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The Las Vegas Athletics?

Discussion in 'Sports' started by TheMayor, May 11, 2021.

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  1. TestShoot

    TestShoot F1 World Champ
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    After hearing about how amazing a train from LA to LV would be for nearly 40 years, I will never see even Ontario to Primm in our lifetime. Vegas would have a HUGE interest in that, so why hasn't it come true....

    At least the A's and Angels' fans won't be as "stabby" as the travelling Raiders' fans.
     
  2. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    While things are at a standstill in Oakland, the A's are talking directly to the key local government officials in Southern Nevada this week.

    A’s officials to return to Southern Nevada for meetings

    https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-officials-to-return-to-southern-nevada-for-meetings-2440480/

    As the Oakland Athletics ballpark saga continues on parallel paths in Oakland and Las Vegas, team officials will again be in Southern Nevada this week.

    A’s owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval will be in the Las Vegas Valley Thursday for a one-day trip, a team spokesperson said Tuesday. Plans call for A’s brass to meet with elected officials from both Clark County and Henderson, the spokesperson said.

    Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft confirmed he would be meeting with the team Thursday. An A’s spokesperson said they’ll meet with Henderson Mayor Debra March that same day. Naft didn’t elaborate on what the meeting would entail. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said she has no plans to meet with the A’s on this trip.

    This will mark the team’s sixth visit to the valley as they explore possible relocation to the area. Kaval noted late last month that the team was frustrated with Alameda County after it announced it wasn’t going to vote on joining the city of Oakland in a proposed tax district this month as hoped.

    The tax district would help fund infrastructure costs tied to building a possible $12 billion, mixed-use project at Howard Terminal. Plans there include a $1 billion, 35,000-seat, open-air stadium.

    As it stands, the A’s are also still at odds with Oakland officials on their proposed ballpark term sheet, which they approved in July. The team and the city continue negotiating the terms on that offer sheet, including how infrastructure costs would be financed.

    In Las Vegas the team is researching a similar sized stadium, but one with either a retractable or fixed roof to deal with the weather elements the area presents.

    Kaval has said the team is interested in various potential stadium sites spread out across the valley, including on Las Vegas Boulevard and in Henderson, Summerlin and downtown Las Vegas. The A’s have met with key players in the gaming and tourism industry, key elected officials, including Gov. Steve Sisolak, and various land owners on previous trips.
     
  3. TestShoot

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    s**t or get off the pot already.

    I was having dinner at Osteria at RRocks the other night having a drink, nobody seemed too inclined to believe the A's will move. It's all a dance, they are going to rot for a while in this old stadium.
     
  4. TheMayor

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    They are waiting for 3 things to be completed
    1) the marketing study of LV to decide the best location for the stadium based on attendance
    2) the environmental impact study of the proposed stadium in Oakland
    3) an agreement / proposal from Oakland Alameda County if they will change the tax and regulation rules

    They will announce most likely in November. The lease runs out on the current stadium in 2 years. Its now or never. If the County and City delays the issue more, the A's will have to move no matter what.

    LV is the only market they seem to be interested in other than staying in Oakland Right now their architect is studying the design for 3 locations.
     
  5. TheMayor

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    Oakland Alameda County to meet on A's stadium on Oct 26th. Most likely we will know what's going on right after that.
     
  6. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Hmmmm..... Why would the Commish say this now?

    Interesting that the AAA Vegas Aviators outdrew the A's in a lot of their last home games.

    Rob Manfred says MLB is 'not sure we see a path to success' for a new A's ballpark in Oakland

    https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/rob-manfred-says-mlb-is-not-sure-we-see-a-path-to-success-for-a-new-as-ballpark-in-oakland/

    The Oakland Athletics have reached a critical juncture in their quest for a new ballpark. The team's lease agreement with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority runs through 2024, so if the club is going to build a new stadium, plans must be finalized soon. Securing a site, finalizing the stadium design, and building the ballpark itself will take well over a year.

