“So Saddened by It” - Rich Eisen Weighs In on the A’s Final Game in Oakland | The Rich Eisen Show

[@lagodifuoco313]

11 titles between the A's, Warriors, and Raiders while in Oakland. That was definitely a title town. 4 - World Series 5 - NBA 2 - Super Bowl

[@filibertoperez6356]

*4 World Series (The other 5 were in Philadelphia) 2 - Super Bowls + 1 - AFL Title

[@lagodifuoco313]

@@filibertoperez6356 That's right. I'll correct it.

[@rzrramon8310]

Hard to argue this one. Respect to all Oakland sports fans

[@will27ns]

Plus the Heidi Game

[@Redscfbreview]

​@@rzrramon8310💯, they supported their teams very well.

[@markb3451]

First city in America to lose a professional sports franchise from all 4 of the major North American sports. California Golden Seals left in 1976 are currently the Dallas Stars.

[@robbyrodelo]

@markb3451 wow i had no clue we had a hockey team in oakland.

[@Mark-xl1ze]

@@robbyrodelo Yeah... they were apart of the 1967 NHL Expansion from a six-team league (Original Six).

[@Mark-xl1ze]

Yep

[@thebourg]

Yep The Golden Seals moved to Cleveland and then eventually were "absorbed" into the Minnesota North Stars

[@DJVexillum]

Well, half of them are the Dallas Stars. The other half are the San Jose Sharks. Very interesting story

[@sn0wbengal]

It Sucks. Sucks. Sucks! I grew up and AM a Diehard Oakland Sports Fan, Warriors, A's, Raiders! The fact that we have now lost all of our Teams breaks my heart! I have so many wonderful memories of The Coliseum and will never forget a single one of them!

[@stephensullivan1011]

Sucks that no one went to your games and that Oakland is f*cking scary as hell. I don't care how bad your owner is, no one went to games anyway. I lived there and went to games, not some random southern hater. I loved going to giants games..

[@ronclark9724]

@@stephensullivan1011 As a Rangers fans that visited Oakland to see the Rangers on a road trip, just entering the Coliseum felt like entering a PRISON... On the other hand attending Rangers games is like entering a theme park... Nice and clean which didn't smell like a sewer with chain linked fences like the Coliseum... The difference is startling, from inviting to disgusting...

[@tigertank06]

@@stephensullivan1011But SF has it’s problems too?

[@x-ray3431]

Just cheer for another Cali team

[@carsonkahla9162]

I didn’t realize how sad this would make me, I can’t imagine if this happened to my team.

[@jakegiddings1495]

What's your team man?

[@keenannorris3309]

We've actually lost the Warriors, Raiders and A's all in the past 3 years. It's messed up.

[@carsonkahla9162]

Texas Rangers, watching the final series and how passionate the fans still were about their team really hit me. Our seasons over so I’m happy they got the final W at the Coliseum

[@markabboud4855]

​@@carsonkahla9162I cried when the final out happened. 38 years I've gone to A's games, Age 6, since 86. They ripped the fabric out of our community and don't even care.

[@Icecreamforcrowtoo]

Same. I'm an Astros fan. But I'm a fan of baseball and its history first and foremost. I have memories watching the 1989 World Series being seven years old. The A's were always a cool iconic franchise to me that belonged in Oakland. But this has depressed me so much that I'm actually thinking about this whole fiasco (that Fisher wanted to happen) more than even the playoff game coming up today that my team is actually playing in. I'm glad I got to see a game in Oakland this year at least. I'll always have that great memory. But this whole situation is enraging and I feel for A's fans and also have utter contempt for the ignorant people (commenters) who think it's the fault of the fans in Oakland. If they only knew. They really have no idea how badly Oakland got screwed. If those billionaires can do it to Oakland (which contrary to common public perception, Oakland WAS and STILL IS a good market), they can do it to most cities.

[@Erlov71]

Fyi John Fisher also owns the SJ Earthquakes and is currently running them into the ground too.

[@user-gh7ks6fs7f]

Oh 😮 I didn’t know!…

[@cory_23]

And he got his new stadium with them but they still don’t pay money for top MLS players

[@oiler62]

@@cory_23 the "new" stadium he says is obsolete. Needs more amenities so he can charge more. A simple stadium with decent affordable food is all I want. All this other crap is a waste.

[@odhutch5806]

Ann Killion described it best. John Fisher murdered the A's. The question that needs to be asked: Why does John Fisher even want to own this team?

[@oiler62]

It's gonna be a pump and dump thing, even though he said he wants the team for a long time and won't sell. I'm not buying it.

