A's to change road jersey

[NJTank]

Yeah I think a move is coming the A's cant survie in Oakland its Giants terriory and its an awful stadium in a city taht cant afford a new one, they shoudl go elsewhere, Portland, Vegas, or Sacramento

[BBTV]

  I like to tease Phils fans sometimes by telling them the wrong team left town.

Is it considered teasing if we acknowledge that it's true?

Beat me to it.

[Braden]

I think that they're just renaming the team...

the San Francisco Athletics of Oakland.

[pcgd]

There is a ton of money to be made in Vegas in professional sports. The first team there will be very very successful.

The money is there, the market is there, the marketing is there. Las Vegas would easily become the most desired location for any visiting team's fans.

The gambling issue is such a non-issue. You could throw a game from St. Louis easier than you could in Vegas. The state of Nevada has a department that deals with Sports Gambling and nothing else. How many other states have that? Because its legal, its governed and payed very close attention too. It wouldn't even be an issue because they wouldn't allow bets to be made on a professional vegas team, just as they have done with UNLV and Nevada.

The biggest issue would be a home fan base. But I doubt if an owner filling the air conditioned stadium walking distance away from the strip with opposing teams fans would give 2 craps about that.

[slapshot]

Is any team really going to draw 35,000 consistently for games in 100+ degree heat? I don't think any major league team is going to do well attendance wise unless an air-conditioned (possibly retractable) dome is built in Vegas.

[BBTV]

I think that they're just renaming the team...

the San Francisco Athletics of Oakland.

Alright, you need a 2 week suspension for that

[cranium]

Golden State A's, they could play anywhere in the state.

[thing-2]

At least this won't become the Los Angeles Athletics of Oakland, right? Right?

[Survival79]

who was the person who made the amazing Las Vegas Athletics concept? I'd really like to see it posted here and brought up again.

Las Vegas Athletics Concept

[The_Admiral]

...maybe it's just a fashion jersey? I hope? I really like the Oakland script.

[Puckguy14]

I could see the Athletics remaining either in the Bay Area or northern Cal. That just seems to be the most logical fit. Sacramento, in my opinion, wouldn't be that bad of a move. Or a move a little inward, say to Concord.

But what do you call them? The Northern California A's?

OMG, that's near me, so that would be awesome. Buchannan Field is on the list of being torn up and the Concord Naval Weapons Station is to be closing up. I would guess they'd still be the Oakland A's with the Athletics on the road jerseys. If Concord were to grab the A's (FYI, population is about 120,000 itself) it wouldn't be without a fight from Sacramento for sure.

Las Vegas will likely only work if its a retractable dome.

The latest has the city of Fremont (approximately 10 minutes from San Jose) to be in the mix now with space near the Warm Springs BART station as the key (FYI to the rest of the CCSLC: BART is the Bay Area Rapid Transit trains that go throughout the East Bay and San Francisco, with a stop right at the Coliseum. BART is trying to go down to San Jose where the last station would be near the Shark Tank in 8 years.)

Since Fremont is in Alameda County (despite its very close proximity to San Jose) it is NOT breaking territorial rights with the Giants, therefore, would be ok to have the A's move there without any problems. This would also help get the money from Silicon Valley without being in Silicon Valley.

[omnivore]

A team in New Jersey, a downtown ballpark could work.

Despite all the Yankee and Mets fans, Jersey was out of the minor league baseball loop for the longest time. Now look at all the minor league teams in the state, all because somebody finally figured out that it was a great market.

Jersey folks are intensely proud and I think baseball would be the right major league sport to thrive in the state, with a Jersey moniker and of course, a hot jersey logo and a third alternate jersey that simply says "Jersey" on the front.

That's almost as cool as Brooklyn NBA jersey.

Oh and the Devils and Nets only draw poorly because their stadium is in the boons. It's not like NFL Football where it's just once a week on a weekend. Their games are obviously at inopportune times and it makes it harder for ordinary folks to bother to go.

Plus, the football teams draw from NY since that's where the teams are from, essentially.

The Jersey sports teams would do better in a city, the Newark arena - despite what the naysayers say - will be a huge boost for the two teams (And no, the Brooklyn deal will fail for the Nets. And the team will get sold again...)

[Mac the Knife]

The A's aren't going anywhere, but if they did, it'd be either San Jose or Las Vegas.

