Oakland A's move reactions are great!

El Paso Eagle · June 16, 2023

For 20+ years, everyone has known that their facilities were crap and their fan support was terrible. Now that the move has been made official, here comes the moaning and complaining. After they lost the Raiders, you would have thought they would have stepped up, not tried to play a game of chicken.

Coffee and TV · June 16, 2023

Same kinda thing happened in Columbus with the Crew: the market was there but the product was not. Owner threatens a move, instead gets a sell on the club and a discounted expansion team in Austin. New Columbus owners build a new stadium, create a competitive team, and suddenly the fans were there all along.

This owner hasn't exactly been doing much to give these people a reason to show up the last 7-8 years as I understand it. The city apparently made a good faith offer for a stadium nearby the Coliseum, but the ownership balked and took a worse deal in Vegas. But what was really the death blow was when the Giants blocked them from building a new stadium in San Jose. They had one foot out of the door after that happened.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Coffee and TV

El Paso Eagle · June 16, 2023

48 minutes ago, Coffee and TV said:

But what was really the death blow was when the Giants blocked them from building a new stadium in San Jose.

Saw that and thought that it was crazy. Wouldn't they have actually been farther away from SF if they had moved to San Jose?

Edited June 16, 2023 by El Paso Eagle

Coffee and TV · June 18, 2023

On 6/16/2023 at 6:40 PM, El Paso Eagle said:

Saw that and thought that it was crazy. Wouldn't they have actually been farther away from SF if they had moved to San Jose?

I don't know the full story but apparently the A's gave up San Jose territory to the Giants a while back for whatever reason. Giants wouldn't give it back and that killed off their stadium plans. It's a very moneyed part of the Bay Area and probably where a good bit of the Giants season tickets come from, not to mention a lot of Silicon Valley executives discussing deals in box seats at Giant games and that sorta thing.

Edited June 18, 2023 by Coffee and TV

UNTLifer · June 19, 2023

On 6/16/2023 at 5:53 PM, Coffee and TV said:

But what was really the death blow was when the Giants blocked them from building a new stadium in San Jose. They had one foot out of the door after that happened.

How does this occur? Please explain.

NT80 · June 19, 2023

On 6/16/2023 at 6:40 PM, El Paso Eagle said:

Saw that and thought that it was crazy. Wouldn't they have actually been farther away from SF if they had moved to San Jose?

Yes. SF to Oakland is only 10 miles, but water between them. San Jose (pop. over 1 mil) is 45 miles south of SF, same side of the Bay.

San Jose is more upscale than Oakland. Silicon Valley, Apple HQ, lots of tech guys with $$. The Oakland mayor seemed very threatening in her messages to the A's owners. It was a good move for them to Vegas imo.

Coffee and TV · June 19, 2023

5 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

How does this occur? Please explain.

This article is from last year but can explain a little better than I can. Seems as though the Giants were looking at Silicon Valley for a new stadium deal back in the day, so the A's gave them the go ahead. The Giants won't return the favor 30 years later apparently. Probably has to do with how the TV money is split, how much advertisers are willing to pay considering the market, etc.

https://therealdeal.com/sanfrancisco/2022/07/29/how-the-as-prevented-themselves-from-building-a-south-bay-stadium/

Edited June 19, 2023 by Coffee and TV