[@clownkirkpatrick]

Because he knows that if Vegas gives him a shiny new stadium he can flip the team in 5-10 years for a big profit. He doesn't care about the team, just the profits. He'll be a welfare queen for the next 5-10 years, pocket revenue sharing checks, and get the team sold

[@joekaput747]

@@oiler62 The fact the other owners wrote in a clause into his relocation thing saying he can't sell the team until 10 years after they move to their final destination tells, lest he has to pay the league and the rest of them a hefty sum of cash, you exactly what they think of it

[@805fillmore]

Every single team and the commissioner approved this move. But yes it’s fishers fault.

[@oiler62]

@@805fillmore the Lodge backs each other up. All complicit. Even waived the relocation fee. That's there to prevent teams from leaving. He gets a pass there, free money from Vegas, free rent in Sacramento, and MLB will split the cost for bringing Rivercats stadium up to MLB standards. All this and the value of the team keeps rising. Sickening.

[@rzrramon8310]

As a Chiefs fan I have been to the Oakland Coliseum a handful of times. Yes the fans gave me a hard time lol but nothing to the point where I became uncomfortable. I gave it back here and there but my point is the passion, and fun the Oakland fans brought to the games. They deserve better imo

[@MRDY4322]

I've been to a few A's games as a neutral spectator on trips to the Bay Area and it was an incredibly fun environment. It's a shame that John Fisher owns the team and that Rob Manfred and co allowed him to do this

[@rtyable]

Coliseum isn't closing. It's being used for soccer next year Oakland Roots. It's just the A's last game, ripping our hearts out by leaving.

[@trevorhembrough1290]

And ironically, the AAA team in Sacramento whose house they will share for a couple years will play some home games there.

[@BlakeCunningham]

​@trevorhembrough1290 in Oakland? No, the Rivercats won't.

[@cliffordnewell2445]

As someone who dearly loved Reggie, Sal, Catfish, Joe, Rollie and all of the other guys, I am greatly saddened by this event. My boyhood is officially over.

[@jrwxtx]

The commissioner should also be called out! John Fisher said jump, and Rob Manfred said "how high"?

[@markabboud4855]

They're buddies! Manfred gave Fisher a "One Time Only" No Relocation Fee, AKA First Class Ticket to LV.

[@ajatathemu]

The way they blamed the fans for not supporting a losing effort is so disrespectful.

[@x-ray3431]

😂

[@Quiet1-y9x]

For several years now the A's ownership been "pissing on the leg" of the fan base and trying to convince them it's raining. The A's owner has proven his incompetence and venality and the MLB has rubber stamped his actions throughout.

[@sirchi8731]

I’m sorry but this isn’t all on the owner … Oakland has had plenty of time to work out a new stadium with the As … they dropped the ball … I would put more blame on the owner if EVERY SINGLE pro team hadn’t left Oakland … one twice … there is more going on then just greedy owners here … when everyone leaves you gotta start looking at the common denominator here …

[@ronclark9724]

@@sirchi8731 Spot on! The boycott FAILED to force Fisher to SELL... Fisher instead relocated the A's to the first city that offered a new stadium deal...

[@jeffmiesen]

@@ronclark9724 I live in Las Vegas and I do not them here. Why we're giving the cheapest owner in sports some sweetheart deal is beyond me. They should be giving everyone that lives in Nevada free tickets for building this stadium for him.

[@CHAPELSKILLS]

@@ronclark9724 What Boycott??? There was never a Boycott. Besides the Bash Bros , the 2000-2006 A's , nobody ever went to this stadium,

[@bigwaidave4865]

Billionaires trying to squeeze taxpayers to fund their new stadiums. It’s all about the money. It would’ve been nice to have a gorgeous stadium on the bay in Oakland. It takes two sides to be reasonable.

[@LdyVder]

The billionaires rarely own anything. MetLife was a joint venture with both Giants and Jets. Cowboys Stadium is owned by Jerry Jones. SoFi is owned by a corporations. Rest are all owned by the city/county/state they play in. Since when does a leasee have to pay for upgrades to properties instead of the actual owner? That's the crux of this that isn't mentioned. Green Bay Packers do not own Lambeau Field, they lease it from the city of Green Bay. Jaguars do not own their stadium, the city of Jacksonville does. Even the new stadium in Vegas isn't owned by the Raiders but by the city.

[@jeff8366]

It was never gonna happen. Oakland has too many issues to even consider funding a stadium and Fishers a cheap greedy prick.

