sport.
My Dad witnessed Charles Finlay rip out his and the city's heart in the A's move from KC to Oakland in the late 60's. Now it's happening again to a different city and fan base. History repeats itself.
Living in Las Vegas since 2000, I’ve seen the transitions from just AAA baseball and casinos (among other things), to the sports town it has become. Coming from a town where we had to root for out of town teams, we were really only excited for the expansion teams (Knights and aces). Vegas was already big raider town so there was lots of excitement from that fan base, but 75% of the football fans out here had their team and stuck to their team. I had a lot of conversations at the sports books with other people excited for their team to come into town and whoop the raiders. The reason I bring all that up is to say, that no one really gives a shit about the A’s out here and if Al Davis had “away team fan” problems, Fischer has another thing coming. Every home game would sell well but the stands would look like an all star game with the diverse jerseys. 98% of baseball fans in Vegas would agree that an expansion team would be better for all parties than the A’s coming here.
Small point of contention, the Aces aren't an expansion team; you got them from San Antonio (but I understand, they completely rebranded and they feel fresh with what Mark Davis has done since buying the team. That and no one gave a fuck about the San Antonio Stars)
Las Vegas home team for decades was UNLV mens basketball, then UFC came along and a sprinkling of minor league hockey here and there. Selfishly it feels good to have major sports year round like the other big boy cities because it's been a very long time coming here for anyone living in this city long enough. It's also nice with a city full of transplants that if the Vegas home team isn't your favorite originally, it's your 1a team.
I remember a playoff series between the As and the Twins. After the Twins won the last game and moved on, the camera focused on one lone fan that held a small sign saying "We still believe in you."
I don't know how accurate it is to say this, but this video just feels like one of the best videos you've ever made. Just the way you explained everything and the way you document everything and how you had everything down and explained everything it's just really well done and obviously the editing is top-notch. I still find it rather ironic because I remember in 2005 on the local Bay Area news they talked about the A's potentially moving to Las Vegas and then that plan was completely thrown out the window for those other plans you mentioned for Fremont and San Jose and now it turns out that Las Vegas is their most likely move after all. What's crazier is the A's had talked about moving long before the Raiders or the warriors did yet they never moved although chances are they will soon. To be honest I really wish the Giants didn't prevent the A's from moving to San Jose. I would have been fine if the A's move to San Jose. Yeah it would be a longer trip for me to have to go down to San Jose rather than just go to Oakland, but I actually like San Jose it's a beautiful city with a lot going on for it just expensive. I've been to several San Jose Sharks games and even a couple this year while the sharks are kind of terrible. But I'll never forget that the very first Sharks game I went to is the playoff game when they beat the ducks 8-1. Anyways back to the A's I don't even want to go to a game. I've even told my wife even though we've gone to a couple games before back when the A's were still pretty damn good in the late 2010s, I just told her straight up that I really don't want to go to an A's game. I just have gotten just sick of the ownership just not giving a damn. It's hard to be enthusiastic for a team that's owned by people who aren't enthusiastic for the team at all themselves and just don't care about winning. Especially considering my goodness this A's team from what I've seen with the standings and with Google updating me on scores of games is one of the worst teams I've ever heard of and that's saying a lot because there have been some pretty bad teams in my lifetime like I think it was the 2003 tigers that had only 43 wins I think. I actually would rather go to a Giants game. I've ever since I actually got into watching sports have always been A's fan although I still like to sometime support the Giants anyways because they're in the Bay Area I just am not as much of a fan I actually rude for the royals to beat them in the 2014 World series actually but anyways I would just rather go to a Giants game because at least the team is willing to spend money to make their team good and they are at least trying. They seem to be very inconsistent they're good every other year it seems while the A's would have streaks of being good for a few years and then bad for a few years in a row but nevertheless it's just tiring to watch a team like the A's that just doesn't care. Not to mention I've seen the scores that show up on my Google feed on my phone. The A's are always losing by a lot like at the games are always so high scoring They always give up double digit runs. And no I know it's not literally always but it's quite clear they don't have any damn pitching for the life of them they're always almost always giving up like 11 to 12 runs a game. It's a highlight reel for the opposing team that's it
I think this will be an interesting economic experiment to see how a city does without a major sports team. If Oakland can fully stabilize their economy or do better than when the Warriors, Raiders, and A’s were there, I feel a lot of cities will change a lot of their agreements with the leagues.
Not just that, but the fact they will get smaller scale teams (USL and WNBA) that are more prone to stay on Oakland for years and years than major teams that are more prone to leave If Oakland is successful then the other league cities will have something to mess with owners heads
You really don't think Oakland is going to improve without the only tax paying big business in town do you? The ports are closed, there is no film industry, no mining, no manufacturing, no produce production. The business of Oakland was pro sports for the last 2 decades and the politicians killed all three of the geese that were laying the golden eggs. Do you know how many people are going to loose their jobs when the stadium closes and 168 games a year don't happen and there is nothing to draw anyone from the suburbs to down town anymore? How many bars near the stadium will disappear?, how many restaurants will close shop and stop paying taxes as a result? How many hookers will have to apply for welfare? In a decade Oakland will be known as "The Detroit of California"
It'll still represent a shift in the balance of power. In this case, I find it a good thing since Municipal officials have _some_ measure of accountability unlike corporate owners.
I would say shame on MLB and John Fisher for what is happening, but we all know that they don't have any shame. It's is a shame they never won a championship during the early 2000s. 😞
As someone who's lived in Las Vegas their whole life, I really do feel bad for Oakland. I was honestly hoping we would have kept going the expansion route like we did with the Golden Knights. But instead we've just decided to steal whatever Oakland had left.
This reminds me a little bit of how in the minors how the New Britain Rock Cats (AA affiliate of the Twins, and then got sold to the Rockies) moved to downtown Hartford while that front office was bad-talking about the city of NB and how the stadium was not suited for them, to only have the new stadium not ready and then tried to sweet talk NB to play at their old field and the mayor telling them to kick rocks and had to play in Norwich/on the road for the whole year. The new stadium is awesome don’t get me wrong, but in the end, a knife was placed in their original tenants back and their paying the price of it.
Growing up a fan of the A’s, some of my best childhood memories were going to A’s games with my dad. It saddens me to see the team I grew up with suddenly leave.
The A's are OG. They're one of the oldest teams in the American League, right alongside the Red Sox, White Sox, Tigers, Guardians and Yankees. It really is sad how unkind history has been to the white elephant.
As someone who is a Phillies fan, a team that had to share a city with the A’s, to see where the A’s have fallen is heartbreaking. They won 5 World Series titles before FDR, yet have been ping-ponging around ever since. The Phillies have had a worse history than the A’s, only going to 8 World Series and winning 2, but with the Whiz Kids of 1950, that was the death-knell for A’s baseball in Philly.
The Mariners beat us all the time, even when we're good lol. We have only won the season series against you guys in 2019 and 2020 in the past 10 years. So no we haven't "done a number" if anything we lose to Seattle a lot and it really annoys me
@@andrewpestotnik5495 My dad would get so upset when Hernandez would pitch, A's only up 1-0 after the first, game over, Seattle wins, Hernandez didn't give up anything after the first inning lol
As someone from Las Vegas, I'm really sad what Vegas is becoming. Don't get me wrong, getting major sports teams is huge, but I'm really sad that instead of starting from scratch like with the Golden Knights, we're taking in teams from a fallen sports city. But even more, as you described, it feels soulless. It's just like the modern casinos today. Just 20 years ago Vegas was all about glitz and glamour, creative input, and unique theme. Many new casinos and hotels lack that, and feel soulless. I don't hate modern architecture, it's just when it's everywhere and it feels kinda soulless is what I hate. I just wanted to mention that connection I made. I wish the best for not just Oakland, but also us ourselves. Oh I forgot to mention, even us locals don't win. We're supposed to be paying some $500 million of our taxpayer money, and most of us don't even have a say on it. It's quite disappointing since you'd think a privatized project would have plenty of funding. Oh well.
Yeah, like i feel like Las Vegas should have always had their own teams with their own emblematic names, which means something to you. Just like these teams meant something to Oakland.
That final clip you showed, Tree, is the teddy bear A’s fans have cuddled hard with over the last 35 years. Also, 7:32, I was there. If the park wasn’t filled with school kids on a field trip for reading a lot, it would have been another 3,000 ghost town.
