Nobody is happy in Sacramento this season as the Athletics play out the season at Triple-A Sutter Health Park.
Northern California fans are fuming that ownership moved the team from Oakland, and the two-year interim stint in Sacramento before ultimately landing in Las Vegas isn’t helping anyone. The Athletics are a media punching bag, bringing jeers out of the mouths of typically buttoned-up baseball announcers.
The mess may have reached a new low on Thursday when on the NBC Sports California pregame show, a fan appeared with a t-shirt calling on John Fisher to “SELL” the team. Viewers could see the fan directly behind the studio desk at high noon when the show began, but within minutes, security moved to remove the fan from the stands.
How many A’s security guards does it take to remove a guy with a “Sell the Team” shirt? (h/t @LastDiveBar) pic.twitter.com/b6UNYQQR0L
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 5, 2025
By the time NBC Sports California came back from its first commercial break, the shirt was covered by a group of security guards in bright red shirts. As Carlos Ramirez and Chris Townsend went through the pregame show, viewers could see security arguing with the fan.
After a fourth member of the security staff showed up behind the studio desk, NBC Sports California once again went to commercial.
The answer is more than you would think! pic.twitter.com/NEB09XsAs8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 5, 2025
By the time the network returned for its third segment, the man was gone. Only the original security guard remained in-shot for NBC’s cameras.
Throughout sports, chants and signs demanding a change of ownership are common. Most recently, Dallas Mavericks fans ran general manager Nico Harrison through the wringer after the Luka Doncic trade.
But this Athletics fan planned it perfectly, ensuring he would be seen on live television — and that his removal would be caught, too.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.