The A's move is one of the biggest scams in MLB history I D.A. on CBS

Damon Amendolara hosts The D.A. Show 6a-10a ET on CBS Sports Radio daily.
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[@Belly_Beane]

Great take. I was born and raised an A’s fan, and am so mad at myself for believing Kaval’s “Rooted in Oakland” lie. He’s a slimeball, just like Baby Gap Fisher. Nobody is going to games because of how ownership has treated us. We’re not apathetic, we’re angry.

[@ronclark9724]

Just a few short years ago the A's won their division and made the playoffs. How fickle the fair weather Oakland fans are! Oakland is NOT a major league city. All four major league teams left: The Golden Seals, Warriors, Raiders, and finally the A's. Oakland could have kept all of them just by building all of them a new stadium, something the city government FAILED to do four times... This you need us more than we need you nonsense didn't work, did it? Money talks, BS walks...

[@timtebowsleftarm5368]

@@ronclark9724 You didn’t watch the vid. Damon spat out facts.

[@DusTeeJones99]

@@ronclark9724 lay off the crack, you know not of what you speak of.

[@twowheeltim]

@@ronclark9724 Are YOU an A's fan?? How many games have you gone to the last 20 years? Just curious if you actually have a valid opinion...

[@twowheeltim]

Absolutely! I've spoken with Kaval at least a dozen times as he walked through the concourses selling his lies! He even took a picture with my wife and our dog on Bark at the Park day in 2019. I don't know him personally, but what I have learned is that he is nothing more than a politician spewing P/R prepared statements for a reclusive reincarnation of Rachel Phelps!!

[@holidaytinn]

You nailed it! I'm an A's fan. I've been going to games since I was a kid in 1975. The attendance has dropped because the ownership and management do nothing to make the fans want to come to the ballpark. They trade away our talent, they increase ticket prices in a crap stadium, and they charge us $18 for a beer. The fan loyalty is there! Shoot, I traveled to Arizona to watch them play spring ball while I camped out and slept in the desert in a van because I couldn't afford hotel rooms. I am Loyal! The ownership does not give a crap about the fans!

[@jodi183]

so true

[@Fractalsandie]

BOYCOTTS and reverse boycotts are living proof!

[@icefloe4471]

This is the most real take from an outsider. It encompasses how many of us as A’s fans feel and the vitriol we have for this ownership group. Thank you.

[@GregAlterton]

I've been an A's fan since 1968. And with their decision to go to Las Vegas, I'm done. There's a sports memorabilia shop in town willing to buy my A's gear -- all of it. As I was packing up my A's jerseys, jackets, A's caps, to drive them over to the memorabilia shop, my heart rate hit the roof. It sounds ridiculous, but yes, this is all about emotions and years of love and devotion. It's one thing to say, "I'm done," and another thing to emotionally decouple after 55 years of fandom. So thank you for channeling true A's fans' anguish.

[@Blue_Dun]

As an A's fan I really appreciate how this New Yorker gets the big picture going on here. Amen brother.

[@bradrook3919]

Your right on!! As a Super Sonic's fan in Seattle we experienced exactly what the Oakland fans are going through... The real corruption, whether the city or the ownership, is the unseen damage to the real victims...the Fans!!

[@pringlized]

45 years as a diehard A's fan. DA just absolutely nailed it! I almost fell out of my chair at his comment "a broken flea market tent" 🤣🤣🤣 I still love the last dive bar in baseball. I now need a Dave Kaval bobble-head.

[@MrHobo71]

As an A's fan since the late 90s, gone to 500 plus games, I know that this guy is spot on about the situation. If they had rebuilt the park and kept a core of good players, fans would come and the a's would be here still. Owners made money, pocketed it, and didn't reinvest in the team.

[@bigfeddy]

Happy to see someone outside of the Bay Area seeing what’s happening with the A’s & trying to do something about it, even if it falls on deaf ears. I just want my A’s to be sold & stay in Oakland, but alas. As the Warriors have shown, a good owner willing to invest in their product makes all the difference in the world.