[@garybonham6048]

Please, every other city could figure it out.... Understand Oakland's stance, but still, will it work?

[@frv1995]

Oakland has more of a activist/anti corporate political model . Difficult to do business with that crowd. That being said . I do believe oakland tried to keep the A's but ol John John kept moving the goal posts back .

[@PlyrMava.]

The A's, Pirates, Browns, Panthers, Knicks, Suns.... Some of the worst ownership in all of sports.

[@michaelleroy9281]

White Sox

[@brandoncarpenter9681]

Cincinnati reds I thought

[@JohnSmith-ue3pt]

goes triple for the pirates

[@wa2k99]

Leave the Knicks out. Hired Leon rose

[@looneyrooney5322]

Some of the best memories was going with my uncle to the as game and seeing all the legends that played there. N watching the chiefs raiders game with my lil brother when there was five plays when time expired, I’ve never heard that stadium louder than that moment DC threw the touchdown to Crabtree. Seriously legendary moments.

[@Hadad-ln9ww]

As an A’s fan, this franchise is a disgrace. They have the best farm system in baseball yet never want to spend money on some veterans and build a real contender. They choose to lose. They can easily be a top team every year with that farm system. Owner is a joke and it’s been that way for decades. Adios

[@markabboud4855]

Couldn't agree more

[@AnimeBronx]

The A’s farm is 22nd ranked. 😂

[@Hadad-ln9ww]

@@AnimeBronx ranked by who? A clown? The A's farm system has been one of the best if not the best for the last 20 years. They have a top 5 regular season record I believe in the last several years. You don't get that without great young prospects since they refuse to spend money on big bats/vetarans. If you watch baseball you should know this.

[@douglasstruthers8307]

As a Montreal Expos fan, I empathize with Oakland A's fans. Baseball has never been the same for me since the Expos disappeared. I rarely, if ever, watch the game anymore...

[@odinw1]

I used to watch Connie Mack in the Philadelphia A’s dugout all dressed up in a dark suit with stiff white collared shirts. Fortunately, we still had the lowly Phillies who got very good just after the A’s left town. First game of the 1950 World Series I was there… and that game was the first with today’s pinstripes uniform.

[@Quiet1-y9x]

Thanks for the memories.

[@jonathancohoon]

Game 162 in 2012 when the A's won the division on the last day of the season will forever be my favorite moment being their live. When Josh Hamilton lost the ball in the Oakland sun the whole coliseum erupted. Then Grant Balfour came out to Metallica One for the Balfour Rage and everyone standing for the final inning. It was a once in a lifetime kinda moment.

[@Lomianki06]

I grew up in Virginia in the 70s and used to marvel at the sun and warmth when I watched Raiders and A's games when it was cold and dark at home. I've lived in the Bay Area for a few years now and had the bittersweet joy of taking my sons to the last Chiefs-Raiders game ever played there. One of my sons grew up and lives in Poland. To be immersed in "Raider Nation" that day is something we still talk about and will never forget.

[@chrissherlock4190]

It's a sad day for MLB and for all pro sports when a team that is so closely identified with a city as the A's have been with Oakland leaves for somewhere else. I am aware that the A's previously played in Philadelphia and Kansas City but I will always think of them as being the Oakland A's, even with them leaving Oakland.

[@alfonsomora4125]

Thank you Rich. We appreciate your support. Oakland’s not a perfect city, but the fans deserve better.

[@jasonalexander7089]

The fans should have fixed their city. No pro sports team can plag in oaklandstan anymore

[@bglrj]

I went to the first game ever played in the Coloseum.

[@rockofshame]

Appreciate you guys giving an homage to Oakland fans. I was there weeping after the final out. It really was a special place. Oakland A’s forever. Hopefully some cosmic justice can bring them back

[@jasonalexander7089]

Oakland is a lost city. I'm surprised they stayed so long.

[@andrewbird57]

The Oakland Coliseum is hallowed ground. I grew up in Joe Rudi's hometown. When the A's were winning those 3 consecutive World Series, I was in high school, we would ditch class and be able to drive over to Oakland and buy tickets to the ALCS games minutes before first pitch. Also during those dynasty years, the legendary Bill Graham launched the Day On The Green concert series, on the A's field at the Coliseum. Saw some of the most iconic bands of the '70s perform on that field as well.

[@paigedavis8761]

Thank you Rich for always showing love to Oakland sports ❤️ The Raiders will always be the Oakland Raiders to me

[@sportshistorybuff319]

I can't believe MLB doesn't have enough respect for fans to at least insist the team leave behind the colors and Athletics' name, for a possible future expansion team.

