Losing a pro sports team can be difficult for any fan. This loss is especially painful for those fans who have supported the team from its inception. Feelings of being heartbroken are sometimes followed by betrayal and anger when they learn the reason behind the move.
Some teams announce they are moving and put the blame on the cities that will not pay for upgrades or build a new stadium. Other teams quietly pack up in the middle of the night for a fast getaway. It seems these sports teams take a page out of Robert Irsay and Art Modell’s book.
Owners keep threatening to leave cities if they do not get a new stadium paid for by the taxpayers. After a team leaves, cities and fans are wondering what’s next for that stadium. Well, there are bright sides to losing a sports team, and here are some facts you may not know.
According to TheAtlantic.com, as recently as 2017, the Oakland Raiders were worth $2.38 billion, the Athletics are worth $1.05 billion, and the Golden State Warriors are worth $3.1 billion. Two of the three teams are leaving the Oakland area, the Oakland Raiders are moving to Las Vegas in 2020, and the Golden State Warriors are moving across the bay to a new arena in the 2019-2020 NBA season.
The only team left in Oakland will be the Oakland Athletics, who want a new stadium too and have explored other areas around the city for a possible new baseball stadium. These owners have gotten aggressive over the years on wanting taxpayers to build them their multi-million dollar stadium while they keep their money in their pockets. The city of Oakland is still paying for renovations made to the Coliseum in 1994 to try and lure the Oakland Raiders back from Oakland.
In 2025 when they finally finish making payments, they will have paid over 350 million dollars. That is 350 million of the taxpayer’s money used to make improvements to a stadium that some have never stepped foot in.
Cities need to rethink trying to keep teams or lure them to their cities and stop using tax-payers dollars to fund stadiums that they cannot afford. Save that money and put it towards infrastructure, creating jobs, funding education, and creating a place where communities can come together such as parks, sports fields for kids, libraries, more access to the internet, and ways to help the environment.
If another professional team wants to move to the city to let them fund their stadium. What we learn is that letting go only leads to others coming back or establishing themselves in the city.
After the 2016 NFL season, Dean Spanos, owner of the San Diego Chargers moved the team to Los Angeles after he did not get a new stadium deal in San Diego. Not long after he moved the team, other pro sports leagues saw them leaving as an opportunity to set up shop in San Diego. Alibaba co-founder Joseph Tsai founded the San Diego Seals of the National Lacrosse League.
The other teams that have established themselves in the city are; The San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football, The San Diego Strike Force an Indoor Football League team, along with a rugby and hockey team. Losing the Chargers only opened the doors for more teams to see an opportunity.
Some cities will no longer tolerate or give in to the demands of teams threatening to relocate should they not get what they want. Taxpayer’s money should be used for taking care of communities and not funding overpriced stadiums for those bent on getting their way.
So let’s not mourn the loss of losing a team, but look at all the advantages and possibilities of being able to spend money where it will benefit all the people of the community.
