THE BIGGEST LIE OAKLAND HAS EVER TOLD

In this episode of Locked On A’s, host Booney confronts what he believes is the biggest lie perpetuated by the Bay Area media and fanbase regarding the Oakland Athletics. Drawing from over 40 years as a passionate A’s supporter, Booney challenges the narrative that the team's struggles are solely due to ownership mismanagement. He delves into the long history of failed stadium proposals in Oakland and criticizes the selective storytelling by media figures and fans that paint the A’s as a perpetually losing franchise. Booney supports his argument with historical attendance and performance data, highlighting how fan support has consistently wavered, even during successful seasons.

Booney also addresses the deep-rooted disdain for owner John Fisher and how this hatred has led to misinformation about the team’s past and present. He explores the financial dynamics behind the A’s move to Las Vegas, explaining how funding for the new stadium is more accessible than critics suggest. Throughout the episode, Booney voices his frustration with the Bay Area’s media bias and calls for more honest discussions about the A’s legacy and future. He ends with a direct message to Oakland fans and media members, challenging them to reflect on their role in the team’s narrative.

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[CauseEffectPost]

Respect, sir! I’ve been a die hard fan since the first game my dad took me to as a kid in ‘86. Went to all 4 of the WS in ‘89. MY son now plays, he’s #24, and his gear bag is adorned with Rickey patches.

THANK you for this bitter dose of honesty. It blows my mind how dishonest and devoid of real journalism this issue has received.

The A’s are gone because Oakland, the place my grandparents, parents, and myself grew up in and then around, has had chosen a path of inept leadership. The fans, as die hard as many of us are, just weren’t enough.

Ownership may not be great, yes, but this one sided reporting we’ve all been subjected to, only prevented us from tackling this process honestly and constructively.

Again, thank you!

[kylevisbal]

The A’s social media have had comments disabled for over a year.. The A’s are on revenue sharing (Other MLB teams pay for most of the roster) . The criticism of the owner I don’t think will end until the team is sold. The team is playing in a minor league stadium.

[AsFanRadio]

Boony has taken what was once a great podcast & totally ruined it to be a Vegas sellout scab ass.

Everyone should stop supporting & boycott Locked On A's if they aren't already doing so.

[Baseball_Fan_NV]

Excellent truthful video.

1) I did a very detailed analysis of A’s attendance from BB Reference and BB Almanac, consistent with what you said. I shared this with Scott Ostler and others, who all completely ignored it. I did not blame the few good fans, but the market favored the Giants and did not provide enough fans over the nearly 60 years with only a few exceptions. Also consistent with the excellent article by Steve Kanigher in the Nevada Independent, now in Las Vegas but formerly in the East Bay.

2) In response to another comment discounting statistics, I say NO. That point would be valid if the statistics were only over a few year period, but over nearly 60 years, the excuses tend to wash out. The attendance was mediocre regardless of the stadium condition, team performance, and ownership history. It was a reflection on the market.

3) The A’s tried over a 20 year period to get a stadium in the Bay Area, documented by a short video by Jonathan Bloom of NBC Bay Area.

4) Vital Vegas is not taken seriously in Las Vegas on sports issues. I pointed out specific false statements he made on the A’s, leading him to block me on X.

5) When Brodie extolled the virtues of Howard Terminal and suggested the deal was close, I pointed out the A’s attempt to deal with what was then called Schnitzer Steel with no help from the city. The fires and noxious fumes over a multi-county region made the area unsuitable for a stadium. Brodie responded by shadow banning me from his YT channel.

6) The so-called “fans” have filled social media with profanity and death wishes. Then the same ones complain that the A’s turned off comments.

7) The fanbase will increase in Las Vegas. The noise from Oakland is already irrelevant.

8) The Bay Area media including the YT channel creators have by their own actions cut off their involvement with the team. If they had been more honest and realized there was multiple blame to go around, there might not have been so much hatred and they might have continued to support the team, even if disappointed in their leaving.

[GravityFalloutPines]

I follow every game and call into the post-game show at least weekly. Yes I'll follow them to both Sacramento and Vegas.

Why?

Because the A's are ENTERTAINMENT, and I don't give John Fisher any space in my mind

[johnpeterson]

Fans pay player contracts — 32 for 32 teams. Owners are middleware. Your point is spot on — the A’s never had enough fans to finance big long term contracts. Owners took minuscule profits.
The team was purchased to build a new venue. Oakland failed to spend money for essential infrastructure — less than 15% of the owners contribution.

In any other MLB town, our winning would have brought in enough fans to support a bigger payroll. The A’s won the sixth most 2000-2021. Playoffs at 50 percent clip.

Hass lost millions buying a championship — owners don’t do that anymore. “I’ll show when they sign long term contracts” isn’t how it works.”

[lespaulranger]

How can especially people who see that a city that is about to go bankrupt despite having the highest per capita effective property tax rates of any county in the entire state plays no role in this? Oakland the city sucks and until that changes nothing will change.

[fansince]

Okay, get this. I went to my first Oakland A's game in May 1968, and continued to be a fan through the 2023 season, that's 55 years. I'm using a rough estimate but I probably attended an average of 30 games per year, so about 1, 600 games - I am not a new kid on the block.

