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04 November 2006

MLB to Vegas is dead, says Goodman

Not much has been heard from the Vegas camp for several months. In SI writer Ian Thomsen's Inside the NBA column, flamboyant mayor Oscar Goodman talks about Sin City's prospects for a pro sports franchise, namely a NBA team such as the Kings. While commissioner David Stern's stance on not allowing a team in Vegas until the city's casinos take NBA games off the books hasn't changed, Goodman will keep trying, starting with selling the experience of the sure-hit 2007 All Star Weekend.

What about baseball? I'll let the following blurb speak for itself (quotes attributed to Goodman):
On Major League Baseball, which two years ago appeared to be the frontrunner to move a team to Las Vegas:

"It died. I spoke to (baseball commissioner Bud) Selig because the Marlins had come out to see me and I wanted to pursue that. They called me and they said that Selig didn't want them talking to me. I called (the commissioner's office) up and verified that, and I wasn't about to make an enemy. I've had (NFL commissioner Paul) Tagliabue that I've had to contend with, so I didn't want to make an enemy out of Selig too.''

So much for the Vegas conspiracy. Oooh, here's one: Selig was really saying that in not allowing the Marlins to talk to Goodman, he's reserving the A's to pursue Vegas. R-i-i-i-ght.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apparently Selig still has old school aversions regarding MLB in sin city. That prohibition apparently does not extend to Indian gaming or the minor leagues. In Fresno, an Indian casino has bought the naming rights to the Giant's triple A affiliate stadium. Curious.

You do sap some of the fun out of the conspiracy theories ML. You jumped the gun on the, "It's all part of evil Bud's plan to personally screw the city of Oakland." Never mind Florida, perhaps because Bud intends to join the minions of senior citizens there when he retires. Can't be guilty of banishing the nations past time to Vegas if he doesn't want to be a social parriah.

So what out of town options are left? San Antonio, Portland,....and that's about it. And neither of those two sites are viable at this point in time. Fremont is shaping up as the only realistic proposition. It could be a helluva lot worse.

Anonymous said...

Fremont update

"KCBS sports anchor Steve Bitker broke the story Monday morning, learning via a source that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to come to the Bay Area next Tuesday, November 14, and is expected to make the announcement along with A's owner Lew Wolfe, Fremont city officials, and executives from Cisco Systems, which will lease the land for the complex.
"

http://www.kcbs.com/pages/121049.php?contentType=4&contentId=236382


No doubt the Oliver Stone Fan Coalition will still be saying "Selig said it was a mistake for the A's to move to Oakland"

Anonymous said...

Well, if you look at things objectively, not through the "MLB is out to screw the city of Oakland" crazy prism, there's simply no reason for Selig to want a particular team in that market. Why the A's over the Marlins?

And since we're on the subject, why would Selig make sure his buddy Wolfe moved the A's from Oakland to Fremont? To everyone on the planet outside a few hysterical Oaklanders, that's a minor move within the same market as far as MLB is concerned.

Heck, that helps answer your question too: if Selig's secret plan #5 is to move the A's to Vegas, why is he forcing Wolfe to buy up land and make plans in Fremont?

Anonymous said...

So here it comes, what we have all been waiting for for the last several years. Much rejoicing and shouts of acclaim. Along with weeping and gnashing of teeth. 40K sounds a helluva lot better than 35K. Go A's....of whaterver the hell the name is going to be.

Anonymous said...

Yeah! The A's are getting closer to playing in a much-deserved brand new baseball-only stadium! That is great news!

Anonymous said...

Moaning and gnashing of teeth over at OAFC...Marine Layer, with friends like Lil, who needs enemies?
To Whit, Lil just said over there, regarding our good friend ML,
"MarineLayer loves to point to us folks here at OAFC as a bunch of delusional conspiring paranoid head cases....but I think that by now he is the greatest conspirator and delusional of them all.

"I suppose time will tell who was conspiring all along.

And I know one thing for sure. Like Jer and some others here, I'll be watching at home on mlb.com."

Thats ok, Shrill, we wont miss you.

Anonymous said...

Turn out the lights the party's over

Marine Layer said...

jrbh - From a theoretical standpoint, anything's possible. From a practical, realistic standpoint, "reserving" the A's for LV makes little sense at this point. Selig and MLB know the political climate of the Bay Area, and that there are no places they could ransom to get a stadium deal. Fremont's the only spot at this point that presents a politically friendly opportunity.

If you read the article a little more, you'll see that even in Goodman's pursuit of the NBA he's trying to go cheap by upgrading the Thomas & Mack Center. That's far less than what was originally being promised: a shiny new 20,000-seat arena. Vegas may be where a lot of money is, but that doesn't mean the people that control the money are willing to part with it easily.

Anonymous said...

Don't leave so soon anonymous, the parties just now getting started. There are a lot worse things that could have happened. The A's are going to open a new chapter in the organization's history. This particular chapter still includes Oakland, the town just up the street. Perhaps this will end up being good for Oakland too.

Anonymous said...

Jeff, "turn out the lights" was for the Oliver Stone coalition.

Anonymous said...

LOL...OK, my bad. The trouble with conspiracies is that just when you think they're over...here comes another squirrell with his nut to crack.