"If This Thing Fell Apart It Would Surprise Absolutley Nobody" - Jeff Passan When Asked If There Were Doubts About The Athletics Moving To Vegas
This Oakland A's to Vegas move just keeps getting messier and messier. This thing really seems like it's going to fail, it really has started to flair up recently with the news that the Athletics still don't have a home field for next season. On top of that, a few weeks back the Las Vegas Mayor openly said maybe the Athletics should find a way to stay in Oakland. Exactly what you want to hear if you're with the A's! On PTI Friday afternoon Tony Kornheiser asked Jeff Passan if some owners around the league were starting to have doubts that this move will actually happen. Passan didn't mince his words here.
"There are doubts EVERYWHERE about the A's. Because here's the one thing they've proven themselves adept at, being completely incompetent."
Sheeeeeesh. Owners and people all around baseball have worries about this thing according to Jeff. And the fact that he's roasting them right off the bat is incredible. Passan goes onto talk about how the A's need to be in Vegas so MLB can start planning its next round of expansion teams, which sounds like it may be in 2030. That isn't too far away, Rob Manfred and MLB need them in Vegas so they can focus on what market gets a team next, can't have another team already in limbo with 2 more on the way.
Passan also mentioned someone who is working with the A's thinks they are clueless, which makes sense based on the way the franchise has been run over the last 20 years. Now they think they can just pick up and move and it will be a seamless transition? I mean we're seeing it now, there could be a real disaster. He's right to Vegas isn't like falling over themselves to stand up for their new franchise either. They kind of seem like they don't really want them. Passan ends the segment with a hell of a line too. "The entire thing from the beginning, Tony, has been a disaster and if this thing fell apart it would surprise absolutely nobody." Wow.
It's actually refreshing to see a baseball journalist call this situation out for what it is. What is happening with this franchise is just bizarre. It's a nightmare situation for all involved it seems, safe to say some people are fed up with it. If this thing falls through, what do the A's do? Does Oakland take them back? Does John Fisher look to sell? I mean he's put that fanbase and organization through the ringer recently, why would you want to welcome this snake back into the den? I mean why wouldn't you look to sell the team? He doesn't invest any money into them anyways, they seem like a burden on Fisher rather than something he enjoys being a part of. I mean it's insane that Fisher can put his team through this. He's so damn incompetent that they do not know where their home ballpark will be next year. Wake up Mr. Manfred, maybe start trying to fix this?
Manfred and baseball should absolutely step in here too, how have they not already? It's embarrassing for Vegas, it's embarrassing for Oakland, it's embarrassing for baseball. If Fisher does sell the team wouldn't you think the city of Oakland would be more open to talking about keeping the team and making something happen with a new stadium. It's probably too late in the game for that but who knows. I assume MLB would rather have the franchise in Vegas over Oakland just from a money standpoint, it makes sense when you look at it like that.
This has just gotten so gross and muddy. No one knows where they're playing NEXT YEAR, where they will play in the future, and no one has any clue what the fuck is going on. Passan laughing at the A's ownership on national TV saying they are clueless, that's how you know this is a bad spot for baseball.