A lot of my identity has been lost the past 4 years. 1) The Oakland A’s, my childhood team 2) my father passed away last month 3) 3 other heartbreaks I won’t add here My father and I had official, yet custom made A’s jerseys. Since the team would trade away or let walk our favorite players every 2 to 3 years, our jerseys were made of our last name with our birth year as the jersey number. (My Dad obviously had a much lower number than I) Tomorrow I’m wearing my Dad’s jersey to the game. I know he will be watching with me.
Spoken like a true A’s fan. I feel your pain I’ll look for your Dad’s jersey tomorrow. I’ll be there with my 80yr old dad who will be playing in the green vest band on the first level. It will be the first time weve been there together since Josh Hamilton lost a flyball in the sun and sent the A’s to the playoffs on the final game of the season
I hope you don’t. It definitely is a weird feeling. Last year was a lot of anger and fight to keep our team. This year was a lot of resignation after being gaslit by not just the team but MLB as they made clear they don’t care about our fandom. Today, the last game, was more just a celebration. We had no more anger. Some had tears but not much were left among us. Except for maybe 30 people out of 47,000 in attendance today, we were our best selves saying thanks to the team and for the memories.
My dad passed in 2019. I wore his hat to the game on Thursday and brought his ashes with me. As an Oakland native, the Coliseum was our cathedral. Fisher smashed the stained glass and set it on fire.
Amazing summary. Thank you for having our backs. My first A’s game was in 1981 when I was 6mo old. They’ve been a huge part of my life, and now my 8yo son’s life. I don’t really think Vegas will ever happen. If Fisher sells to someone who cares about and invests in the team, maybe I’ll come back, but as of yesterday, I’m done with the MLB.
I actually knew fisher when I was in high school, right around when he bought the team. It was obvious back then that he didn’t care about the team. Every time I said how much he loved the A’s, he brushed it off. That high school kid didn’t see THIS coming though…. FJF
Well said, Damon. It's really baffling that Rob Manfred and 29 other owners allowed this circus to happen. Stuff like this is bad for the sport and business in general. Oakland will have my support
It's happening in Chicago with the white Sox as well. The greed by the owners is off the charts. This is the beginning of the end of professional sports.
DA I applaud the work you’ve put into this. It’s refreshing when someone doesn’t just accept “well it’s not blowing up it must not be a big deal” and does their own homework.
Thanks. Best explanation I have heard about this insanity. I was there on fan appreciation day in 1968 when Charlie Finley gave away 5 used cars. The 5th one had to be towed in. Early inspiration for Fisher.
😂...Yeah, but winning excuses a lot...Charlie O was a character...He and Al Davis were both the brawlers and cartflippers of their respective leagues, and that gave Oakland that Raider Nation mystique...
As a life long A’s fan I want to thank you. I am beyond angry, disappointed, and sad. I have been a season ticket holder through family and on my own since 1983, and our family has been Athletics fans since their arrival. I was lucky enough to be at a lot of important and great moments there. I was able to throw out the first pitch in 1990 for my 13th Birthday. What I wanted to say is that the fans are there, we always have been. We were routinely in the top 5 in the league in the late 80’s and 90’s. Leading the league and in the top 3 for a few of those years. In the 2000’s we were in the top 10 in all of baseball. The fans have not been there for several reason, many of which you mentioned. This is tragic. They are in the top 5 most successful franchises in Baseball history. There is not disputing that fact. Going by World Series wins they are 3rd. By playoffs they are in the top 5, all of the MVP winners, Cy young awards. 2nd most rookie of the year awards. Other than the Yankees the only other team to have won 3 World Series in a row, and to have been to three in a row twice. It’s disgusting and sad to hear people wish for the cities downfall. Thanks for the videos.
DA thank you for spreading the truth! I met you at the Coliseum. Biggest thing that hurts me is that people say us Oakland A’s fans deserve this. No fan deserves this.
Thank you so much for speaking on our behalf. I grew up going to A’s games with my dad, and I feel like I was cheated on. I’m used to the national media ignoring our team even when they are good, but I didn’t expect that to continue when Fisher decided to move the team. I think the worst part for me was the bait and switch with howard terminal. Feeling so close to the end and then having the rug pulled out has completely killed my love for baseball, and at the end of the day, I just feel hollow, empty, and alone. I miss my team already
Thank you DA. I’m a born and raised Seattleite with family from the bay. The bay is my second home. Save our Sonics. Save our grizzlies. Save our A’s. Thank you for standing up for the west coast we love you
You know what, this was 1 of the big reasons I've stopped watching the NFL. San Diego didn't deserve to be treated like that. Good point. And I feel the same way about how MLB has treated the Oakland fans. A disgrace
@@dopehousex3 I was a fan when they were in San Diego and sure they should’ve stayed but it’s nice to finally be able to see a game. So nice try Diddy.
Damon, to be honest, I had never heard of you before all of this had happened, but I've discovered you since, and I sincerely appreciate how you (one of the few) who took up the cause of righteousness and used professional journalism and searched out the truth instead of the lies the Manfred, Fisher & MLB push out there. Thank you sir. I've subscribed to your channel and you are on my radar. It's a disgrace that the victims are being blamed and maligned. Credit to you Sir for telling it like it really is. Bless you and thank you FJF, F-Manfred & F-MLB billionaire bros. And now to wallow in absolute misery & heartbreak that comes with this horrible injustice
If it was going to happen; I think a sell would have happened before the mess in Sacramento started. But, to say there isn’t a billionaire that doesn’t want the A’s to stay in Oakland is a lie. Heck, Larry Ellison put a bid in for the Dubs. Maybe he can bid on the A’s.