San Jose would embrace the team warmly. Las Vegas would do so fanatically. Either way, the team would be better off than in Oakland.

[rmackman]

People in growing markets have allegiances to other teams.  Those don't go away overnight.

The Marlins play to about 60% capacity, and they've given their fans 2 titles in their 12 years of existence.

The New Jersey Devils barely drew 15,000 in each of the years following their last 2 Stanley Cup titles.

It takes at least a generation for a team to take roots in professional sports. Adults who live in Vegas have their own rooting interests, usually from childhood. Were their children to grow up with a new team, until that child reaches their late 20s or even 30s, they won't have enough disposable income for season tickets. No matter how much money exists in Vegas, it would be a new major league market, and they take time to cultivate. And since Vegas's economy is unlike any city in the US (New Orleans is sorta similar, the way apples and oranges are both fruit), conventional economic models don't work. Despite having professionals - teachers, doctors, lawyers - the vast majority of the economy is fueled by tourism and gambling and entertainment that you can only find in Vegas. That majority won't be what drives a major league team to profitability.

Plus, the obvious conflicts of interest between a professional sport trying to maintain competitive integrity and the casinos accepting billions of dollars annually betting on those games are inherent. As are the temptations to fix the outcomes of those games. Another problem that would seem to hinder Vegas. Would they be able to take action on games involving Las Vegas pro teams? I know until recently it wasn't always easy to find casinos taking bets on college basketball and football involving UN or UNLV.

Finally someone understands. The fans don't come to Marlins games becaue there are too many freakin' Yankees and Red Sox fans around here. The kids are Marlins fans, but their dads aren't. It will take until these kids are in their late 20's for the Marlins to have a real fan base, but by winning 2 World Series when those kids were younger helps because by then at least the kids can grow up and say that their favorite team has some kind of "tradition."

The same thing goes for the Panthers (although the NHL is screwing that up). The Heat have been around since the late 1980's so really my generation is now becoming season ticket holders for them. Having Shaq and the tradition that was brought in by Pat Riley didn't hurt either. You find a lot less Knicks fans and a lot more Heat fans around over the last few years then you used to. It's nice to see that happen, but the Marlins and Panthers will need at least 10 more years to reach that point.

As for Oakland moving, I really don't want them to. I happen to like them as the Oakland A's. I guess if I had to choose a city for them to move it would be maybe Indianapolis? I mean why don't they have a team? They have the Colts and the Pacers, so maybe if they built a domed stadium they could be the Indiana A's.

[EJ_Barlik]

Two words: Nashville A's

Three more words: Las Vegas Marlins (I am convinced they are not getting a baseball-only stadium in FL)

and soon to follow: Charlotte StingRays {Devil Rays}

[Gothamite]

The money is there, the market is there, the marketing is there.

The money is there? Which kind? Public, corporate? Don't think so.

The market is there? That remains to be proven.

Marketing - well, okay. You're right on that one. They city could market it.

[Mac the Knife]

and soon to follow: Charlotte StingRays {Devil Rays}

No chance in hell.

[IronChefShark]

move 'em to Montreal, or Charlotte, or Nashville.

Sacramento belongs to the Giants

San Jose belongs to the Giants

Concord belongs to the Giants

the entire bay area belongs to the Giants

hell, all of Northern California belongs to the Giants

kick the green elephants outta here!

and if Puckguy knows whats good for him he will agree with me

[Gamingboy]

How about Hawaii? I mean, it's the only logical step. The A's have always moved west. First they moved to Kansas City (from Philly) then to Oakland. Where else do they have left to go? Hawaii!

There used to be a Hawaiian team in the PCL, but it was moved when it became to expensive for a minor league team to play there. It's clear that the only way we'll be able to see Hawaii and "Pro sports" more then once every year (The Pro Bowl is the only time we do), they should move it to Hawaii!

Honolulu, to be exact. Don't think it'd work, well, in 1997, they had the Padres and the Cardinals play there, and they drew 37,382 people to Aloha Stadium for the first day/night double header and over 40,000 people in the third game!

Of course, it'd never happen. The fact that they'd fly so much is one, another thing is that Aloha Stadium would be the only venue available, since land in Hawaii is so expensive. And Aloha Stadium.. uhhh... well...

But still, I want to see them move to Hawaii!

[CC97]

They can't grow grass in Hawaii?