ESPN star rips Oakland A's relocation

After watching the Athletics play their final home game at the Oakland Coliseum Thursday night, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt underscored the emotional gravity of the moment.

Putting an end to 57 seasons in Oakland, the A’s will play at least their next three Major League Baseball seasons in a minor league facility in Sacramento as they wait for their new stadium in Las Vegas to be built. The A’s departure is painful in itself, but it also might feel like the final nail in the coffin for Oakland fans, who have now watched three professional sports franchises vacate their city in the last five years.

“It’s not just the A’s leaving, it’s the complete abandonment of Oakland sports fans by their teams,” Van Pelt said Thursday night on SportsCenter. “The Raiders were fickle, leaving, coming back then leaving again. The Warriors are still in the Bay, but there’s nothing Oakland about their new digs. And now this. Other cities have lost teams and it’s gutting. To lose three is without precedent. You think Vegas is gonna support the A’s? Come on.

“The passionate, emotional goodbyes from those who love the team are to be expected. But ask yourself this, have you heard even a single dissenting voice outside of Oakland? Anyone saying, ‘This is a great idea! You got it all wrong, this John Fisher guy, he’s a great guy.’ I haven’t. This right here, this is just the worst of what sports can be. Heart goes out to you A’s fans.”

The Athletics were unable to extend their lease on the Oakland Coliseum, a stadium that has long been deemed unfit for a professional franchise, which is why they’re heading to Sacramento as they wait for their new facility in Vegas to be built. Not only will they be playing in a minor league stadium with a seating capacity of 14,000, but they’ll also be sharing that facility with the Sacramento River Cats. Between both teams, more than 150 games will be played on at Sutter Health Park next season.

The A’s might be looking forward to a new stadium in Vegas, but this isn’t a bittersweet departure. There was nothing sweet about the A’s leaving Oakland for Sacramento and then Vegas. Fans are bitter and they have every right to be. They’re bitter with A’s owner John Fisher. They’re bitter with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and the 29 other owners who were complicit in supporting the relocation. And they’re bitter with the city of Oakland, which similarly deserves blame. It’s one thing for a city to lose a single pro sports team, but when you lose a second and third in the span of five years, take a look in the mirror.

[ SportsCenter ]

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