[@danr4137]

The owner of the Warriors did put together a group to by the A's before Fisher bought them. MLB rejected the Warriors group which paved the way for Fisher to buy them. He also just expressed interest in buying them again a couple of years ago but Fisher would not sell the team. How things could have been different if the Warriors owner bought them also.

[@larrye.jackson7487]

Just look at the difference in operation and results with Walter Haas, Jr., and every other Oakland A's owner.

[@johnmarshall4399]

It's a shack

[@twowheeltim]

Sir, I'm a lifelong A's diehard (53 years), and you are so effing SPOT ON that you are my new hero! When the Haas family owned the A's they spent money, cared about the fans, and cared about winning. As a result, from the late 80s to late 90s they had a pretty high payroll, were consistently competitive, and also packed the Coliseum with 2 million fans per year. Fisher, Beane, and this "moneyball" crap ruined the A's franchise, because what no one divulged is, it still takes SPENDING MONEY to win the moneyball game! I've tolerated the constant roster turnover every 2-3 years because I love the Green and Gold, but the less loyal "bay-jumpers" had no problem riding the bandwagon across the Bay Bridge when Barroid started his desecration of Hank Aaron, and continued with the Giants winning in '10, '12, and '14. I'm a former season ticket holder who finally gave up my seats in 2021 when they raised my ticket package by 60%, reduced my number of games by 20%, and took away all the season ticket member perks. I got tired of driving in bay area traffic 150 miles round trip 40+ times per year only to get kicked in the nuts for my loyalty. Oh, and they also started this BS "parallel path" talk with Vegas. And that d**k Manfred, instead of encouraging the Giants to give up the San Jose territory to keep the A's in the bay area, decides to "support the A's in seeking relocation to Vegas." That's the kind of support the executioner needs leading the inmate to the electric chair! I still love the A's, and I likely always will, but Fisher, Kaval, and Dick Manfred have made it very clear that the loyalty of the true diehards have no place in the A's future. Oh, is his name not Dick??

[@jamesmaher6691]

Don't tell us about Barry when you had Canseco and McGwire.

[@Julian_Wallis]

Thank you Damon! I've listened to your show for years and your comments recently on John Fisher and the A's ownership has been great to hear.

[@FlyingGemSparkly]

As a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan I feel y’all’s pain and can totally relate! We did unload a few stars & superstars but got a bunch of prospects in the deals. We still suck, but not totally as a few of the minor leaguers on the team are getting acclimated to the Major League level talent! We are keeping our eyes on the several legit players on the team, just knowing they will probably be traded before they have to be paid! The owners, the Castellini’s, are running a fraudulent, yearly, bait & switch criminal scheme and should face Federal RICO statute violations, just like the A’s owner & mobster like crime outfit! What’s a fan to do? I spend a lot of time on YT watching my beloved Big Red Machine vids in their glory days and just reminisce about the good ol days in the twilight of my years.

[@Fractalsandie]

IMO - Pete Rose deserves better. The HALL should be for the BEST players on the field during their playing career; not for commissioners with a log in their eye! & forked tongues! MLB has a problem, 30 teams, wants to expand and only 5-6 large markets? The boys haven't learned to how to play within the current sand box lines!!

[@kenyurong2882]

1st time I've seen your program. I've been an Oakland fan since 1969. As I sit here typing with legitimate tears, I'd like to say thank from the bottom of my heart for understanding our pain. I doubt I'll ever cheer for another team. Your a true human being. THANK YOU

[@whalesequence]

Great point about the Kings and Padres, franchises that have great fan bases because they know the owners actually care about winning and being relevant

[@antioch1975]

I grew up in Fremont and have been an A's fan since the early 70's. The franchise has had one good owner the entire time in Oakland and that has been Walter Haas. Finley wanted to move the A's in the late 70's but Haas bought the team, created stability and kept the team in Oakland. He cared about the city, the team and baseball. When he passed away in 95 and the team was sold the next year, as fans, we have had to deal with the most incompetent owners that have not cared about us, the team or baseball. A's fans have had to sit and watch free agents walk or star players get traded. Now we get to watch our beloved team leave Oakland as well.

