The sun is literally setting in the wrong direction in the Oakland A’s possibly AI-generated new renderings of their proposed Las Vegas ballpark, which may be a metaphor for this troubled stadium gamble.

The Oakland A’s proposed relocation to Las Vegas has been running into all manner of trouble. One of the biggest logistical hurdles is that they don’t even know where they will play for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 MLB seasons, because their Oakland Coliseum lease is expiring. And their proposed new Las Vegas stadium won’t be done until 2028 at the earliest.

But on Tuesday, the team released renderings of the proposed Las Vegas stadium, according to the Bay Area News Group.  And when even your official press release describes the structure as “a spherical armadillo,” you can imagine the social media ridicule will be even more cruel.

Let’s check on that social media ridicule, shall we?

The Oakland A’s official Twitter/X announcement of the ballpark renderings has the replies turned off, and likely with good reason. But checking in on the 1,500-some quote-tweet dunks, the common sentiment is that the structure is an obvious rip-of of the famed Sydney Opera House.

And as much of the above-described “snarky bullshit” has noted, that one rendering in the bottom-right seems to show the sun setting in the east. As Scott Ostler wisecracks in the Chronicle, “In one of the four renderings released by the A’s Tuesday, either fans are flocking into a game that will start at sunrise, or [owner] John Fisher and the A’s have arranged to have the sun set behind the mountains east of Las Vegas.”

“Either way, a break from tradition,” he adds.

There are also some highly practical problems with what is depicted in these renderings, namely, a lack of parking for the proposed 33,000-seat stadium. “The plan only supports 2,500 on-site parking spots,” as the Bay Area News Group points out, noting that is “fewer than one spot per 10 fans if the ballpark is at capacity.” The A’s claim they’ll work on a traffic and transportation plan with Clark County, which is where Las Vegas is located.

And while social media is giving the A’s some guff over these renderings, so are Oakland officials.

"These renderings again show that building the new ballpark in Oakland would be easier, faster, and cheaper," Oakland City Council member Rebecca Kaplan told the SF Business Times. "Plus stronger fan support, more TV revenue, better transportation access. In Oakland, [they] can have the approx. 15 acres desired, at an approved site [at Howard Terminal]. And better financially."

Related: A’s Biggest Roadblock to Las Vegas Could Be Set By… Former SF Supervisor Chris Daly? [SFist]

Image: @Athletics via Twitter