Heyyyy, remember those crazy renderings for a new Las Vegas stadium for the Oakland A’s that conveniently dropped right in the middle of the legislative debate over whether Nevada should pay half a billion dollars or so to help build it? The ones with the bizarre half-dome suspended in the air by magic and that showed the stadium taking up way more of its proposed site than the 9 acres it will actually have available? Well, you can now officially throw those in the trash, according to A’s officials:
- A design team hasn’t even been picked for the stadium, with a final choice between Gensler and HTNB/BIG not set to be made until around November.
- No one knows how much building the stadium will actually cost until then, when a construction management firm will analyze the two proposals and arrive at projected price tags.
- “We told the groups, ‘You saw renderings in the newspaper, but wad those up for now,’” A’s director of design Brad Schrock said. “We are really encouraging them to think creatively about the different ways to solve the problem. It will be fun to see what we get back.”
All this courtesy of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which ignored most of the real news and instead went with the headline “Open-air feel challenge for A’s Las Vegas ballpark design.” This was a reference to Schrock’s statement that since an actual retractable roof would require more than 9 acres (duh), team execs are instead looking at a fixed roof with some panels at the ends that can maybe open, and possibly using a translucent material for the roof to let in some natural light — who wants to be the one to tell him how that worked out in the Astrodome?
Sports Illustrated’s Jason Burke wrote up a report on the R-J’s report as well, and noted that the paper got into a side kerfuffle this week by blocking on Xitter the state schoolteachers’ group that is trying to get the stadium deal overturned by referendum:
In other LVRJ news, they blocked the Twitter account “Schools over Stadiums” that is fighting the A’s ballpark project, apparently because of this tweet.
Hey, @reviewjournal, is this the tweet that made you block the @EduOverStadiums account? While we continue our fight for schools, you are showing your true colors. https://t.co/Lefy76ptwT
— Chris Daly ☔️ (@superdaly) July 26, 2023
After a few hours, the Review-Journal has since un-blocked the educators, but also referred to the group as “Stadiums over Schools” which is quite literally the opposite of what they’re advocating for. I wish them well in their investigation.
While both are well respected companies- neither one has designed a retractable roof facility.
Sounds like this stadium won’t have one anyway, just retractable windows.
Hahaha- it’s just weird they’re not considering Populous or HKS.
Gensler has pretty limited sports experience, but they are doing Bally’s Chicago.
Cheaper bid?
I would guess they’re going cheap and also giving some business to one of Ballys partners.
Populous is the go-to for baseball parks and HKS built the best similar retractable roof baseball stadium (Globe Life) and the best professional sports facility in the country (Sofi). Not getting their thoughts seems borderline irresponsible.
They did LAFC’s stadium (which I will never remember any name of but the first one…). I think most fans consider that a success.
Neil,
No mention of the ballpark as the “future home” of the Neon Museum by the LVRJ?
And they call themselves journalist!
A lots of great accomplishments were made this last legislative session, but working with @NeonMuseum to find them a new home has been my greatest privilege.
Many thanks to the @Athletics for welcoming a crazy idea to partner with
@NeonMuseumand embrace the rich history of #LasVegas into the new stadium.
https://twitter.com/Danielle4nv1/status/1674467097592872961
For the A’s to be like the Raiders or golden knights they would have to have one of to things
1). Be an NFL team (nope)
2). Heavily invest in the team and alway produce a championship level team (the A’s have never shown an inclination to do this in 123 years)
The numbers just are not comparable.
The A’s are promising to average about 28k a game.
To use a real-world comp, the Phillies averaged about 28.5k last year and their total number was 2,276,736.
The Knights total regular season attendance last year was 738,967. Not sure about playoffs. I couldn’t find the playoff numbers, but roughly 950,000, give or take, for the whole season plus playoffs.
The Raiders preseason plus regular season draw was 496,363
Obviously, baseball tickets are cheaper and all that, but it’s still much harder to sustain baseball attendance than the other sports.
Except 1972-1974
The A’s were actually big spenders in the Bash Brothers era in the late ’80s. But the entire history of the franchise before and after that, yes including Finley’s teams in the ’70s, it’s been about building up cheap talent and then selling players off as soon as they become expensive.
That’s not unusual. Baseball’s idiotic economic structure makes that the only way the smaller market teams can compete.
The Rays have managed to be a regular contender doing it that way.
The A’s are just not very good at it any more. And in recent years they’ve been *extra* cheap.
In a long forgotten baseball tome (it may have been one of Bill James early 1980’s books?) it anecdotes how Finley would call other teams scouts (just to chat of course), butter ’em up and get them to spill on whatever hot prospects they were following. Back in the 1960’s scouts were a lonely breed. A call from a major league owner about a possible promotion! Wow! Finley didn’t have to actually employ too many scouts ha ha.
If you can find them anywhere I highly recommend all Bill James books from that period! Hilariously logical and caustic, a great writer. After a couple editions he removed most of the math as he learned many readers weren’t into foreign languages…..
If you haven’t figured out yet that Fisher and Kaval are dumb and dumber then maybe you’re the dumbest. They operate everything as a shell game, and will never be honest with anybody. Dave Kaval will look you right in the eye, and lie to you very calmly. Every time.
Failson lies!!?? I’m shocked beyond words!
Well, except for these words)…..
Is that what it’s called now?
“Xitter?”
Let me guess how it’s pronounced…..
Right there in the link!
Unfortunately the links don’t work on my phone. I’d have to type them out and my fingers/eyes get
fatigued
….
That’s odd — what kind of phone/which OS?
It’s a Galaxy Samsung 11, couple years old.
Oh wait! Yes, you’re links (in blue) in the articles work. I especially enjoyed “Bingo Night” from the Odd Couple. Your links are always awesome (and thanks for the recommendation on Hells Gate!)
No, I meant when commentors type out links. I don’t know how to cut and paste on this phone.
If I remembercorrectly
you once said it was to avoid spam ads. Sorry for my confusion…..
.
The other funny thing is the A’s want a strip view. But rule 1.04 of MLB says
It is desirable that the line from home base through the pitchers plate to second base shall run East-Northeast.
If that’s the case they’re looking at the approach end of the 19 Runways at the airport. Even with a a waiver moving it more due North just gives you a view that’s mostly the MGM grand parking garage.
The Rio site would be so much better if your goal is more acreage + a view.
Not always followed. I remember the original Texas Rangers ballpark faced south and the players constant complaints about fly balls “dying” at the warning track…..
Well they’re not gonna face it South for a view either. The best view is west northwest. Directly into the sun. You can’t do that under any scenario they’ve presented so far. It would have to be a king or Metrodome type facility
Yes, a common baseball park problem. Where do we put the sun?
and who should pay for the move…. obviously it can’t be us.
Neil, I’m waiting for the Review Journal to refer to your website as
“Schemes of Fields!”
I have to admit the RJ’s Dr. Evil move to call the educators website “Stadiums over Schools” is underhanded tactical brilliance that will mislead people who only scan headlines…..
I’m really beginning to believe, considering it’s Fisher & Kaval we’re talking about here, that in the end they’ll go with an open-air design once they see how expensive & impractical domed & any sliding roof design parks will be.
They’ll just plop those mesh seats in that the LVB has, tell the fans to enjoy the breeze from the departing aircraft at McCarran and tell the fans to “think cool thoughts”.