I've been an A's fan since 1986. The first game I ever went to was with my late father in July 1985 when Don Sutton beat the Brewers at the Coliseum. Unlike the Raiders, who were in LA when I started rooting for them, the A's are QUINTESSENTIALLY Oakland to me. Because Oakland was about finding a way to make a way when you didn't always have what you wanted. I've always thought they really represented the true essence of the East Bay better than the Raiders because not everyone is a big, bad bully. But folks in Oakland have known what it is to try and be a success in the face of adversity. So saying all that...to see what John Fisher has done to this team, it's heartbreaking. This is the sports team I felt legacy to. They were my dad's team. He passed that down to me. I understand the hard, cold realities, but the truth is, the A's did this AFTER screwing over any chance the Raiders had of staying. That's the double whammy here. And to see them floundering after misstep after misstep, I can't take any pleasure in it because I see the other loyalists going through the heartbreak. If there was any justice, Manfred and the other owners would step in and force this guy out. Someone like Joe Lacob is ready to make this team a winner...if MLB would just LET THEM.
As a Mariners fan, it was fun beating up on the A's back in 2022. But now in 2023, it's just sad. Oakland and A's fans seriously got screwed by A's management. Looking at how the A's are playing, there's a strong chance they may lose 120 games this year. They're going to lose at least 100, for sure.
Update: SB509, the bill that would approve funding for a Ballpark in Las Vegas has stalled due to the state budget not going through. The State Budget doesn’t want money going to Hollywood to do their business in Las Vegas, an entertainment product. The A’s are also an entertainment product. No A’s Part 3 coming soon to theaters near you!
I was praying for Las Vegas and Nevada to tell them to fuck off. Who knew that nobody wants to throw hundreds of millions of dollars at a project that would only attract tourists?
@@nathanmalik7056 And it is stalled at this point in time in the senate, with the assembly needing 2 hearings with 8 days left Could still pass but it’s looking more and more like a mess that Nevada will try to get everything they want out of the A’s
Thanks for making this, the more word that spreads about the evil doings of fisher and kaval the better. We really don’t have much hope to cling to right now so please help us voice our anger at those snakes for what they are doing.
Even as a Padres fan who suffered through the 12 years of pain between 2007 and 2019, it hurts to see what's become of the A's. No fanbase deserves that. It hurt when my hometown of Portland lost our AAA team and we'd only had them for 9 years, I can't imagine how much more it must hurt to lose an MLB team that's been there for almost half a century.
As an Angels fan, the glory days of our great rivalry with the A’s seem like forever ago. I remember the summer of 2002, where it seemed neither team could lose unless they were playing each other, and even then, nearly every game was decided by a single run. Part of me was relieved that they were upset by [the TFKA] the Twins, but part of me was devastated that we were denied an Angels-A’s ALCS.
In the Mariner's recent series against the A's, it sounded like I was watching a 2020 game again. It was so quiet that Dave Sims, the Mariner's commentator, had to apologize in advance in case any rowdy fans made it over the air, because they could be heard so much easier. The entire game, he and Dan Wilson were poking fun at how empty it was, and they announced attendance at 2,500. Insane to see.
Growing up in San Francisco, even though I'm a die hard SF Giants fan, I feel bad for the A's. I went to just as many A's games as I did Giants when I lived in San Fran. And the Battle of the Bay series were always great fun for both sides of the Bay. It's sad 😢.
I want to take a trip out to California and catch a game in Oakland (among other activities in California) before the A's depart to Las Vegas. The Coliseum, as crappy as it may be, is a significant part of Baseball history and Athletics franchise history. Whether it's a dynasty in the 70s, the birth of a new era of Baseball in 2002, or a brothel in 2022, the Coliseum has been a classic place for Baseball over the years, no matter how bad it is for the fans.
Astros fan here, very sad for A's fans. I also grew up as an Oilers fan and remember how depressing it was to see them leave. Utree, I miss the Oilers-Steelers rivalry!
@bd5av8r1 Not really. I moved on to the Texans. I think most of us see that the Adams family inherited Bud's pettiness. Besides, real Houston Oilers were guys like Warren Moon, Earl Campbell, Elvin Bethea, Robert Brazile, etc. The Adams family own the rights. But they can't take the memories away.
I’m from Phoenix so I visit Vegas a lot and wouldn’t mind catching a game while there for a weekend (might consider buying some A’s stuff while there if they aren’t playing the Dbacks) and I painfully say from the league perspective this long term was the right move I sympathize with the Oakland fans (I go through this crap with the Coyotes 24/7)
This is super depressing. As a Dodgers fan I’m terrified how their move will positively effect the Giants television deals as they will absorb the A’s market. This storied franchise has always been tossed around as a pawn, dating back to their days in Philly.
My nephew is a big A's fan. Once a season ticket holder now he attends just a few games a year. He's bummed and has excepted the fact that the team is gone. My nephew and I went to several games in Oakland over the years and the last time I don't think the crowd was over 3000.
As an Oakland resident, I think a lot of people tend to throw shade at the city council… but they literally were moving on this and were cooperative with the A’s front office. But there was just so much stuff that made it obviously clear that it was a pipe dream plan borderline meant to fail From wanting gondolas made to transport people to Howard Terminal (a place hardly anyone WANTS to go to unless you go to Laney), to entire restructures to roads to accommodate a surge of would be stadium goers, etc To get that done, it would have required moving damn near heaven and earth and extended well beyond what the A’s thought they needed. And I don’t want people to be on the hook for this. Shelling out hundreds of millions in tax payer money to line the net worth of a billionaire who didn’t even give a damn about the team he owns. I love my memories I had with the team here… but it’s just clear that the A’s wanted to capitalize on a move to a destination they think is more worth it. We can love them as much as we want, that FO just didn’t love us back, they loved us as much as they loved Semien with the offer they gave him.
Remember, it's all about how evil the A's are... and the Raiders... and the Warriors (but they're nearby and sexy cool so they get a pass). Or maybe... just maybe... it's the Lowest Common Denominator.
I’ve said it over and over again, this As front office just committed a masterclass in asset stripping. Look at all the pieces they traded and then look what they got back 💀
Don’t forget, when mark Davis tried to build a new stadium in Oakland in 2014, not only did fisher refuse to buy a part of the raiders to make the deal work, they instead signed a 10 year lease ensuring the plan would be impossible
you touched on it and i feel like its a great point. If they wanted to stay they would find a way, and instead of a commissioner backing up the city it feels like MLB is intentionally helping to get the A's out of Oakland. Las Vegas A's would be a team with no soul and would be a complete cash grab. As an A's fan it would really be hard to support the MLB and Manfred for choosing John Fisher over the storied Oakland franchise.
Bless you. This video is an accurate account of how ownership stabbed the fans in the back. I feel sorry for all A’s fans and also for the people of Las Vegas. They are about to hand these crooks hundreds of millions in public funds. Hope they don’t expect ownership to invest any of that on the team. Thank you for adding the final out of the 89 series at the end. Let people know that there was thunder in the Coliseum back in the day. God bless the Haas family and all the joy they brought to A’s fans.
🛑🛑 Tree…Can you please do a video on the ineptitude of the Pittsburgh Pirates, since their appearance in the 1979 World Series? I’m 61 years old, and remember all the players and Greatness of the Pirate teams of the 1970’s, but where has it all gone? I’m tired of telling stories of how Great the Pirates were back in the day, and people don’t believe me. 😂👍💯 Thanks Buddy!! Great Content!! 💯👍
The same could be said of the Vancouver Grizzlies. David Stern brought in an owner who had no intention of keeping the team in the city. Michael Heisley did everything he could to sabotage the team to move it to Memphis.
It's so depressing. I've been going to the Coliseum since I was 3 years old, I'm 34 now. I've grown up at the ballpark..and to see all my sports teams leave is just inconceivable. Coliseum has been like a second home over the years.
My family has a ton of ties to the A's, my great grandpa was their in stadium announcer for 40+ years, he announced a several world series and an all star game and just got into their HOF, but it all feels kind of hollow now. Its sad
Great video, sad for Oakland fans, hope the future holds something for them. Just wanted to say your music choice accompanying your vids has been on point lately man, loved the background songs in this video
As an Expos fan I know exactly what A's fans are going through. I wish I could say it gets better eventually but it doesn't. It just doesn't feel the same choosing a different team or following them to another city. Baseball has never been as enjoyable as it was before the Expos left.
This hurts just as a baseball fan. I am a Cubs fan, but I have always liked watching the A's, ever since I was young, because I always associated who I liked with what I thought looked cooler. with their proud, vibrant color scheme of green and yellow and their awesome logo, the A's had an awesome aesthetic to me growing up. Then, as I got into sports history, I found out the Athletics were one of the original eight teams that would go on to form the AL, or American League. This occurred in 1901. In this time, a steady stream of successes has entered Oakland, them winning the World Series 9 times. A 122-year gap of time / 9 championship years = 13555...6 repeating or 13.56 rounded up. This final number represents your current number of years you would have to wait, on average, for Oakland to grab another title. 13.56, in this case, is pretty good, I think. Meanwhile, franchises like my Cubbies struggle in this same equation ( the lower the final answer, the better). We were made into a franchise in 1876. 147 year franchise / 3 world championships (1907, 1908, and 2016) Average wait time = a brutal 49 years... fuck.
