The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Oakland A's, 3-2, on Sunday at Oakland Coliseum. The game was played in front of an unusually robust crowd as Dodgers fans took advantage of a multitude of affordable seating options.
With the Athletics moving to Sacramento next season, and then maybe to Las Vegas at some point after that, the Bay Area crowd has all but disappeared. Oakland is dead last in MLB attendance this season, averaging fewer than 10,000 fans per game. The Dodgers are first in attendance, selling more than 48,000 tickets a game. Really, what a great opportunity for Dodgers fans who live a few hours north of Los Angeles.
So while the weekend series was a great opportunity for Dodgers fans, SportsNet LA's Stephen Nelson was less enthusiastic for the situation. During the ninth inning of the Dodgers's series-clinching victory Nelson went off on the A's for the way they were handling their impending relocation.
“It’s shameful because the people that are running it are shameless! They are experiencing no embarrassment in any facet…seemingly intentional, insidious in fact!” -Dodgers Broadcast
— Last Dive Bar 🏟 (@LastDiveBar) August 4, 2024
Boy they might as well just said “FUCK YOU JOHN FISHER!”
Dodgers Broadcast absolutely dragged… pic.twitter.com/nqpOIqBPUD
"It's hard to believe this is happening," said Nelson, "but you understand that this does happen, right? Relocations are a part of the business of sports. It's the third move for the A's when they go to Sacramento, a fourth will be the one to Vegas, if that actually happens. The Dodgers franchise knows relocations happen, but the way this one has happened is shameful. It should be, anyway, because the people running it are apparently shameless."
"They are experiencing no embarrassment," Nelson continued. "In any facet. You slash payroll 50%, boost season ticket prices 30% and you wonder why people aren't showing up? No, they don't wonder. It was seemingly intentional, insidious in fact.
"You tell fans 'If you think you had it bad, I had it worse.' Really? What about the hundreds of families, the thousands of people that will be impacted by the work that will be lost from this move? Using the wrong logo for promotional video. Every step of the way, this thing has been fumbled."
Nelson wrapped up his thoughts by simply saying, "Its tough to watch from afar. And you hurt for the community here in Oakland."
The A's have 25 home games left before they leave. At this point opposing announcers lighting into the franchise feels about as emotional as the goodbye will get.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dodgers Announcer Criticizes A’s Ownership For Embarrassing Relocation Situation.
