The Prodigal Owner

Much has been written recently about the genuinely heartbreaking decision of John Fisher to move the Oakland A’s to Sacramento, with aspirations to later move them to Las Vegas.

As an East Bay native and lifetime fan and supporter of the team, I have personally experienced the rise and tragic fall of the A’s. People everywhere understand the powerful sense of community that sports teams create. Whether supporting our children in youth sports, or later as supporters of our high school and college teams, the network of relationships that are built around the ballfield, the gym, or the swim meet, expand our circle of friends, and frequently last a lifetime. I’m reminded of how a neighborhood dad who coached baseball alongside my father became one of his dearest friends, and how their sons and grandsons remain deeply connected two generations later. Our example is not unique.

At the professional level, this community-building chemistry is similar, yet different in important and uplifting ways. At neighborhood sporting events, the fans of youth teams typically consist of people of similar income and ethnic demographics. But pro sports capture a much wider audience of supporters, and in a place like Oakland, it is quite literally a United Nations experience. Fans of every ethnic, educational and income group attend A’s games, united in support of our team, exchanging high-fives after great plays and consoling one another after a loss. The myriad social and economic barriers to interactions between the classes disappear at places like the Oakland Coliseum. While some groups have tried to manufacture diversity, equity and inclusion in businesses and on campus, market forces and Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” have accomplished these goals magnificently and without coercion or intervention at A’s games for decades. This is Community with a capital C. And this is why the business decision of Mr. Fisher is so painful to so many.

The departure from Oakland by the A’s, following those of the NFL’s Raiders and the NBA’s Warriors bestows a once unthinkable outcome to a major league city – its desertion by all three major sports leagues. And while pundits have understandably focused on the arms race of financial incentives and sparkling venue promises by prospective host cities, as well as the deeply troubled state of Oakland’s city government, the question of the East Bay Area’s fan base is curiously under-reported. After all, while all of the pro franchises have left, the fans did not. In retail parlance, the densely populated, relatively affluent and ever-expanding population of East Bay consumers are shoppers whose stores have all left.

As a firm with decades of experience in helping retail brands secure real estate that will optimize their ability to capture the Bay Area customer base, the question of how to position a sports brand to capture the desirable and proven East Bay audience appears rather obvious. The eastern half of Alameda County includes cities like Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore that are homes to Fortune 500 companies (Chevron, Safeway, Workday, Ross), affluent suburbs, excellent freeway infrastructure, rail service and capable, drama-free local government. Whether it’s the NFL or the MLB, the common-sense solution to capturing the region’s proven customer base awaits in this further eastern landscape of the East Bay. Importantly, such a move on the geographic chess board of Northern California real estate sites would strategically engage the San Joaquin and Stanislaus County markets, thereby growing the audience size.

But for the indefinite and perhaps permanent future, millions of jilted East Bay fans can cherish only memories and watch from afar. The team that they supported, funded and loved now seeks to give its many gifts to a new audience with no historic bonds, but rather with an irresistible financial offer.

I’m sure that Mr. Fisher is an extremely successful businessman. At least I know that he is a very wealthy one. But in reflecting on his choices, I’m reminded of the parable of the Prodigal Son. This scriptural passage shares the cautionary example of the wasteful son, who spends his father’s money, and mismanages what he is given. Mr. Fisher – fortunes come and go, but reputations are eternal.