Athletics potential stadium is approved by Nevada State Senate, Oakland fans hold reverse boycott

The bill to fund the potential Oakland Athletics stadium in Las Vegas passed the Nevada Senate on Tuesday, removing a major hurdle to the move.

However, before the bill was passed, lawmakers amended the measure to bolster community benefits. The 13-8 vote in the Senate marks another step as the bill moves through the state legislature while reviving the national debate over public funding for private sports clubs. The bill, which has the backing of Governor Joe Lombardo, must now be considered by the state assembly.

Representatives for A and some Nevada tourism officials have said the measure could help fuel the growing Las Vegas sports scene and act as an economic driver. But a growing chorus of economists and some lawmakers have warned that such a project would bring minimal benefits compared to the hefty public price tag.

The Senate approval came after days of closed-door negotiations and a controversial hearing on the bill, which calls for a contribution of $380 million in public funding for the proposed $1.5 billion stadium.

The approval also came on the same day that approximately 27,759 Bay Area A fans staged a massive reverse boycott by buying tickets at the Oakland Coliseum to demand that embattled owner John Fisher sell the team instead of moving to Las Vegas.

Fans staged a reverse boycott outside the A’s Oakland game against the Tampa Bay Rays

Fans showed up armed to the teeth with signs calling for the team to be sold and kept in Oakland

Fans like Brian Guido and Scott Finney from Sacramento left work early every Tuesday because they absolutely couldn’t miss the festivities a few hours away in Oakland.

“I’ve only been to one game this year. I saw this game and I knew I had to come because I knew it was going to be very monumental and send a message to the owner that this is what the fans want,” said Finney. “They want the property to sell the team so they can stay in Oakland.”

Thousands of frustrated, heartbroken A’s fans arrived early for tailgating and solidarity at the Oakland Coliseum ahead of a Rays-A’s matchup to both celebrate their team and protest a planned move to Las Vegas.

They called it a reverse boycott aimed at getting as many people to the ballpark as possible, complete with bright green “SELL” T-shirts made by local Oaklandish company that went to the first 7,000 to claim the fan-planned giveaway.

A ‘We’re here!’ poster gave specific instructions for each inning, such as chants of ‘Sell the team! Sell ​​the team!’ for the first Tampa Bay batter in the top of the inning and “Stay in Oakland!” followed by five hits to the lead-off batter in the bottom half.

The drummers in right field also rarely returned.

John Fisher has been pushing for his A’s to move since taking full ownership of the team in ’16

The A’s announced a few hours before the first pitch that they will be donating all ticket revenue from the game to charity, the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Oakland Public Education Fund – a total of $811,107.

Mother and son Leslie and Justin Lopez walked together in their SELL T-shirts showing how much the A’s have meant in their lives – 27-year-old Justin has been coming to games since he was 8 months old. He is devastated every year to see All-Stars leave for larger markets in free agency or all the other stars trade.

“It was so sad to see. We feel historically disenfranchised,” Justin Lopez said as he hugged his mother.

Toddler Pepito Mendez, 3, of Pittsburg enjoyed himself during the action toss a bean bag (with an emoji of feces) in the plates covered in facial images of Fisher and team president Dave Kaval.

Father Paco is considering canceling his season tickets for 2024.

“We are therefore thinking of not re-signing next year,” he said. “Hopefully he sells locally. I wish I had the money for it. It doesn’t look good for us.’

Rays manager Kevin Cash appreciated the passion of Oakland’s fan base.

‘A’s fans are good fans. We played here, I think it was in ’19, in the wild card game and that was one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever seen in an opposing stadium,” he said, “so if it is, it would it should be loud and it should be fun.”

There was even a sign painting station in the southeast parking lot, where 13-year-old eighth grader-to-be Hunter Martini van Rohnert Park painted ‘STAY AND SELL.’

The fans were seen in droves directing their anger at team owner John Fischer

The $380 million in public funds for the stadium would come primarily from the $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds.

Donors have pledged that the creation of a special tax district around the proposed stadium would raise enough money to pay off those bonds and interest. The plan wouldn’t raise taxes directly unless the county can’t pay off its bonds, as is the case with other general obligation bonds.

The A’s would not owe any property taxes on the government-owned stadium. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, would also contribute $25 million in credit for infrastructure costs.

The proposed 30,000-seat stadium would be the smallest in Major League Baseball.