MLB Team's Opening Day Crowd Was Embarrassing
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 21: A close up view of an Oakland Athletics hat and Rawlings glove during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 21, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
The Oakland A's have had a rough few years, with the team preparing to move out of the area and into Las Vegas, joining other NFL, NHL and WNBA teams in the city.
Attendance has been an issue for years at the Oakland Coliseum, with fans going to fewer games each year as the stadium continues to show its age.
Opening Day is meant to capture the optimism and excitement of a new MLB season, but the attendance for last night's game between the Athletics and the Cleveland Guardians left a lot to be desired.
A small number of fans were at the Coliseum before the game, but there were many more fans who tailgated outside due an organized boycott on Opening Day.
Oakland has been a team on the outside looking in for many years now, and Thursday's opening day was no different.
The Guardians won 8-0 in a game that was never particularly close, sending the A's fans home with even more to be upset about.
Low attendance has been one of the driving factors behind the Athletics' impending move, but a lot of that can be attributed to a stadium the team has played in for almost 60 yars.
The Coliseum has stood in Oakland since 1966, and it's hosted both the Athletics and the former Oakland Raiders.
The Raiders ended their time in Oakland by moving to Las Vegas, and it looks like the A's will be doing the same.
The A's haven't made the playoffs since the shortened 2020 season, and they haven't been able to compete with the likes of Houston, New York, Baltimore and some of the other top teams in the American League.
We'll see if the move to Vegas gives the A's a boost in attendance, and that they can improve on the field in their new home as well.