[@LouieKaboom]

Great comment but I would add that Finley was a good owner as well, at least in the beginning before his ego became really bad.

[@antioch1975]

@@LouieKaboom I don't think so. He was disliked by his players, Always trying to put his two cents worth with the team, the public humiliation of Mike Edwards which was one of the reasons why manager Dick Williams left after 3 season(the last two as WS Champions). He also didn't want to pay his.players. He was a businessman and good at it. As an owner though he wasn't good at all.

[@LouieKaboom]

​​​@@antioch1975 All those points are correct, and the guy was a giant prick. At the end of the day, though, a fair amount of the decisions he made did lead to the A's winning 5 straight division titles and 3 three World Series, which is the number one thing it's about (the first championships in the Bay Area and for the franchise since the days of Connie Mack). He was also the one who brought them to Oakland to begin with, for better or worse. Again, his ego eventually led to his and the team's downfall, but it was successful at first, so to say he wasn't a good owner at all would be ignoring history.

[@smokey5100]

You hit it on the head 1000%... To us Oakland A's fans this IS heartbreaking to watch happen and I wish more people spoke out against the greedy ownership and take into consideration how us LOYAL fans feel. You are absolutely right, when the team is competitive we pack that house! I was there for our last playoff game SOLD OUT. We are simply tired of the organization pocketing revenue and watching our fan favorites go (I own countless jerseys of a player who got traded the very next season) because they refuse to pay them!

[@matthewdreams182]

This is 100% true. As 10+ year and counting season ticket holder, I can tell you that the neglect of fans and lack of investment in anything is probably twice as bad as he describes it. Thank you for putting this out there, D.A.

[@P31B]

This is the best take that even I didn’t come up with as an A’s fan, but sometimes someone from the outside looking in can observe better what happened. The only thing that was missed was, despite trading away our best players the past couple years for pennies on the dollar, the admissions and parking prices increased a lot. It was hard to support that. Games were decently attended in 2019 before the pandemic, and when it was fully opened up we didn’t even have a team to root for, at a fair price. This was all a scam

[@paulamcdonald5446]

💯 💯 💯 “last Dive bar” is symbolic to the generations of people that were raised in the Bay Area and specifically the east bay. My grandparents left Iowa after serving in WWII with their 4 baby boom children, looking for better employment and a better chance. My grandparents made more money in the first year of CA than he’s make in many years in Iowa, a Union sheet metal worker. My Dad was a Union auto mechanic and champion drag racer at Fremont drag strip (age 76, he was runner up at the NHRA Winternationals last month). I was born and raised in Hayward, was in 5th grade in 1989, got a great public education, went on to UC Davis engineering. The Oakland Coliseum anchored us to our heritage, one of the last Bay Area icons to do so. Howard Terminal promised us a brighter future where our heritage was carried on an valued. But we’ve been robbed yet again and told none of that matters. THAT is the nerve that has been struck in sooooooo many of us. #rootedinoakland #hellaeastbay

[@erthlionblupanthr]

The problem is the Bay Area and now the California politicians, they make rules and hoops that are unattainable. It was not the Stadium the A's could not afford it was the incidentals that go with the Stadium like the property taxes and other expenses that I will bet you the City would not budge on

[@cmuyo01]

Never seen your content before but this is fantastic and the only honest take I've seen from anyone not connected with the A's so far. It's so easy to crap on Oakland and the fans when you don't have your team gutted, parking and tickets raised 300%, and feel an actual disdain from ownership for showing up to support the team you love. I'm a third generation A's fan. My Dad worked for the A's before I was born and literally had keys to the Coliseum. This hurts for fans like me and many others who showed up every year with our families and folks we've gone to games with for decades. I insisted we go to Opening Day this year because I thought it could be the last Opening Day for the Oakland A's. At this point I hope it is, because it'll be even worse if they're around 18 more months and we get crapped on the whole time.