I went to a few games at the coliseum when i lived in Northern California and fell in love with A's fans. The team then was decent, nothing special, but the fans were some the best I've ever encountered. Im primarily a Red Sox fan but I have a huge soft spot for the A's and feel so horrible for their fans during all this.
I'm from Hartford, and we're still bitter about how Peter Karmanos and the Whalers left our city. It's incredibly sad to see the same thing happen to Oakland.
@@spectac1 Charlie O Finley didn't build on those great teams because he was a skinflint (a lot of those players got their start at KC) & by the end of the 70's, they were in the doldrums.
8:27 Yeah, an expansion would be better for vegas, case in point the golden knights. they capture the hearts of loyal fans they can call upon, the raiders however are relying more and more fans from Nor and So cal. the A's would be a former shell of its self.
I'm somewhat of an outsider to all this, and while I certainly feel for the city of Oakland, the analytical, emotionally detached part of my brain will be watching this with interest. This sounds like the infamous Cleveland Spiders all over again, but 120+ years later. I'm curious what the final numbers will look like and how they'll compare to the Spiders, and what that'll say about MLB's parity in the 21st century and the nature of skill gap in baseball itself.
as a montrealer, i feel horrible for A's fans. To me the A's were one of those teams that weren't a huge market but still seemed like one of those franchises that has a solid fan base and history and will be around forever.
Update: The Nevada Legislature has approved SB1 through the Assembly's 25-15 vote and the Senate concurring with the bill ensuring that it will end up with Governor Joe Lombardo who will probably sign it into law thus ensuring that the Athletics' ballpark in Las Vegas will be built. The title of this video could not be more fitting now than it was prior.
I'm a Giants fan from the Bay and the past 20 years has been sad to watch (selfishly as a SJ resident that wouldn't have sat well, but common Oakland deserve better)
The bottom line is that Fisher and Co. want to move out of Oakland, and made the terms so tough that there was no way Oakland could do it. But I am not going to just simply blame the management totally - there's a LOT of blame to go around. First off, Oakland is a fiscal and political mess. Their teachers' strike is entering its second week, the PD has been under receivership for the last 20 years, I don't even know how many police and fire chiefs have quit. This lockdown happy part of the country is reaping what it has sown - with commercial real estate tanking, and BART - the main public transit access to the game - being a crime-infested rolling insane asylum for many years. Are you really surprised that a business - ANY business - wants to get the F out of Oakland? The value of the A's franchise will increase by $1-2 billion for no other reason than they are OUT of Oakland. Oakland just simply does not have the fan or municipal support for anything these days. Now, Oakland has other things going for it - it is basically the cultural and artistic center of the Bay Area now - San Francisco's soul died years ago and San Jose never had one. Pretty much any reasonably artsy person in the Bay Area lives in Oakland now. But there ain't no money in performance art, social justice, and extreme wokeness. If you had a ball team (any ball) would YOU move to Oakland? I rest my case...
As a Rockies fan, I feel for A's fans. Both of our teams have horrible owners. The only good thing I can say about the Rockies is that at least they're still in Denver. Edit: and somehow fans are still showing up to Coors Field
A lot of us here in Vegas are lukewarm to the idea because we love our AAA team the aviators. If we had our way, they would just upgrade the aviators to major league. We have a nice little ball park and a family friendly atmosphere. If they bring in an MLB team all the efforts will be spent catering to the MLB team and our tradition will be dead
Can't help but feel for A's fans. "Memories are the only things that can comfort A's fans" rings true for so many fans of franchises that were once great and are now laughing stocks of their respective leagues.
This is so depressing as an A's fan. Thankful I never once fell for Kaval's selling tactics like many did. Too many got hoodwinked. Here's the worst part, the on field product is nothing but a tease because the baseball operations people are behind in the times.
As a Vegas resident of 25 years. I don't think we could support a baseball team for more than 5 years. Tickets to Raiders games are crazy high! Now you want to bring in a bad baseball team, that will also have high ticket prices. 😪
All you have to do is look at the history of this franchise all the way to Philadelphia. It’s always been about stadiums and financial problems since the 1930’s. Connie Mack, his sons, Arnold Johnson, Finley, the Haas family and now. 122 years of financial difficulties.
My father lived a few miles from The Oakland Coliseum the last 35 years of his life. I would visit in the summer. I saw Canseco, McGwire, Eck Stewart, Rickey and my boy Hendu. The few good memories I have of my father involve watching A's games. I grew up near Baltimore but I am an A's fan. In 2019, Kaval put on Twitter that he was at a Vegas Golden Knights playoff game while The A's were playing in Oakland at that very moment. Fisher is the guy who is married and brazenly flirting with a "better option." The Vegas ploy was a matter of when, not if. The fact that the first A's Vegas has fallen through and a worse "backup" is in play is on brand. Fisher has made what seems straightforward into a clusterfuck. I swore it happen.
Please do a video on the Trail Blazers at some point as well. They're total shit right now. As for the A's, not surprising this would happen in the end. And it looks like it may now be THREE years in that minor league park until their new one gets built.
Just so you know, neither the Raiders nor the A's (if they do come) are/will be Las Vegas. Allegiant stadium and the proposed baseball stadium are located in the tax dodge town of Paradise, NV. So while the owners will leech off of the name and dump the costs of accommodating tens of thousands of fans coming to their games, the City of Las Vegas doesn't collect any taxes from them. CGPGrey did a video on this 7 or 8 years ago. All those hotel-casinos on The Strip (plus Green Valley Resort) make the city bear the expenses of all those tourists, but pay nothing.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
To see Oakland go from having 3 major sports teams to losing them all in the span of a few years is really sad to see. To make matters worse, they will lose 2 of their teams to Vegas. Oakland fans deserve way better than this.
clearly you've never been to Oakland. The people in that town have forfeited all rights to deserving anything
It’s sad for the locals but it’s the reality of being in a poorly run city. Why do you think Oakland got such bad owners in the first place?
@@nightwingaven69I live here. We are doing better than whatever shit hole you’re from. Bet on that.
it isn't the teams it's the city.
@@nightwingaven69are you from the Bay Area?
The A's are a masterclass on how to nuke a franchise in order to relocate.
You CANNOT tell me ownership has not done all of this on purpose
They took a page from the Thunder move.
Clear as day
MLB should not only waive the relocation fee, they should DOUBLE it for this move. STOP rewarding this greedy behavior!
(Meant to say, "... not only NOT wave the relocation fee..." )
Given the way the A's have run their franchise the past few decades, it's not surprising to see a fire sale. But this time around it's more than just that. It's a fire sale into scorched earth.
It's depressing to know that in the span of almost a decade, both the Raiders and the A's left Oakland.
Golden State too
Decade? Try 5 years
As a Bay Area native, the Warriors were always leaving. Joe Lacob made that explicitly clear when he bought the team that he always envisioned the team's long-term future in San Francisco. I lean towards the Giants and 49ers, but the Davis and Fisher families didn't act in good faith. The Raiders wanted a new stadium paid in full by Alameda County taxes. The A's wanted a new stadium paid for with Alameda County taxes. There wasn't any money for a new stadium, let alone two. The voters shot down using public money, and the city said that they would need to build AC Transit stops for both stadiums, but the Raiders and A's balked. They wanted all the benefits of new facilities without the responsibility of making it accessible to the fans. John Fisher and Mark Davis are awful owners. Oakland deserved better, especially where the team owners were concerned.
That entire area has gone to shit
@@brycelynds3768 ouch
A memoriam to Oakland sports teams that left:
The Golden State Warriors: Moved their dynasty to the greener pastures of San Francisco
The California Golden Seals: relocated to Cleveland, contracted after 2 seasons, and now exists as a footnote in history as technically a part of the Dallas Stars
The Oakland Raiders: Despite not even being in the city, let alone state anymore the raiders are still the most popular team in LA, ironic.
And now: the A's: somehow the owner of the most championships in Philadelphia sports history.
well yes, but actually no
the Seals are (were) an incredibly complex situation of a team, and it would definitely help to do some independent research. but, to the best of my knowledge, here’s what happened:
they did end up lasting only 2 seasons in the Bay, but they never contracted after moving to Cleveland. they were merged* (heavy asterisk there) into the North Stars, then when the Gund Bros wanted to cash out and leave Minnesota for the Bay, the NHL unmerged the Barons and North Stars, and created the San Jose Sharks with the Cleveland team slot filled again. interestingly enough, the Sharks later had an AHL team placed in Cleveland, naming them the Barons as a tribute to the team that would help spark the case for the Bay’s hockey revival. again, do some research, as i’m not completely sure of all this, but this is most likely the accurate description of the Seals/Barons/North Stars/Sharks franchise. it can technically be said that the Stars (via their owners at the time) gave birth to the Sharks, therefore giving Dallas automatic superiority, and therefore making the Stars the Sharks’ daddy.