[@johntate131]

You can keep the colors but the name is leaving. This is the same franchise Connie Mack built. It has to remain the same. I’m even thinking that the A’s should go back to their originals colors when they were the Philadelphia A’s.

[@markabboud4855]

I agree. WAY too much history here to keep them exactly the same. But that might be my heart talking. This whole thing is a kick in the balls.

[@zevanshuster8441]

Thank you 🙏 ❤

[@nicholasthegamer360]

Very sad. Don't live there now but my senior year we used to cut school to attend As games 😢

[@CodyH88]

It's definitely the things wrong with sports sometimes. Meanwhile, the owner can do no wrong, no matter how wrong his actions may be. Then, MLB is all about the move because they see dollar signs, as does 29 other owners. Oakland isn't completely free of blame, but look towards the money as usual. MLB had to have had SOMETHING they could do and chose to cash in on Vegas instead.

[@ronclark9724]

The MLB, the MLB owners (all of them), and the players association GAVE UP on Oakland... Fisher could not have move them without their support and approval... Something is rotten in Oakland...

[@CodyH88]

@@ronclark9724 That's part of my point that you just proved. The other owners knew by moving to Vegas what that does for their bank accounts. Would they want a team in Vegas or Oakland for a media market? It was an easy decision for all parties on that side because they all benefit. This is on Fisher more than anyone. There's probably several billionaires in the Bay Area that would have bought the team and this isn't a thing if Fisher sells. No way I'm I putting most of the blame on Oakland.

[@GroovyL33]

I’ll never forget as a die hard raider fan & Dodger fan, I had the privilege and joy of throwing out the first pitch at an A’s/LA game wearing my 24 Lynch black jersey and the place was so electric! RIP Oak town

[@cesarsanchez9697]

It's a sad day in Mudville. Taking the train to the park in the summer was just the best. I blame MLB. If they would have allowed them to go to San Jose at least we would have still had them in the Bay Area.

[@CHAPELSKILLS]

San Jose would have been perfect

[@markabboud4855]

And Oakland gave SF Giants the rights to SJ to keep them from going to Tampa in 93. Yet they gave us a middle finger when the A's needed help.

[@CHAPELSKILLS]

@@markabboud4855 💯

[@matthewdawkins3552]

I think the Dallas Stars used to be the Minnesota North Stars.

[@michaelleroy9281]

Yes, moved in 1993

[@ripcougrrebl]

‘A great sports town, Oakland California’ thanks Rich for letting it be known.

[@joseramos4320]

Newsome has done nothing for Oakland and San Francisco

[@exmachina41]

Major sports league commissioners and board executives should really look at their vetting process for owning/buying teams. People like Fisher should not be allowed to own any sports franchise. He destroyed the A's and soon the San Jose Earthquakes. Two 50+ years old historic teams that are now the laughing stock of their respective leagues. Just disgusting.

[@alexkalinowski8213]

Appreciate you covering this rich. The coliseum is the stadium I grew up in and seeing it go has been the worst. A coliseum sized whole in my heart to say the least

[@jakegiddings1495]

1:50 Bang! Straight to the point!

[@TheCalduggs]

How can a city with so much sports pedigree have no team? That's insane. They lost their football and baseball team to Las Vegas. Just sad.

[@jasonalexander7089]

Because the people in Oakland have changed. Immigration has destroyed Oakland. It may still be called Oakland, but it's completely different. Take heed. Places like Chicago are next

[@chrisolivo6591]

The crazy thing is the A’s are moving to Las Vegas, but the new stadium will not have a retractable dome. Who the hell is going to go to a Baseball game in the Desert in mid July?

[@jeremytaft8247]

The people that live there and are use to dealing with that heat daily.

[@troyhoffman6012]

It will be a dome, just not retractable

[@loC2ol]

The constant ringing from the mic is gone!!!!! Thanks guys

[@cvshasta]

Well done Rich.

[@danielc418]

When I was a boy I had a poster of all MLB stadiums at that point, I guess this was circa ‘88(?) Anyway this was long before Mount Davis, and I remember looking at the picture of the Oakland Coliseum and back then the grass really had that “plaid” crisscross look from the grounds crew, as a boy I was always so in awe of that look, that’s my Oakland Coliseum memory RIP, classic venue…

[@marvinshenk]

I miss watching those Raiders games on tv where they were playing on a baseball diamond the first month of the season, and I miss the Chargers being in their old Jack Murphy stadium. I got to go to a game at that stadium in 2006 when it was Qualcom stadium, and I watched Ledanian Tomlinson break the touchdown record for running backs. I think he had 24 td's that year.

