The Athletics’ decision to buy land near the Las Vegas Strip for a potential move from Oakland has drawn all kinds of criticism across the sports industry. Even Raiders owner Mark Davis, who oversaw that team’s own move from the Bay Area to Las Vegas, disagreed with the decision.
The latest to criticize Oakland’s potential relocation is hall of famer Reggie Jackson, who played for the A’s from 1968 to ’75. The former outfielder believes city officials should’ve tried harder to retain the MLB franchise, considering the municipality’s recent track record.
“You’re going to lose the team,” Jackson told Sportico’s Barry M. Bloom. “The city, I thought, really needed to do something. Save the A’s. You lost the Warriors. You lost the Raiders. What the hell’s wrong with you? You can’t see that coming? The fans don’t deserve that. I blame the people running the deal. You’ve got to keep the team for the benefit of the city. They lost all three of them.”
After retiring, Jackson was part of an ownership group that bid for the A’s when they were up for sale in the mid-2000s. Current owner John Fisher won the right to buy the club over names such as Jackson and current Warriors owner Joe Lacob.
However, Jackson said he doesn’t think Fisher has been acting in bad faith, and he still believes Fisher wanted to keep the team in Oakland.
“I think the Fishers did their best trying to get something done,” Jackson said. “At the same time, no matter how wealthy you are, you can’t continue to lose money every year. So, you have to go whether you want to stay or not. I always thought they bought the team to try to keep it there.”
The A’s have been trying to get a new stadium in Oakland, but the team and city haven’t been able to find common ground.