@@quakedacruiser Too bad the Cowboys and the Mavs couldn't claim likewise towards the 49ers and Warriors, respectively.
the golden seals essentally eventually became the San Jose sharks because the owners of the seals [they bought it afgter it was created later relocated it to cleveland team and merged it with the north stars after they bought that team to adn were later granted n expansion team in san jose comprising of mostly North stars players after they agreed to sell the north stars
Everyone on here, you are all morons! If the Barons "merged" with the North Stars, then why did Minnesota get ALL of the home games instead of a 49-50% split? Let alone the team continuing to be called the *Minnesota North Stars?*
Truth is, the Cleveland Barons FOLDED, with the North Stars ABSORBING the assets. How the owners managed to convince the other teams NOT to do a dispersal draft is one of those great mysteries that I couldn't care about!
As for the North Stars being forced to give up half of their roster, to the Sharks, the owners really did a great job screwing over Minnesota like that I must say.
And of course, the ultimate f you to Minnesota. The new owner moved them to Dallas, and won a Stanley a couple of years later. And once again, Dallas continues to own their ex-home (with Minnesota's stupid new replacement name), and might win the Stanley again this year.
The hockey gods hate Minnesota.
@Matt Pizzano The Coliseum was gigantic (93k seats). The neighborhood was a warzone in the late 80s and early 90s(in 92 Los Angeles had 4x as many murders as Chicago had in 2022). Fights and violence at the games was common. Throw in the Rodney King race riots and regular folks just didn't want to go to South Central LA to watch football. Right now they would sell out every game if they played there but at the time there was a perfect storm of crazy that kept fans away.
As a longtime Blue Jays fan, it’s really sad how ownership has done to the city of Oakland and that fan base, they deserve so much better
Really puts the success they’ve had under Beane and Forst in perspective…imagine what could have been with honest ownership!
Good ownership can be the best thing for a team regardless of talent.
It's not just the ownership - the city has to stand up and take on some responsibility for letting that park and area go to hell.
Yeah they should be in Montreal instead!
Then show up lmao
The death of Oakland as a sports city has been a tragic one. So many amazing memories in the city across three different leagues, and now they have nothing. The fans deserve so much better than this.
What do you think contributed to the death of Oakland sports
@@dandrecollier800 The teams wanted the city to pay for new stadiums and stuff, the people there didn't want their tax dollars to go to that, especially since the teams didn't want to financially support public transit options to the stadiums, and even if those issues were solved did, Oakland didn't have enough money to do what the teams wanted. At least that's what I gather from most of the comments about the situation, although most expected the Warriors to leave eventually because ownership said they preferred it to be in San Francisco.
@@Saad-A16 I got it, I usually get "Oakland is a steaming shithole" or something of that sort. It's a pity but I don't blame Oakland's residents for not wanting to pay for things that aren't gonna benefit them.
@@Saad-A16
The A's ownership had a half-stake in the Coliseum (A's owned half, the city owned half). If anything, it's Fisher's fault for not investing in the organization. He's the biggest cheapskate in MLB.
Also NHL. California Golden Seals
As a Mariner’s fan, it’s sad to see them leave Oakland. That city deserved better
Seattle deserves better
Yea bruh poor Oakland😢
Also... the thunder SHOULD BE IN SEATTLE!!
@@asuhdude6668 Lemme guess, Astros bandwago- sorry, """"fan""""?
@@nopenope2550 bro, man's right. I live in Washington. Seattle's a dump. Can't even go downtown anymore.
@@asuhdude6668 Ah, Dodgers/Angels bandwagoner. Got it.
As an Expos fan that saw the team leave MTL back in '04, I know how this feels, Oakland fans. I'm sorry you have to live through this, it's painful.
Honestly I hope Montreal gets another team. I don’t think it will be with the A’s since MLB would have to realign the divisions, but maybe the Rays will end up moving their.
I watched how the Montreal Expos gradually died after the 1994 strike, and it's still sickening to wonder what could have been.
The owner of the Orlando Magic is making a play for the Rays. Recent news from there has him aim for a stadium funded by the area's tourism tax. (Not sure whether City or County)
Sonics fan here. I feel ya, too.
And then, 15 years later, the Nationals won a World Series
As a Bay Area native, the tragedy is the A's and Raiders wanted public money to pay for their new stadiums, even though Oakland and Alameda County didn't have it. I remember 20 years ago, at this stage of the year, Oakland would have 40+ homicides. With the crime the way it was, how could it be reasonably expected or possible that the city had any money? Fisher and Davis both didn't want to hear the truth when Alameda County residents voted down a ballot measure using public money for the stadiums. They just cried and said San Francisco built one for the Warriors, but that's not true at all. The Giants and Warriors had their stadiums privately funded with loans taken out by MLB and NBA execs respectively. Oakland deserved better.
Mark Davis wanted to build a new stadium from scratch that could accommodate both teams (the Coliseum as-is is a football stadium; you sit so far from the action when it comes to baseball). Fisher beat him out with a ten-year lease to keep the Coliseum in place...while also letting it rot.
Well vegas isn't a great city either but their residents have to deal with 2 major sports team owners using tax payer money to fund their billionaire owners stadium that's all on Vegas they can deal with the repercussions.
Spot on dude. Oh the same for So-fi stadium in Los Angeles. Private money only.
I hate the Warriors, but SanFran did it because they actually won shit
BUY TICKETS TO THE A'S GAME ON JUNE 13TH, PACK THE COLISEUM! SHOW THE MLB THAT THE FANS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM!
8:25 I think that's a huge reason why the Golden Knights have had far more success than the Raiders with winning over the locals. Their playoff streak helps, but they've always been marketed as Vegas's homegrown team, instead of one whose fanbase has been in Cali their entire existence.
It's too bad the A's are pretty much committed to making the same mistake Davis did.
I can say this is 100 percent accurate. Hell one of the slogans for the Golden Knights is Vegas Born. This city embraces them in a way I've never seen it embrace anything before. Yeah the early success helped, but I think sadly it was the October 1 tragedy that really tied the team in to the city with everything they did to support the city after that.
@@DominickB3
I mean, T-Mobile Arena is nicknamed The Fortress specifically for the Knights. That's homegrown branding right there.
This is the reality the Cardinals had to fight for a long time (and that the Coyotes are still fighting). They were rightly viewed as carpetbaggers, which is why for a couple of decades, ASU was outdrawing them in attendance, and the Suns were packing arenas. Both were homegrown.
Yeah, San Jose or Sacramento would have been better solutions for them
Yes as someone who was born and has lived their whole live in Vegas the Golden Knights won us over immediately and they've felt like the one true team that was made for us unlike the Raiders.
As a huge die hard Oakland fan, seeing all my teams move out of the city in a few years hurts really bad. So much history in Oakland sports soon to be gone for good, we deserve so much better.
Are you going to take a break from sports?
Unfortunately I don't see you guys getting any new teams
Did you actually go to games, or are you one of the many "fans" who never support your team?
We have Oakland Roots in soccer
Acting like you "deserved so much better" is why this happened.
Seeing a city lose their sports team is sad. Seattle losing the Sonics, Montreal losing the Expos... it hurts...
At least Seattle and Montreal had teams in other leagues when the Sonics and Expos moved. Oakland has nothing now.
@@acedetective7280 you made me realize that all the major sports teams have left Oakland... this is beyond sad...
Minnesota losing the North Stars, Quebec losing the Nordiques... At least Minnesota got another team
Now imagine Seattle losing the Hawks and Mariners in just a few years time too... And Montreal the Canadiens... That's the nut punch Oakland is receiving.
I’m happy that Seattle lost sonics they did this to themselves
I feel so bad for my cousin, he's a diehard A's fan for pretty much his whole life, and always makes an effort to go to all their home games, I can't imagine how punched in the gut he feels right now
Yeah it’s awful
My heart goes out to your cousin as well. His city and franchise deserve so much better.
Your cousin should move to Las Vegas
30 years ago, it was the Giants who were rumored to leave the Bay Area. The A’s were healthy with high attendance figures and a high payroll.
That’s true. The fortunes really changed when SF got the best ballpark in baseball
@@adanalyst6925 I would say that fortunes changed before that--when they signed Barry Bonds (1992-93 off-season) They were about to move to St. Pete, but then an owner came in last minute and saved the team, then signed Bonds, who was a 2x MVP, and grew up in the Bay Area since his dad played for the Giants. That momentum led to the construction and opening of PacBell Park.
