New KNBR host Eric Byrnes filled in for Ralph Barbieri on the blowtorch’s afternoon drivetime show on Thursday. Byrnes and Tom Tolbert interviewed SI’s Phil Taylor, who is writing a feature for the magazine on how difficult it is to be an A’s fan amidst the Giants’ recent success (sounds like a must-read). The interview can be found here (MP3). The arguments coming from the three participants are familiar, and rather than selectively quoting them I suggest that you listen to the whole thing and then come back here and comment if you feel like it. The best comments will be excerpted and placed in this post.
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newballpark.org 
Ripping the A’s on KNBR? I’m shocked!
“They need a KNBR” The A’s have done a piss poor job of promoting even when things were going great on the field. And the radio situation? Well, we know that story. On the other hand, the Giants have had the 50,000 watt blowtorch going on 30 plus years now. No comparison and moving to San Jose doesn’t fix that.
meh … that’s what they are supposed to do.
Let’s Go A’s!
I’m with georob.
The A’s have had 44+ years to solidify a Bay Area fanbase. The blame can’t be put on any single ownership group either. It’s not as if the average Bay Area baseball fan particularly dislikes the A’s. It’s much worse than that– it’s that most (and almost all) of those fans simply don’t care.
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It’s absolutely aggravating that the A’s receive so little coverage in Bay Area media but media is a two-way street. KNBR is obnoxious but it’s not their fault the A’s don’t know how to sell themselves to their own fans. I acknowledge that “Brynsie” and Tom Tolbert danced around the SJ T-rights issue, but in a way, that’s besides the point. Everything from pregame ceremonies celebrating past WS championships to the retiring of #24, A’s fans get discount versions of what should be goose-bump inducing moments. Currently, (honestly) there are so many factors that make being an A’s fan more work than fun. Amongst other things, sports is an escape—but it’s hard for the A’s to supply that facet of fandom when so many real-life factors keep creeping in. Like many here, I admit to being fascinated by the political/business/cultural aspect of baseball but enough is enough.
Except for a few comments by Tolbert, none of the arguments being made were unfair. We’re all A’s fans here. If Phil Taylor’s analogy of not being invited to the neighbor’s party didn’t ring true, then you need to open your eyes. The A’s core fan base may be underrated, but unfortunately that is all we have. To withstand the pain it takes to be an A’s fan in the Bay Area you have to be hardcore. As Byrnes said, the fence sitters are now all Giants fans. Hell, I know of several former A’s fans that are now Giants fans. I felt like I had an easier time when I lived in Angel territory. At least there I felt like my team was relevant. Here, I feel like a hippy at a tea party rally.
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My kid comes home from school telling me he is being picked on for wearing an A’s backpack to an East Bay school. I’ve completely indoctrinated this kid and he still comes home begging me to allow him to like both teams. I’m coach of a little league team and the only kids who tell me they like the A’s only wear Giants gear. To make matters worse, the little league dropped our day at the A’s ballpark and replaced it with a night out with the San Jose Giants. I could go on and on, but you all have got to be experiencing this too. The A’s gear is tucked away in the corner at the department store while the Giants gear is in the display windows. The East Bay BART trains are packed with Giants fans, but sprinkled with A’s fans on game days. The morning radio talk shows talk about Lindsey Lohan, American Idol, and Giants baseball. Only 11K people show up to watch a weekday baseball game at the Coliseum. It’s very painful and I would be lying if I didn’t say that some part of me wishes I didn’t care so much.
It’s not just A’s-Giants, it’s Oakland-San Francisco. SF has the cache and allure and the big media -KNBR, SF Chron while Oakland was a bad rep and no home grown radio and barely a newspaper in the Trib. Even if the Giants were still playing at the ‘Stick and they had not won the world series, they would still be the favorite son. They have a longer history in the area and they have heroes and tradition (Mays, McCovery, Mairchal). I’ve lived in the Bay Area my whole life and in Oakland since 2003. I love Oakland, but it is the San Francisco Bay Area, and East Bay people will always rate lower to the smug a-holes in Marin, SF, and the Peninsula.
Really? They are complaining that people don’t call in after Giants games to talk about the A’s?
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Interesting listen. That si probably my only criticism. They hit a lot of stuff on the head. They ignored the South Bay debate (even though Byrnes brought up the fact that the South Bay fanbase is on the fence), which was expected but disappointing.
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@Mark N.
