Writing Off Las Vegas for the A's? 

Fisher is jumping into bed with whoever opens up the bedroom door. First LV, now Sac. Both those cities are gonna end up with crabs.

I was under the impression one of the reasons there are so many Vegas doubts is because the power players aren't lining up to take this project across the finish line.

If Fisher doesn’t have a way to spend money on a new stadium he can #SellTheTeam.

Love the Fieldwork Brewery shirt!!

Thanks for always keeping it real Casey

I dont see Vegas happening unless he can get a significant buy in. He clearly didnt want to spend 1.1b in Oakland. He also clearly doesnt want to spend 1.?b in Vegas. I have no idea what MLB and Fisher are up to really. They did so many jumps through hoops to bail Fisher out and he still can't make shit work. He just doesn't have the financing or willing to spend his own money to the tune of 1bil up. Maybe he's doing a quick look in Sac I don't know... Rumors swirling around now that he's pitting cities against each other to drive up the bids now with the Smith group in Utah, Sac players and Bay Area players. Vegas apparently isn't interested. Who knows how this plays out. Just sad, pathetic and extremely corrupt with MLB.

Here's my take, Casey. Yep. MGM is the overlord of The Strip. They will inherit that Tropicana property for pennies on the dollar, but only after a decade in bankruptcy court. If MGM wanted MLB, then I am absolutely sure they would prefer an expansion team, and it would be a lock that they would get it. But you have to look at it in terms of Strip Economics. Baseball is an "attraction", and certainly a feather in MGM's cap if they want it. But it's a money loser on The Strip. Unless there is a slot machine at every seat in the ballpark (and that would get all kinds of backdraft) it is an absolute money sump for Strip real estate, where land value is based on gaming potential. If MGM were to pursue baseball, it makes more sense for them - as it does for anybody - to move it out to the Wild, Wild West site - off Strip. They would expand the people mover system across the 15, and build up a bunch of lower value attractions over there. What? They have an arena inside the MGM itself? Yes, they do! Why, I'm happy that you brought that up!... 😃...That arena brings in professional top card boxing, MMA, A-list entertainers, and at hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a ticket. With a much smaller footprint than Jiffy Pop Ballpark, the Great Siopao, or whatever they're calling it. Strip casinos are looking for a return of $898 per square foot of floorspace*...Ain't no way in hell even a World Series team competes with those returns...Any MLB team in Vegas only works off Strip. Whether it's the economics, or the fact the Las Vegas residents HATE The Strip (and I was one of 'em)...To conclude, yep, MGM may very well want MLB in their neighborhood, but I'm of the opinion that they will kick the rusty can that is the John Fisher A's back down the road, and start the project from the ground up - ironically in the first place JFish planted his flag in Las Vegas... * - scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1042&context=jhfm

I just have a feeling that Sacramento is the final destination. Why trademark Sacramento A’s but not the name you plan on using, supposedly, for decades to come?

The one thing I can an say about other Las Vegas developers jumping at the chance to help the A's develop this ballpark is that development in Las Vegas always comes to a halt during economic downturn. This is one thing that I felt would happen with Bally's as they were junior developers. From 2009 to 2021 there were no developments completed. The 2 developments completed in 2009 (City Center and Cosmopolitan had their own issues). The Cosmos owner went bankrupt and the resort was run by its lender for several years and City Center had 2 fewer buildings than proposed and the towers that were completed opened with several floors a complete blank slate. 2 projects never started (the Frontier and Exhelon Place) and the Fontainebleau took 2 decades to complete. There is also a tower at the Venetian that still has not been completed and is tarped off. We are in another economic downturn with lending and cost up. Also MGM and Caesars are focusing more of their funds on online gaming. It is possible they could develop, but if history repeats the timing isn't right for the A's.

Is it true the other teams have to approve the A's playing in Sac? Do we have any shot at this not happening?

Saludos Casey

Yeah, I mean even after Vital Vegas' recent posts and his chat with Alex and Hal on the Ricky Blog, I still have to assume Vegas is the most likely destination - for now. Even still, we haven't seen anyone significant whos willing to partner up with John Fisher on this thing, and Im not sure if the big hat wearers in Vegas are willing to pony up the cash to pay for this thing with only a minority stake in a team with a very speculative current valuation. If what Vital Vegas says is true, and the big players in Vegas see the A's as completely out of touch and un-serious, then we might actually see him fail over there. The only way Fisher gets that stadium built in time for 2028 opening day is if the A's hit a lot of metaphorical home runs in the next year, and I just dont see that happening with all the doubt and weird speculation we are seeing right now... If Fisher relents and sells a large stake in the team for a lot less than he wants, then its more likely but as it is right now, the dude isn't making much contact with the heavy hitters in Vegas to get this thing moving. The fact that we are even at 70% for Vegas right now after all the 100% surefire guarantees we have seen? Its going to continue cascading doubt.

1:07. You said it all.

What if the As move to vegas, would there be a possible chance that san jose break free of the territorial rights to the giants and get an expansion team in the south bay?

