Death of a Sports Town Part 3: Baseball’s Last Dive Bar

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 17 September 2024

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The loss of three professional sports teams in five years has thrust Oakland into the media spotlight, with coverage focusing on every twist, turn, stadium proposal, and relocation rumor. But amid all that noise, a central experience has been overshadowed: the story of the fans. In part three of our series, Death of a Sports Town, we turn our attention to the diehard Oakland sports fans who refuse to let their city’s reputation define them. We explore the thriving, tight-knit community that grew within the walls of the Coliseum and how, even as the teams leave, those bonds strive to endure in the face of an uncertain future. Our five-part series ‘Death of a Sports Town’ publishes every Tuesday in the ESPN Daily show feed. Death of a Sports Town Episodes: Apple Podcasts: Part 1 & Part 2 Spotify: All episodes Statement from the Athletics: ESPN emailed the Oakland Athletics, asking “What does the team feel it owes its fans and the city of Oakland as September 26th approaches?” The team responded with the following statement: “We are deeply grateful to Oakland for being home to the A’s for nearly 60 years. In that span, the team and its fans celebrated four World Series championships, served as home to seven American League MVPs, made countless lasting memories, and achieved a storied place in baseball history. After an earnest and unprecedented effort to bring a visionary ballpark to downtown Oakland, we were unable to reach a deal, and more importantly, secure a reliable path to a fully approved project. We appreciate the community members, local leaders and staff who worked diligently to build a new home in Oakland and applaud the fans who passionately advocated for the team to stay. The A’s time in Oakland will always be a cherished part of this franchise’s history, and we carry that spirit forward on this journey to Sacramento and eventually to our new home in Las Vegas. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the loyal fans for their unwavering support throughout the years.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Previously on ESPN daily.
0:05.0	The A's are focusing on a move to Las Vegas.
0:08.0	It just felt too immediate.
0:11.0	It was not how it should have been presented to the mayor.
0:14.0	It is disrespectful to string the city along this way.
0:18.0	We've spent the last two Tuesdays chronicling the death of a sports town.
0:23.8	First it was like sadness and then it was kind of anger and
0:27.7	and then it transpires kind of more activism.
0:30.5	The crowd goes silent and now getting very loud at the Coliseum.
0:36.0	Next Thursday the athletics will play their final game in Oakland
0:40.0	the culmination of decades of mismanagement and misfortune
0:44.0	that have seen the town lose its three biggest pro sports teams
0:48.0	over a five-year span.
0:50.0	They waited in the hotel lobby to confront John Fisher.
0:53.4	At one point he said, this has been harder for me than it has for you, believe me.
0:58.6	And I just, at the moment, I couldn't believe he said that.
1:02.4	I was like, wow moment I couldn't believe he said that I was like wow
1:04.0	So if you missed it I encourage you to scroll back in the feed and give those episodes a listen But today we set aside all the drama between owners and executives and
1:21.2	commissioners and politicians and we put the focus where it belongs
1:26.0	on the memories and the emotions of the fans in Oakland who will soon be left behind.
1:32.2	I've met the majority of the friends
1:34.5	that I have today through the Coliseum.
	...

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