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Does MLB commissioner Rob Manfred even like baseball?
That’s an extremely valid question considering his efforts to shorten games and the absurd suggestion he made to Oakland Athletics fans on Thursday.
When asked how he plans to address Oakland fans now that their team appears on the way out the door to Las Vegas, Manfred suggested those same fans just root for the rival San Francisco Giants…
Seriously.
MLB Commish Rob Manfred Suggest A’s Fans Start Rooting For The Giants
“First of all, we do have a major-league team in the Bay Area; it’s not like there is not an available option,” Manfred said. “The Giants obviously still play there. But in terms of the other side of the Bay, the Oakland side of the Bay, our community involvement in terms of youth programming, all of the things that we do in major-league communities will continue. And I think it’s a sign of our commitment to the community that we will continue that kind of programming. And as I said, most important, there is a fan opportunity that’s not so far away.”
Ah, yes.
New York Yankees fans always have the Mets if they so choose. Manchester United fans could always just root for Manchester City. What about AC Milan and Inter Milan. There are teams right there!
It just goes to show how insanely out of touch Manfred is. The only saving grace is that he’s set the retire at the end of his current contract.
But as you can expect, baseball fans didn’t take particularly well to the ridiculous suggestion.
Manfred bristles whenever people suggest he doesn't like baseball and that he's hostile to fans but then he drops shit like "hey, Oakland fans aren't losing baseball; the Giants are still in the Bay Area" and it's clear that the criticisms of him are vastly understated.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) February 16, 2024
Manfred's tone-deafness might be at an all-time high, telling A's fans they can go root for the Giants. Even Roger Goodell wouldn't tell Raiders fans they could just root for the Niners a few years ago. https://t.co/SEOEJbqo0z pic.twitter.com/vFMY6rUFwY
— Steve Berman (@BASportsGuy) February 16, 2024
Manfred has clearly never rooted for a sports team in his life. He sees teams as only markets to make money in, and fans are people who can provide that money.
It’s an absurd suggestion and one that should anger baseball fans everywhere. Then again, that could be applied to the entirety of his tenure as MLB commissioner.