[@waynerichards8606]

Well the Mets were doing the same thing and actually their was talk of them moving to New Jersey but they worked out the differences and built in there parking lot and if you ever go there in parking lot there’s the original home plate from Shea Stadium. My opinion if Las Vegas wants a major league team wait for expansion to come out and apply. The Oakland Coliseum I call it the house that Reggie built

[@kevinblatter2369]

I am beyond angry. I have been a hardcore A's fan since 1968 when I was a young lad and my dad would take me to the games. Through thick and thin, I have been there for the team. 56 seasons. Now, this is the ultimate "f*** you" to the city, the fans. I feel like John Fisher and Dave Kaval have totally screwed the fans over. No Vaseline on this one.

[@craigheitz8265]

You really nailed this. I have been to probably 500 A’s games in my life. 16 trips to spring training to watch them with my dad and son. It’s like this for me. I’ve put up with the abuse for multiple years watching them build teams and tear them down. Stadium plans in a city that can’t get anything done. We have this billionaire tool that is has no competitive drive to win in him only to make profit. The owner last year doubled ticket prices, cut marketing, traded all the talent to sabotage the situation to open a path to move to Vegas. I filed for divorce today to my beloved Oakland A’s. I hope Fischer gets his karma someday. He’s a rat bastard!

[@zcorpalpha2462]

Bye 😂 Vegas is going to be great

[@johnmarshall4399]

Wont draw flies

[@mrg8581]

@@zcorpalpha2462 For corporate elites and wealthy tourists. Hope the residents of Nevada like paying 500 million in taxes for these people and a billionaire owner.

[@JaimePrivat]

Very well said. Thank you for saying it at the national level. We OAKLAND A’s fans have deserved better for years. Instead we get the owner from the movie Major League and a screw you from MLB. If Joe Lacob would have been allowed to purchase the team like he wanted in 2007 we would already have a new stadium and probably a World Series because we would have held on to our talent like Matt Chapman and Matt Olsen. It’s absolutely shameful that this is being allowed to happen.

[@chubs7182]

Part of the reason the A’s were top 5 most profitable last year was because every decent player the A’s had got traded. The writing was on the wall when Bob Melvin, Matt Chapman, and Matt Olson were gone.

[@FischerFan]

I was going to say, this guy's rant is loaded with half-truths. The A's were the worst team in baseball last season. They're on pace to win what, 30 games this season? How long does this guy think people are going to pay MLB prices to watch a Double-A calibre team?! The City of Oakland was given years of warning about the Raiders. They didn't learn too much. Did they? Keeping the A's in that outdated concrete slab will only continue to leave the team at a stadium revenue disadvantage which cripples their ability to field a competitive product. One other thing this loose cannon conveniently ignores is taxes. In California, you pay the highest state tax in the U.S. In Las Vegas? ZERO state tax!

[@jamesholt3758]

This is my first extensive commentary by D.A. and I will be a follower from now on. Excellent D.A.

[@kilduffchris]

As a lifetimr A's fan thank you for voicing how us A's fans feel!!!

[@jimmylad86]

Here in Europe sports teams don't just up sticks and move cities. To do so would be unthinkable.

[@PhinClio]

I'm a lifelong A's fan. Thank you. You hit the nail on the head here.

[@trclark7689]

Never forget the time in 1991 when Giants owner Robert Lurie demanded San Francisco build him a new stadium and they refused. He agreed to sell the team to Vince Naimoli, whom was set to move the team to St. Petersburg, Florida. National League owners vetoed the deal, the sell was nixed, and the Giants were eventually sold to Peter Magowan. Naimoli sued MLB for tortious interference and in their settlement, MLB agreed to award him the expansion franchise that ended up becoming the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. If enough people, especially important people, people with money, step up and make a lot of noise, maybe MLB can negotiate a sell to an owner that wants to keep them in the Bay Area and award Fisher an expansion team for Las Vegas.

[@johnmarshall4399]

Bill white saved the giants

[@PaganOnTheShortBus]

On behalf of those of us still left in section 134 of the bleachers, thank you for bringing national attention to this. Fisher is a grade-A bastard!

