Enigma-level codebreaking.
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Or James Taylor maybe?
I’ve seen punny threads that I thought would never end.
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I disagree. The A’s fan base isn’t nearly as large as the Giants, but they are loud and passionate. I’d say anywhere from a quarter to a third of the locals I know out here (i.e. folks born and raised in the Bay Area) are A’s fans. I’d also say that Contra Costa is majority Giants.
I’m bummed for several good friends who love the A’s because I remember all too well what it was like when the Oilers left Houston - side bar, fuck Bud Adams - but the chatter seems to be a resigned acceptance for most of them. The A’s leaving Oakland was the most likely and inevitable outcome in this saga.
Ultimately, I think this was a really shit owner, one of the richest in the game, who was entirely unwilling to spend any of his money on a ballpark facing off against a city council who wanted desperately to keep the team in Oakland but couldn’t justify spending that much public money on a stadium considering the myriad other issues they have to contend with.
My proverbial two cents
ETA: The Coliseum is a fucking dump.
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10 games for Mad Max
I have to admit to not having paid half the attention I probably should have been paying to this issue for a really long time. But I had it in mind that at least part of the A’s issues were rightfully chalked up to the Giants. Is this wrong?
Agree with everything MikeS has said. Unfortunate combination of lousy owner and a city with lots of other priorities. Additionally, and not surprisingly, Bud Selig also can shoulder some of the blame.
Joe Lacob once had a deal to buy and keep the A’s in Oakland
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Now how exactly did German stay in the game and get no further punishment?
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You want the rule book answer or the cynical answer? They are; an ejection carries an automatic 10-game suspension, and German is a Yankee, respectively.
I respect your opinion. You live in the area. But crowds at games there sure look sad and sparse on television.
I have not been fully plugged into this issue, so correct me if I am wrong.
Didn’t the A’s propose private finding for the stadium and 50/50 split for the surrounding development, caveat being the A’s wanted the tax revenue from the area until a certain dollar amount was reached? I may be conflating events and proposals, but this seems like a fair compromise, so far as stadium deals goes.
Again I could be wrong, I do not live in the area and it was probably a year ago that I was reading up on the Howard Terminal proposal.
Back when the A’s wanted to move to San Jose I think that was 100% the issue. Not that I can blame the Giants for wanting to hold that territory.
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I haven’t followed that closely and have not seen anything detailing the latest sticking points. This move to Vegas was telegraphed by Manfred and he seemed to think that the dispute was over how to fund the infrastructure and affordable housing.
Manfred: Oakland owner focusing on move to Las Vegas | AP News
From the competing term sheets the two sides released a while back, the difference was around the second infrastructure financing district and the A’s non-stadium developments. The City didn’t want to commit to funding infrastructure for that development (but had obtained some grant funding), and wanted the A’s to commit to some percentage of affordable housing and contribute to the community development fund.
Will Oakland and the A’s keep negotiating for a Howard Terminal ballpark?
Given what happened last night, maybe Manfred knew something in February. But who knows, Fisher has been threatening to leave Oakland (for Fremont, San Jose, and Vegas) since bought the team, which is before I moved to the Bay Area.
Obviously this is a very complex issue and I’m sure I don’t understand most of the facets.
But my take is that the city council wants the area around the ballpark to remain as close to what it is now as possible by not affecting major businesses, neighborhoods, or residents negatively but the A’s to pay for required infrastructure improvements in those areas.
I know nothing is black and white but this feels like eating your cake and having it too.
The Savannah Bananas are taking on the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic league tonight and tomorrow. Both games will be live streamed on the Banana’s you tube channel. I assume they will be playing by Bananas Rules rather than the Atlantic’s leagues Manfred Thought Experiment Rules.
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Difficult to say which are crazier.
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When a billionaire sports owner is involved I guarantee there is plenty of blame to go around.
I have an opinion on that.
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The Cubs are presently murdering the Dodgers 8-0 in the 5th, but the more important news here is the Cubs home run celebration song is Whoomp! (There It Is).
And holy fuck this Cubs broadcast is a horror show with occasional Jimmy D. interjections.
Now 9-0 on a Mancini single.