Something tells me we’re going to see a lot a lot a lot of home runs i’m so ready for the move to Sacramento. And I also can’t wait for the show to put it in. Heck I don’t even wanna wait a year. I just want them to do it now. Let’s do this
Really sad for A's fans. We'll never see the Expos come back to Montreal. 20 years later it still hurts. I love the idea of the Oakland B's. The community owned thing is how to bring the beauty of the game back but they can't replace what has been lost.
8:43 - Philly fan here. I promise you, if the A's were still in Philadelphia and they were thinking of relocation, everywhere else in the country would be ecstatic, even if they were moving to Oakland. So, yes, you make a very good point.
Thank you Damon for all this and blasting this ridiculous nonsense relocation by John fisher. Last Sunday was my last game at the coliseum and soaked it all in since I couldn’t make the last 3 games. Respect I definitely owe you a beer in the future
@@damonamendo just a thought the least I can do with you backing us A’s fans during these times. I know your in NY if I ever get out there I’d definitely like to meet you.
Of all the locations John Fisher attempted to build a ballpark, the one he didn't try? The most logical choice: Coliseum site. They even bought the County's half of the Coliseum site under the auspices of "an assured route to a ballpark" in case Howard Terminal fell through. Then after the deal was done, they declared it "not viable." That, to me, gives away the game on bad faith negotiations.
Facts! People who hate Oakland, just being manipulated by right wing media, who constantly show the same images of the same few blocks where there were homeless encampments. Oakland is a beautiful place, with great people, and potential. I love it here and i don't wanna leave.
I guess im a right winger” and I fucking love Oakland. Born n raised at the coliseum. Used to watch McGwire smash moonshots and Henderson break records. The majority of media is liberal biased. Let’s be real, even local media had stated Oakland politics is a mess, all politics is a mess.
Been an A's fan for 50 years. My kids might not exist if wasn't for the A's as I met their mom in the old Coliseum Bleachers. Fisher hasn't marketed the team for years and it has been the fans that have been keeping the team going, ownership has not cared in years.
❌ Temporary ballpark issues- like clubhouse plumbing- should NOT be a cause for franchise relocation and this whole thing is being massively mishandled. This isn't the middle bleepin ages, people. And as far as I'm concerned MLB Inc. MUST be ABLE to force one of the west Coast teams to host the Athletics- whether that is Giants or Padres or Mariners or Dodgers or Angels. This REALLY should be a non-issue and for example back in the 60s/seventies during ballpark renovations you saw the Angels play at Dodger Stadium, while the Yankees played at Shea Stadium.
Amazing social analysis. I tried having a conversation on Oakland losing it's last team today with my brother. All he said was "Oakland is a S-hole" and I realized there was no conversation to be had there. Although, tbh he also is voting Trump so there's no conversation in many other topics either. As a brother, I am trying to keep some sort of relationship. But the dumping on others culture he displays it's gotten a lot harder year by year.
I hate all the people who say that the oakland A's deserved to leave because the cities government is mismanaged, Oakland fans are among some of the most loyal fanbases. They deserve better.
People blame Oakland for the loss of the Raiders and A's. However any company is only as successful as their leadership, not their headquarters. The A's were the most successful team in MLB franchise of the 70s and 80s under the Finley and Haas ownership. Warriors owner, Chris Cowen used the same excuses as John Fisher. He said Oakland was a "small market" and couldn't afford to pay good players. In 1995 the starting 5 was Avery Johnson, Spreewell, Mullin, Donyel Marshall, and Webber with Tim Hardaway on the IR. The next season Cowen didn't re-sign Hardaway and traded Webber away. This was a long history of the Warriors being the worst team in basketball. Cowen sold the team he couldn't make competitive in 2010 and Lacob and Guber turned them into the best team in the NBA within 5 years in Oakland. So, twice Oakland had the best team in their respective leagues with the best owners.
Hit it right on the button. Fisher has accomplished nothing and wants to be with the "cool kids". His older more intelligent brothers were actually CEOs of GAP, John did not have acumen or business instincts to run the company. Daddy had to buy him the A's, so he can have a play toy and he even messed that up. Running a sports team is easy, "if you win or even try to win, they will come". Makes me wonder what kind of under the table payout Manfred is getting to waive his buddy John a billion dollar relocation fee.
I'm an as fan since birth but what upsets me the most is how polarized against California some people are. In addition to the "Oakland doesn't deserve pro sports" sentiment I've seen people laughing in the comments of natural disaster news reports highlighting the death toll of Californians. Thank you for your support of. It means a lot
Why is it so hard to contemplate locals rooting for the A's to leave? The owner is one of the richest in MLB. Top 10. Yet he won't invest in players OR a ballpark. Expects the plebs to foot the bill. If he won't sell, better to see he & his team leave. Only masochists would want the team to stay under Fisher's horrid, apathetic control. If a significant other showed no loyalty or respect, you show that person the door. I remember when Al's Traiders left in '81. Never forgave him.