[@bombasticanimal1853]

As an A's fan since 1969 I say to you, sir: THANK YOU! Everyone, especially A's fans, needs to hear this, needs to speak out like this. Sadly, this franchise has previously screwed over fan bases in two other cities the same exact way, first in Philadelphia in 1954, then Kansas City in 1967. Run the product into the ground, then blame fans for not supporting them. Quit falling for it, people!

[@ronclark9724]

Still placing all of the blame on the owners, even though in the past there were different owners. I place all of the blame on Oakland's city government whose attitude was you need us more than we need you. That nonsense FAILED not once, but four times...

[@bombasticanimal1853]

@@ronclark9724 There's plenty of blame to go around, that's for sure. As an A's fan I say "a pox on all their houses!"

[@swschmidt51]

This is the exact formula the Oilers used to move out of Houston. Difference is there won’t be an expansion team coming to replace the A’s in Oakland.

[@kenamaro3942]

You got that one right...that city has lost three professional sports teams in a decade or so....one team left twice. Nope, Oakland can stew in its own juice now.

[@joeblenkle5546]

You really nailed it as far as what's happening in Oakland. I've been a fan from the start and it makes me absolutely sick what the current owners are doing to the A's. If they really wanted a deal in Oakland they could do it. Instead, they want to steal all the loyal fans memories of the team. It's disgraceful.

[@kpeters964]

Thank you for voicing this. The national narrative buries passionate local fans that have given everything to the team. You make strong points that needed to be said. All of these glaring facts that get overlooked🎉🎉🎉

[@stevetami1]

Fisher was born on 3rd base, but thinks he hit a triple.

[@brianlawrence9072]

As a Las Vegan, I'm not real big on this move. The ownership has a bad rep and I can see this bleeding over into the move

[@kenamaro3942]

never heard of DA till I watched this.....I've lived in the bay area all my life, I've been a Raiders and A's fan since the late 60's. It's hard watching teams bail like this (twice for the Raiders). I no longer view sports the same way. You are spot on regarding the deliberate tanking of the A's by the ownership. I've been saying this for a few years now, it was deliberate!! Anyone else out there remember going to an A's game with 30 to 40 thousand in attendance?? I sure do. The A's should have built a stadium right where they were at. They didn't need to be part of building a city within a city to the tune of slightly over 12 billion dollars, they didn't need to move elsewhere.

[@obedrobles3017]

I’m from Oakland and Ive been an A’s fan since 2009 since I was 11 years old and he’s speaking facts thank you for speaking up for us and hope this video gets to be shared everywhere thank you 👍🏽

[@dereksalas8195]

Hey , lifelong Giants fan checking in. This is f**d up. A’s fans are probably the most loyal fanbase in all MLB. You hit the real issue: the Town’s love for their team. That love is being s**t on. Not to mention, it’s terrible for the storied tradition of Bay Area baseball, the Bay Bridge series, and our team’s sibling-like rivalry. We are losing another of our cherished teams to a sellout ownership group looking to hit pay dirt in Boomtown. I can't wait to see it eventually go bust for both.

[@casapezgallo]

Nails it with real passion. I was an LA Rams for almost 30 years until Georgia took them to St. Louis. Never watched another game until they came back. Loyalty matters.

[@Old_Foxy_Grandpa]

I'll tell you about A's fan loyalty. Years ago, they had a player named Yonis Cespedes. He was a good journeyman ball player. The A's traded him to Detroit for probably a couple of minor league prospects. During his final season in Oakland, one of the giveaways was a Cespedes jersey. When Detroit came back to Oakland to play a series, I went to the ball game and wore my Cespedes jersey. So did a few thousand other fans. And when he came up to bat, the crowd cheered for Yonis Cespedes. The few Tiger fans I was sitting around didn't understand why the Oakland fans would cheer for someone on the other team. The only explanation I offered was "that's Oakland fan loyalty."

[@jonathanbatturs6359]

This was good commentary, especially about Johnny getting his money from the parents !

