OT: The Economics of Sports Stadiums and bye-bye to the Oakland A’s

[XXtwindad]

My hometown Oakland A’s are moving to Sin City just like their gridiron brethren. No surprise, really. The Fisher family has long been considered the worst owners in baseball and the City of Oakland refused to foot a large part of the bill for a proposed move to Jack London Square.

It’s a sad day for Oakland, which has also lost the Raiders (as above) and the Warriors to San Francisco. The A’s leave a rich legacy in Oakland: the heyday of Charlie Finley’s renegades (Reggie, Rudy, Rollie, etc..) the BillyBall era (Rickey), the Bash Brothers era, and the MoneyBall era. Great memories.

Which brings me to my central question? How much should a city pony up for a sports team? I know that several teams/cities (San Francisco, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh come immediately to mind) have revitalized downtown areas and made beautiful ballparks. But should a city allow an owner to hold them hostage? Are the economic and civic benefits worth it?