[@OneHungLee]

John Fisher has NO MORALITY.

[@ronclark9724]

Professional sports IS a BUSINESS, not a CULT...

[@vinceniederman]

“I’m a Kindergarten Teacher” Story is Priceless😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

[@joshuadesautels]

If Jeremy Giambi had slid, it wouldn't have mattered what Derek Jeter did.

[@CHAPELSKILLS]

True. That would have only tied the game tho.

[@markabboud4855]

Or if Tejada remembered how to run from 3rd to Home

[@Zac15]

As someone from Pittsburgh I cant help but look at Oakland and say "Man...that could have been us". We very nearly lost the Pens. Now I don't think the Steelers or Pirates were in any real danger of ever leaving but if they were still being asked to play at Three Rivers Stadium today? Who knows? That place was a disgusting mess 25 years ago so for major league franchises to still be playing in it today? Yea I can see why the Raiders and A's left. Blame the owners all you want but the fact is without people like Sophie Masloff the story in Pittsburgh might have turned out different. Owners get to be owners cause they're ruthless misers who's only obligations are to their bank accounts. Mayors and local politicians only obligation is to their citizens. Bottom line it. Would the city of Oakland be better off with their own Heinz Field and PNC Park? And did the people elected to represent the citizens best interests do everything they could to make that happen? Judging from the state of that town writ large? I have my doubts...

[@theguersteind9797]

I am from the Bay Area. I was born in 1995. I was a huge Oakland A’s fan, my dad and I would ride the Bart down and see many many games throughout my childhood. I became a huge fan but honestly, I stopped feeling connected with this baseball team around 2015 2016. It just doesn’t feel the same at all and I can say I am not a fan of this team anymore. And it doesn’t look like I’m alone.

[@Not_a_smart_man]

The cespedes trade in 2014 was the first one to fall.

[@ronclark9724]

If the fan base and the city don't treat their major league teams as being PRECIOUS, you will lose them. When I attended my one game at the Coliseum, I felt like I was entering a PRISON... I have seen more fans at a minor league ballpark in Amarillo... Amarillo maybe a large city in the Texas panhandle, but by no means is Amarillo a large city metro like the San Francisco Bay Area...

[@theguersteind9797]

@@ronclark9724 to be honest, I don’t think that’s a fair take and let me tell you why, this team had an amazing fanbase look at the early 2000 teams look at the 2013 through 16 teams. They filled out an actual roster and the fans came out. you can’t keep pennypinching and having a single player on a team making more money than your entire team put together. You need talent on your roster.

[@theguersteind9797]

Aka Arron judge he makes more money then the entire Oakland athletics roster

[@markabboud4855]

Me too. Was born in 79, first game was 86. Saw the Bash Broski, Bay Bridge Series plus Earthquake, Moneyball, the magical Melvin years. 38 years I went to A's/Raiders games. I've been crying Everytime I really think about it. They ripped the soul out of Oakland.

[@mshea093]

I did a run of west coast Mlb ballparks last year, Oakland and Anaheim were the only missed - sadly Oakland will be forever missed 😶

[@Kitty8791]

You could still attend a concert there - things currently scheduled thru March 2025 & more to come. They only plan get rid of Oracle Arena.

[@evilamo]

Warriors, Rams, Sac Kings, Clippers, Lakers, Giants, SJ Earthquake... All opened state of the art stadiums in California so it's a Fisher problem.

[@gavindoyle8717]

None of those are in Oakland. The city that spent $500 Million on Mt Davis when other NFL teams were building better stadiums for less than that.

[@ronclark9724]

The NFL was so desperate to get a team into Los Angeles, the NFL raised nearly half of Stan Kronke's new Rams stadium... Not even the richest person owning a NFL team had the ability to raise the financing without the significant help of the NFL... Notice the NFL did NOT do the same for Oakland... Stan Kronke couldn't even keep the Chargers out...

[@805fillmore]

All of this cities are 100 times better than Oakland.

[@evilamo]

@@gavindoyle8717 Oakland was putting up $800M for Howard Terminal. 2005 A’s payroll was $57M…2024 $62M. Go kick rocks

[@evilamo]

@@ronclark9724 NFL once sued the Raiders to stay in Oakland. They lost, unfortunately.

[@KK_Denovo_]

Hello Vegas!!

[@autotransportbroker]

As someone from Sacramento, we’ll enjoy their time in our city.

