The Oakland Athletics’ attempt to move to Las Vegas has been a disaster every step of the way. Owner John Fisher has yet to come up with the renderings of the new stadium or his end of the funding. I haven’t seen anything done right by the Athletics. As the calendar moves forward, it wouldn’t be shocking if the entire move falls apart. The city of Las Vegas would be better off getting an expansion team than inheriting the Oakland Athletics.
Sin City Has Become a Hotbed for Professional Sports Teams
Embed from Getty ImagesLas Vegas was once seen as a taboo place for major professional sports to have teams in. However, thanks to the rapid rise of sports gambling, it has now become a popular destination for major league sports teams. The NHL’s Golden Knights and NFL’s Raiders have been very successful in Sin City. Given the successes of those two franchises, naturally, Major League Baseball wants in on the action as well.
The Relocation Process Has Been a Complete Disaster
Embed from Getty ImagesThroughout this past year, hapless A’s owner John Fisher has been trying to move the team from their longtime home in Oakland to Vegas. This move has garnered a very unfavorable reception from fans, writers, former executives, and even some current players. Even the reaction from the city of Las Vegas has been mixed at best as well.
The relocation process for Oakland has been full of one disaster after the other. John Fisher has yet to come up with the renderings for the new ballpark or his end of the funding. Fisher has blown countless deadlines as well and commissioner Rob Manfred has just given him a hall pass. The team is essentially homeless after 2024 and building a stadium built in Vegas by 2028 is starting to look bleak. The team is currently attempting to beg the city of Oakland to allow them to stay a little longer. Furthermore, there isn’t a person that John Fisher hasn’t lied to. Given how much of a disaster the entire process has been, it wouldn’t be shocking if the entire move attempt blew up in little Johnny’s face.
An Expansion Team Would Be a Hit Among the Locals
Instead of inheriting a team, Las Vegas would be better off with a brand-new expansion franchise. The hype and excitement for a new sports team coming to town would be unmatched. The ownership of the team would most likely be local. This would mean that they would truly know the Las Vegas market and what is needed to be successful in it. Having a brand-new expansion team would allow fans to see the organization built from the ground up.
This would give people who live in the area to have an MLB team to truly call their own. I believe lots of people would actually get behind this team. Given how people have taken in the Golden Knights, it is possible for a new MLB team to duplicate that kind of success as well. All of this isn’t possible if Las Vegas inherits the Oakland Athletics.
An Expansion Team Is Better Suited for Vegas Not John Fisher’s Team
Major League Baseball is better off giving the city of Las Vegas a brand-new expansion franchise. They would be making a mistake by giving away a prime relocation spot to a trainwreck owner. The city would receive a new team much better. Vegas has already proven that it is willing to get behind an expansion team like it did with the Golden Knights. I believe the same thing will happen to an expansion MLB team in Sin City as well.
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