Part 6/11:
Meanwhile, other markets—such as Seattle, St. Louis, Cincinnati, or Tampa—seem to do the bare minimum to stay afloat, often sacrificing competitiveness and community value. Instead, owners like John Fisher of Oakland choose to invest in minimal efforts, fielding underperforming teams, and even deliberately undermining fan engagement, such as by playing in outdated stadiums or sabotaging local support to justify relocations.
The Hypocrisy of Capitalism and League Leadership
This pattern exposes a staggering hypocrisy: owners who claim to embrace the free market and capitalism are, in reality, engaging in anti-competitive behaviors. They suppress any real effort by teams to compete because the league's structure favors those who can clamp down on spending.