    To date the A's have gained no traction with their proposed Howard Terminal ballpark. In July, the Oakland City Council voted to approve a non-binding term sheet for the project, though team officials say they won't accept the term sheet as presented. That paves the way for the Athletics to leave Oakland. The hang-up is more than $800 million in public funds for infrastructure.

    Earlier this week commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed relocation is on the table for the Athletics, adding he is not optimistic about a new deal to keep the team in Oakland

    Oakland has already embarked on the tried and true ballpark leverage formula of tanking attendance. The A's drew fewer than 10,000 fans in 13 of their final 19 home games this season, including fewer than 5,000 fans seven times, yet they raised ticket prices for 2022. Tank attendance, say you can't survive without a new ballpark, and if you don't get it, use attendance as an excuse to relocate. Ballpark leverage 101.

     
  7. TestShoot

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    #107 TestShoot, Oct 14, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2021
    MLB doesn't want the housing to be built with their $. How long did LA go without NFL teams? There is so much more about this that is P&R about CA and has little to do with LV specifically, they just make a good choice to move to, more than Portland or even Boise, which some circles said was a possibility but I don't buy it.

    They'll promise come eco friendly people mover, rainbows and unicorns and oalkands streets lined with gold from the opportunity.
     
  8. BOKE

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  9. BOKE

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    Las Vegas’ Odds of Luring MLB A’s Lengthen, as Oakland Supports New Ballpark

    Las Vegas has quickly become a sports town, the casino capital now home to two of the big four pro sports leagues.

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    A rendering of the proposed MLB ballpark for the Oakland A’s near the Howard Terminal. Las Vegas remains under consideration for the franchise, but it appears Bay Area officials are making progress in keeping the team in Oakland. (Image: Oakland A’s)

    The Supreme Court’s 2018 repeal of the federal ban on sports betting resulted in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL embracing legal sports gambling. The landmark ruling more than three years ago resulted in the pro leagues allowing teams to consider Las Vegas as their home.

    Nevada and Las Vegas’ widespread legal sports betting had previously caused integrity concerns among commissioners. But with sportsbooks now regulated in 26 states, plus DC, those apprehensions have largely been appeased.

    The NHL expanded its league with the Vegas Golden Knights, and NFL Raiders owner Mark Davis opted to relocate his franchise to Southern Nevada.

    Many in Las Vegas believe an MLB team is inevitable. The Raiders’ former sister pro team — the MLB Oakland Athletics — have been pondering a move to Las Vegas. But this week those odds presumably lengthened after the Alameda County Board of Supervisors backed a development project that would include a new baseball ballpark for the team.

    The A’s team plans to announce whether they will stay in Oakland or move to Las Vegas sometime soon after the World Series concludes.

    Viva Oakland
    MLB in 2019 informed the Oakland A’s that the team’s current stadium — the Oakland Coliseum — is no longer adequate for Major League Baseball. It’s an opinion shared by many, including A’s owner John Fisher.

    Fisher and A’s brass have recently made numerous trips to Las Vegas to explore potential sites to build a new ballpark. Projections for an MLB stadium in Las Vegas or nearby Henderson have run upwards of $1 billion.

    Las Vegas officials celebrated the Athletics’ consideration of Southern Nevada. The Raiders playing their home games just west of the Strip at the $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium is already paying off for casino resorts. That’s by way of new visits from sports fans who might not otherwise venture to Sin City. But this week’s Alameda County Board of Supervisors vote dampers the prospects of the A’s moving to Las Vegas.

    “Today’s support from Alameda County makes it clear to Major League Baseball that our region is all-in to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said on Tuesday. “We look forward to continue working with the A’s.”

    Schaaf said approval from the Oakland City Council is still needed. The Alameda County Board approved a non-binding resolution that helps fund a new ballpark for the A’s at Oakland’s Howard Terminal.
     
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  10. TestShoot

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  11. TheMayor

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    Seems to me know that unless the environmental impact report comes back badly, the A’s are staying in Oakland.
     
