What Happens in Vegas: A’s in Vegas

[G-Fafif]

Not altogether gone, done dealwise…

The Oakland A’s spent nearly two years identifying a location for a $1.5 billion stadium and entertainment complex in Las Vegas. But now the team and state lawmakers have a month and a half window before the legislative session ends to hammer out details of a $500 million public financing contribution toward a 35,000-seat retractable roof ballpark near Tropicana Avenue and Interstate 15.

Though there is a rough outline of a proposal for the potential relocation of the A’s to Las Vegas, no formal legislation has been introduced or requested, and state lawmakers have not received specifics or made any commitment to support the project. Without a deal approved by lawmakers, the A’s could withdraw from the agreement to purchase land for the stadium site and choose not to relocate to the Silver State.

If an incentive package is not agreed to by the end of the legislative session on June 5, state officials may be forced to call a special session to move forward with the relocation deal before Major League Baseball’s self-imposed deadline of Jan. 1, 2024, to sign off on the deal.

The A’s need to have a financing package in place before submitting its request to relocate the franchise from Oakland to Las Vegas.

The A’s are investing $1 billion into the project and are asking state lawmakers to create an “incentive program” in which tax dollars created by the stadium and its surrounding amenities are directed into a fund to pay off $500 million in public bonds that would be issued by Clark County.

Unlike the $750 million in public money used for Allegiant Stadium — which is being paid off through hotel room taxes in the Las Vegas Strip corridor — the A’s stadium public financing would come from sales taxes and other fees paid by consumers at the venue and the surrounding attractions within the 49-acre site, Jeremy Aguero, founder of Las Vegas advisory firm Applied Analysis that is consulting with the A’s, told The Nevada Independent.

“Obviously, there's been a lot of conversations but there are a lot of moving parts that have to be perfected in order to make that work,” Aguero said. “A ton of work has been done by the A's as well as folks at the state and local governments. The A's are willing to make that kind of investment here because they believe in that level of effort.”

In an interview with The Nevada Independent on Thursday, A’s President David Kaval said the actual nature of a public-private partnership between the team, the state and Clark County “is not fully established.”

https://thenevadaindependent.com/articl ... -financing

[metirish]

I'm curious to see if the outrage changes minds

[nymr83]

I'm curious to see if the outrage changes minds

What outrage? in Oakland? they have seen this coming for 15+ years if they are outraged now they had plenty of opportunity at earlier points to get something done.

[metirish]

True , there is one A's fan on Twitter that's outraged 🤣 Casey is giving them hell

[Edgy MD]

I'm curious to see if the outrage changes minds

What outrage? in Oakland? they have seen this coming for 15+ years if they are outraged now they had plenty of opportunity at earlier points to get something done.

The average guy has very little idea how to engage the levers of power when corporations and government get in bed.

[ashie62]

My younger brother has been a true A's fan since Charley O and is threatening to disown them after they move

I hope he relents

We had a great family rivalry during the 73 series

[Frayed Knot]

Were Oakland fans outraged when the A's left Kansas City?

A move to Vegas will make the Athletics the first MLB franchise to call four different cities home.

[MFS62]

Were Oakland fans outraged when the A's left Kansas City?

Did any Philadelphia A's fans care when they left for Kansas City as much as New York and Brooklyn fans felt when their teams left for the West Coast?
I wonder.
But they're Philadelphians, so I don't feel for them.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Yes, some did.

[batmagadanleadoff]

What's the difference even if there is outrage? What can outraged Oakland fans do? Boycott the remaining A's games? Threaten to burn down the city? Vote out some pols? That's never worked before. (I mean the last suggestion.)

[Frayed Knot]

A move to Vegas will make the Athletics the first MLB franchise to call four different cities home.

Was disappointed to learn that LV NV is on Pacific rather than Mountain time so this move Won't also allow them to complete the first ever four time zone Bingo.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe they can consider Cheyenne, Wyoming instead.

