“Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” is what MF Doom says on his track “Absolutely.” This lyric made me think of Oakland A’s owner John Fisher. He’s done his absolute best to make the Oakland A’s the worst. He’s alienated the fanbase and traded ALL their best players. The A’s opening day payroll was higher in 2006 than it was this year. The A’s were approved to move to Las Vegas unanimously in November, they won’t be there until 2028. Their stadium lease in Oakland ends in 2024, which leaves three years of the A’s needing a place to stay. Sacramento, come on down.
Sacramento
I’m a huge Sacramento Kings fan. I lived in Sacramento during the early 2000s when they were contending for titles. The hardest part of being a Kings fan wasn’t the losing that followed that period of success. It was the constant relocation rumors that engulfed the organization and fanbase for four years. Anaheim, Virginia Beach, and Seattle were all in the mix. Yet, the move never happened. The fans and mayor fought back and were able to get an ownership group together and buy the Kings to keep them in Sacramento.
The thoughts that took over my mind during this period of uncertainty were horrible. Would I still be a basketball fan if the Kings moved? What team would I choose to support? Would I have to become a Bucks fan? I don’t wish relocation rumors on my own worst enemy.
As a Kings fan, those relocation scars run deep. They do for many Kings fans as well. So, why would the city of Sacramento, after all they’d been through with almost losing the Kings, bail out the A’s by letting them stay there for a couple of years?
The Reasons (Probably)
Expansion is on the minds of lots of leagues. Look no further than the MLS, who were in talks to relocate to Sacramento just a couple of years ago. That has since fallen through. The NBA could be expanding soon as well. More teams means more money for the leagues. Engaging new markets is beneficial for growth and with so many cities in North America eager for sports teams, it makes sense financially for the leagues themselves.
Essentially Sacramento can tell the residents that this three-year (or more) hosting of the MLB’s horrendously run franchise is an audition for a possible MLB team. That sounds great, right? Well, there is no guarantee that the MLB would choose Sacramento for a relocation team, especially when they weren’t the only city running to host the A’s.
The most credible reason for Sacramento to temporarily host A’s is that the temporary tag could be long. The Vegas mayor, back in February, questioned the move to Vegas. Even though stadium renderings have been shown, it remains contentious. If the project hits any more snafus, then the A’s could be in Sacramento for a while.
Reason Against
The Oakland A’s are awful. They don’t spend money, they don’t have any path to be relevant in one of the toughest divisions in baseball for some years. Will the owner spend money to appease residents of Sacramento for their stay? Maybe? But seriously no big time, worth a damn, free agent would sign with this team. The city of Sacramento is essentially agreeing to support the worst MLB team that has no future path to being successful.
Oakland
$380 million in public funding. $380 million in public funding to an owner who refuses to ever spend money on free agents. $380 million in public funding during a time when the city of Oakland is struggling with gun violence. Putting money towards building a new stadium in Oakland never made any sense, not for this owner.
Forcing owner John Fisher to sell the team to someone who did want to stay in Oakland, did make sense. That is a pipe dream. A stubborn man who was always going to dig in wouldn’t get bullied into selling. Plus the spineless leadership of MLB has enabled Fisher’s ways for far too long to stand up to him now.
It Will Still Hurt
Oakland has lost the Raiders to Las Vegas, the Warriors to San Francisco, and now the A’s to Sacramento and then Las Vegas. 2024 will be the last year of professional sports in Oakland for some time. My memories of being a kid going to see the A’s instead of the Giants due to cheap tickets will never leave me. Watching some of those great players the A’s had during my fandom will stick with me. Most importantly, the fans and how much they embraced every unique team that suited up for the green and gold will stick with me the most.
Despite low attendance numbers, there are A’s fans, they exist. They, like every other fanbase in pro sports, would hate to see their team gutted for no reason. I will take one last pilgrimage to see the A’s play, one last goodbye to the team I grew up with. Having survived the Kings’ relocation, I reckon you only get to dodge that bullet once in your life.
The Oakland Roots
Oakland still has the Roots. A second division soccer team that plays at CSUEB stadium, also known as Pioneer stadium. The ticket prices start around $15-$25, similar to the A’s. Their website says they have a proposal to build a new 10,000-seater stadium. If ever the MLS comes to its senses and implements promotion and relegation, then there is a chance the Roots and its sister team the Soul could be first-division soccer teams.
Final Thoughts
I have no ill will against residents of Vegas or Sacramento, nor should any A’s fans. This has nothing to do with future A’s fans who will hopefully enjoy the team as much as I did. This is another case of why the professional model in North American sports doesn’t serve the fans (That’s the German model). I hope the A’s leaving Oakland serves as a reminder to all fan bases in North America: Your hometown team is not yours, they do not belong to you. Second, the majority of the city doesn’t want to make a bad stadium deal, the owner will leave you and whatever ownership you thought you had behind for another city desperate enough to take a bad deal. CC: The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
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Featured Image: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