  12. Steelton Keith

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    The RJ today was all steamed up about the three leading strip lots for the new A's stadium
     
  13. TestShoot

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    Well, even without the A's, it might be time to start courting another team since an expansion team is not going to happen and the city makes sense to have a franchise in every major sport. I think even a polo team can be the Slot Jockeys (i kid)
     
  14. BOKE

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    The A's are looking for a new home. Photo: A's Twitter

    Oakland Athletics Invite Las Vegas Aviators Fans To Offer Opinions On Ballpark Idea In Las Vegas
    November 1, 2021 Alan Snel Dave Kaval
    By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

    If you have 10 minutes to fill out a survey and if you’re a Las Vegas Aviators baseball fan, the Oakland Athletics would like to hear from you.

    The A’s say the team is considering moving to Las Vegas and thinking about building a new baseball park. So, they’ve hired a third-party company to figure out the demand for Major League Baseball and a new ballpark in Las Vegas. The Aviators are the Triple A minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Here’s the survey invitation sent to Aviators fans.

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    The Athletics are also negotiating with the city of Oakland about a proposed baseball park project on the Oakland waterfront.

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    Oakland Athletics President Dave Kaval has visited the Las Vegas market several times this year to check out potential ballpark sites along the Strip corridor, in Summerlin and in Henderson. But the survey focuses on one area — the Strip:

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    But the Athletics wanted fans here in Las Vegas to know, “Please note that no decisions about the potential relocation of the A’s or the construction of a new ballpark in Las Vegas have been made.”


    The Athletics brass have talked with metro Las Vegas political and business leaders. But it’s unclear how much public money the baseball team is requesting to build a ballpark that will likely need a retractable roof and cost in the $1 billion range.

    One fan’s perspective:

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    The public in Southern Nevada contributed $750 million to help build the Raiders’ dome stadium on the west side of the Strip across from Mandalay Bay.

    Here is the link to the survey.
     
  16. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    IF they move and IF they build the stadium on the Strip and Sahara next to Circus Circus, I would be literally able to look into it from my condo (provided the roof is open). It would be like a 10 minute walk.

    But, I still think they will stay in Oakland.
     
  17. TheMayor

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    The A's are still poking around Las Vegas...

    A’s brass returns to Las Vegas, visit site in Summerlin
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-brass-returns-to-las-vegas-visit-site-in-summerlin-2472764/

    Oakland Athletics brass wasted no time resuming their search for a ballpark location in Southern Nevada, meeting this week with members of The Howard Hughes Corp. at a site of interest to the A’s in the Summerlin area.

    Team owner John Fisher, president Dave Kaval and executive vice president Billy Beane were in the valley this week, arriving on Wednesday and returning to the Bay Area on Friday, as they work with their final four potential sites in the area, a source told the Review-Journal.

    The trio of A’s executives met with Howard Hughes officials, including president Jay Cross, the source indicated. Hughes Corp., the developer of master-planned Summerlin, still owns vacant land in the community. Hughes Corp. also owns the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Aviators, and Las Vegas Ballpark, the Summerlin stadium where the Aviators play their home games.

    The source did not disclose the site’s exact location.

    This week’s trip marks the seventh time A’s executives have been in Southern Nevada as they explore possible relocation to the area. In May, Major League Baseball officials gave the team the go-ahead to explore relocation, as the league has deemed the A’s current home, the aging RingCentral Coliseum, as no longer being suitable for a MLB team.

    Kaval initially said the organization planned to publicly reveal its final three or four Southern Nevada ballpark sites sometime this month. However, the source said that is no longer the plan. The Las Vegas search has progressed quicker than anticipated, the source said, and possible land deals are being sought by the team.

    The A’s also continued their market feasibility study this week. On Monday, the team sent a survey regarding their possible relocation and ballpark preferences in Southern Nevada to registered Aviators fans. On Friday, the team sent the same survey to registered users on its own mailing list.
     
