Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher has suggested that fans of the team should blame the city, not himself, for the A's impending Las Vegas move. In an interview with ESPN, John Fisher said Oakland didn't raise enough money to pay for a new stadium and that the Athletics were losing tens of millions of dollars each year.

According to ESPN, a spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said the city had raised most of the money it needed to publicly fund a new stadium. The owner told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the A's lost $40 million last year. Athletics fans and journalists alike are skeptical of Fisher's claims.

“I'm the one writing the checks,” Fisher told ESPN, “so I think I know what things cost.”

Fisher said he's officially filed for relocation with MLB. Three-quarters of MLB owners will have to approve the Athletics' Las Vegas relocation. Fisher indicated that he will spend more money on the A's once the team is in Las Vegas amid the city's proposed $1.5 billion in financing for a new ballpark.

For the 2023 season, the Athletics have the lowest payroll and the worst record in baseball. It's led to the worst attendance in the sports. Throughout the season, Athletics fans have been chanting “sell the team” during games, imploring Fisher to move on from the club and allow the franchise to stay put.

“I take it personally, as I should,” Fisher said. “It's my decision to move the team. The decision was mine. And so I understand and appreciate the way fans feel about that decision.”