It's simple, I work for the city, an the A"s an Oakland had a meeting an they told the city to put 700 million an they'll put the rest but city needed some time for that an yes that showed them they didn't want to be here no more unless they can pay, MLB was looking for a new owner to buy team an move them to Vagas there was Alot of owners wanted to buy team an keep them in the city but MLB was looking for a way out an yes they found a sucker that would listen an moved them.. SO CASE CLOSED, An Y'allKnow The Truth 😢😢😢😢😢
Why is no one talking about Frank McCourt being ousted as owner of the Dodgers and how much it helped the Dodgers become what they have become under the Guggenheim group? Selig would never have let this happen. He has already stopped it once. This isn’t like the Expos. The A’s are the last team in Oakland. Multiple World Series appearances and wins. There is still no deal in Vegas for the A’s or a baseball stadium. Oakland had nearly a half a billion committed to a deal for Howard Terminal. Fisher had no intention of keeping the A’s in Oakland.
@@sirchi8731 Oakland lost the Raiders because Fisher pushed them out (refused to share the Coli with them) and Las Vegas gave him a free stadium. The Warriors move was completely privately funded a few miles away to SF. These are different issues.
As a Met fan looking from the outside, it seems like Fisher was not serious. Fresno, Fremont, San Jose, Laney College, Sacramento 10 years ago. It could have gotten done if Fisher really wanted to.
It's funny how you say that the owners don't want the league or commissioner telling them what to do. From what I heard and you probably know, back when the A's were sold to Fisher, groups with Reggie Jackson and Joe Lacob had higher bids to buy the team, but Selig wanted to do a favor for his college friend Lew Wolff, Fisher's partner at the time. I know leagues want to investigate and make sure no one shady owns a franchise or give first priority to someone who'll keep a franchise in the current city. Aside from that, I know I wouldn't want to be told I needed to sell to someone who wasn't the highest possible bidder. Sounds like an owner being told what to do.
Reggie Jackson actually offered more money than Fisher did but Fisher got the team anyway. MLB almost got its first African-American owner but nope, still nothing but a white guy club.
John Fisher could have closed the gap for Howard Terminal, if not build a stadium, with the money he has spent on political/lobbying contributions. There you go.
Unfortunately professional baseball IS a business, not a cult... The owners own the teams, not the fans. As player salaries SOAR without a hard SALARY CAP, the teams in larger metros have much more revenue than teams in smaller metros. The Los Angeles Dodgers don't blink their eyes spending significantly over the "luxury tax" threshold. Until there is a hard SALARY CAP, MLB will continue to slowly fade away in the smaller metros...
That wouldn’t explain why the A’s are moving from the 10th largest metro area to the 40th largest one. Fisher and MLB did this for the free public money, and that was all they wanted.
When the Billy Beane A’s teams won, the fans didn’t show up still. I don’t know, Damon. I’ve been an A’s fan my whole life. Even with the lousy ownership the A’s have always had a hard time drawing.
Oakland is a beautiful city with beautiful ppl despite its troubles with some of the best food in California, you don't make it better by putting it down
Thank God for Damon Amendolara the only man who has told the truth. MLB can go straight to hell. Oakland A's are gone forever. I will never support or care about Pro Sports ever again.
I grew up with the A's in the 80's and 90's, and I agree that the A's belong on Oakland, but you lost me at 'terrible place to work and terrible place to live'. California has turned into a third world country, in many cities. I travelled home to see my friends on a road trip and I was almost carjacked, robbed at gunpoint at a convenience store, and solicited fentanyl within a week. Oakland can't even get potholes fixed or roads paved because the workers bailed on the contract..for fear of getting shot and killed. Does politics play into that? I would argue so. The scary thing for lifelong residents of California is that this mirrors the metaphor of a frog in a boiling pot of water. They love California so much that ( generally speaking) they don't realize that with every noble sacrifice they've made over the last few decades the temperature on the pot has been rising slowly without noticing. Major businesses have left. Small businesses are being forced to shut down. Sports teams have left. Hyperbolically and frustratingly speaking, the only business really making any money in California is U-Haul. But this is about the A's. The A's attract fans from all across the bay area, from all walks of life. WIth everything I've mentioned above, it ties together because you'd need an owner that actually gave a sh- to be able to work with the local governments to make things happen. To think that either of the last two mayors of Oakland would be able to negotiate to keep the A's (especially with someone who has ran the A's into the ground like Fisher) in Oakland would put most people in a 5150 hold. We saw what happened with the Raiders. Even The Warriors , the shining star of Oakland.... I feel for all A's fans. As someone who grew up watching Rickey in the Coliseum, you all deserve better. Baseball deserves better. And unfortunately, that starts and ends with Fisher and the City of Oakland.
Incredible video Damon, thanks so much for the voice. For you and anyone who wonder why didnt this happens and the historical context of the ‘s demise take a look a this documentary super well done this guy put a ton of accurate research into creating this. Long but fascinating: ruclips.net/video/zj0DEhNQayk/видео.html
John Fischer owns a soccer team in the heart of silicon valley. He promised those fans once he got a new stadium he would spend. Not only didn’t hey get that new stadium they didn’t increase spending. His team has been i last place with matching attendance in a new business. Are we sure he will invest in Sac/Vegas??? 🤷🏾♂️
Oakland deserves a better government who destroyed and ignored the state of the Coliseum for at least 30 years -- which they owned. Damon won't tell you this but its the truth. There is no way MLB would have voted for the A's to leave if the Coliseum wasn't a disaster or there was a plan to replace it -- which was another failure of the Oakland government. They could not find the infrastructure money needed for a stadium (or anything else for that matter) on Howard Terminal and couldn't figure a way to get the people of Oakland to pay for it. THAT'S WHY they left -- and its why the other teams left.