@@EvanEscher good point, I hadn’t considered Bonds. I started following the giants after they basically cancelled Bonds (2009) so I forget he exists half the time
@@adanalyst6925
Lots of fans forget what Bonds meant for the Giants.
He saved the team from relocating. Made the team fun to watch.
Mt Davis cursed them. At one point Oakland Coliseum was considered one of the nicest parks in baseball in the 80s
Rest in peace to pro sports in Oakland
I can't say I've ever been a particular fan of the Warriors, A's, or Raiders; but I feel so bad for the fans in the city of Oakland that've watched their city go from being rich with sports history to an absolute ghost town in near-record time. Especially losing *two* teams to Las Vegas.
I feel bad for Oakland. Their city of sports history is now a ghost town.
Oakland is a dump and California is a joke. Don’t blame ownership for bailing out of there
Blame politicians. Look at the destruction of California as a state
@@frederickglass1583No, in this case, I blame the professional league model for having private corporations "represent" a municipal area. I hope that MLS is more conscientious in this regard.
But what you say has merit. The Rays saga will be the test of that.
@Donald Marco what other model do you suggest sports teams should operate under ??. they have to have a base of operations and place to build a fan base from to sell tickets at a stadium built for them specifically.. wtf are you suggesting.. honestly curious??
@@jessesantiago6575 I said it in a reply to another comment: You want public funds for your infrastructure? Then you cede a share of ownership to the respective jurisdiction.
I mean, you can't fire owners and you may not be able to fire the actual board reps from those jurisdictions, but residents _could_ push change through city council/county commission elections, which may then have an impact on said board reps from said jurisdictions.
If I were to write a model from scratch, I would allow each city (or county) that wanted a team in a particular pro league to apply. If the _jurisdiction's_ application was accepted, then so long as they were compliant with regulations and solvent, they could be in the league. Fail one of those two, and you would either have your team license suspended or your team relegated, whatever would be applicable. Private individuals could still have a place as financial backers and have _some_ say, but would not be allowed to "transfer" the license themselves.
Taking San Diego's Measure C for example: If Qualcomm Stadium was _actually_ deficient by League standards, then Measure C's failure under this system would mean _the City of San Diego_ losing its license to field a professional football team. If the Spanos family was a principal backer, then Dean would be within his rights to withdraw his _investment_ but not _the Chargers_ themselves. The Chargers would become _dormant_ until San Diego either made the required adjustments, released their (suspended) license, or let it lapse after a period of time defined by the NFL. At which point, it'd be _Goodell_ "moving the team", not Spanos.
As a fan of the Seattle Sonics, I see so many parallels between what happened to them in 2008 and what's happening to the A's now that I honestly just feel bad for everyone involved here, owners aside. It's like watching a sad movie that was given to you 15 years ago to make sure you still feel the same way you felt when you got it, and it just punches you in the gut all over again.
Honestly sad for the true Oakland fans who had to watch three teams leave their cities. But if I’m an As fan, I wouldn’t go to their games if the owner doesn’t seem to give a shit or at the very least make some effort to give fans a reason to go to the ballpark
As, Raiders, who were the third
@@maniacgaming6738 golden state moved across the bay
I honestly didn’t care about the raiders and warriors. However the A’s were my rock since I was a kid. Northern California’s baseball team
Exactly!
There is for A's Fans. Last Visit to see Team in that Stadium.
R.I.P Oakland sports, I can’t imagine having multiple teams that meant something to the city just leave like that
It’s awful
Better stadiums are built elsewhere
The funny part is, the fans don't seem to understand that this is what they have been voting for. Oakland didn't become the hellscape that it is by accident or overnight.
At least fans got to witness the Warriors dynasty before they left.
Off topic but
GO KRAKEN!
I feel for the people of Oakland and the East Bay area, they were left feeling betrayed after more than a half century of unwavering support for their pro teams. And all because some rich retail store heir who never had passion for baseball screwed them over in the end 😪
Full stop Skippy, how dare you blame the owners of 4 sports teams that have fled Oakland and leave the 50 year long of gang of shyster ,money grubbing, skin flint mayors who were mostly indited out of office in financial scandals off of the list of causes.
Losing a professional sports team is a bummer. Losing all three of your major sports teams in five years is heartbreaking. It's a shame a team as historic as the Athletics will be leaving Oakland in such a depressing manner.
Oakland politics are a joke
@@dreamcage1801 Oakland politics + super greedy owners.
I grew up in BFE Alaska, due to envy I have zero sympathy.
@@dreamcage1801 More like greedy capitalism
As a former St Louis Rams fan, I feel for you Oakland. Always hurts 😞
As someone from the East Bay, I loved the gold and blue Rams….
The Rams were in Los Angeles for decades before moving to St. Louis in 1995. They stayed there until 2015, then moved back to L.A.
@@VictiniMujigae oh really wow I hAd NO IDEa
Thank you tree for another outstanding video on the sad saga of the Oakland A's, you predicted what was going to happen in your previous video, and you were 100% right....
I love how the Oakland owners are basically like that lady in Major League who wanted to tank the team to move it. They are literally the real life Major League movie.
Unlike the Indians in Major League the A's don't have a die hard fans. Since Cleveland got rid of the name Indians for their MLB team they don't have die hard fans anymore either.
I've never seen Major League; was "that lady" an obvious expy of Cincinnati's Marge Schott?
The only difference. Is Rachel Phelps won. Because Oakland doesn't care. The started to explore their options. And when they did the fans just lost their passion.
And the attendance plot to force relocation WORKED.
For me this is a little more personal and hits close to home. My mom grew up in the East Bay, in Alameda. Seeing what has become of Alameda County is just sad. Losing their teams is just sad.
If there is any justice, the owners for the A’s will face the same punishment as Mark Davis.
A shitty haircut?
😂 just kidding, yes.
@@nkmade2004 that and being the biggest laughing stocks of baseball and having their new ballpark being filled up of entirety of the visiting team’s fans.
Sidenote: and in Mark Davis’ case, being too poor to fire coaches when they need to.
@@adamthespinygiant You got that right. My Cincinnati Reds, while not as awful as the A's, are still pretty damn bad in terms of ownership, playing quality, and attendance alike.
Whenever they do get fans in seats, they are more often than not fans of opposing teams (esp. the Yankees, Cubs, Cardinals etc.)
@@nkmade2004 well where else are you going to go?
@@nkmade2004 I’m purely a football fan, but I still watch the other 3 major sports to expand my knowledge. If there’s 1 thing that makes me more upset as a fan is when generational talent is wasted because of incompetent coaching and/or shitty ownership.
As an Oakland native, I am tired of losing all of our teams. But the city is still paying for mount Davis. There is adequate room to build a new stadium right next to the coliseum, which would still be inline with existing public transportation and freeways. However, money talks, and the city of Oakland simply has none.
The real reason is that Fisher blocked Davis with a ten-year lease on the Coliseum. That's why Davis moved the Raiders to Vegas to begin with: according to him, Fisher screwed them over by keeping the old, beat-up venue rather than putting up the money for a new building. It's just another example of how much of a cheapskate Fisher truly is. He's the wealthiest owner in MLB (worth well over two billion) but absolutely refuses to invest in the organization.
I heared that the place will be used for the USL/MLS Team
@@superninja252 not a chance. East Oakland needs affordable housing bad
@@Dunkaroos248 It needs paying jobs more, Think about all the soon to be unemployed people that used to work at the stadium. And all that business that used to happen around the stadium on 168 game days every year because all of it is gone. All those bars, all those restaurants , all of those hookers, out of business. Oakland is soon to become "The Detroit of California"
Bring back Malibu Grand Prix!!!
In the late 80s/early 90s I LOVED the NHL. I was a teenaged kid, and the Minnesota North Stars made a Stanley Cup Finals run in 91, losing to some squad with a number 66 on it. By the end of the 1993 season, the North Stars moved to Dallas because the owner was facing a sexual assault charge and wanted to get out of the state with his team. Sure, the Wild showed up in 2000, but I was never able to get into them the way I was into the North Stars.
Teams moving sucks, and should be avoided at all costs. It is bad for the game, bad for the community, bad for the fans, and most of all, bad for the sport.
The owners before the sexual predator I wouldn't call them model citizens either
My Dad witnessed Charles Finlay rip out his and the city's heart in the A's move from KC to Oakland in the late 60's. Now it's happening again to a different city and fan base. History repeats itself.
Started before that when they moved from Philly
@@andrewpestotnik5495 Yup. The A's are a traveling circus
Charlie tried to screw Oakland as well, but the city wouldn’t let them out of their lease.
