Oakland A's Missing Rent Payment During Coronavirus Pandemic is Very Troubling

We know the Oakland Athletics have made a habit out of building their teams for as little money as possible, but this is ridiculous.

The Athletics didn't pay the $1.2 million in rent they are obligated to pay to use the Oakland Coliseum, citing the coronavirus pandemic shutting down baseball as the reason they didn't come through this month. If a professional sports franchise can't afford their rent, then where's the nationwide rent strike, am I right?

For reference, A's owner John J. Fisher has a net worth of around $2 billion. He's got $1.2 million lying around in his nightstand.

“We recognize that we’ve all been upended in a number of ways,” said Henry Gardner, the interim head of the Coliseum authority. “Maybe there are some things we are willing to negotiate and waive, but we can’t just say no rent.”

A’s general counsel D’Lorna Ellis cited a "force majeure" clause in the lease agreement that relieves both sides from obligation should there be an "extraordinary event" much like...the coronavirus.

Paying rent has become a very troubling, uneasy process for many amid the pandemic, but a baseball team with seemingly all the money in the world at their disposal trying to weasel out of paying rent is very troubling and disappointing.