Oakland A’s stadium leaks sewage, owner questions fan loyalty

O.co Coliseum is long overdue for an overhaul, or just a straight up retirement from hosting professional sports.  The home of the Oakland Athletics and Oakland Raiders had another sewage leak earlier this week.

This sewage backup saw A’s coaches crawling over benches to avoid the sludge leaking from an adjacent bathroom into the dugout.  A few months ago, a sewage backup spilled into both clubhouses.

“There’s no carpet down there (in the dugout), so it’s a little bit better, but it’s still pretty gross,” A’s infielder Jed Lowrie said to USA Today Sports, speaking about both sewage leaks.”It’s kind of repulsive, honestly.”

And now, A’s minority owner Lew Wolff wonders why the fans don’t show up.

With the A’s on the verge of clinching the American League West, Wolff questioned the loyalty and scope of the fan base in Oakland – wondering why the stands aren’t filled.

“There is something wrong here,” Wolff told USA TODAY Sports. “You would think that with our lead, people would want to come out, count down the magic numbers, and all that stuff.

“Even if you’re not a loyal fan, you would think this time of year, where the teams are in the standings, and where every game means something, people would come out.”

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the stadium has something to do with that, Mr. Wolff.  The 45 year old Oakland Coliseum has seemed old for quite some time, and having leaking filth strewn about the facilities as a result of its ancientness probably isn’t going to attract those “non-loyal” fans.

Obviously that isn’t the entire story, but with both in the news recently, the connection seems glaringly appropriate.  Wolff has also been quite vocal about his desire to find a new location for the A’s – an uncertainty that surely must have some fans concerned about what city the team might play in, and not exactly a motivator for the casual fan.

It should also be said that the A’s have seen increasing attendance the last 4 years, and according to the USA Today report, sold out the first game of the ALDS in about 10 minutes – despite the state of the A’s facilities.

“I just want a new location so that its more compact, a single sport, just like the Raiders want for themselves. But I’m getting a little older, so maybe somebody in my office will have to take care of that,” Wolff told csnbayarea.com’s Rael Enteen.

An investment in better bathroom facilities and piping for O.co Coliseum in the meantime might be a good plan.