Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher remains unfazed by fan backlash.
In an exclusive interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal published today, Fisher said, “I’m not considering selling the team at all.”메이저놀이터
Fisher is currently preparing to move the Athletics to Las Vegas, Nevada. Unsurprisingly, this has been met with resistance from Oakland fans. Oakland fans have been chanting “Sell the team” to protest the move.
Fans are demanding that the team be sold to an owner willing to keep the team in Oakland.
However, Fisher said, “I have owned the team with my partner, Lew Wolf, since 2005. Since then, our goal has been to have a new home,” Fisher said, reiterating that he has no intention of selling the club.
“When you look at the success stories of new stadiums in Major League Baseball, from Camden Yards (Baltimore’s home) to the wonderful facility Atlanta has built, it’s clear that we need a new stadium. But it’s been a long time coming,” he said of the need for new ballparks.
“We’re really excited about the idea of a new stadium that will be an iconic part of the Las Vegas Strip. We’re going to be a really great team for the community. It’s going to be a great thing for not only our fans, but for the entire baseball world and the entire sports world,” he said, reiterating his intention to move to Las Vegas.
He argued that the new stadium would allow the Athletics to experience success beyond being a competitive team.
“If we win the World Series in six years (after the move), that would be incredible,” he said, referring to the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, who won the Stanley Cup six years after their inaugural season.
“We lost $40 million this year and last year,” he said, adding that the Athletics are currently not breaking even. “That’s one of the reasons why we need a new stadium,” he said, reiterating the need for construction.
According to him, the Athletics have completed the application process with the Major League Baseball office. A relocation committee has been formed by the commissioner’s office to review the application, which will then be reviewed by another committee and placed on the owners’ meeting agenda.
He was coy about when the process would be finalized, saying, “It’s up to the commissioner and the other owners to determine the timeline.”