MLB may have a Las Vegas problem.
What is going on with the Major League Baseball Oakland or Las Vegas Athletics franchise? The Athletics owner John Fisher did not exactly knock it out of the ballpark as he met with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Fisher seems to have a spot to build a ballpark but there are no ballpark renderings, no funding method other than the $380 million that Nevada lawmakers have allocated for the project. The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce members didn’t exactly rally around Fisher. That is not a good sign for Fisher who needs the chamber’s help. Meanwhile Fisher has no regrets leaving Oakland.
“I gave everything I had to try and make things work, and we’re very excited to be coming to Las Vegas. And this is where our new home is going to be. I know there are no words that I can say that are going to make people at home who are really upset about the team leaving feel better about the team or about me. We’re very excited to be coming to Las Vegas and this is where our new home is going to be.” Fisher has a year to go on his lease at the Oakland Coliseum and then is free to move his business. The Las Vegas ballpark he plans to call home may not be available until 2028 which means that the Athletics’ players could be playing in a minor stadium during that time. There is another consideration. If Fisher leaves the Oakland area what happens to his TV deal. Fisher received nearly $68 million from his San Francisco Bay Area cable TV partner. He is not going to get that type of money elsewhere. Fisher claimed a projected $40 million loss operating in Oakland in 2023. It will be more in 2024. Welcome to Oakland A’s baseball.
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