John Fisher’s Negligence Is To Blame, Not Oakland Fans

Over the years, John Fisher has treated the Oakland Athletics like a neglected animal. He’s traded or let key players leave as free agents, let possums wander freely in the Coliseum, and refused to spend money to put a respectable product on the field. Given the brutal neglect of the franchise, it’s hard to blame A’s fans for refusing to put money in his checking account. John Fisher’s negligence should be blamed not Athletics fans.

The A’s Have Had Success Despite John Fisher’s Lack Of Support

Despite always having some of the lowest payrolls in baseball, the Athletics had some success. In the past 20 years, Oakland has made the postseason eight times and won five AL West titles. In 2006, they advanced all the way to the ALCS. Since Oakland has refused to spend a lot of money, they’ve won through drafting, development, cheap free-agent signings, and sneaky trades. The kids call this “Ballin on a budget” and others know it as Moneyball. However, despite all the success, the Athletics almost always trade or let those players leave as free agents. The team makes no effort to replace the players who leave. The biggest free agent signed by Fisher was Billy Butler, who was signed to a three-year, $30 million deal.

John Fisher Can’t Even Obey The Most Basic Business Practices

If a possum were wandering around a business establishment, the owner would call animal control right away. This at least would be what an owner with common sense would do. Unfortunately, John Fisher appears to have none because this is exactly what’s been going on at the Coliseum for years. I bet if Donald and Doris saw one of their GAP stores have a possum infestation and little Johnny did nothing about it, they’d probably pass out on the spot. You can also bet GAP stores would lose a lot of money in the process.

The Fans Have Been There

Unlike what keyboard warriors of social media may tell you, Oakland A’s fans have always been there especially now. They always show up when their team is competitive and has players they love. The same can be said for the 29 other teams in the league. As recently as 2014, the Oakland Coliseum attracted over two million fans that season. The people who haven’t been there for the team is John Fisher and Rob Manfred. There are plenty of other teams who have never broken that threshold. It has just been the past three years where attendance has been less than one million people.

Fans Are Letting Their Wallets Do The Talking

Athletics fans are simply doing what most consumers do when a company provides a poor product and service; they aren’t spending their hard-earned leisure time and dollars with that business. A Major League Baseball team isn’t immune from this concept. Fans don’t like the product on the field, the stadium is poorly kept up, and John Fisher has treated his customers poorly, there is no reason for them to come. Blaming them for not showing up under these circumstances is wrong. This is the equivalent of a person going back to a store where they’ve constantly been treated poorly.

The Fans Aren’t To Blame For The Athletics Situation

Given that Fisher refuses to put a competitive product on the field, fails to do anything about the possum problem, and continuously treats A’s fans poorly; how can we blame the fans for not showing up to the Coliseum? Fisher has shown that he is unwilling to improve the product and clearly uses the franchise as a piggy bank; nobody in their right mind should support that concept. The fans are just voting with their wallets and are unwilling to support the direction John Fisher is taking the team. In business, the customer is always right, and A’s fans are no exception. John Fisher is to blame for the poor turnout at games, not the fans.

For more on baseball, check out Belly Up Sports and follow Eric on Twitter. Featured Image: Getty Images