[@skitown11]

Have fun when it's 110 degrees at first pitch.

[@autotransportbroker]

@@skitown11 The heat: We were born in it, moulded by it.

[@xavierwhitcraft1310]

@@skitown11 they will move to vegas after but that stadium is set to be domed so it doesnt feel the desert wrath

[@skitown11]

​@xavierwhitcraft1310 No duh. I was talking about Sacramento.

[@skitown11]

​@@autotransportbroker Great, but the players weren't. I lived in Sacramento for four years. It was miserable.

[@nathanchildress5596]

The Coliseum was the butt of many jokes since it was so rough compared to other stadiums; and I'm a Giants 49ers fan, but I've had some of the best times barbecuing and playing catch in that parking lot. Jason Giambi signed my Giants hat as a little kid, I've seen a bunch of fireworks there, I've run the bases.....and now I'm just going to sigh when I drive by on 880.

[@DecemberGuy77]

Anaheim Stadium was dual use. They remodeled after the Rams left but the Stadium itself is still being used by the Angels.

[@skeletonrebellion]

I visited the Oakland Coliseum back in 1999 to see the Jets and the Raiders play in Week 7. The Jets entered the game at 1-6 after Vinny Testaverde went down with a torn Achilles on opening day facing the Silver and Black who were 3-3. The starting Jets QB was Rick Mirer and he was able to manage keeping the Jets ahead at 23-17 but the Jets defense was beginning to tire as the Raiders led by QB Rich Gannon started a late quarter rally and was able to pull off a 24-23 win and dropped the Jets to 1-7. I remember the Raider fans taunting us Jets fans as we all walked out to the parking lot with the feeling of the football gods kicking us in the nards once again in the Black Hole. Aside from all of that, the whole atmosphere I took in of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum where for over a few decades had the infamous Heidi Game in 1968, the Sea of Hands in 1974 and the MNF games played there was pretty awesome to absorb. What a sad shame the Oakland fans lost their beloved teams by owners who really never gave a damn about their deep-seated loyalty and the Commitment to Excellence mantra that the Raider fans embraced. Perhaps something miraculous will happen and the A's will get a new ballpark that they deserve be built nearby the Oakland area so the town and the fans will still hold on to them, who knows? Keep your fingers crossed for good luck A's fans! 🤞🤞

[@mikelfrance-l6x]

30+ years of letting the place fall apart. That's on the City and County.

[@markabboud4855]

Remember, the SF Giants were going to Tampa Bay in 93. Had the stadium, jerseys, and 30,000 season tickets sold. The city of SF rallied, and saved the team. Also, Reggie Jackson and a Supermarket Owner outbid Fisher for the A's, but MLB said no.

[@rstevens1836]

Good segment and well said Rich, but point of order: The Coliseum is not closed down yet. They're still open for the USL soccer team Oakland Roots, but no one but the Roots care, so there.

[@ronclark9724]

How long before the fickle fans turn on the Roots ownership and boycott Roots games?

[@eddielee3928]

"Yo Mama".... LMAOOOOOOOOOO Classic

[@TheMrEpiphany]

Go watch Larry Beil's take on John Fisher's statement. It eloquently sums up how those of us in the bay area feel about it while keeping it PG

[@805fillmore]

It was funny but it’s also like: “there’s mysterious buyers who will buy the A’s and fix Oakland!”

[@ambernelson9702]

My dad took me and my brother there I got to see Ricky Henderson still two bases Jose Canseco hit a home run Mark McGwire hit a homerun and Dave Henderson striking people out

[@erikberg8098]

As a Kansas City guy I feel terrible for Oakland. I mean we had the A’s before you & they were ripped away from us (and Philly before us), but to have a team 50 years and then see it go for reasons that don’t make sense just stinks. Golden State being attracted to the glamor of downtown SF wasn’t surprising, and the Raiders have always marched to their own tune, but a metro of the size & wealth of the Bay Area could surely support 2 baseball teams. How can you be a “small market team” when you’re in the heart of a region of 9 million? How can you have that many great players and have so many years of futility (…checks self, realizes he’s a Royals fan…)? And how can Las Vegas (metro of about 2.3 million) go from no teams to 3 major league teams so quickly? It’s crazy

[@Umberto2]

Did you really blame the local politicians for this Rick? They offered Fisher several opportunities, including a fantastic option at Howard Terminal, but he wouldn’t accept it. His deal in Las Vegas nets him less money than Howard Terminal.

