A's Fans Looking to Expand Upon "Reverse Boycott" Idea on Tuesday
As you may have heard by now, this coming Tuesday is the "reverse boycott" that A's fans have been planning for the past couple of months. The goal of the event is to show A's owner John Fisher, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, and the baseball world that A's fans do exist--they've just been turned away over the last two decades by the way Fisher has handled this team. Trading away players, never handing out contracts or retaining fan favorites, letting the Coliseum rot, increased ticket prices after the latest teardown, as well as actively and publicly searching for a new city being just a few of the gripes A's fans have.
Last week we talked about how fans are fundraising for their own giveaway for that game, collecting at least $27k in order to produce kelly green shirts to be handed out in the parking lot that say "sell." A large swath of those in attendance will be wearing these shirts on Tuesday night.
On Friday night, a new wrinkle was added to the mix, but this one is for baseball fans around the country.
The ask is pretty simple: Help A's fans protest wherever you are. If you're going to a game, consider bringing a sign that says "sell" or even #OakTogether. If you're just out and about, snap a photo with the caption #OakTogether. If you have an A's hat, wear it on Tuesday!
It's a pretty simple request, but if it gains a little traction, it could help make an impact.
If you would like to donate a shirt or two to those that will be in attendance, it's $5 per shirt (they're being made at cost by local clothing retailer Oaklandish). If donating is more up your alley, get a screenshot of your receipt and hashtag it!
The whole point of picking a Tuesday night game against the Tampa Bay Rays was that it wouldn't generally be a well-attended game, even though school is out. The first Tuesday home game the A's had once school was out last season drew 4,733 against the Seattle Mariners. The A's have broken 5,000 tickets sold twice in five Tuesday home games, and are averaging 3,913 per Tuesday game.
Regardless of what the final attendance number ends up being in Oakland on June 13, knowing A's fans, they're going to get their point across and be very vocal the entire game. The drummers are even coming back for this game after retiring after the Las Vegas news initially dropped.
During Wednesday's special session, A's hired gun Jeremy Aguero said that part of the reason that A's ownership is looking for a new city to call home is due to the poor attendance figures. The year before the global pandemic, the A's averaged 20,626 per game when they had an exciting product on the field.
Despite Aguero misleading lawmakers on the A's attendance numbers and the owner-led factors that go into them, A's fans are hoping that on Tuesday night they can make a statement along with the rest of the baseball world.
Source: Sports Illustrated
