A's Ballpark Bill Still in Limbo

Some believe the bill is already dead, even with the option to call a special session

The regular session for the Nevada legislature has come and gone, and the A's bill has stalled without getting called for a vote. That can still change, with Governor Joe Lombardo already calling for a special session on Tuesday, but today's session will not include discussion of SB509 (the A's bill). 

There were reports on Monday that suggested that the A's ballpark in Las Vegas had gone from a "done deal" to a "maybe" leaving fans in Oakland reinvigorated. 

Nobody knows for certain what is next in this process. Former Miami Marlins President David P. Samson doesn't believe this bill will be heard, even in a special session, and he speaks from experience in trying to get public funding for the Marlins ballpark. 

The Nevada Independent laid out where the bill stands late last night, and mentioned that spokespeople from Joe Lombardo's office declined comment on the bill. That could mean that they don't want to tip their hand, or it could mean that there is nothing to say about this bill anymore. 

The A's tried to manufacture a time crunch in order to get the bill passed, but now the legislature will have as much time as they need to really vet the bill and come to an informed decision. Not only can they research the claims made during the hearing last week, but they also won't be dealing with all of the other bills that needed to be passed (like the state budget). Being able to focus on SB509 probably doesn't bode terribly well for the A's in Vegas. 

The A's have not released a statement at this time, addressing either their commitment to Las Vegas despite not getting a vote for their ballpark bill, or their re-commitment to the city of Oakland.

Many fans are hoping that Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao will release a statement inviting the A's back to the table on Tuesday. Something that lets the team know that the deal is still on the table, and perhaps the timeline for events moving forward that could get them their ballpark in the same amount of time it would have taken in Las Vegas. 

It's going to be a waiting game for now.

If John Fisher has indeed been rejected by Las Vegas, after he made things worse for himself in Oakland, his best option could be to sell the team at this point. There is a chance that we could start hearing from some local ownership groups that have an interest in buying the A's from Fisher and keeping the team in Oakland. Casey Pratt of ABC 7 claims that he knows of five such groups. If they are serious, then this would be their time to strike. 

In the meantime, there is still a "reverse boycott" planned for June 13, and with no deal solidified in Las Vegas, A's fans are going to be rowdy in support of their team and dislike of owner John Fisher. 

Hal Gordon (Hal the Hot Dog Guy) mentioned yesterday on The Rickey Henderson of Podcasts that fans will not only be receiving fan-funded t-shirts as a giveaway, but also cheer cards with instructions on one side so that the cheers are cohesive to start every inning. He didn't say exactly what the cheers would be, but one would have to think that people watching at home will hear some "sell the team" chants fairly regularly. 

A's fans have been vocal throughout this ballpark process, especially once the team shifted their focus solely to Las Vegas. After SB509 didn't get brought up for a vote, San Francisco Chronicle columnist John Shea summarized last night best, tweeting out "The power of A's fans."