[@markabboud4855]

Props to the guy wearing a Bruno Sammartino shirt

[@girlhunter2102]

Laid off a chunk of their staff too. But hey, I did my Master’s Thesis on the economic viability of the move to Las Vegas and I can assure you the team should have stayed.

[@lucristianx]

Never underestimate the power of a well timed “yo momma”.

[@kalel311superman9]

i don't even like baseball but this is sad, i am from southern california and i have never been to oakland is the city of oakland that bad?

[@Heidar08]

Honestly every single game that the A's play, no matter what park they're at, there should be an 'F John Fischer' chant, so he has to hear it every single day.

[@TomboBrewster]

Glad Rich mentioned it. Shame that his, and most other networks, will still spend more time on Dak Prescott's contract that a city and community losing a team.

[@danee9647]

Fisher killed the Oakland A's. Manfred killed MLB baseball. All that we have left are our memories of a once perfect game.

[@Usualeclectic]

There are A’s fans in Oakland but not enough… that’s the owners fault for not building team with the city. They lost hope 5 years ago so it was over then…

[@michaeltrautner2076]

We lost a family. Thanks a lot John Fisher.

[@pbmpharmacist]

Oakland is a cesspool. Even In-and-Out left

[@jeff8366]

Oakland has too many issues to be funding stadiums, especially for teams that have no interest in winning.

[@f8th4lyf2]

The A’s are leaving. The Coliseum isn’t closing down. There’s a soccer team called the Oakland Roots (I think) that will use it.

[@marvinshenk]

If it were just the A's that left, maybe I'd blame the owners, but since the Raiders and Warriors also left, I gotta blame the Oakland city leaders. Oh, and In-n-Out left too. It's really hard to drive out a fast food chain. The people running Oakland must suck.

[@markabboud4855]

They have for over a decade. My hometown has no soul anymore. The current mayor is facing criminal charges and removal from office. Same characters, new names.

[@MattZRJSRoxy]

It's not just the Oakland team owner that blew it, the city blew it just as badly because they clearly didn't want to help keep the Athletics in the area otherwise they would have done more.

[@GOLDBLOOD415]

Die hard San Francisco Giants fan here - John Fisher is literally the Worst pro sports owner of the Big 4 pro american leagues well before yesterday final game at the Coliseum. I feel absolutely disgusted for the true blood A's fan in the eastbay. I will never wish or laugh at another franchise fanbase losing their teams to relocation . Even as a die hard SF sports fan, almost everyone went to Oakland A's games at some point( really because the dirt cheap prices).the Battle of the BAY historically is the Best inter-city/inter-region rivalry of any other rivalry in sports (cubs/whiteSox, yankees/mets, 49ers/raiders, lakers/clippers, NY Giants/Jets, knicks/nets, dodgers/angels). Even Raiders Games in Oakland were one the absolute best football experiences in the NFL for decades. Very sad day in the Bay Area. John Fisher can go take long walk off the short bridge in Sacramento while he's up there, what a disgraceful person .. lf anyone actully believes Las Vegas (sodom&Gomorrah) is a viable Financial market to host a Major League ballclub 81 games a season than you are out of your mind literally .. this situation is a microcosm of the current medicore state of Major League Baseball as a whole for over the years ..

[@ronclark9724]

Unfortunately Oakland proved they couldn't and wouldn't support their major league teams. They all fled to greener pastures. All of them.

[@xavierwhitcraft1310]

Sad indeed but i think Las Vegas will treat them well. Im sure the A's fans will follow them to Vegas like the Raiders so the Oakland sports fans are all reunited. could be worse tbh. I think the Chargers moving to Los Angeles is infinitely worse because at least in Las Vegas they will have an identity. i think the Chargers leaving San Diego destroyed all their identity and they are just the other LA team and the Rams are infinitely more popular than the Chargers. its not like New York Giants and Jets where both are fairly popular, LA only kinda likes Rams because they won a superbowl so that makes the Chargers like nothing to LA.

[@markabboud4855]

I respectfully disagree. A's fans, and the city of Oakland, are irate about this. The movie Major League in real life. Oakland fans will stop watching baseball, except the casual band-wagon jumpers who'll now root for the Giants.

[@xavierwhitcraft1310]

@@markabboud4855 A’s fans will still be A’s fans. Raiders fans still remained raiders fans even when they left. It sucks they aren’t in the same city but fans live and die with the team. Even with the bad owners

[@kcnoise]

So saddened by it that it took all this time for anyone in sports media to even talk about it. It maybe could have been prevented had any pressure been applied to MLB.

[@MushiePuppet17]

Whatever can be said about Oakland's city government, this crap is all on John Fisher and his personal greed. Can't lose sight of that fact here.

