Oakland A’s expected to betray fans by following Raiders to Las Vegas

Oakland sports fans recently had to watch the Oakland Raiders move to Las Vegas, and they may have to do the same now for the beloved Athletics.

The city of Oakland, California apparently isn’t as much of a hotspot for professional sports as it once was. The Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, the Golden State Warriors moved to San Francisco in 2019, and now, according to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, the Oakland Athletics are likely moving to Las Vegas.

Though sad for those in Oakland, it’s not surprising. The Oakland Coliseum doesn’t necessarily have the best reputation. Earlier this season, New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay tore the A’s stadium to shreds as he commentated from Oakland and complained of ants and opossums hanging out.

Between the unfavorable circumstances at the stadium and being one of the worst teams in MLB this season, they need to move to where the money is, and Vegas would be the perfect spot. The fanbase would likely grow, a newer stadium would attract a larger audience, and the A’s would bring in more revenue overall that they could invest in their team.

The situation is undoubtedly sad as accessibility to professional sports for those in Oakland diminishes. The move will also, unfortunately, impact players. In a piece from The Guardian, several downfalls of the Warriors move to San Francisco were discussed that could apply to any of the relocated teams.

In particular, players have families and homes in Oakland that they’ll have to either completely relocate or up and leave for their career as they navigate a move to another state. It’s a tough situation to be in for everyone involved, but sometimes, business calls for it.

When considering the pros and cons, fans are divided on the move. While some believe the Athletics will do better out in Vegas, others think they should remain in Oakland.

Fans react to the possibility of the Athletics moving to Las Vegas

It makes sense, from a business standpoint, for the A’s to move out to Vegas. One fan acknowledged that with the low attendance.

This season, the Athletics had the worst home attendance of the league with an average of 9,973 fans per game. All other teams had at least 11,000 averaged and the Los Angeles Dodgers led the league with 47,671.

One fan made a humorous tweet in regards to another Oakland team possibly going to Vegas, in reference to the statement, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

Another referenced the Raiders move, stating it’s tough to have two pro teams leave a city less than three years apart.

One simply shared that the A’s should stay in Oakland.

Another fan, however, sees the pros in moving to Vegas and acknowledged the growing fanbases of the Raiders and the new NHL team, the Las Vegas Knights, since relocation.

In addition to hosting the 2022 NFL Draft, Vegas is already home to a championship professional sports franchise. The Las Vegas Aces won the 2022 WNBA Championship in September. There’s also been talks about seeing the NBA potentially start up a franchise in Las Vegas. Add all that to the city being an epicenter of combat sports, and Vegas is quickly becoming the next big city in pro sports.

At this point, the A’s need however much help they can get, and a move to Vegas could be a major breakthrough for the franchise.