The Athletics are the last major pro sports team still standing in Oakland after other departures

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A day Oakland sports fans have long dreaded has arrived — the last major professional franchise in the East Bay is leaving town.

Fans are planning a wake for the Athletics in the downtown Jack London Square neighborhood following Thursday's home finale at the Coliseum against the Texas Rangers.

Here's a look at each organization to leave Oakland, in order of departure and with details on each move:

An NHL team from 1966-76, the California Golden Seals left in 1976 to become the Cleveland Barons after struggling to deliver a winning product in Oakland.

The Barons were a short-lived franchise, merging two years later with the Minnesota North Stars, who eventually relocated to become the Dallas Stars.

Many players expressed mixed emotions after leaving Oracle Arena, an intimate venue nicknamed “Roaracle” next door to the Coliseum, for the move to Chase Center in San Francisco ahead of the 2019-20 season.

Golden State played at Oracle for 47 seasons, winning NBA championships 40 years apart in 1975 and 2015.

Despite all the new amenities and modern practice facility at Chase, it took time for the arena to truly feel like home. Coach Steve Kerr said it, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, too.

Curry, the two-time NBA MVP and all-time 3-point leader, had to adapt his signature tunnel shot with the change of venue. Depending on the side where his team warms up, he now opts to either try a full-court heave or a shot from an entry way well above one corner of the court.

Raiders owner Mark Davis wanted a football-only stadium and he got one in Las Vegas in Allegiant Stadium, which opened in 2020 and hosted the Super Bowl earlier this year.

The team has now left Oakland twice, having departed in 1982 for Los Angeles only to return in 1995 and then making the latest move to Nevada.

At the Coliseum, the Raiders built “Mount Davis,” as it became known in reference to late owner Al Davis, a section of third-deck outfield seats that largely disappointed baseball fans who lost their picturesque views of the Oakland Hills and the intimacy of a smaller stadium.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred insisted for years that the A's needed a new ballpark to be a sustainable organization.

They have tried to build in multiple spots throughout the Bay Area, most recently at the Howard Terminal site along the water not far from Jack London Square. But there were public transportation and parking challenges, so owner John Fisher pushed on with exploring options in Las Vegas.

Last November, fellow baseball owners unanimously approved Fisher's relocation plan. The A's plan to play in the state capital of Sacramento for at least the next three campaigns and hope to move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season.

A large fan group sent “Stay In Oakland” boxes to 15 select owners in hopes of swaying the vote to no avail.

On Monday, Fisher released a letter that outraged fans once more because many have made it clear they just don't believe him and don't consider his words genuine.

“I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness,” Fisher wrote. “Though I wish I could speak to each one of you individually, I can tell you this from the heart: we tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry.

“Looking ahead, I hope you will join our beloved A's as we move forward on this amazing journey. I hope I will see you again sporting the Green and Gold. And I hope we will make you proud.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Leland Anderson says hello to fans attending a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Oakland Athletics, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay returns to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Oakland Athletics' Lawrence Butler runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

FILE - Fans at Oakland Coliseum listen as the national anthem is performed before an American League wild-card baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Oakland Athletics players pour out of the dugout to celebrate after defeating the Texas Rangers 5-4 on a walk-off RBI single by Jacob Wilson in the ninth inning of a baseball game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Oakland Athletics' Jacob Wilson, center right, is congratulated by Lawrence Butler (4) after hitting the game-winning RBI single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Prosecutors brought three felony charges against Atlanta Falcons player James Pearce Jr. stemming from an incident on Feb. 7 that police referred to as a domestic dispute with WNBA player and ex-girlfriend Rickea Jackson, according to a court document filed Thursday.

The Florida State Attorney's office in Miami-Dade County filed charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence. A fourth charge of stalking was brought as a misdemeanor.

An additional charge of aggravated battery of an officer was dropped.

Lawyers for Pearce and Jackson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday. Pearce's attorney, Jacob Nunez, in February said his client “maintains his innocence and urges the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story.”

Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham addressed the case briefly with reporters in Georgia on Friday. “Obviously, we’re aware of the most recent articles and things that have come out regarding James Pearce,” Cunningham said. “Those are concerning, right, to say the least, but outside of that, I’ll just keep it just very similar to what we said at the combine. We’re not going to comment on an open legal matter here moving forward.”

According to the police account, Jackson told authorities she attempted to drive away from Pearce and was driving toward the Doral police station to seek help when Pearce “intentionally collided into the rear of her vehicle with his SUV” before police arrived.

Pearce allegedly refused an initial order from police to “get on the floor,” according to details of the arrest in an affidavit. The police account said Pearce then drove away and hit a police officer’s left knee with his vehicle “intentionally in an attempt to evade arrest.”

According to police, Pearce wrecked his vehicle and then continued in his attempt to elude police by running before being apprehended following a “short struggle.”

Jackson, in a petition for protection against Pearce filed in February, expressed fears for her safety that predated the incident for which he was arrested and charged.

“Due to his obsessive, insecure, violent and aggressive behavior, ending the relationship has been difficult and I am afraid for my life,” Jackson said in the petition filed in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County. “James has threatened to kill me, James has threatened to harm me, James has threatened to injure me, James has threatened to place a bag over my head, and James has verbally and physically abused.”

Jackson in the petition said Pearce snatched her phone, pulled her hair and took her belongings, at which point she decided to end their relationship.

She described a pattern of harassing behavior leading up to Feb. 7, including Pearce offering her $75,000 to visit him and $200,000 to remain in a relationship with him, according to the petition. Jackson said she was driving when she noticed Pearce following her in his car and she said he “began driving his vehicle erratically, at high speeds chasing after me.”

Jackson said in the petition she began driving to the Doral Police Department because she feared Pearce would hurt her. She said Pearce repeatedly struck her vehicle with his before getting to the station.

Jackson, 24, is two years into her WNBA career. She said she and Pearce began dating when they were at the University of Tennessee together.

Pearce, 22, was the No. 26 pick in the NFL draft last year. He had 10 1/2 sacks and his 45 quarterback pressures set a Falcons rookie record.

AP Sports Writer Maura Carey contributed from Atlanta.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Mist BC forward Alanna Smith (8) defends Breeze BC wing Rickea Jackson (2) during the second half of a semifinal in an Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball game, Monday, March 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)