[@jscott2482]

Absolutely nailed it here, thank you for encapsulating all of this.

[@nicholaskorner2258]

Fisher is already doing it to vegas asking for 500 million tax break..when he is rich as hell

[@telephilia]

Fisher doesn't care about the A's as a baseball team. Just another asset in this portfolio.

[@jamesrh9193]

And, a tax writeoff...

[@kjorlaug1]

When the A's couldn't get to San Jose (because of the Giants) Fisher shifted to totally gutting the team so he could move it. The only way he would've stayed in Oakland is if Oakland had basically paid for the whole stadium themselves.

[@dmochat]

And do y'all wanna know *another* why fans aren't showing up? I'm looking at stats the other day, and guess who I see in the top 10 for OPS? - Matt Chapman - Sean Murphy - Matt Olson * THREE* players that our ownership traded away. THREE GOLD GLOVE WINNERS who, by the way, just happen to hit a ton! Three players who were homegrown fan favorites. Three players who were not just successful in Oakland, THEY LOVED IT HERE. Not one of them wanted to be traded. You can look up articles where Chappy and Olson are quoted, saying how much they love playing in Oakland, they loved the team vibe, they loved Bob Melvin, and how they wanted to build careers here. Those three are literally EVERYTHING you could want in a player. And the A's flat-out refused to keep them. Add to that gut-wrenching heartbreak the crumbling stadium, skyrocketing ticket and parking prices for a continually dismantled team, the rodents, the possums, the feral cats - how can anyone expect us fans to suffer through all that and still come to the ballpark?

[@delvinwashington4298]

It’s amazing that an east coast sports journalist can articulate this situation regarding the A’s and Oakland with more clarity and passion than 95% of the Bay Area sports journalists.

[@christopherhoffman2515]

Great points on Sacramento, and the Padres to their cities as to what the A's "could" be to Oakland.

[@jessecrum9069]

Cleveland has the third lowest payroll in baseball, yet they still won the division and made a postseason run in 2022. Shame on Oakland management for not trying.

[@neneshubby]

As a 40 year A’s fan Damon Amendolara has just become one of my favorite people in sports. Everything he said is truth. When the A’s had great owners that spent the park was packed. 35,000 a night.

[@fantasticvoyage262]

I remember some really loud games there when they were in the playoffs.

[@jacobbuchenauer3744]

Thank you so much for standing up for the A’s fans, we have never had a consistent champion for us besides damon bruce and christ townsend, and you have no idea how good it feels to have someone defend us!

[@UBERJAVS]

Thanks for saying this. We're crushed and almost no one cares.

[@christopherking9338]

John Fisher = Steaming Turd Pile

[@user-jv9qz2bu1r]

Giants fan here and I am not happy about this move - was hoping some deal would get put together - so many people to blame

[@realjwoods]

As a die hard A's fan, it's rough, even with that shitty stadium when the team had players like Matt Olson, Chapman. Sean Murphy, and a bunch of others we would fill that place up, and not to mention, the A's were a big reason the Raiders left town, and now the pull this crap, it's hard to be a part of that as a fan.

[@5rings16]

the As went to the playoffs 10 years this century, no fans showed up to the games.

[@jesserubinoiii7811]

Love this! And i checked out as A's fan 2 years ago because i got tired of the scam and Fisher taking the love of the game away. I couldnt support it anymore. You should investigate and follow up Manfred how he and Fisher are friends and Manfred shouldn't be helping as being the Commisioner. I looked up Owner can be removed as owner by majority vote as well as Manfred can be impeached. Manfred is mixing buisness with pleasure or helping Fisher who is one of the richest owner get more richer. IMO the commissioner should not be helping owners get richer

[@patrickvanwye4042]

This is the best take for us A's fan for what it is like to be us.

[@joshuanakagawa9804]

Amongst all the pundits and voices speaking out on the issue, this is the best take so far.