  18. TestShoot

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    This is a long time to keep up a charade if they didn't want to be serious.
     
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  19. TheMayor

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    It may not be a charade. There's only 2 things I can think of.

    1) they want the final concessions from the City of Oakland resolved. So far, the deal is not to the A's liking
    2) they are serious about moving and are waiting for the marketing report before putting a deal together on a new property to build on.

    There is one other fly in the ointment. They are waiting for the Environmental Impact study in Oakland. If it goes negative or would take too long to correct or be too expensive for Oakland to pay for, that would be the last straw. That won't be a problem in Clark County.

    One thing is for sure... the A's have to move in 2 years from the Coliseum in Oakland. The clock is running out. Plan B if it takes too long would be to move for year into Aviator's park while expanding some seats to something like 25K. They only want a 35K stadium anyway when finished anyway.
     
  20. BOKE

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    “I’m tired of being treated like this”: Oakland A’s season ticket holders revolt after hiked prices
    Oakland Athletics season ticket holders get hiked prices without any answers from Dave Kaval

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    OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 1: A’s fans arrive for the Oakland Athletics’ 2021 season opening game against the Houston Astros at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, April 1, 2021. An expected crowd of around 12,000 will be able watch the game in person for the first time in more than a year.

    By SHAYNA RUBIN | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group
    PUBLISHED: November 9, 2021 at 7:45 a.m. | UPDATED: November 9, 2021 at 9:08 a.m.

    Margie Kahn fell in love with the Oakland A’s in 1988. The voices of broadcasters Lon Simmons and Bill King lured her into the fandom, then the A’s World Series title and success that followed swayed her to buy a season ticket in 1991.

    Though three decades as a season ticket holder, the A’s leanest years far outweighed the franchise’s triumphs. A move to southern California to take care of her ailing mother limited her baseball watching time, too. But her fandom never wavered: Kahn always made sure to renew her season tickets.

    But doubled season ticket prices for 2022 without any explanation from A’s management was the final straw for Kahn, 70, who called her longtime ticket representative at the A’s and said she would not renew.

    “Please refund the money because I’m not supporting this team,” she told them. “I’m tired of being treated like this.”

    Kahn isn’t the only A’s fan upset at the extreme price hike for season tickets. Amid the team’s disappointing spiral out of postseason contention in 2021 and front office threats to relocate the team to Las Vegas, season ticket holders received an email in September asking fans to renew their seats at hiked prices for up to double the cost of their pre-pandemic season tickets.

    Tickets for a single game in her section 217, the second deck behind home plate, Kahn used to re-sell for $30 pre-pandemic. With new pricing, she would have to sell for $60 in 2022 — a price her frequent buyers said they wouldn’t consider paying to watch games at the Coliseum.

    Adding salt to the wound, the Sept. 22 email asked fans to renew by Oct. 1 — one week later — for a chance to watch a game in a complimentary suite and a free Matt Olson jersey.

    “Matt Olson jersey? Are you kidding?” Kahn said. “Matt Olson might not even be with the team in April.”

    The sting of a hiked price only worsened when the team she stood by for three decades couldn’t provide any explanation for the staggering costs. It didn’t match up with team president Dave Kaval’s over-zealous commitment to transparency and the fan experience in years past; Kahn offered feedback during Kaval’s open office hours years ago. Now he’s gone silent when the fans need an explanation.

    “He used to say ‘I’ll bring a hot dog to your seat if you aren’t happy,’ now he won’t say anything,” Kahn said. “I felt taken advantage of, and not respected as a long-time fan over 30 years. It feels like the front office and management has turned their backs on season ticket holders. I’m a business owner myself, couldn’t double my rates without explanation without assuming my clients would leave. And I don’t think they care.”

    Kaval remains silent on the matter. No one from the A’s front office has responded to requests from this news organization to explain the hike in season ticket costs.