A's will end up in either Vegas or Sac. If a new Vegas ballpark falls through, Vivek and Fisher will work together to build an MLB ballpark in Sac and the A's will just stay there.

Fisher, will use tv money and sell half the Coliseum to Oakland

Lacob and Reggie Jackson could combine and purchase the A's while Fisher gots a expansion team in Vegas...

Ok so Vivek is Puffy and and Fischer is Notorious B.I.G. ??? Or is Fischer Jermain Dupri and Vivek is Lil Bow Wow ????

Vegas will find a way to make this happen imo.

Fieldwork brewing company!!!

Someone should buy the team here and then put an expansion team in Las Vegas do what they’re doing in Phoenix coyotes are being sold going to Utah and the NHL will put a team back in Phoenix expansion team. This would just be the other way around. Keep athletics Oakland and then work on your expansion team in Vegas you got nothing with time, just my thoughts

I wonder if MGM would flat out buy the A’s and then stabilize them for the first couple years in Las Vegas, then they sell to an actual LV owner that isn’t a gambling business’ consortium I also believe that it’s Vegas, even though that percentage for me has shrunk from a 75% to about a 60%

I think it’s high time for individuals like Joe Lacob, Reggie Jackson and the groups The Last Dive Bar and the Oakland68s to get together and start a group like Salt Lake City has done in order to get an expansion franchise . That might be the only way Oakland has at ever having an MLB team again and even the odds of that are not that great. I see the odds of the As moving to Las Vegas at 60/40. Schools before Stadiums has almost no time to get anything on the ballot for November if they succeed in the Nevada Supreme Court and that’s nowhere near guaranteed. And, if it does make it to the ballot in November it might still pass for all shorts of reasons. Plus like Casey said MGM really supports this and will do anything to get this done. Also, many of the politicians of both parties in Carson City support this as well. So the As have a good chance of being in Las Vegas in the next 5-8 years. I am so sorry to be a downer but the As have a decent chance of moving to Las Vegas. So if you live in Oakland go and support the Oakland Ballers if you feel that’s the right decision for you. That is the only baseball you may have for a very long time in Oakland after this year unless you want to support the Giants but that is entirely up to to. I cannot tell anyone what to do because this is a very personal decision and everyone will handle and process what is going on and the emotions of the news differently. I entirely understand that. I hope that everyone has a great evening under the circumstances.

Vegas will fall thru and Fisher will sell part of the team to Vivek(who got a downtown arena for the Kings built to stay in Sac obviously) and build a state of the art stadium along the railroad area down there...

Welcome to Las Vegas

The voters re going to kill the ballpark.

Contract the A’s

Unfortunately, I see Fisher selling stakes in the ballpark and A's to finance it. The ballpark he will probably get a 100 million dollar naming agreement. Additionally the fancy suites will probably get him a few hundred million more. He has a few hundred million from the taxpayers and will probably sell a partial stake in the A's probably to casinos for a few hundred million. The rest he will finance. I think it boils down to he feels like he can sell more luxury suites in Vegas because that's where the money for these greedy owners is found.

Fisher family is worth $7B. John has already committed $550M of his own funds. You dont think he can get a loan if needed?

If they don't go to Vegas, I think they end up staying in Oakland.

Or MGM doesn't want a stadium at all if they buy the land

If A’s do leave for Vegas, San Jose and Oakland should put serious bids for expansion! Owners bidding for expansion will be rich and smart! San Jose is a very lucrative market and MLB can overturn Giants territory rights if they want! The expansion fee would be high

Vital Vegas now claims only a 10% chance that the A’s move to Vegas.

Sports leagues these days DEMAND new stadiums while simultaneously being ok with minor league and college venues being used for MULTIPLE FULL SEASONS yeah okay 👍

Fischer is clearly playing 4D chess. He says Oakland cant suoport an MLB team while simultaneously NOT adopting Sacramento Athletics moniker to KEEP Oakland fans. Kaval Wan Cheapskate Kenobi taught him well. I would prolly drug test Fischer tho.

Its amost like being a MLB fan is an awful way to spend your life. What a humorous statement.

It's nearly comical when I hear all the Bay Area pundits saying the public in Las Vegas doesn't want the A's. I live in Vegas and talk to the public virtually every day and I can tell you the baseball fans in Las Vegas are ecstatic that the A's are coming here.

Thanks! It’s going to happen in Las Vegas ….. they are ahead of schedule.

Bally’s will sell that site ..Those renderings were all bullshit to buy time , who builds a stadium with a glass wall that will have the players looking directly into the setting sun ? ..Once Fisher has secured the funding real renderings will start to appear..If schools over stadiums falls flat again by the Nevada Supreme Court nothing can stop the move line it or not ..MLB wants baseball in Las Vegas ..they told Nevada over a year ago it’s the A’s or nobody ..Las Vegas would be better with nobody than Fisher and the A’s ..Las Vegas wants expansion not the A’s but they are being given no choice in the matter .

