ABSTRACT
It was a cool summer evening at Network Associates Coliseum in Oak-land, California. Hot dogs were sizzling on the grill. Vendors were strolling through the stands selling popcorn and Cracker Jack. And a sellout crowd of more than fi fty-fi ve thousand was cheering on the home team. Some of these fans had arrived hours earlier to get a seat, an unusual amount of support for the Oakland A’s, who had one of the league’s lowest attendance records.