Oakland saw the sponsor for this video and took it to heart
Living in Las Vegas since 2000, I’ve seen the transitions from just AAA baseball and casinos (among other things), to the sports town it has become. Coming from a town where we had to root for out of town teams, we were really only excited for the expansion teams (Knights and aces). Vegas was already big raider town so there was lots of excitement from that fan base, but 75% of the football fans out here had their team and stuck to their team. I had a lot of conversations at the sports books with other people excited for their team to come into town and whoop the raiders. The reason I bring all that up is to say, that no one really gives a shit about the A’s out here and if Al Davis had “away team fan” problems, Fischer has another thing coming. Every home game would sell well but the stands would look like an all star game with the diverse jerseys. 98% of baseball fans in Vegas would agree that an expansion team would be better for all parties than the A’s coming here.
Small point of contention, the Aces aren't an expansion team; you got them from San Antonio (but I understand, they completely rebranded and they feel fresh with what Mark Davis has done since buying the team. That and no one gave a fuck about the San Antonio Stars)
Las Vegas home team for decades was UNLV mens basketball, then UFC came along and a sprinkling of minor league hockey here and there. Selfishly it feels good to have major sports year round like the other big boy cities because it's been a very long time coming here for anyone living in this city long enough. It's also nice with a city full of transplants that if the Vegas home team isn't your favorite originally, it's your 1a team.
I remember a playoff series between the As and the Twins. After the Twins won the last game and moved on, the camera focused on one lone fan that held a small sign saying "We still believe in you."
I don't know how accurate it is to say this, but this video just feels like one of the best videos you've ever made. Just the way you explained everything and the way you document everything and how you had everything down and explained everything it's just really well done and obviously the editing is top-notch.
I still find it rather ironic because I remember in 2005 on the local Bay Area news they talked about the A's potentially moving to Las Vegas and then that plan was completely thrown out the window for those other plans you mentioned for Fremont and San Jose and now it turns out that Las Vegas is their most likely move after all. What's crazier is the A's had talked about moving long before the Raiders or the warriors did yet they never moved although chances are they will soon.
To be honest I really wish the Giants didn't prevent the A's from moving to San Jose. I would have been fine if the A's move to San Jose. Yeah it would be a longer trip for me to have to go down to San Jose rather than just go to Oakland, but I actually like San Jose it's a beautiful city with a lot going on for it just expensive. I've been to several San Jose Sharks games and even a couple this year while the sharks are kind of terrible. But I'll never forget that the very first Sharks game I went to is the playoff game when they beat the ducks 8-1.
Anyways back to the A's I don't even want to go to a game. I've even told my wife even though we've gone to a couple games before back when the A's were still pretty damn good in the late 2010s, I just told her straight up that I really don't want to go to an A's game. I just have gotten just sick of the ownership just not giving a damn. It's hard to be enthusiastic for a team that's owned by people who aren't enthusiastic for the team at all themselves and just don't care about winning. Especially considering my goodness this A's team from what I've seen with the standings and with Google updating me on scores of games is one of the worst teams I've ever heard of and that's saying a lot because there have been some pretty bad teams in my lifetime like I think it was the 2003 tigers that had only 43 wins I think.
I actually would rather go to a Giants game. I've ever since I actually got into watching sports have always been A's fan although I still like to sometime support the Giants anyways because they're in the Bay Area I just am not as much of a fan I actually rude for the royals to beat them in the 2014 World series actually but anyways I would just rather go to a Giants game because at least the team is willing to spend money to make their team good and they are at least trying. They seem to be very inconsistent they're good every other year it seems while the A's would have streaks of being good for a few years and then bad for a few years in a row but nevertheless it's just tiring to watch a team like the A's that just doesn't care.
Not to mention I've seen the scores that show up on my Google feed on my phone. The A's are always losing by a lot like at the games are always so high scoring They always give up double digit runs. And no I know it's not literally always but it's quite clear they don't have any damn pitching for the life of them they're always almost always giving up like 11 to 12 runs a game. It's a highlight reel for the opposing team that's it
I think this will be an interesting economic experiment to see how a city does without a major sports team. If Oakland can fully stabilize their economy or do better than when the Warriors, Raiders, and A’s were there, I feel a lot of cities will change a lot of their agreements with the leagues.
Not gonna happen. Look who they keep voting for...
Not just that, but the fact they will get smaller scale teams (USL and WNBA) that are more prone to stay on Oakland for years and years than major teams that are more prone to leave
If Oakland is successful then the other league cities will have something to mess with owners heads
You really don't think Oakland is going to improve without the only tax paying big business in town do you? The ports are closed, there is no film industry, no mining, no manufacturing, no produce production. The business of Oakland was pro sports for the last 2 decades and the politicians killed all three of the geese that were laying the golden eggs.
Do you know how many people are going to loose their jobs when the stadium closes and 168 games a year don't happen and there is nothing to draw anyone from the suburbs to down town anymore?
How many bars near the stadium will disappear?, how many restaurants will close shop and stop paying taxes as a result? How many hookers will have to apply for welfare?
In a decade Oakland will be known as "The Detroit of California"
It'll still represent a shift in the balance of power. In this case, I find it a good thing since Municipal officials have _some_ measure of accountability unlike corporate owners.
I would say shame on MLB and John Fisher for what is happening, but we all know that they don't have any shame. It's is a shame they never won a championship during the early 2000s. 😞
If and when the time comes for the owners to vote on moving the time, let's be honest, ita going to be obvious how they vote.
I remember when they were referred as "Chokeland" for blowing the ALDS each year.
As someone who's lived in Las Vegas their whole life, I really do feel bad for Oakland. I was honestly hoping we would have kept going the expansion route like we did with the Golden Knights. But instead we've just decided to steal whatever Oakland had left.
Damn, that must feel awful for the fans. First the Raiders, then the Warriors, and now the A's. Unfortunately money talks and loyalty doesn't.
This reminds me a little bit of how in the minors how the New Britain Rock Cats (AA affiliate of the Twins, and then got sold to the Rockies) moved to downtown Hartford while that front office was bad-talking about the city of NB and how the stadium was not suited for them, to only have the new stadium not ready and then tried to sweet talk NB to play at their old field and the mayor telling them to kick rocks and had to play in Norwich/on the road for the whole year.
The new stadium is awesome don’t get me wrong, but in the end, a knife was placed in their original tenants back and their paying the price of it.
Growing up a fan of the A’s, some of my best childhood memories were going to A’s games with my dad. It saddens me to see the team I grew up with suddenly leave.
As someone who is not a fan of the team, it sucks to see what’s become of them. FJF.
The A's are OG. They're one of the oldest teams in the American League, right alongside the Red Sox, White Sox, Tigers, Guardians and Yankees. It really is sad how unkind history has been to the white elephant.
As someone who is a Phillies fan, a team that had to share a city with the A’s, to see where the A’s have fallen is heartbreaking. They won 5 World Series titles before FDR, yet have been ping-ponging around ever since. The Phillies have had a worse history than the A’s, only going to 8 World Series and winning 2, but with the Whiz Kids of 1950, that was the death-knell for A’s baseball in Philly.
The As have done a number on my Mariners over the years but no team deserves to go through something like this. It’s awful for baseball as a whole
Sometimes I wish they'd done more, so us Seattleites didn't have to endure the Mariners losing all the time...
The Mariners beat us all the time, even when we're good lol. We have only won the season series against you guys in 2019 and 2020 in the past 10 years. So no we haven't "done a number" if anything we lose to Seattle a lot and it really annoys me
@@andrewpestotnik5495 My dad would get so upset when Hernandez would pitch, A's only up 1-0 after the first, game over, Seattle wins, Hernandez didn't give up anything after the first inning lol
@@whalesequence man i miss watching felix pitch
@@Spartan0430 Dude, me too, one of my favorites to ever play
As someone from Las Vegas, I'm really sad what Vegas is becoming. Don't get me wrong, getting major sports teams is huge, but I'm really sad that instead of starting from scratch like with the Golden Knights, we're taking in teams from a fallen sports city. But even more, as you described, it feels soulless. It's just like the modern casinos today. Just 20 years ago Vegas was all about glitz and glamour, creative input, and unique theme. Many new casinos and hotels lack that, and feel soulless. I don't hate modern architecture, it's just when it's everywhere and it feels kinda soulless is what I hate. I just wanted to mention that connection I made. I wish the best for not just Oakland, but also us ourselves. Oh I forgot to mention, even us locals don't win. We're supposed to be paying some $500 million of our taxpayer money, and most of us don't even have a say on it. It's quite disappointing since you'd think a privatized project would have plenty of funding. Oh well.
Yeah, like i feel like Las Vegas should have always had their own teams with their own emblematic names, which means something to you. Just like these teams meant something to Oakland.
That final clip you showed, Tree, is the teddy bear A’s fans have cuddled hard with over the last 35 years.
Also, 7:32, I was there. If the park wasn’t filled with school kids on a field trip for reading a lot, it would have been another 3,000 ghost town.