[@jacquolen1952]

Born in Oakland and a lifelong A’s fan. But honestly, they moved from Philly to KC, then Charlie O saw a sweet deal in the Oakland/Alameda County Coliseum and moved them there. It is just the way of things. Brooklyn wept when the Dodgers went West, but things have worked out nicely for them in LA.

[@Ch12JS]

To D.A; "What's love got to do with it!?"

[@bogeyman7436]

They lost 3 sports teams. What does that tell you about Oakland? There is no crying in baseball.

[@527Izzy]

Thank you! You have said everything I've been feeling!

[@marcyoung9019]

As a lifelong fan I didn’t know any of this was happening I thought the Vegas move was good because new market and players would come but wow the owner is choking the team and his own fans

[@justinaguilar2344]

Thank you. Been going to the coliseum since I was 5. I'm now 38. This hurts. The A's were my first love of sports. Hell... my first love, PERIOD lol. This sucks

[@edvaira6891]

I sympathize with the A’s fan …as someone who lost his beloved Football team to the craphole 100 miles up the I-5! A team that had been here for those same 56 years…Dont EVER love your teams…NO. ONE. IN. LOS. ANGELES. WILL.EVER.CARE.ABOUT.THE.CHARGERS!! Thank God we still have the Padres (although ITS SO FREAKING WEIRD TO HEAR THE PADRES OWNER BEING PRAISED FOR PAYING MONEY!!)

[@kenbrown438]

The ghost of Al Davis is afoot !!!! "Like" Marcellus said in the play "Hamlet" : "something is you know what in the State of you know where" !!!!

[@alscousin8936]

I'm 55, born and raised Bay Area, and went through the heart break of relocation TWICE with the Oakland Raiders. What it does is make the love and passion completely jaded. Professional sport team owners better be careful because us Gen X'ers and Baby Boomers are still alive, but not for long. The Millennials and Gen Z don't watch sports. Empty stadiums in 10 years? Oh yeah.

[@kenamaro3942]

Lived in the bay area all my life, been a Raiders and A's fan since the late 60's. You are absolutely correct.

[@eddelao2762]

Awesome episode. Thank you

[@bullwinkle2380]

Las Vegas A's: Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!

[@docmeat]

Best take on this subject yet.

[@mrg8581]

Rob Manfred has ruined baseball.

[@previnsnaidu1]

Thank you for speaking for us and telling the truth

[@jakeb7853]

Brilliant my man! Thanks for your take!

[@Agueroooo]

As an outsider I knew very little about the situation. Now I want to go protest along side all of Oakland. This is just unacceptable. The league should step in and force new ownership. This gross negligence should never be tolerated. It’s actually beyond negligent, it’s straight up malicious. And just to add insult to injury, gap baby will end up with a free stadium and 40,000 fans a game for the next 20 years. It’s so unbelievably unfair to the loyal fans in Oakland. Everyone else has abandoned them and now their last team is going to be gone. I agree whole-heartedly that it’s not a smart business move. A new stadium in Oakland and actually spending money on players would turn the A’s into a powerhouse. Las Vegas is just easier, and it’s very obvious that the owner has only known the easy way his entire life.

[@williamedwards4339]

Unfortunately, it is a business. Blame the Oakland City Council & the Mayor. They have lost the Raiders, Warriors & now the A's. They are the common factor.

[@PapaPalps84]

As a complete outsider and a casual MLB fan from the UK, I have been following the A's drama unfold and I completely agree with you. The best (and only) way forward for them is to force an ownership change and stay in Oakland....its clear that Vegas is only playing along so far because they want to be considered for an expansion franchise, not relocation. A's ownership is so out of touch with reality and blaming fans for not attending their seriously underfunded, and neglected, team is something that everyone can see through. I really feel for all of you A's fans watching this happen to your beloved team

[@freedomemo8191]

thank you so much for this

[@fourthgirl]

A's fan since 1972, seasonal box office agent. If were about a ballpark, then the A's would be playing in one today. Not only could they build on either the Hegenberger or 66th Avenue parking lots or waited for the Warriors to vacate the arena in 2019 and tear it down and build on that spot. Even with the pandemic, it would've been ready by 2022. The A's kept choosing sites that were problematic and would allow them to get into public funds for their private developments.

