O.Co Coliseum Gives Oakland A's the Best Atmosphere in Baseball

Recently, a Bleacher Report video crew went into Overstock.com Coliseum to show the plus side of the old venue. While it was nice to see some praise for one of the most historic ballparks in all of professional sports, I felt that these guys left out some important factors.

The brief video focuses mainly on the luxury suites, the perks of premium seating and the experience that comes with the high-price experience, but that is not what the best part of the Oakland Coliseum is. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to see people talk about the perks of the O.co rather than sewage leaks, but I felt the best part of the A's in-game experience was left out.

The best part of O.co is the atmosphere created by the fans, especially when the coliseum is at full capacity, with or without tarps on the upper deck.  

When Grant Balfour walks out of the bullpen, be ready to hear "One" by Metallica and also be ready to see thousands of fans suddenly go insane. "Balfour Rage" is one of the best in-game experiences in all of baseball.  

Not only is there Balfour's entrance, but there is also the "Bernie-lean" fad, which hit its peak in the playoffs last year when Coco Crisp hit a walk-off RBI-single to tie the series with the Detroit Tigers.

Although it does not appear this year at A's games, in 2012 there was the late-inning "Call Me Maybe" rally dance, which is another part of what makes the O.co experience one-of-a-kind.

These are a few of the, should I say, "snubs" from the video. It just doesn't seem possible to do a documentary of the A's game experience and leave out "Balfour Rage" and "Bernie-lean."  

The A's feature a brand of baseball that has been dubbed "green collar," and because Oakland is a small-market team, it seems that the center of attention should be on the fans' creativity and rituals rather than on the luxury suites.

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