[@randomname3715]

Show up to the games and you would still have a team

[@HiHello-Opd]

Tired of owners moving teams so that a new city will pay for everything

[@flinteastwood4020]

This is the worst. The A’s leave and and he gives more stores of the Raiders. So weak.

[@tjbaden]

They lost the Warriors as well. Their stadium is in the same parking lot

[@skitown11]

Thanks, we didn't know that, lol. And it's called an arena, not a stadium.

[@NeilTruick]

Just watched Larry Beil's comment on Fisher's letter. I know he's an on-air professional and I know he would have _loved_ to go total ham on the letter and Fisher himself. I don't have a dog in this hunt, but everything that is wrong with not just baseball, but professional sports in general, is encapsulated in this Fisher v. Oakland Fan drama. Team like the A's, the Clippers, and every team seeking a new home is reading directly from the playbook of that damn mouse. They don't care about repeat customers. They don't care about loyalty. They want every person that buys a ticket to treat their visit as a once-every-three-to-five year event where the visitor is willing to drop hundreds of dollars on top of the entry price for overpriced concessions and exclusive souvenirs to mark the event. Season ticket holders? They're not paying enough. Those seats could be filled by corporate partners or auctioned on resale sites. It's depressing and anger-producing all at the same time...

[@317russ]

The other owners should step in and force him to sell the team, but they won't because they all want the best stadiums and would do this to their cities if they had the chance.

[@SlimPickins-lj7rd]

Who would want to have a team in Oakland? Who would want to drive through Oakland or park their car in Oakland or walk in Oakland ? It's not somewhere you would want to take your family and kids to watch a game

[@MichaelCooney-zh8je]

As a non American this is what i always find crazy about American sports. Like the idea of a European football team just moving somewhere else just wouldn't be considered. The fact that teams are called franchises says everything about how terrible US sport is

[@713davidh42]

John Fisher is not the first jerk to have owned The Athletics. That distinction belongs to another loser who took the team to Oakland in the first place, Charlie Finley. I lived in Kansas City when The A's moved to Oakland and Finley had antagonized the city and fans for years before he took the team out of town. Finley was so anxious for them to leave Kansas City, he looked at other cities before settling on Oakland. Certainly, the situation is sad for those who have followed The A's there, but not the first time it's happened with this team. The reason Kansas City got an expansion team just a year after The A's left was because Missouri Senator Stuart Symington threated Major League Baseball with unfavorable legislation from Congress.

[@dialloayodele8094]

Truly pathetic. I’m glad I got to say goodbye but man why do I have to..

[@ChocolateAfterDark]

I don’t think it will work. LV isn’t a baseball town. Baseball isn’t a sport that attracts new “fans”.

[@VEGASBIGDOGDASHERS]

BEEN IN VEGAS 30 YEARS IT SURE IS A BASEBALL TOWN COME WATCH EVERY GAME PLAYED IN VEGAS IT WILL BE A SELL OUT MOSTLY FROM VEGAS LOCALS I GUARANTEE IT!!

[@thomasarias773]

Rich opining about the shame of the A’s leaving Oakland, but giving all Raiders stories and memories is one example of WHY the A’s are leaving…nobody cares about them in that town.

[@samrod2832]

It’s funny. All the fake media outrage over the move. Where was everyone when the mlb owners unanimously approved the move?

[@oleonard7319]

They did Pretty much the same thing to Philadelphia in 1954

[@rosihantu1]

"Bye for now"

[@charleshowardiv]

vida blue sal bando rickey henderson lyle alzado snake marc Van egan icons

[@ivandragomiloff2356]

When will people realize that the City of Oakland and Alameda County are mostly at fault. How do you lose three major league teams in a decade?

[@dougfromsoanierana]

Some of this stain is on the other MLB owners for letting this happen. Think about that - they let Fisher tank a team with no confirmed next city for at least three years. WTf’F?

[@oleonard7319]

That's pretty much the same thing that happened in Philadelphia. Before the A's left for Kansas City

[@CMBTSports]

Lol born in Oakland and I went to many games growing up. It’s good riddance, trust me. The 70s/80s are far gone. The owner is to blame. Summing this up: You can’t win championships if you ship out/let go all of your good talent. They wouldn’t pay anybody! A hopeless endeavor. Can’t win championships in Las Vegas, either, too many distractions. But you can sell expensive tickets… cough, cough… Good luck with that…

[@xavierwhitcraft1310]

Vegas could be a new beginning who knows. the tourism will make it bigger.