70% is better than your previous, you used to be greatrr than 90%

It's a recipe for disaster! And so is any kind of expansion. Add two 120 loss teams. Bull$hit!!!

Generally agree with a few caveats: 1) I think your assessment about the Bally’s situation is reasonable. GLPI and MGM are very enthusiastic. MGM CEO recently made positive comments. GLPI funding the demo and has indicated interest in increasing their investment. Both GLPI and MGM are financially healthy. 2) Schools Over Stadiums will not be a factor. First, the desire for a public option is from MLB. It could be a factor in expansion or relocation decisions, but even if it went away, MLB would not pull the plug. Second, the $380M is a relatively small component. Third, the challenge of getting signatures and verifying them in a short time is considerable. Fourth, the recent poll is not indicative of how a ballot measure would go. The poll question implied the general public would pay, which is not the case, and that would be clarified. 3) Dave Kaval told Fox40 in Sacramento that the funding is in place. Even if you don’t believe him, the funding will be documented in the Development Plan, the draft expected at the Stadium Authority May meeting. The fact that the funding has not been made public at this point is irrelevant.

Nevada residents, taxpayers do NOT want the A's and they will fight tooth and nail to stop John Fisher from using their tax dollars to fund his stadium. Politicians are going to lose their jobs over this if the move happens. They don't want to fund another billionaire with dreams of a stadium on the Strip. I continue to pray for the A's and their fans that their team stays in California and if that means Sacramento, so be it!

Vegas is confident and isn’t sweating the process , it is people from Northern California falling for the bs. Why would MLB wants to move to Sacramento is ridiculous. I don’t know anyone in the world that want to plan a vacation to California that save money to plan a trip to sac . A’s move to Vegas will double the A’s worth. That isn’t happening in Sac. People of Sac getting a big head . MLB isn’t expanding there period . Just be a good host and stop building your hopes to high .

I have never in my life seen so many All Star and World Series level talent unsigned and available: Brandon Belt, Kim Ng, Trevor Bauer, Evan Longoria, Donovan Solano, Brian Sabean, JD Davis (Oakland) THIS SPORT IS A MASSIVE JOKE

Northern California is a massively stronger market than Vegas. That is undeniable. Of course the Philadelphia Athletics of NorCal are gonna need to build a new ballpark- which would likely cost well over a billion Robert Deniros. My idea is to spend approx. $500-$800 and renovate the Oakland Coliseum. I know that sounds far-fetched but I guarantee the city of Oakland would welcome them back with open arms if the team really put their all into a Coliseum renovation that established the ballpark as a national historic monument that would exist for generations.

If Vegas happens, isn't Salt Lake City pretty much a given? Do you really see the MLB turnings down $900 million in corporate welfare money? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that be a record amount of public dollars?

Casey Pratt is officially a Vietnam vet at this point thank u for your service

Sacto A's!!! Vegas A's!!! It's a done deal for both cities!!! John Greedy Fisher sucks!!!

Neither Las Vegas nor Sacramento can support the Athletics.

The whole 'Schools Over Stadiums' initiative will crash and burn. It won't even hit the ballot. The President of the NV Education Association & 'Schools Over Stadium' head, Dawn Etcheverry, did a longform interview with KTVN Channel 2 in Reno back in December and couldn't back up her claims that the money used for the stadium project is coming from education. KTVN reporter Arianna Bennett repeatedly asked her about that... and Etcheverry was clueless. Etcheverry conveniently overlooks the fact that the NV state legislature's plan is to sell bonds and institute tax breaks to cover part of the cost of the ballpark and that no money (from education or otherwise) from the NV state budget will go to new stadium funding. I'd post KTVN's website link here to the interview with her, but RU-vid would probably delete my post because of the link. Right now I'd say there's an 80 percent chance of the A's ending up in Vegas. I think the other 20 percent hinges on Fisher and the other players involved getting their act together.

What were they thinking moving to Vegas where betting on ANYTHING is legal, including sport's where the player's are going to live? As far as the A's are concerned, they should just stay in Cali. Half or more of the fan base is in Sacramento anyway. Still close to the Bay Area and Sacramento is a great sports venue. Screw Vegas. It's an overpriced shithole anyway. AND much safer for fans.

Does Zennie62 have to correct you again on your baseless claims the A's won't move to Las Vegas, with a new ballpark built? Dude, you're reaching and need to give up.

Vegas is still a non-market. The team will be on welfare forever and a constant 100-loss team. The Aviators will be a better draw.

Las Vegas will get the Expansion franchise. Sacramento will keep the A’s. And will build a new stadium in the Railyards adjacent to downtown or have a major expansion to the West Sacramento stadium. Oakland will have a shell of a sports complex to demolish, and will never have Major League Sports ever again. The Giants will have the Bay Area as their sole Market for MLB. That’s the reality. Continuing to whine gets one nowhere. Move on with life. And enjoy the Giants. They are your local team now. They are only a few minutes drive away, you just have to avoid the protestors and sideshows blocking the bridge.