The commissioners of sports league have no control. They are not the boss of the owners. The owners are bosses of the commissioner. So anything the owners want goes otherwise they just boot out the commish and find a new YES man to do the job. I wanna see a world where the mob owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins didnt purposefully tank to save their franchise and draft Lemieux, see how much of a shithole that city would have probably turned into having no hockey team, a bum ass NFL team with 1 championship since like the 90's and a baseball team that is as cheap as the As. Bet that city would have turned into a shithole too
#FJF That “Sheister” didn’t spend a penny on free agents… no wonder the fans wouldn’t spend their hard earned money to see a crap baseball team? No $$ to GAP or LEVI’S from me. #FJF
Stop saying Oakland government is innocent or that Howard Terminal was a done deal, google it - The Oakland City Council voted against putting an advisory vote regarding Howard Terminal on the November ballot by a vote of 4-2, with one abstention by Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan. This killed Howard Terminal, not John Fisher.
At the airport in Seattle heading to Oakland. Someone in security line is also wearing an A’s hoodie. Flashed my sell shirt and he saw my clear bag. We silently fist bumped in solidarity. There’s another woman in A’s gear with a blank look on her face. There’s a bunch of us flying down for the game. It really feels like we’re going to a funeral. This fucking sucks.
Oakland deserves nothing. Sure, Fisher is a jerk. But MLB wanted out of Oakland. Proof? Will Oakland ever get another MLB team? Nope. Next shoe to drop? The White Sox will leave Chicago.
I grew up in Oakland, its an awful city no social media campaign or brainwashing told me that just my lived experience im glad I escaped and hope to never return.
My guy I grew up in the bay area. It is a shithole. Your theory on why everyone thinks it's a shithole is false, it's not just politics. You visited and ate a few meals. Congrats. You don't see the decline of the bay area over the years.
Growing up in the bay doesn't mean you understand oakland. The town isn't for the weak. Hence the term oakland vs everybody. If you don't live there then mind your own city .
I don’t blame the owner. Who wants pro sports team in the middle of an apocalyptic liberal wasteland of crime & drugs? No one wants to walk through piss, shit & drug needles to go to a game. Raiders gone A’s gone, Warriors gone. Blame the politicians that turned it into giant garbage can
Tell me you have never been to Oakland, without telling me 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I live in downtown Oakland, and I can honestly tell you, that I have to do none of that to traverse the streets. You should actually visit the city instead of allowing Fox News to tell you what to think.
@@Unleashedraider1985 are you afraid? Also, how do you speak on a city you have NEVER been to? You proved my point about letting Fox News think for you. Yet, you call me a clown? That's crazy coming from a sheep. 🤣
A lot of my identity has been lost the past 4 years.
1) The Oakland A’s, my childhood team
2) my father passed away last month
3) 3 other heartbreaks I won’t add here
My father and I had official, yet custom made A’s jerseys. Since the team would trade away or let walk our favorite players every 2 to 3 years, our jerseys were made of our last name with our birth year as the jersey number. (My Dad obviously had a much lower number than I)
Tomorrow I’m wearing my Dad’s jersey to the game. I know he will be watching with me.
Spoken like a true A’s fan. I feel your pain
I’ll look for your Dad’s jersey tomorrow. I’ll be there with my 80yr old dad who will be playing in the green vest band on the first level.
It will be the first time weve been there together since Josh Hamilton lost a flyball in the sun and sent the A’s to the playoffs on the final game of the season
@@N8Shamrockablewow that was an iconic game. Wishing you and your father a blessed time tomorrow
I can’t even imagine losing the Twins! This is a travesty!
I hope you don’t. It definitely is a weird feeling. Last year was a lot of anger and fight to keep our team. This year was a lot of resignation after being gaslit by not just the team but MLB as they made clear they don’t care about our fandom. Today, the last game, was more just a celebration. We had no more anger. Some had tears but not much were left among us. Except for maybe 30 people out of 47,000 in attendance today, we were our best selves saying thanks to the team and for the memories.
My dad passed in 2019. I wore his hat to the game on Thursday and brought his ashes with me. As an Oakland native, the Coliseum was our cathedral. Fisher smashed the stained glass and set it on fire.
Amazing summary. Thank you for having our backs. My first A’s game was in 1981 when I was 6mo old. They’ve been a huge part of my life, and now my 8yo son’s life.
I don’t really think Vegas will ever happen. If Fisher sells to someone who cares about and invests in the team, maybe I’ll come back, but as of yesterday, I’m done with the MLB.
Damon, thank you!! Seriously, you have been a national voice of the forgotten Oakland Athletics fans.
This is the best complete informational description of everything that has happened leading up to the most upsetting end of an era of Bay Area sports.
I really appreciate your take on this issue. I appreciate you being the voice of Oakland A's fans. Well said, thank you.
It’s been my pleasure
I actually knew fisher when I was in high school, right around when he bought the team. It was obvious back then that he didn’t care about the team. Every time I said how much he loved the A’s, he brushed it off. That high school kid didn’t see THIS coming though…. FJF
Thanks Damon. You understand the circumstances completely.
Well said, Damon. It's really baffling that Rob Manfred and 29 other owners allowed this circus to happen. Stuff like this is bad for the sport and business in general. Oakland will have my support
Who's worse: Manfred or Selig?
The point about the media manipulating people in to thinking this relocation is a good idea is spot on.
Thank you 🙏
It's happening in Chicago with the white Sox as well. The greed by the owners is off the charts. This is the beginning of the end of professional sports.
Man that’s so freaking sad. These owners don’t care about the people.
This guy Damon A is totally insufferable!
