The mayor of Las Vegas is gearing up for the Super Bowl. But, she’s more than a little skeptical of the Oakland Athletics, should or will move to Las Vegas. Plus, a teachers union is suing the state to block the A’s stadium deal. Oakland was supposed to have figured out by the end of December where they’ll play in 2025 and beyond before moving to Las Vegas in 2028. That didn’t happen, as the franchise’s near-term future remains bleak.
MLB Rumors: Oakland’s Stadium Situation
Las Vegas Mayor: Relocation Doesn’t Make Sense
The soap opera of the A’s relocating to Las Vegas continued this week. Front Office Sports interviewed Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman, who offered a surprising opinion on Oakland’s relocation attempts. Goodman is all for the Golden Knights and the Raiders. But when it comes to the A’s? Not so much.
Goodman believes that the team’s plans at the Tropicana site need to make more sense, preferring the franchise to stay rooted in Oakland.
“I thought, this does not make sense, and so why is it happening?” Goodman said. “I personally believe they’ve got to figure out a way to stay in Oakland. They want to be on the water, they have that magnificent dream. Yet they can’t it get done.”
Aside from Goodman’s opinion, according to a recent report from ESPN, the A’s and the City of Oakland last talked almost a year ago. The A’s and owner John Fisher have received plenty of backlash from their fans throughout the process. Fans went as far as hosting a reverse boycott last season, and they plan to do the same on Opening Day. Unfortunately, Fisher has not considered selling the franchise at this time.
Nevada Teachers Union Sues to Block A’s Stadium Deal
Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that a teacher’s union in Nevada is now going after the A’s and their stadium efforts in Las Vegas. A teacher-backed lawsuit is against the state and Governor Joe Lombardo, challenging the bill’s legality that granted $380 million in public money for a new stadium for the A’s. The lawsuit is aimed at the A’s and was brought by the Nevada State Education Association, one of Nevada’s teaching unions.
The first, a ballot initiative, was going to bring the stadium’s funding bill, known as “SB1,” to a public vote. The teachers lost in court in November as an appeal is pending. The teachers are trying to put the stadium funding to a public vote rather than lawmakers negotiating the deal. It’s still being determined if it will pan out.
“This is around the A’s and (owner) John Fisher’s efforts to get the financing for the balance of the roughly $1.1 billion dollars that he needs to put together,” said Chris Daly, the NSEA’s deputy executive director for government relations. “We’re doing everything we can to make the road harder for them. Because our ultimate goal is to fund Nevada schools, and we think SB1 and the stadium deal goes in the wrong direction.”
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