This Kaval guy did a long segment with the Mad Dog yesterday. Seemed like a genuine guy, as far as any rich guy can be. These are my takes:
- He really wanted the team to stay in Oakland. He wanted a deal similar to what other baseball teams have gotten. He tried to work with the governments there for decades, they were just uninterested. Most owners would have pulled the plug long ago.
- The lease runs through 24. They have been spending their own money on possum control, sewage, and all the other problems that the county was supposed to be doing. He has a deal with the AAA team to use the ballpark. Even with its limited capacity, it will draw more than in Oakland. IMHO, playing in Oakland will be box office poison. No way they can do that for years. The SF idea is the same as playing in Oakland, sans the possums.
- This deal still needs approval from the Nevada state government, which is not a sure thing. They are getting more %age of taxpayer money than the Raiders or Knights got. Has to be done by January.
- He sees keeping the AAA team in town, as a low price locals deal. This is the system in Minnesota, Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle, so players can be sent up or down in a cab. But all of those places are way bigger than Las Vegas, so my bet is the AAA team will move somewhere else. Probably Vancouver.
- They are keeping the A's name and colors.
- They are setting this up in marketing towards locals and fans of the visiting teams. Which really it would not be fun to play for a baseball team where half the crowd are for the team in gray.
- The six teams, yes, six, that claim to be the home team in southern Nevada all have to sign off on this. Some will want $$.
- He really wanted the team to stay in Oakland. He wanted a deal similar to what other baseball teams have gotten. He tried to work with the governments there for decades, they were just uninterested. Most owners would have pulled the plug long ago.
- The lease runs through 24. They have been spending their own money on possum control, sewage, and all the other problems that the county was supposed to be doing. He has a deal with the AAA team to use the ballpark. Even with its limited capacity, it will draw more than in Oakland. IMHO, playing in Oakland will be box office poison. No way they can do that for years. The SF idea is the same as playing in Oakland, sans the possums.
- This deal still needs approval from the Nevada state government, which is not a sure thing. They are getting more %age of taxpayer money than the Raiders or Knights got. Has to be done by January.
- He sees keeping the AAA team in town, as a low price locals deal. This is the system in Minnesota, Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle, so players can be sent up or down in a cab. But all of those places are way bigger than Las Vegas, so my bet is the AAA team will move somewhere else. Probably Vancouver.
- They are keeping the A's name and colors.
- They are setting this up in marketing towards locals and fans of the visiting teams. Which really it would not be fun to play for a baseball team where half the crowd are for the team in gray.
- The six teams, yes, six, that claim to be the home team in southern Nevada all have to sign off on this. Some will want $$.
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