[@jmarx_live]

Oakland government shares the Blame along with John Fisher. Thank u so much, Oakland, and have a nice life.

[@steelyblues]

The better business deal is waterfront real estate with a new stadium, commercial and retail development, not an unwanted piece of dirt in the middle of the desert. The deal was an $80 million negotiation away from a final agreement on a $6 billion waterfront real estate development. Fisher never expected the deal to get approved and when it looked like it would he chickened out because he knew he was in way over his head financially and intellectually. Useless trust fund babies don’t suddenly become experienced commercial real estate developers.

[@aunch3]

Great points DA I was thinking who would want to stay in Oakland etc but you make a good point 💯

[@joshuacarey1840]

Thank you for such an honest take on the situation. If they move (hopeful they stay, but it's dwindling) I don't even know if I even want to support the MLB because Selig, Manfred, and all owners have made this happen. Also Fisher and Kaval went from we need a whole baseball district (stadium, housing, restaurants) to we just need a ballpark. Which that would have been easier in Oakland

[@mikepuncsak7297]

Awesome take Damon !!

[@LastDiveBar]

💯…Thank you DA. -Bryan, Last Dive Bar.

[@brentduanefoster]

Born and raised in Oakland during the 80’s and 90’s. I’ve seen the A’s at their best and definitely at their worst. It all comes down to ownership and this team has the absolute WORST in the league!!! Also, they love to talk about the crime in Oakland. NAME ME ONE MAJOR CITY IN THIS COUNTRY THAT DOESN’T HAVE CRIME. Everything you said was spot on!!!

[@krissolson7043]

You nailed it. My mother was a Mariners fan and I lived in the bay area. She came down from Portland for a wedding. The M's were in town so I took her to a game. We had a good time but the coliseum was awful. That was 19 years ago. Fisher is a jerk. He has enough money to build his own park in Oakland and should do it.

[@connernorton]

Thank you!!

[@ramseysalah-mars5329]

Spot on dude. Ugh I’m just so sad

[@warrenrichardson7639]

Nothing but FACTS, DA. Very nice.

[@mariehernandez7656]

I totally agree 💯 with you on this whole situation

[@tjsil99]

Oakland fans built the Raiders with their support, in large part why the coliseum itself was built. That loyalty was kicked to the curb twice by the Davis clan. Now the saga continues with the A's. When will fans wise up? There is no "we" when discussing the sports teams. It's them and us, unless you're a Green Bay Packers fan, the community itself means very little to the team owners. The Benjamins drive the whole thing. That's just the way it is. If the grass is greener, see ya'!

[@atommy4625]

Thank you D.A. Thank you

[@HomerunBaker21]

You are 100% right my friend!!

[@seamusbarrett1453]

Kudos, D.A. Keepin it 💯

[@bdbd1390]

I think the owner is planning of getting the team value up after moving to Vegas and then selling it. Gap isn't making nearly the same amount as it use to. Also I'm a A's fan since I could remember. I'm just happy they are getting out of that stadium finally. It's been a shit stadium since the 90s and owned by the city. Surprised it wasn't done 20 years ago tbh

[@dl4569]

Its what he's gonna do and no one is blind to it. Reason why its a big scam to begin with.

[@matthewstone9360]

I don't want to defend John Fisher, unfortunately all these people that all of a sudden love the A's these last few days haven't been paying attention to their stadium saga the last 2 decades. The A's under Fischer have tried for 10 years to try to build at Laney College then finally pivoting to Howard Terminal. This was not some pretend negotiation to get money from Vegas. If it was it was the worst negotiation tactic of all time.

[@cschmelzer83]

Been an A's fan my whole life but I go to away games only now. I refuse to give Fisher any money so I see them in SF, Anaheim, LA and Seattle.

[@JW-dy8ru]

In a couple of years, nobody will remember this latest outrage.

[@gospos1]

Very similar to when they pulled the Expos from Montreal