Outclassed: Las Vegas A’s Stadium Funding Ballot Measure Denied

Extra inning heroics seems to have fallen short. The political action committee Schools Over Stadiums has been fighting to have a Las Vegas A's stadium funding ballot measure in front of voters to either approve or deny giving $380 million public funds to the Athletics. The Nevada Supreme Court has said the attempt has struck out.

The ruling came down Monday with the majority of judges - five in total - voting to uphold an earlier, lower court ruling striking down the Las Vegas A's stadium funding ballot measure.

If you look around, you see public funds (and low tax rates) benefitting major corporations that could afford to foot the bill entirely. Allegiant Stadium is a prime example. The stadium ran $750 million in public funds, raised by a tax on tourists who stay in town. As though they don't face enough fees.

If the funding doesn't get paid by tourists, we have to dip into the reserves. We had to do that right off the bat due in part to the COVID pandemic.

Now, it goes without saying that Allegiant Stadium has been a huge success. The Las Vegas Raiders only play in the stadium about a dozen games a year (or less). That leaves a slew of open dates for massive events which have filled the stadium to the gills. That project seems to be potentially paying for itself.

The Athletics move to Las Vegas hinges upon $180 million in state funding and $200 million in county funding. That's a lot of scratch. Not to mention the team will be in the stadium for 81 games a year, which leaves far fewer dates available in a venue that few "stadium tours" are willing to take over. Projections to pay back what the state and county is footing will require near sell-outs every game. The math doesn't math.

Meanwhile, Nevada students have very little money dedicated to them. According to World Population Review, Nevada spends the 4th least money per student in the nation, spending half as much as other states which tend to have far better results.

That's the point of the Schools Over Stadiums PAC and the reason they want a Las Vegas A's stadium funding ballot measure in front of voters. Voters who, it seems, aren't too keen on giving multi-billionaire Athletics owner John Fisher a fork lift filled with Benjamins.

You might think John Fisher could fund this all by himself today. That might not be so true. He's been a little wishy-washy on how he'll foot his end of the bill. From his own pocket? Finding investors?

Perhaps if he believes so much in the ability of the team to perform well in Las Vegas, he should foot the bill. Raiders owner Mark Davis saw his net worth more than quadruple since announcing the team was moving to the valley. The same will likely ring true for any other even slightly well run franchise.

While this feels like a death blow for the PAC attempting to get a Las Vegas A's stadium funding ballot measure in front of voters, they say their aim is for 2026.

However by then the project will very likely have shovels in the dirt. So the likelihood of that measure panning out is low.

At this point the only thing between the A's stadium funding and reality is the organization's own incompetence. Don't put it past them.

Spring is coming, and that means baseball is on the way. So, why not get into some early MLB Power Rankings?

If you weren't happy with how last season ended, then you're in luck. That's because you have a million new games up ahead in the 2024 season. Okay, maybe not a million. But, a lot. The Major League Baseball season schedule packs a whopping 162 games for each of the 30 teams in the American League (AL) and National League (NL). Those games take place over about six months. That means baseball fans, in theory, could watch 2,430 games in the regular season alone.

Don't do that. You have more of a life than to sit around watching 2,430 baseball games. But, I should talk. During football season, I watch all the games I can get my eyes on.

Let's not leave out the minor leagues, by the way. It's always really fun to go to a minor league baseball game, because it's much more chill than a major league game. It's also cheaper, both tickets and parking. So, don't just support your major league team this year. Cheer for the minor league guys, too. You won't have quite as many games to catch in the minor league, though, as a full, regular season in Triple-A is 150 games, Double-A is 138 games and High-A and Single-A are 132 games. Still, that's lots and lots of baseball to attend.

With the official start of baseball season getting closer, it's a good time to get into my initial Power Rankings for 2024. Sure, this is a bit premature, since players will shift going into the season. But, the biggest players are with their respective teams now, so we have a good picture and idea of which teams will pop in 2024. Frankly, deciding between No. 1 and 2 was very difficult, because both teams are so, so solid right now. Who are your picks for the 2024 season? Reach out to me here and let me know, and find the full MLB schedule here.

Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has done a good job of putting together a team that could deliver, even with a limited budget. Expect to see Mitch Garver, Jorge Polanco, Luis Urias, Mitch Haniger and many more on the field this season. The Mariners were decent last year, and fans could be in for a solid team this year.

Wander Franco is still a question, but without him, the Tampa Bay Rays look strong. The team simply has one of the best batches of offensive players in the MLB. Will they go all the way? We'll find out. They could certainly make a run for it.

The Toronto Blue Jays played well last season and had a fantastic rotation, but they didn't win a playoff game. Say what? They're back for revenge this year, and they have a similar, stellar lineup.

The New York Yankees have more question marks than most of the teams on this list. But, overall, they look solid. As time shakes out, we'll know more about how this roster will shape up, but it's looking on the upswing so far. Would you expect anything less from such a heritage team?

The Arizona Diamondbacks are coming off a pleasantly surprising World Series run. They're hungry for more. They've added Eduardo Rodriguez to the middle of their rotation and have made a few other choice moves.

How did the Philadelphia Phillies not make it to the World Series last year? They totally should have, but that's all in the past. The team has gotten so close for so long, and this seems like the year that they could actually win it all. Maybe.

The Baltimore Orioles won 101 games last year, but they're bringing in Jackson Holliday, who will probably be AL Rookie of the Year. They've also added Craig Kimbrel to the fold. Fans expected bolder moves, but we feel good about this lineup.

The Houston Astros are regulars on the road to the World Series. They were in the American League Championship Series for the seventh consecutive season in 2023. They're likely to do it again.

The Dodgers really stepped it up in the offseason. They've brought on star players in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They're going to be really tough to beat.

The Atlanta Braves are the team to beat in 2024. Not only do they have a stellar lineup that they're bringing back from last season, but they've also added left fielder Jarred Kelenic and pitcher Chris Sale. They're the team to beat.

How did the Texas Rangers not get in the top 10? Ridiculous, right? Well, they obviously just won the World Series. They could do it again, but I decided to give some of the other teams a bit of the spotlight. That said, yes, the Rangers are going to be very strong in 2024. Also, let's talk about the Detroit Tigers. They underperformed in 2023, but they could surprise people this year. Over the years, the team has brought on plenty of talent, and they've continued that in the offseason.
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