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Are the Oakland A's on the move?

Jeff Passan reports the Oakland Athletics will start exploring relocation if they can't strike a deal to build a new stadium.

Sash

For years, people have been talking about the Oakland A's possibly moving to a new stadium or completely relocating. The MLB hates the Oakland Coliseum more than they love blacking out local games. For me, I find the Coliseum charming. It's probably the ugliest stadium in all of sports, but the thought of the Coliseum collapsing makes me a little sad.

It's been a part of our lives forever. Seeing this eyesore of a stadium gone will be like that one childhood friend that moves away.

Here are some details about the A's possible relocation according to Jeff Passan.

"The Oakland Athletics will start exploring the possibility of relocating with the blessing of Major League Baseball, a move that could put pressure on local government officials to greenlight a new stadium project that has spent years in limbo, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.

The A's, who have played in Oakland since 1968, have prioritized building a waterfront stadium in downtown Oakland at the Howard Terminal site. But after years of failed stadium plans -- and weeks after the organization asked for the city council to vote on the $12 billion mixed-use development before its late-July summer recess -- the long-anticipated specter of the A's looking into relocation on Tuesday became a reality."- Jeff Passan

I feel like the Howard Terminal site has been rumored forever. From the sketches, it looks like a beautiful stadium.

Here are some more interesting tidbits from Passan's article.

"MLB is concerned with the rate of progress on the A's new ballpark effort with local officials and other stakeholders in Oakland," the statement said. "The A's have worked very hard to advance a new ballpark in downtown Oakland for the last four years, investing significant resources while facing multiple roadblocks. We know they remain deeply committed to succeeding in Oakland, and with two other sports franchises recently leaving the community, their commitment to Oakland is now more important than ever.
"The Oakland Coliseum site is not a viable option for the future vision of baseball. We have instructed the Athletics to begin to explore other markets while they continue to pursue a waterfront ballpark in Oakland. The Athletics need a new ballpark to remain competitive, so it is now in our best interest to also consider other markets."

If the A's are on the move, where should they go? Nashville? Portland? New Orleans?

I just feel bad for Oakland sports fans. The Raiders picked up and moved to Vegas. The Warriors said goodbye to Oakland for a new arena in San Francisco. Now the A's might be on the move. Going to be interesting to see how this all ends up. The MLB might finally get their wish and get the A's out of the Coliseum.

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