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The Oakland A’s were once one of Major League Baseball’s most dominant franchises.
They’re one of just two franchises (the being the New York Yankees) to have won three consecutive World Series. They’re also just one of two franchises (also, the Yankees) to have won back-to-back World Series more than once, having done so three times.
But these days, the A’s are an abject disaster.
Owner John Fisher refuses to invest in the roster or in a new stadium. Which is why the team is leaving Oakland for Las Vegas after over 50 years in the city.
The move coincides with a new stadium in Las Vegas that Fisher anticipated would be either largely or entire funded by public money, something Oakland would not acquiesce to.
But now it turns out that Fisher may have badly miscalculated, and the A’s may well be left scrambling.
Oakland A’s Move To Las Vegas Hits A Major Snag
Howard Stutz and Tabitha Mueller of The Nevada Independent report that the A’s may need to call an audible if they don’t receive a $500 million tax deferment program that they expected to land.
“The team is looking to state lawmakers for a $500 million package involving tax credits and the creation of a special taxation district to help fund stadium construction,” the report stated. “However, proposed legislation has yet to be filed with state lawmakers in Carson City. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) told The Nevada Independent last week the team was running out of time to get legislative approval for the tax package.”
Fisher plans to move the team to Las Vegas one way or another. But he may have to backtrack and accept a deal that he’d previously shot down in order to complete the move.
Sources connected to the A’s and close to the negotiations said Monday that the A’s are still focused on acquiring the former Wild West Casino site bordered by Tropicana Avenue and Dean Martin Drive from Red Rock Resorts for an undisclosed price for the 35,000-seat retractable roof stadium and a surrounding entertainment district.
However, they also confirmed the A’s reached back out to ownership of the Rio Hotel & Casino, which offered the team 22 acres of the resort’s 90-acre site, for just $1. The A’s had rejected the deal that could have greatly reduced some of the costs associated with the land acquisition because the team was concerned about traffic access. – via The Nevada Independent
Leaving a city and a fan base high and dry is nothing new for sports owners. But Fisher will look even more ridiculous if he does so and still had to fund a stadium himself.