The Great Train Robbery

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, I guess. Just like a certain Chicago football team, he Oakland A’s have gone out and bought themselves some land for a new stadium. Only it’s in Las Vegas, not Arlington Heights. The A’s bought forty-nine acres not far from the Vegas Strip, with plans of moving by 2027, if not sooner (possibly to the home of their AAA affiliate, the Aviators, and wouldn’t that be appropriate for a 3-16 team?) Now’s the fun part, trying to shake down public bodies for as much of a cash subsidy as they can get. The A’s are said to want a cool $500 million. Apparently, they also want a stadium that seats 35,000 fans. Gone are the days of Comiskey Park, Municipal Stadium in Cleveland or Yankee Stadium, when 50,000 or more people paid to watch a ballgame. Baseball now is hellbent on rendering the term “cheap seats” obsolete. Supply and demand, what the market will bear, gimme a subsidy…