Can’t stand to listen him, he sounds too whiny and illogical.
don't say we as A's fans didn't warn you. I know you real White Sox fans were with the A's, we still warned yall.
MLB loves Chicago. The white Sox belong there and will stay there. Not the same.
It isn’t about the stadium. Now owners want a stadium, tax breaks, hotels, restaurants, trams. It’s a joke.
Thank you Damon for getting the truth out
Thank you Damon for continuing to use your platform to expose this scam. All A’s fans and baseball fans appreciate it
DA I applaud the work you’ve put into this. It’s refreshing when someone doesn’t just accept “well it’s not blowing up it must not be a big deal” and does their own homework.
Sympathy from St Louis.
Thank you D.A. for all your love & support! We appreciate you always!
Thanks. Best explanation I have heard about this insanity. I was there on fan appreciation day in 1968 when Charlie Finley gave away 5 used cars. The 5th one had to be towed in. Early inspiration for Fisher.
😂...Yeah, but winning excuses a lot...Charlie O was a character...He and Al Davis were both the brawlers and cartflippers of their respective leagues, and that gave Oakland that Raider Nation mystique...
@bartphlegar8212 I agree. Finley was a winner, and at least understood baseball, unlike Fisher. Though his cheapness was also ultimately destructive.
Thanks!
As a life long A’s fan I want to thank you. I am beyond angry, disappointed, and sad. I have been a season ticket holder through family and on my own since 1983, and our family has been Athletics fans since their arrival. I was lucky enough to be at a lot of important and great moments there. I was able to throw out the first pitch in 1990 for my 13th Birthday. What I wanted to say is that the fans are there, we always have been. We were routinely in the top 5 in the league in the late 80’s and 90’s. Leading the league and in the top 3 for a few of those years. In the 2000’s we were in the top 10 in all of baseball. The fans have not been there for several reason, many of which you mentioned.
This is tragic. They are in the top 5 most successful franchises in Baseball history. There is not disputing that fact. Going by World Series wins they are 3rd. By playoffs they are in the top 5, all of the MVP winners, Cy young awards. 2nd most rookie of the year awards. Other than the Yankees the only other team to have won 3 World Series in a row, and to have been to three in a row twice. It’s disgusting and sad to hear people wish for the cities downfall.
Thanks for the videos.
DA thank you for spreading the truth! I met you at the Coliseum. Biggest thing that hurts me is that people say us Oakland A’s fans deserve this. No fan deserves this.
Thank you so much for speaking on our behalf. I grew up going to A’s games with my dad, and I feel like I was cheated on. I’m used to the national media ignoring our team even when they are good, but I didn’t expect that to continue when Fisher decided to move the team. I think the worst part for me was the bait and switch with howard terminal. Feeling so close to the end and then having the rug pulled out has completely killed my love for baseball, and at the end of the day, I just feel hollow, empty, and alone. I miss my team already
Thank you! You nailed it!
Thank you DA. I’m a born and raised Seattleite with family from the bay. The bay is my second home. Save our Sonics. Save our grizzlies. Save our A’s. Thank you for standing up for the west coast we love you
Thanks DA for this deep dive into the "why." I will be saving this video and sharing it with all the naysayers. We appreciate you. 💛💚
Calling Manfred mediocre is an insult to the word. Manfred has been a slop artist since he took the chair as commissioner.
Manfred is a God, besides Fisher of course.
Who's worse: Manfred or Selig?
@@dnasty312 That's like asking what STD you like less. No winner.
I feel for Oakland fans I feel the same when the cheap Spanos family moved the Chargers to LA.
LA chargers fan here. Loved the move and am happy I can now go to games.
You know what, this was 1 of the big reasons I've stopped watching the NFL. San Diego didn't deserve to be treated like that. Good point. And I feel the same way about how MLB has treated the Oakland fans. A disgrace
@@805fillmore no true Chargers fan would say that! Nice try Diddy
@@dopehousex3 I was a fan when they were in San Diego and sure they should’ve stayed but it’s nice to finally be able to see a game. So nice try Diddy.
@@805fillmore not falling for your scam Diddler 🤔
Damon, to be honest, I had never heard of you before all of this had happened, but I've discovered you since, and I sincerely appreciate how you (one of the few) who took up the cause of righteousness and used professional journalism and searched out the truth instead of the lies the Manfred, Fisher & MLB push out there.
Thank you sir. I've subscribed to your channel and you are on my radar.
It's a disgrace that the victims are being blamed and maligned. Credit to you Sir for telling it like it really is.
Bless you and thank you
FJF, F-Manfred & F-MLB billionaire bros.
And now to wallow in absolute misery & heartbreak that comes with this horrible injustice
still think he sells to lacob in the off-season and they stay in the bay
I truly hope that's the case, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.
If it was going to happen; I think a sell would have happened before the mess in Sacramento started. But, to say there isn’t a billionaire that doesn’t want the A’s to stay in Oakland is a lie. Heck, Larry Ellison put a bid in for the Dubs. Maybe he can bid on the A’s.
There are Texas billionaires that would love to buy the A's and relocate them to South Central Texas, either San Antonio or Austin...
@@TheOtherGygax the sac and Vegas deals can still fall through tho.
@@stevenhempel2311 I can hope!!
Something tells me we’re going to see a lot a lot a lot of home runs i’m so ready for the move to Sacramento. And I also can’t wait for the show to put it in. Heck I don’t even wanna wait a year. I just want them to do it now. Let’s do this
Really sad for A's fans. We'll never see the Expos come back to Montreal. 20 years later it still hurts. I love the idea of the Oakland B's. The community owned thing is how to bring the beauty of the game back but they can't replace what has been lost.
