How to love Oakland, but not the A's

In recognition of ROUTE 1's OAKLAND WEEK, here are four easy steps to NOT LIKING Oakland's professional baseball team, the OAKLAND ATHLETICS:
1. Grow up as a committed SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS fan. Having a rabid Giants fan for a grandmother certainly helps.
2. Begin following your beloved Giants during a fallow period -- say, the mid-1970s -- that happens to coincide with multiple World Series appearances by the team from across the Bay.
3. Attend a World Series game in which your beloved Giants fall to the host A's while insufferable, heckling Oakland fans surround you. This scenario happened to me on Oct. 15, 1989. Mike Moore scattered four hits over 7 innings pitched and Terry Steinback hit a three-run homer for the home team. What made it even worse? A loud-mouthed Dodger fan was sitting right behind me in the bleachers. I couldn't wait to boo the Dodgers the next season!
Oh yeah...
And two days later a massive earthquake collapsed the Cypress Structure, folded part of the Bay Bridge and caused a terrible fire in San Francisco's Marina District.
4. Really, those preceding three reasons are MORE THAN ENOUGH to dislike the A's. Grrrrr.... !!!