The problem with your analysis is that relies solely on statistics, not additional factors incorporated into the mix. With all due respect, when you comment on the situation you are using TUNNEL VISION. Those attendance numbers that you keep referring to are the RESULTS of the situation, NOT THE CAUSE.
Scumbag ownership, biased bay area media, SF Giants not reciprocating Walter Haas' good deed all come into play here. If you are truly an A's historian you wouldn't ignore it by simply rattling off attendance numbers.
1990, on a level playing field, before it became necessary to keep up with the changing requirements to cater to the public's demands, the Oakland Athletics drew 2, 900, 000 people at the Coliseum. You conveniently left this fact out of your video. If the incoming A's ownership after Mr. Haas, the Bay Area media, the SF Giants had cooperated in doing the RIGHT THING, this pending move would have NEVER HAPPENED.
So with all due respect, it's time to get off your high horse and settle down for a minute. I consider this video more of a method to get clicks then to tell the real story. That's all I got.

[RealROI]

Oakland is an extreme has been city (SF going same route ) sad but 100% justified. Unlike Tampa which is great town and deserves keep their team (in new but smaller stadium in different suburb)

[byrdman]

I'll be honest, I'm a Giants, Warriors, and Niner fan, so my perspective may be a bit different on this but, I think there has been more of an outcry for the A's leaving Oakland as opposed to the Warriors and the Raiders because the A's were supposed to be the last team standing in Oakland.

If the A's would've stayed in Oakland, it would've been somewhat similar to the Padres in San Diego currently where the Chargers left and the Padres are the only pro team in San Diego and have reaped the benefits and took advantage by signing big name players and trading for Juan Soto at the time. The Padres may be taking a step back due to ownership and payroll, but they've been selling out their games the past few years and have added to the vibe in San Diego. I think Oakland fans probably may have thought the A's could've been that if they would've stayed in Oakland. Everyone always talks about how the vibe was at the Coliseum for A's games and how it was different from other MLB venues when the Coliseum was sold out. I think a lot of Oakland fans will miss that Oakland vibe. At least that seems to be the consensus.

For the Warriors, they just moved across the bay to here to SF, but the Warriors were more upfront with their move when Lacob took over ownership of the Warriors, so people already knew what the Warriors planned on doing. The Warriors didn't lead Oakland on, and they're still here in the Bay. Yeah, some Oakland fans still can't get over the Warriors move to SF, and some East Bay Warrior fans feel the Warriors should move back to Oracle/Oakland Arena, but for the most part, people don't complain about Chase Center as much as they did the Warriors first couple of seasons there. The Warriors winning the 2022 title did help.

For the Raiders, I think people thought they were going to leave in 2017, and then 2018, and then 2019 ended up being their last year in Oakland. The Raiders left Oakland the first time, and for the Raiders, they have a fanbase in LA as well, so I think for the Raiders it was a little bit different as well. The Raiders are kind of more regional and not just Oakland and now have a fanbase here in the Bay Area, in LA, and kind of in Vegas.

But yeah, I think there was more of an outcry for the A's leaving Oakland because they were supposed to be the last team standing in Oakland. Plus, a lot of people brought into the "Rooted in Oakland" slogan the A's were pitching last decade.

[gregbert]

Mainers and Dodgers fan, but...I also love the A's- have total respect for their fans, players and coaches and Locked On A's podcast. Thanks for doing this! MLB needs to take control of the team and keep them in Oakland.

[jessemora]

I understand what you're saying. I also understand that baseball can thrive in Oakland with quality ownership. In the history of the Oakland A's they've only had one quality owner and that was the Haas family. When the Haas family sold to Shott and Hoffman the only thing they talked about was moving the team. I'm sure that turned off a lot of people. If MLB wanted the Oakland A's to succeed they never would have sold to John Fisher. You had the Joe Lacob group and you also had the Reggie Jackson group that offered 25 million more than John Fisher but was turned down because they told MLB they were committed to Oakland. If you were a true Oakland A's fan like you say you are the last place you would want your team to go is to Las Vegas. In Las Vegas the team will never have a true fan base. Have you ever been to a Raider game it's like a road game. The A's will be in the same situation, but it will be a lot worse because you have an owner that doesn't like spending. If you ever want to talk about the situation in Oakland bring it on dude because I will school you. Do you know who Charlie Finley is. If you were a true Oakland A's fan you would be asking MLB why he isn't in the Hall of Fame.

[jasontapia]

A's are always at the bottom when it comes to team revenue. That's why they are moving to Vegas. Vegas is a money maker for any business that moves there

[togoandmoss]

You should cover all things Sacramento and Las Vegas, because Kansas City Philadelphia and Oakland are the past.

[RobertSchoenfeld-rw]

You have completely missed the point. People root for players, not laundry. If the A’s had kept some of their best players, people would have a rooting interest, but the A’s never kept players. Never seem to have an interest in doing so. The attendance result followed.

[kturetsky]

I feel sorry for the Oakland fans but maybe going to Vegas will be a fresh start for the A's