[Edgy MD]

It still allows for a Mountain-ish road swing of three inland western cities of Denver, Arizona, and Las Vegas.

It would leave five West Coast franchises for the time being.

[vtmet7]

I totally missed that you were kidding! Oops.

Not a problem, I try to disguise my humor/sarcasm.

[DocTee]

I lived in the Bay Area for fifteen years and went to a lot of games there. It really is a horrible stadium. Even then they were hurting for attendance, and the teams were good. On Wednesday afternoons they had "dollar days" where you could get tickets for a buck each---my buddy and I would buy five each and spread out with our toddlers and all their shit. At least when the Giants played in Candlestick there was comparative parity--both parks sucked. But when the Giants moved to that gorgeous stadium in the city while the A's rotted in the Coliseum there was a real awakening among the fanbase that they just didn't matter to ownership, or the city, or MLB. I hope they retain the green and gold when they move to Vegas and not trade it for something shiny and metallic.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, they're the only green uni team in MLB, no one else has it even as a secondary color, so they should hold on to that uniqueness. There are already too many reds and blues.
Although, seeing as how it'll be Vegas, maybe they'll darken it somewhat so that it resembles money green.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

It seems like they'd sooner change Athletics to Aces

[kcmets]

That would really chew root (of all evil).

[Frayed Knot]

It seems like they'd sooner change Athletics to Aces

Which is already the WNBA team's name.
How original of them.

[batmagadanleadoff]

But when the Giants moved to that gorgeous stadium in the city while the A's rotted in the Coliseum there was a real awakening among the fanbase that they just didn't matter to ownership, or the city, or MLB.

Of course they don't matter. The idea that fans matter to the owners is a naive and childlike notion. From the owners' POV, fans are fungible and as addicted to baseball as cigarette smokers are to tobacco and nicotine. Owners want fans to buy tickets, pay to park their cars and to scarf down as many hot dogs as they can in one game. The A's owner couldn't give a flying fuck whether the fans buying those tickets and hot dogs go back to their Oakland residences after the game or to their Las Vegas homes after the game. Fans are fungible. This shouldn't be new or shocking to any adult. If the Mets or the Yankees couldn't average more than 10,000 fans per game for years and years and years, they'd also eventually move to Vegas.

The Oakland Raiders left Oakland a few years ago. And no team is more Oakland than the Raiders.

Moving the A's to Vegas on the other hand, because there's too much foul territory in the stadium, now that's idiotic.

[kcmets]

Of course they don't matter. The idea that fans matter to the owners is a naive and childlike notion.

I think (believe) the fans matter to the Mets new owner. And you love him.
Or you love his billions. Not sure, but who can be sure what you mean or think.

If to some degree he doesn't care, it's certainly not to point of fungible this and
fungible that and everything else negative in your speech.

I believe Uncle Steve would approve this post.

[vtmet7]

It seems like they'd sooner change Athletics to Aces

it's not like the Baltimore Orioles remained the Orioles when they moved to NYC, they became the Highlanders and eventually the Yankees...The Expos became the Nationals...The Browns became the Orioles (and the Ravens)...the Pilots became the Twins...etc

[Benjamin Grimm]

Pilots became the Brewers. Senators became the Twins.

It would be a shame if the "Athletics" name was lost to history, but yes, it could happen.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Of course they don't matter. The idea that fans matter to the owners is a naive and childlike notion.

I think (believe) the fans matter to the Mets new owner. And you love him.
Or you love his billions. Not sure, but who can be sure what you mean or think.

If to some degree he doesn't care, it's certainly not to point of fungible this and
fungible that and everything else negative in your speech.

I believe Uncle Steve would approve this post.

Yes, I agree -- Cohen's an exception. But otherwise, I'd say that my post mostly holds true. I mean, even NYC once lost not one but two baseball teams -- and in the same year, no less.

[Edgy MD]

Joan Whitney Payson loved me so much that it almost hurt.