Thank you D.A. you really are the "people's champ"! 🏆 Getting ready to head to the Coliseum for the last game 🐘⚾
8:43 - Philly fan here.
I promise you, if the A's were still in Philadelphia and they were thinking of relocation, everywhere else in the country would be ecstatic, even if they were moving to Oakland.
So, yes, you make a very good point.
Love you Damon
Thank you Damon for all this and blasting this ridiculous nonsense relocation by John fisher. Last Sunday was my last game at the coliseum and soaked it all in since I couldn’t make the last 3 games. Respect I definitely owe you a beer in the future
You don’t owe me anything, but thank you. And if I see you, I’ll accept the beer :)
@@damonamendo just a thought the least I can do with you backing us A’s fans during these times. I know your in NY if I ever get out there I’d definitely like to meet you.
Of all the locations John Fisher attempted to build a ballpark, the one he didn't try? The most logical choice: Coliseum site. They even bought the County's half of the Coliseum site under the auspices of "an assured route to a ballpark" in case Howard Terminal fell through. Then after the deal was done, they declared it "not viable." That, to me, gives away the game on bad faith negotiations.
That’s what the Mets did. And Citi Field is a complete desert around the park.
@@Enginshim And yet the Mets are still in New York, not New Jersey.
Facts! People who hate Oakland, just being manipulated by right wing media, who constantly show the same images of the same few blocks where there were homeless encampments. Oakland is a beautiful place, with great people, and potential. I love it here and i don't wanna leave.
Fun fact Fisher is a Republican so he probably believe the right wing propaganda that Oakland is a terrible city.
I guess im a right winger” and I fucking love Oakland. Born n raised at the coliseum. Used to watch McGwire smash moonshots and Henderson break records. The majority of media is liberal biased. Let’s be real, even local media had stated Oakland politics is a mess, all politics is a mess.
Been an A's fan for 50 years. My kids might not exist if wasn't for the A's as I met their mom in the old Coliseum Bleachers.
Fisher hasn't marketed the team for years and it has been the fans that have been keeping the team going, ownership has not cared in years.
Btw, I’m from NY. If the Yankees sucked for years attendance would go waayyyy down. Yankees spend, the people come.
❌ Temporary ballpark issues- like clubhouse plumbing- should NOT be a cause for franchise relocation and this whole thing is being massively mishandled. This isn't the middle bleepin ages, people. And as far as I'm concerned MLB Inc. MUST be ABLE to force one of the west Coast teams to host the Athletics- whether that is Giants or Padres or Mariners or Dodgers or Angels. This REALLY should be a non-issue and for example back in the 60s/seventies during ballpark renovations you saw the Angels play at Dodger Stadium, while the Yankees played at Shea Stadium.
First, blame former commissioner Dud, oops, Cud, oops, Fudd, oops, Mud, oops, Crud, oops, Bud Selig. Commissioner Crud forced Fisher in as the A's owner because Fisher's junior partner Lew Wolff was commissioner Crud's buddy
Amazing social analysis. I tried having a conversation on Oakland losing it's last team today with my brother. All he said was "Oakland is a S-hole" and I realized there was no conversation to be had there.
Although, tbh he also is voting Trump so there's no conversation in many other topics either.
As a brother, I am trying to keep some sort of relationship. But the dumping on others culture he displays it's gotten a lot harder year by year.
20 years ago I used to go to games at both Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena all the time.
Now the complex is empty.
Its sad to see as a fan.
Got my phone to alert me when you start your post game broadcast today.
I hate all the people who say that the oakland A's deserved to leave because the cities government is mismanaged, Oakland fans are among some of the most loyal fanbases. They deserve better.
People blame Oakland for the loss of the Raiders and A's. However any company is only as successful as their leadership, not their headquarters. The A's were the most successful team in MLB franchise of the 70s and 80s under the Finley and Haas ownership. Warriors owner, Chris Cowen used the same excuses as John Fisher. He said Oakland was a "small market" and couldn't afford to pay good players. In 1995 the starting 5 was Avery Johnson, Spreewell, Mullin, Donyel Marshall, and Webber with Tim Hardaway on the IR. The next season Cowen didn't re-sign Hardaway and traded Webber away. This was a long history of the Warriors being the worst team in basketball. Cowen sold the team he couldn't make competitive in 2010 and Lacob and Guber turned them into the best team in the NBA within 5 years in Oakland. So, twice Oakland had the best team in their respective leagues with the best owners.
Eric Chaves in 2005 was the last real contact for a in-house player in Oakland..nuff said
Hit it right on the button. Fisher has accomplished nothing and wants to be with the "cool kids". His older more intelligent brothers were actually CEOs of GAP, John did not have acumen or business instincts to run the company. Daddy had to buy him the A's, so he can have a play toy and he even messed that up. Running a sports team is easy, "if you win or even try to win, they will come". Makes me wonder what kind of under the table payout Manfred is getting to waive his buddy John a billion dollar relocation fee.
Know which owner also negotiated in bad faith? Peter Karmanos 🖕🏻🙄
I'm an as fan since birth but what upsets me the most is how polarized against California some people are. In addition to the "Oakland doesn't deserve pro sports" sentiment I've seen people laughing in the comments of natural disaster news reports highlighting the death toll of Californians. Thank you for your support of. It means a lot
Fisher & Manfred only care about money
All the other evil owners do too
I feel for the other sports teams that's getting threatening to move also it's sad billionaires is doing what they want and the fans are taking it bad
This is wrong on every level. Baseball owners are too blind to see that this will hurt, not help grow the game.