    Representatives Kahn spoke with could only offer up boilerplate acknowledgment of her frustrations. No explanation. Kahn recalled the first-class service the A’s provided her when she was looking into buying her season tickets in 1991 — they ushered her, umbrella in hand, through the rain to the seat right behind the home dugout. Kahn was mesmerized by the sparkling field and views. It was in that seat that she’d meet some of her dearest friends.

    Her loyalty didn’t seem to mean much now. Word is out that the roster will look much different in 2022 with little chance familiar or new names will draw more fans to the ballpark. And with the status of the Howard Terminal ballpark proposal unresolved, Kahn’s wish to hold a place in line for season tickets at their new digs seemed to be just wishful thinking. She couldn’t keep up the one-sided relationship any longer.

    “I’m frustrated, I love the team and players and it’s really sad. I feel really sad that it’s come to this,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time ownership opened his wallet to sign a prime free agent.”

    Kahn says that within her group of A’s fan friends, at least seven season ticket holders won’t renew their seats because of poor treatment and high costs, either. Some other A’s fans, though, kept their seats out of love.

    “As much as I was mad (about costs), in 2020 I felt empty not being at the Coliseum,” longtime season ticket holder Will MacNeil said. “A part of my heart was ripped out…if I need to pay more to be at the ballpark I’d be there.”

    Some renewed their season tickets out of fear of team relocation.

    “I’m so mad, but at the same time, who knows how many years I have left to watch them,” said longtime season ticket holder Bryan Johansen. “Even though I believe (Howard Terminal) gets done…you never know.”

    Even after opening up to fans at full capacity, Coliseum crowds this year ranked among the smallest in decades. The team fought, unsuccessfully, for a postseason spot, rarely before more than 10,000 fans. Hope in the franchise is waning, and those crowds will, too.

    “I’m not giving up on the team, but it’s time. It ran its course,” Kahn said. “It’s sad to say, and I never thought I would say that. I don’t know what to feel. I don’t feel happy or relief. I feel sad and disappointed, let down at their lack of communication and lack of desire to communicate. I would like to know some of the reasons behind the decision”
     
  21. TheMayor

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    This looks to me like the A's are moving to Vegas. Why would they put in an offer to buy a property if they were not going to move?

    A’s put in offer on potential Las Vegas ballpark site

    https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-put-in-offer-on-potential-las-vegas-ballpark-site-2482611/

    The Oakland Athletics have put in an offer on a plot of land in the Las Vegas Valley where they could potentially build a $1 billion ballpark, team president Dave Kaval said Friday.

    Kaval didn’t specify where the land is located, but noted the bid to try to secure a site signals things are getting more serious on the Southern Nevada stadium front.

    “We’re kind of moving from a phase of research/data gathering to action around a final site,” Kaval told the Review-Journal Friday afternoon. “That’s really important because the site selection is a really critical path to keep the process moving forward to where we could have a holistically blessed project.”

    Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred gave the A’s the green light in May to begin exploring Las Vegas as a potential relocation market. Team officials have since made multiple trips to the area to view prospective sites and meet with key stakeholders and elected officials.

    Kaval said A’s brass would be back in the Las Vegas Valley in December and would be back every two to three weeks thereafter.

    With things progressing more quickly than team officials had expected, Kaval said the final site could be publicly announced at the beginning of 2022.

    The A’s will need to present MLB officials with a relocation plan once the final site is chosen and they work with area business leaders and officials on a possible financing plan.

    “How it works, how it’s financed, any public-private partnerships, all the aspects and why we think it works in the marketplace,” Kaval said. “We’re building toward that with all these steps.”
     
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  22. TestShoot

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    LV RJ and whitecleatbeat are saying, like many, Summerlin is offering free land to come to that side of town. Play temporarily in the park at RR? cool, but too small, but it all depends on where they really want to build it. I like the RR park, it is super easy to get in/out as a AAA park, but with the A's, might make that traffic snarl even more.
     
