Are the Oakland Athletics heading to Las Vegas? Between multiple trips to Las Vegas to survey sites and the announcement that the team is thinking about buying land on the Strip, it seems like the Athletics have one foot out of Oakland.
According to reports, the A’s are seriously considering the plot of land that’s currently home to the Tropicana as well as a few other spots.
We re still in active negotiations with a handful of sites and we re making really great progress, A s President Dave Kaval told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. We hope to have a site identified, purchased and partnered with as soon as possible because obviously it shows our interest in the marketplace and it allows us to continue to move the process forward in an effective way.
Now. Are these bids being used as bargaining power against Oakland, or is the organization is serious about moving to Las Vegas? Both options are interesting possibilities.
Unfortunately for Oakland, the multiple bids seem to point to the idea that the A’s are serious about a change of scenery.
Honestly, with attendance as low as it is at Ringcentral Coliseum and the Athletics still having a decent record, do the fans even want them there at this point? Sure, the stadium has been in decay for some time now, which could be why fans aren’t showing up, but you would think their diehard base would be showing up. Instead, games almost seem dead, making the idea of a move all the more enticing.
I Knew You Were Double (Jed's Version) pic.twitter.com/lYKjPGgLE8
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) November 16, 2021
Now, it is worth mentioning that the team is supposedly still in talks with Oakland. However, Both sides have argued over every little inch throughout their talks for a new baseball venue and have gotten nowhere. Fans are growing sick of the ordeal.
Really, the team has no choice but to go to Las Vegas. Whether it be the Tropicana or another location, it just doesn’t seem like they are going to be welcomed in Oakland after this display of theatre.
How will the team pay for the stadium if Las Vegas is set in stone? While few details are known at this time, NV Gov Steve Sisolak has said that a publicly funded facility is not an option.
“I told them that I didn’t think that there’s any appetite right now for public financing of a stadium, There are other opportunities available to help with the construction depending on the site,” said Sisolak.
The Athletics are in a very volatile situation in Oakland. It’s no secret that the fanbase isn’t exactly energized and game attendance is at an all-time low. A move to Vegas makes sense.