And as always, FJF!
Miss you on the radio
Why is it so hard to contemplate locals rooting for the A's to leave? The owner is one of the richest in MLB. Top 10. Yet he won't invest in players OR a ballpark. Expects the plebs to foot the bill. If he won't sell, better to see he & his team leave. Only masochists would want the team to stay under Fisher's horrid, apathetic control. If a significant other showed no loyalty or respect, you show that person the door. I remember when Al's Traiders left in '81. Never forgave him.
Every time a municipality invests in a sports team's ballpark they should receive part ownership of the team.
It's simple, I work for the city, an the A"s an Oakland had a meeting an they told the city to put 700 million an they'll put the rest but city needed some time for that an yes that showed them they didn't want to be here no more unless they can pay, MLB was looking for a new owner to buy team an move them to Vagas there was Alot of owners wanted to buy team an keep them in the city but MLB was looking for a way out an yes they found a sucker that would listen an moved them.. SO CASE CLOSED, An Y'allKnow The Truth 😢😢😢😢😢
A+
Why is no one talking about Frank McCourt being ousted as owner of the Dodgers and how much it helped the Dodgers become what they have become under the Guggenheim group? Selig would never have let this happen. He has already stopped it once. This isn’t like the Expos. The A’s are the last team in Oakland. Multiple World Series appearances and wins. There is still no deal in Vegas for the A’s or a baseball stadium. Oakland had nearly a half a billion committed to a deal for Howard Terminal. Fisher had no intention of keeping the A’s in Oakland.
In my opinion it was the outdated Oakland Colosseum
Which was also Fisher's fault for not investing a dime into it.
@@letsgowalkI would agree but Oakland lost 2 other teams as well....common denominator is Oakland unfortunately 😢
@@sirchi8731 Oakland lost the Raiders because Fisher pushed them out (refused to share the Coli with them) and Las Vegas gave him a free stadium. The Warriors move was completely privately funded a few miles away to SF. These are different issues.
@@DrDivis Joe Lacob paid for the stadium not for the land or infrastructure. That was on S.F tax payers dime
Don't forget the Giants' role in blocking Piccinini buying A's. This never would have happened if they didn't convince Selig to cock-block him.
As a Met fan looking from the outside, it seems like Fisher was not serious. Fresno, Fremont, San Jose, Laney College, Sacramento 10 years ago. It could have gotten done if Fisher really wanted to.
It's funny how you say that the owners don't want the league or commissioner telling them what to do. From what I heard and you probably know, back when the A's were sold to Fisher, groups with Reggie Jackson and Joe Lacob had higher bids to buy the team, but Selig wanted to do a favor for his college friend Lew Wolff, Fisher's partner at the time. I know leagues want to investigate and make sure no one shady owns a franchise or give first priority to someone who'll keep a franchise in the current city. Aside from that, I know I wouldn't want to be told I needed to sell to someone who wasn't the highest possible bidder. Sounds like an owner being told what to do.
I just can't understand why the other owners would give up Vegas as a potential expansion site. The other options just don't feel right.
My kids love going to A's games, and now thats all gone forever. My family will never watch mlb again
Reggie Jackson actually offered more money than Fisher did but Fisher got the team anyway. MLB almost got its first African-American owner but nope, still nothing but a white guy club.
Selig did that, right?
@@dnasty312 He was in charge then yes
Yep!
John Fisher could have closed the gap for Howard Terminal, if not build a stadium, with the money he has spent on political/lobbying contributions. There you go.
Unfortunately professional baseball IS a business, not a cult... The owners own the teams, not the fans. As player salaries SOAR without a hard SALARY CAP, the teams in larger metros have much more revenue than teams in smaller metros. The Los Angeles Dodgers don't blink their eyes spending significantly over the "luxury tax" threshold. Until there is a hard SALARY CAP, MLB will continue to slowly fade away in the smaller metros...
That wouldn’t explain why the A’s are moving from the 10th largest metro area to the 40th largest one. Fisher and MLB did this for the free public money, and that was all they wanted.
JOHN FISHER=RACHEL PHELPS!!!
When the Billy Beane A’s teams won, the fans didn’t show up still. I don’t know, Damon. I’ve been an A’s fan my whole life. Even with the lousy ownership the A’s have always had a hard time drawing.
Oakland is a beautiful city with beautiful ppl despite its troubles with some of the best food in California, you don't make it better by putting it down
Where's Billy Beane in all of this??
He's on Fisher's side
Thank God for Damon Amendolara the only man who has told the truth. MLB can go straight to hell. Oakland A's are gone forever. I will never support or care about Pro Sports ever again.
MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I grew up with the A's in the 80's and 90's, and I agree that the A's belong on Oakland, but you lost me at 'terrible place to work and terrible place to live'. California has turned into a third world country, in many cities. I travelled home to see my friends on a road trip and I was almost carjacked, robbed at gunpoint at a convenience store, and solicited fentanyl within a week. Oakland can't even get potholes fixed or roads paved because the workers bailed on the contract..for fear of getting shot and killed. Does politics play into that? I would argue so. The scary thing for lifelong residents of California is that this mirrors the metaphor of a frog in a boiling pot of water. They love California so much that ( generally speaking) they don't realize that with every noble sacrifice they've made over the last few decades the temperature on the pot has been rising slowly without noticing. Major businesses have left. Small businesses are being forced to shut down. Sports teams have left. Hyperbolically and frustratingly speaking, the only business really making any money in California is U-Haul.