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  25. BOKE

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    New Tropicana owner says ‘stand by’ for next move

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    Rhode Island-based Bally's Corp. is buying the Tropicana in Las Vegas from Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

    The top executive of the real estate investment trust that holds the land where the Tropicana sits isn’t saying what development plans may be ahead for the site of the 64-year-old, 1,470-room resort on one of the city’s busiest corners.

    Peter Carlino, CEO of Pennsylvania-based Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc., told analysts on an earnings conference call Friday that his team is working with executives of Bally’s Corp., which is acquiring the Tropicana for $308 million in a deal announced in April, on long-term plans for the resort on 35 acres at Tropicana Avenue and the Strip.

    Bally’s Corp. has affiliations with Major League Baseball, including broadcast rights for several teams, including the Oakland A’s through its partnership with the Sinclair Broadcasting Group. The A’s have been scouting Las Vegas as a potential relocation destination.

    Penn National Gaming Inc., of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, which is affiliated with Gaming and Leisure Properties, is the Tropicana seller and owns and operates the M Resort in Henderson.

    The transaction is expected to close in early 2022.

    Providence, Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corp. is not affiliated with the Bally’s resort on the Strip.

    Cryptic hints

    Responding to an analyst’s question, Carlino hinted that more news would come out regarding the Tropicana — but not now.

    “There is potential for more assets at the site,” Carlino said. “I don’t think we or even Bally’s knows what ‘more’ is right now. Frankly, we’re working cooperatively with them to see how we can maximize whatever occurs there. We are considering the maximization of every inch of that property. That’s as much as I can say for the moment.”

    But that actually wasn’t the last thing he’d say about it.

    “I wouldn’t assume that the deal we have announced is all that you’re going to see coming out of it. Time will tell. We’re very anxious to build our relationship with Bally’s. They’ve been terrific to work with to date, but I don’t think they’ve refined what they want to do. We’re helping in that process to figure out how we can get the best use of that site,” Carlino said. “I think (we’ve) used the term ‘Stay tuned’ (earlier in the call), and I would say stay tuned on that one as well.”

    The Tropicana site has been a little-discussed possible location for a Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s if the team were to relocate to Las Vegas.

    Soo Kim, a hedge fund investor who is chairman of Bally’s board of directors, said in May that he hadn’t heard from Oakland A’s President Dave Kaval but that he’d be happy to talk with him if he came calling. Kaval has not specifically mentioned the Tropicana in interviews with the Review-Journal.

    “We are very creative and there are 35 acres (at the Tropicana),” Kim said in May. “I actually don’t know how many acres it takes to host a baseball stadium so it’s hard for me to comment on this. But Vegas is an important market on a number of fronts. It’s also fast-growing and dynamic, which is what sports teams like.”

    Shining results

    Gaming and Leisure Properties reported record results in the second quarter, which ended June 30.

    The company reported net income of $138.2 million, 59 cents a share, on revenue of $317.8 million. In the same quarter a year earlier, GLPI posted net income of $112.3 million, 52 cents a share, on revenue of $262 million.

    In May, GLPI’s board of directors agreed to pay a 67-cents-per-share dividend to shareholders of record June 11. The dividend was paid June 25.

    Gaming analyst Joe Greff of New York-based J.P. Morgan praised GLPI’s business model in a Friday note to investors.

    “We continue to like the stability of GLPI’s triple net lease (real estate investment trust) business model and its attractive, safe, and likely growing dividend,” Greff said in the note.

    “This should make for an attractive risk-reward in a risk-off market for our coverage universe, which we note has sold off on three investor concerns relating to sustainability of strong top-line trends and elevated margins relative to pre-pandemic levels, spikes in Delta variant infection rates and recent mask mandates, and a general risk-off market particularly with regard to “re-opening” sectors such as gaming.”

    GLPI shares were in a strong climb in after-hours trading Friday. After closing down 14 cents, 0.3 percent, to $47.34 a share in above-average volume, the stock, traded on the Nasdaq exchange, rebounded to $47.91 a share, a 57-cent, 1.2 percent comeback.
     

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