I've been an A's fan since 1986. The first game I ever went to was with my late father in July 1985 when Don Sutton beat the Brewers at the Coliseum. Unlike the Raiders, who were in LA when I started rooting for them, the A's are QUINTESSENTIALLY Oakland to me. Because Oakland was about finding a way to make a way when you didn't always have what you wanted. I've always thought they really represented the true essence of the East Bay better than the Raiders because not everyone is a big, bad bully. But folks in Oakland have known what it is to try and be a success in the face of adversity. So saying all that...to see what John Fisher has done to this team, it's heartbreaking. This is the sports team I felt legacy to. They were my dad's team. He passed that down to me. I understand the hard, cold realities, but the truth is, the A's did this AFTER screwing over any chance the Raiders had of staying. That's the double whammy here. And to see them floundering after misstep after misstep, I can't take any pleasure in it because I see the other loyalists going through the heartbreak. If there was any justice, Manfred and the other owners would step in and force this guy out. Someone like Joe Lacob is ready to make this team a winner...if MLB would just LET THEM.
As a Mariners fan, it was fun beating up on the A's back in 2022. But now in 2023, it's just sad. Oakland and A's fans seriously got screwed by A's management.
Looking at how the A's are playing, there's a strong chance they may lose 120 games this year. They're going to lose at least 100, for sure.
MLB should end the A's season instead of subjecting fans to watching bad baseball!!
Update: SB509, the bill that would approve funding for a Ballpark in Las Vegas has stalled due to the state budget not going through. The State Budget doesn’t want money going to Hollywood to do their business in Las Vegas, an entertainment product. The A’s are also an entertainment product.
No A’s Part 3 coming soon to theaters near you!
I was praying for Las Vegas and Nevada to tell them to fuck off. Who knew that nobody wants to throw hundreds of millions of dollars at a project that would only attract tourists?
Update: SB509 is headed to a special session vote in the Nevada Legislature.
@@nathanmalik7056 And it is stalled at this point in time in the senate, with the assembly needing 2 hearings with 8 days left
Could still pass but it’s looking more and more like a mess that Nevada will try to get everything they want out of the A’s
@@UrinatingTree turn out the people voting yes had four figure bribes from The A's themselves
it's all there on record
Thanks for making this, the more word that spreads about the evil doings of fisher and kaval the better. We really don’t have much hope to cling to right now so please help us voice our anger at those snakes for what they are doing.
Even as a Padres fan who suffered through the 12 years of pain between 2007 and 2019, it hurts to see what's become of the A's. No fanbase deserves that. It hurt when my hometown of Portland lost our AAA team and we'd only had them for 9 years, I can't imagine how much more it must hurt to lose an MLB team that's been there for almost half a century.
As an Angels fan, the glory days of our great rivalry with the A’s seem like forever ago. I remember the summer of 2002, where it seemed neither team could lose unless they were playing each other, and even then, nearly every game was decided by a single run. Part of me was relieved that they were upset by [the TFKA] the Twins, but part of me was devastated that we were denied an Angels-A’s ALCS.
I loved that 2002 team. You guys had something magical that year. Thanks for the memories!
In the Mariner's recent series against the A's, it sounded like I was watching a 2020 game again. It was so quiet that Dave Sims, the Mariner's commentator, had to apologize in advance in case any rowdy fans made it over the air, because they could be heard so much easier. The entire game, he and Dan Wilson were poking fun at how empty it was, and they announced attendance at 2,500. Insane to see.
Growing up in San Francisco, even though I'm a die hard SF Giants fan, I feel bad for the A's. I went to just as many A's games as I did Giants when I lived in San Fran. And the Battle of the Bay series were always great fun for both sides of the Bay. It's sad 😢.
I want to take a trip out to California and catch a game in Oakland (among other activities in California) before the A's depart to Las Vegas. The Coliseum, as crappy as it may be, is a significant part of Baseball history and Athletics franchise history. Whether it's a dynasty in the 70s, the birth of a new era of Baseball in 2002, or a brothel in 2022, the Coliseum has been a classic place for Baseball over the years, no matter how bad it is for the fans.
Astros fan here, very sad for A's fans. I also grew up as an Oilers fan and remember how depressing it was to see them leave. Utree, I miss the Oilers-Steelers rivalry!
You are about to feel that again: The Titans are going to wear Oilers gear this year allegedly in a game against the Texans.
@bd5av8r1 Not really. I moved on to the Texans. I think most of us see that the Adams family inherited Bud's pettiness. Besides, real Houston Oilers were guys like Warren Moon, Earl Campbell, Elvin Bethea, Robert Brazile, etc. The Adams family own the rights. But they can't take the memories away.
I’m from Phoenix so I visit Vegas a lot and wouldn’t mind catching a game while there for a weekend (might consider buying some A’s stuff while there if they aren’t playing the Dbacks) and I painfully say from the league perspective this long term was the right move
I sympathize with the Oakland fans (I go through this crap with the Coyotes 24/7)
This is super depressing. As a Dodgers fan I’m terrified how their move will positively effect the Giants television deals as they will absorb the A’s market. This storied franchise has always been tossed around as a pawn, dating back to their days in Philly.
My nephew is a big A's fan. Once a season ticket holder now he attends just a few games a year. He's bummed and has excepted the fact that the team is gone. My nephew and I went to several games in Oakland over the years and the last time I don't think the crowd was over 3000.
As an Oakland resident, I think a lot of people tend to throw shade at the city council… but they literally were moving on this and were cooperative with the A’s front office. But there was just so much stuff that made it obviously clear that it was a pipe dream plan borderline meant to fail
From wanting gondolas made to transport people to Howard Terminal (a place hardly anyone WANTS to go to unless you go to Laney), to entire restructures to roads to accommodate a surge of would be stadium goers, etc
To get that done, it would have required moving damn near heaven and earth and extended well beyond what the A’s thought they needed.
And I don’t want people to be on the hook for this. Shelling out hundreds of millions in tax payer money to line the net worth of a billionaire who didn’t even give a damn about the team he owns.
I love my memories I had with the team here… but it’s just clear that the A’s wanted to capitalize on a move to a destination they think is more worth it. We can love them as much as we want, that FO just didn’t love us back, they loved us as much as they loved Semien with the offer they gave him.
Remember, it's all about how evil the A's are... and the Raiders... and the Warriors (but they're nearby and sexy cool so they get a pass). Or maybe... just maybe... it's the Lowest Common Denominator.
I'm sending my condolences coming from a phillies fan. You deserved so much better Oakland fans, this is a tragedy.
I’ve said it over and over again, this As front office just committed a masterclass in asset stripping. Look at all the pieces they traded and then look what they got back 💀
Don’t forget, when mark Davis tried to build a new stadium in Oakland in 2014, not only did fisher refuse to buy a part of the raiders to make the deal work, they instead signed a 10 year lease ensuring the plan would be impossible
you touched on it and i feel like its a great point. If they wanted to stay they would find a way, and instead of a commissioner backing up the city it feels like MLB is intentionally helping to get the A's out of Oakland. Las Vegas A's would be a team with no soul and would be a complete cash grab. As an A's fan it would really be hard to support the MLB and Manfred for choosing John Fisher over the storied Oakland franchise.
Thank you tree for putting them on blast , you’re always welcome in Oakland
That's heartbreaking, as a Raiders fan I understand that pain and frustration
Bless you. This video is an accurate account of how ownership stabbed the fans in the back. I feel sorry for all A’s fans and also for the people of Las Vegas. They are about to hand these crooks hundreds of millions in public funds. Hope they don’t expect ownership to invest any of that on the team. Thank you for adding the final out of the 89 series at the end. Let people know that there was thunder in the Coliseum back in the day. God bless the Haas family and all the joy they brought to A’s fans.
🛑🛑 Tree…Can you please do a video on the ineptitude of the Pittsburgh Pirates, since their appearance in the 1979 World Series?
I’m 61 years old, and remember all the players and Greatness of the Pirate teams of the 1970’s, but where has it all gone?
I’m tired of telling stories of how Great the Pirates were back in the day, and people don’t believe me. 😂👍💯
Thanks Buddy!!
Great Content!!
💯👍
The same could be said of the Vancouver Grizzlies. David Stern brought in an owner who had no intention of keeping the team in the city. Michael Heisley did everything he could to sabotage the team to move it to Memphis.
It's so depressing. I've been going to the Coliseum since I was 3 years old, I'm 34 now. I've grown up at the ballpark..and to see all my sports teams leave is just inconceivable. Coliseum has been like a second home over the years.
My family has a ton of ties to the A's, my great grandpa was their in stadium announcer for 40+ years, he announced a several world series and an all star game and just got into their HOF, but it all feels kind of hollow now. Its sad
The great Roy Steele! The "Voice of God"... The best stadium announcer there has ever been, or ever will be! R.I.P.
