GameDay: On The A's New Stadium
CBS 5 Sports Director Dennis O'Donnell hosts "Gameday" every Sunday night at 11:30pm and offers his unique sports analysis here.
OAKLAND (CBS 5) – Did you hear the news on baseball's new Major League agreement? Testing for HGH, two more wild-card teams and no more tobacco tins in your back pocket.
But what about the committee appointed by commish Bud Selig in March of 2009? You know, the one examining the A's stadium options? And you thought the so-called "Super Committee" was spineless. Who's on this committee, John Kerry? How could it take a committee longer to find a solution than it took to BUILD AT&T Park? Look, if the Giants precious territorial rights are the issue, then say it and let's move on. If not, build the field and moneyball will finally mean spending money on real players.
It turns out that the labor agreement also states that teams in the largest 15 markets will lose all of their revenue sharing in 2016, except for the A's if they are unable to build the new in San Jose. That tells me that MLB knows the way to San Jose. (thank you Dionne Warwick) One MLB high-ranking official suggested to me that no comment from Selig is actually a comment. As in NO move for Oakland to San Jose. But if the new labor agreement pads the A's wallets for a another five years that suggests to me that the A's are willing to keep playing ball with Selig and his so-called Blue Ribbon committee.
The last thing MLB wants is someone to challenge this territorial rights issue in court. Hey, if Togo's can put up a restaurant across the street from Subway, what's stopping the A's from setting up shop in San Jose? It's called Antitrust and baseball has a nice little exemption they'd like to keep intact.
So what's the end game? Since the committee will NEVER tell you, I will. Either the Giants take a $35 million payoff, paid out by Bud and his gang, thus allowing Oakland to build in San Jose, or MLB buys the A's or finds a buyer who is happy with that monolithic mausoleum they try and pass off as a baseball stadium.
See you on TV.