But this is about the A's. The A's attract fans from all across the bay area, from all walks of life. WIth everything I've mentioned above, it ties together because you'd need an owner that actually gave a sh- to be able to work with the local governments to make things happen. To think that either of the last two mayors of Oakland would be able to negotiate to keep the A's (especially with someone who has ran the A's into the ground like Fisher) in Oakland would put most people in a 5150 hold. We saw what happened with the Raiders. Even The Warriors , the shining star of Oakland.... I feel for all A's fans. As someone who grew up watching Rickey in the Coliseum, you all deserve better. Baseball deserves better. And unfortunately, that starts and ends with Fisher and the City of Oakland.
bro have you seen Oaklands homeless issues? calling it a great city is wild Oakland is homeless camps and crime.
2024 will go down as one of the worst baseball seasons I can remember. People over profits!
Incredible video Damon, thanks so much for the voice. For you and anyone who wonder why didnt this happens and the historical context of the ‘s demise take a look a this documentary super well done this guy put a ton of accurate research into creating this. Long but fascinating:
ruclips.net/video/zj0DEhNQayk/видео.html
John Fischer owns a soccer team in the heart of silicon valley. He promised those fans once he got a new stadium he would spend. Not only didn’t hey get that new stadium they didn’t increase spending. His team has been i last place with matching attendance in a new business. Are we sure he will invest in Sac/Vegas??? 🤷🏾♂️
Where in Oakland do you think this dip live? Want to bet he commutes in from Walnut Creek?
And Las Vegas doesn't even want them
Oakland deserves a better government who destroyed and ignored the state of the Coliseum for at least 30 years -- which they owned. Damon won't tell you this but its the truth. There is no way MLB would have voted for the A's to leave if the Coliseum wasn't a disaster or there was a plan to replace it -- which was another failure of the Oakland government. They could not find the infrastructure money needed for a stadium (or anything else for that matter) on Howard Terminal and couldn't figure a way to get the people of Oakland to pay for it. THAT'S WHY they left -- and its why the other teams left.
The commissioners of sports league have no control. They are not the boss of the owners. The owners are bosses of the commissioner. So anything the owners want goes otherwise they just boot out the commish and find a new YES man to do the job. I wanna see a world where the mob owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins didnt purposefully tank to save their franchise and draft Lemieux, see how much of a shithole that city would have probably turned into having no hockey team, a bum ass NFL team with 1 championship since like the 90's and a baseball team that is as cheap as the As. Bet that city would have turned into a shithole too
#FJF
That “Sheister” didn’t spend a penny on free agents… no wonder the fans wouldn’t spend their hard earned money to see a crap baseball team? No $$ to GAP or LEVI’S from me.
#FJF
LAS VEGAS ATHLETICS??? ARE YOU SERIOUS??? LET THE TAXPAYERS DECIDE!!!
Stop saying Oakland government is innocent or that Howard Terminal was a done deal, google it - The Oakland City Council voted against putting an advisory vote regarding Howard Terminal on the November ballot by a vote of 4-2, with one abstention by Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan. This killed Howard Terminal, not John Fisher.
FJohn Fisher… this is all billionaire greed in sports. Total bs to blame the fans and city of Oakland.
At the airport in Seattle heading to Oakland. Someone in security line is also wearing an A’s hoodie. Flashed my sell shirt and he saw my clear bag. We silently fist bumped in solidarity. There’s another woman in A’s gear with a blank look on her face. There’s a bunch of us flying down for the game. It really feels like we’re going to a funeral. This fucking sucks.
Oakland deserves nothing. Sure, Fisher is a jerk. But MLB wanted out of Oakland. Proof? Will Oakland ever get another MLB team? Nope. Next shoe to drop? The White Sox will leave Chicago.
I will never support paying and building stadiums for billionaires. People are sheep
It’s ridiculous
#sell #saveoaklandAsbaseball#FJF
I grew up in Oakland, its an awful city no social media campaign or brainwashing told me that just my lived experience im glad I escaped and hope to never return.
Sounds like a happy childhood
Why would anyone want to do business in California?
Stop AH ‘ole. I love the people’s republic of California! Who needs you.
Oakland is a slum too much crime . Too high taxes .
My guy I grew up in the bay area. It is a shithole. Your theory on why everyone thinks it's a shithole is false, it's not just politics. You visited and ate a few meals. Congrats. You don't see the decline of the bay area over the years.
Growing up in the bay doesn't mean you understand oakland. The town isn't for the weak. Hence the term oakland vs everybody. If you don't live there then mind your own city .
RealTomBrokaw is on the Lafayette overpass 💯
A’s died from a liberal community and state
I don’t blame the owner. Who wants pro sports team in the middle of an apocalyptic liberal wasteland of crime & drugs? No one wants to walk through piss, shit & drug needles to go to a game. Raiders gone A’s gone, Warriors gone. Blame the politicians that turned it into giant garbage can
You must be really miserable aren't you?
Vegas is basically the same just has nicer buildings
Tell me you have never been to Oakland, without telling me 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I live in downtown Oakland, and I can honestly tell you, that I have to do none of that to traverse the streets. You should actually visit the city instead of allowing Fox News to tell you what to think.
@@KingTone510 Visit the city??? You a clown
@@Unleashedraider1985 are you afraid? Also, how do you speak on a city you have NEVER been to? You proved my point about letting Fox News think for you. Yet, you call me a clown? That's crazy coming from a sheep. 🤣