After this season they'll be playing in Sacramento from 2025-2027. The move to Vegas is happening in 2028.
Clowns 🤡 fisher and manfred need to go
And during that timeframe, the team will be simply known as either the "A's" or "The Athletics".
Great video, sad for Oakland fans, hope the future holds something for them. Just wanted to say your music choice accompanying your vids has been on point lately man, loved the background songs in this video
As an Expos fan I know exactly what A's fans are going through. I wish I could say it gets better eventually but it doesn't. It just doesn't feel the same choosing a different team or following them to another city. Baseball has never been as enjoyable as it was before the Expos left.
This hurts just as a baseball fan. I am a Cubs fan, but I have always liked watching the A's, ever since I was young, because I always associated who I liked with what I thought looked cooler. with their proud, vibrant color scheme of green and yellow and their awesome logo, the A's had an awesome aesthetic to me growing up.
Then, as I got into sports history, I found out the Athletics were one of the original eight teams that would go on to form the AL, or American League. This occurred in 1901.
In this time, a steady stream of successes has entered Oakland, them winning the World Series 9 times. A 122-year gap of time / 9 championship years = 13555...6 repeating or 13.56 rounded up.
This final number represents your current number of years you would have to wait, on average, for Oakland to grab another title. 13.56, in this case, is pretty good, I think.
Meanwhile, franchises like my Cubbies struggle in this same equation ( the lower the final answer, the better). We were made into a franchise in 1876.
147 year franchise / 3 world championships (1907, 1908, and 2016)
Average wait time = a brutal 49 years... fuck.
I went to a few games at the coliseum when i lived in Northern California and fell in love with A's fans. The team then was decent, nothing special, but the fans were some the best I've ever encountered. Im primarily a Red Sox fan but I have a huge soft spot for the A's and feel so horrible for their fans during all this.
I'm from Hartford, and we're still bitter about how Peter Karmanos and the Whalers left our city. It's incredibly sad to see the same thing happen to Oakland.
You should've seen what the Yard Goats did when they moved from New Britain
Philadelphia and Kansas City to Oakland: "First time?"
"The luckiest city since Hiroshima" Stuart Symington (D-MO) describing Kansas City losing the A's to Oakland in 1967
@@insertnamehere5809 And then the A's 3-peat just a few years later in Oakland and dominate the 70's.
@@spectac1 Charlie O Finley didn't build on those great teams because he was a skinflint (a lot of those players got their start at KC) & by the end of the 70's, they were in the doldrums.
@@insertnamehere5809 I'm aware. He blew up the team and left them for dead. Then they had dynasty potential again in the late 80's-early 90's.
8:27 Yeah, an expansion would be better for vegas, case in point the golden knights. they capture the hearts of loyal fans they can call upon, the raiders however are relying more and more fans from Nor and So cal. the A's would be a former shell of its self.
I'm somewhat of an outsider to all this, and while I certainly feel for the city of Oakland, the analytical, emotionally detached part of my brain will be watching this with interest.
This sounds like the infamous Cleveland Spiders all over again, but 120+ years later. I'm curious what the final numbers will look like and how they'll compare to the Spiders, and what that'll say about MLB's parity in the 21st century and the nature of skill gap in baseball itself.
as a montrealer, i feel horrible for A's fans. To me the A's were one of those teams that weren't a huge market but still seemed like one of those franchises that has a solid fan base and history and will be around forever.
Update: The Nevada Legislature has approved SB1 through the Assembly's 25-15 vote and the Senate concurring with the bill ensuring that it will end up with Governor Joe Lombardo who will probably sign it into law thus ensuring that the Athletics' ballpark in Las Vegas will be built. The title of this video could not be more fitting now than it was prior.
I'm a Giants fan from the Bay and the past 20 years has been sad to watch
(selfishly as a SJ resident that wouldn't have sat well, but common Oakland deserve better)
The bottom line is that Fisher and Co. want to move out of Oakland, and made the terms so tough that there was no way Oakland could do it. But I am not going to just simply blame the management totally - there's a LOT of blame to go around. First off, Oakland is a fiscal and political mess. Their teachers' strike is entering its second week, the PD has been under receivership for the last 20 years, I don't even know how many police and fire chiefs have quit. This lockdown happy part of the country is reaping what it has sown - with commercial real estate tanking, and BART - the main public transit access to the game - being a crime-infested rolling insane asylum for many years. Are you really surprised that a business - ANY business - wants to get the F out of Oakland? The value of the A's franchise will increase by $1-2 billion for no other reason than they are OUT of Oakland. Oakland just simply does not have the fan or municipal support for anything these days. Now, Oakland has other things going for it - it is basically the cultural and artistic center of the Bay Area now - San Francisco's soul died years ago and San Jose never had one. Pretty much any reasonably artsy person in the Bay Area lives in Oakland now. But there ain't no money in performance art, social justice, and extreme wokeness. If you had a ball team (any ball) would YOU move to Oakland? I rest my case...
I so can't wait for the Tree's video on the NHL Entry Draft reaction and comments!
As a Rockies fan, I feel for A's fans. Both of our teams have horrible owners. The only good thing I can say about the Rockies is that at least they're still in Denver.
Edit: and somehow fans are still showing up to Coors Field
A lot of us here in Vegas are lukewarm to the idea because we love our AAA team the aviators. If we had our way, they would just upgrade the aviators to major league. We have a nice little ball park and a family friendly atmosphere. If they bring in an MLB team all the efforts will be spent catering to the MLB team and our tradition will be dead
And there is that aspect. Inundating something you truly love and value, your own team….Las Vegas Aviators has a nice ring to it.
The Oakland A's were going to be moved to Denver back in 1978, but the deal to sell the team fell through at the last minute.
The deal only got blocked because the Raiders were already moving and the city didn’t want to lose both teams. But I guess it was inevitable.
Can't help but feel for A's fans. "Memories are the only things that can comfort A's fans" rings true for so many fans of franchises that were once great and are now laughing stocks of their respective leagues.
This is so depressing as an A's fan. Thankful I never once fell for Kaval's selling tactics like many did. Too many got hoodwinked.
Here's the worst part, the on field product is nothing but a tease because the baseball operations people are behind in the times.
Yep, the 'baseball operations people' are why the city lost three teams. Who's hoodwinked again?
@@jfayiii well I don't support losing when it counts either. 2-15 when they can close a series.
As a Vegas resident of 25 years. I don't think we could support a baseball team for more than 5 years. Tickets to Raiders games are crazy high! Now you want to bring in a bad baseball team, that will also have high ticket prices. 😪
I know pirates ownership is terrible, but this really puts it into perspective. Always could be worse
All you have to do is look at the history of this franchise all the way to Philadelphia. It’s always been about stadiums and financial problems since the 1930’s.
Connie Mack, his sons, Arnold Johnson, Finley, the Haas family and now. 122 years of financial difficulties.
This feels so depressing if you re-watch the movie 'Moneyball' and think of everything that has happened in Oakland over the years
My father lived a few miles from The Oakland Coliseum the last 35 years of his life. I would visit in the summer. I saw Canseco, McGwire, Eck Stewart, Rickey and my boy Hendu. The few good memories I have of my father involve watching A's games. I grew up near Baltimore but I am an A's fan.
In 2019, Kaval put on Twitter that he was at a Vegas Golden Knights playoff game while The A's were playing in Oakland at that very moment. Fisher is the guy who is married and brazenly flirting with a "better option." The Vegas ploy was a matter of when, not if.
The fact that the first A's Vegas has fallen through and a worse "backup" is in play is on brand. Fisher has made what seems straightforward into a clusterfuck. I swore it happen.
Please do a video on the Trail Blazers at some point as well. They're total shit right now.
As for the A's, not surprising this would happen in the end. And it looks like it may now be THREE years in that minor league park until their new one gets built.
Breaks my heart. Been a A's fan 35 out of 42 yrs on this rock. Bill king was the voice of my childhood and now I just want them out of my life
And the funding vote went through in Vegas. It's over.
Just so you know, neither the Raiders nor the A's (if they do come) are/will be Las Vegas. Allegiant stadium and the proposed baseball stadium are located in the tax dodge town of Paradise, NV. So while the owners will leech off of the name and dump the costs of accommodating tens of thousands of fans coming to their games, the City of Las Vegas doesn't collect any taxes from them.
CGPGrey did a video on this 7 or 8 years ago. All those hotel-casinos on The Strip (plus Green Valley Resort) make the city bear the expenses of all those tourists, but pay nothing.
They went from Money Ball to Money Pit *rimshot*
I’m gonna miss my A’s being in Oakland 😢 I always loved going to watch them play the giants in either of their stadiums, such a fun Bay Area rivalry