The Giants have only been here 10 years longer, that’s not that long. Also, the A’s have four times the winning tradition and plenty of hall of famers of their own. What really gets me is the amount of people in the eastbay who claim to be Giants fans, as they wear their brand new orange and black hats. I’ve noticed this mostly in the Walnut Creek/Orinda area.
Really it comes down to the A’s inept ownership and the SF media which is basically a mouthpiece for the Giants, as they always have been.
Mark N,
I think you hit one nail on the head. Part of the issue here is the glamour factor. One reason why I think it is possible that a Victory Court park does less for the A’s than one at DIridon is because a “water front” park in Oakland will not be viewed, by folks in the East, South, North and West Bay as comparable to AT&T Park.
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I don’t think that has anything to do with smug assholes. It is what it is. That is one reason i like Bryan Grunwald’s stadium concept over the freeway. Regardless of the city any stadium is built in… That stadium has to be a true alternative to AT&T Park.
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In other words, I think this is rubbish:
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“Let’s Go Oakland! is a group of A’s fans, business people, labor and community leaders who are committed to keeping the A’s in Oakland — and building a new, destination ballpark on the waterfront.
But it’s about much more than just building a ballpark. As part of a larger plan to build new hotels, restaurants, and cafes, a new destination stadium will attract visitors from all over the region. Like AT&T Park did for San Francisco, our ballpark will be a catalyst to bring new investment and jobs to Oakland, kick-starting the next phase of our community’s successful economic development.”
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Oakland isn’t San Francisco.
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@ Mark N.: McCovery and Mairchal can’t be that beloved. The Giants totally misspelled their names on each of their statues at AT&T Park. I bet they did it on purpose. They so smug.
Rick Tittle just announced that 95.7 the Wolf is switching to all sports. I looked it up on the Internet and found one story confirming that. Anybody else hear anything?
Anyone else hear about the Wolf changing formats to all sports radio??
@ Mark N. – Sounds like you may have an inferiority complex, this coming from someone who lives on the peninsula. Let me ask you, if you went to a Warriors game and was sitting next to a Warriors fan from Marin, SF or peninsula, would he still be an AH?
I was born and raised in Marin. I know a smug a-hole when I see one. It was a little over the line, granted, but for the people I grew up with, their view of the east bay is patronizing at best and abjectly derisive at worst.
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@s – Walnut Creek is totally insufferable now. I lived/worked there 1998-2001, the demographics have skewed richer and there are so newbies, the place is losing its soul.
the one thing that we all know is the bandwagoners will only stay on board for as long as the gints are doing well—personally I put alot of the blame on BS for sitting on the TR issue for more than 2 years and handcuffing the A’s in the process—-if a ballpark was under construction you can bet there would be some excitment being generated—is this guy clueless or is this an intentional play on his part to further weaken the franchise and at some point agree with neukom that the A’s need to leave the bay area—his approach defies all logic–
@ Different James – Susan Slusser tweeting 95.7 is going all sports. Name change from The Wolf to SportsRadio 95.7.
@ fc – Yes, Oaklanders have a massive inferiority complex. Where have you been the last 100 years?
Looks like the Sharks are also moving to 95.7.
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http://www.957thewolf.com/index.php#
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susanslusser Susan Slusser
#Athletics and #Sharks programming for 95.7 FM and the rest of the all-sports programming to be announced.
@ Jeffro. Come on dude. If that wasn’t the most grasping at straws argument against Victory Ct then I don’t know what it is. “Clone of At&T?” Get Real. Its a good site. The goal was to find an attractive location that is close to transit and freeway access in Oakland and VC is what they came up with. The comparisons to At&T in the LGO header were to talk about the economic development surrounding the park. If not mistaken Baseball San Jose has used similar statements in promoting Didiron.
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This NO STADIUM AT VC ITS AN ATT PARK CLONE betrays a heavy bias on your hand.
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Grundwalds plan is unrealistic. However instead of promoting the plan base on its strengths, he went around gathering NIMBYS and starting lashing out against VC and its flaws (there are flaws. with it oh yes) That made him an instant hero with the pro-SJ slant of the commenters here. However when he started pointing out the flaws (which there are many as well) of Didiorn plane, he was attacked. IF 980 park is so awesome than stick to promoting 980.
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I have no bias of my own but like to point out the several fallacys in the comments section of this blog.
I somehow doubt KNBR will be laughing about the A’s broadcast station today.
D Jr… Whatever. Look up the concept of “differentiation” and marketing.