11/05/24
July 25, 2007
Five Ballpark Promotions that went wrong.: Just, you know, because other people's failures are funny.
posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 06:44 PM - 16 comments
Cool post, Ufez. I got a good chuckle out of Neal Pollack's write-up of the "all you can eat seats" night. The Indians free beer night is one that they still talk about here in Ohio, and not in a good way either!
posted by steelergirl at 08:28 PM on July 25, 2007
Way down here in the southern hemisphere, even we have seen video of the 'Disco Sux' night at Comiskey Park. It was the first thing I thought of when I read the title of your link. Classic.
posted by owlhouse at 09:15 PM on July 25, 2007
I must have some sort of a thinking disorder because I had an entirely different picture in my mind of "all you can eat seats night". So glad to be set straight after reading the article. I won't venture any further with where my mind was on that one.
posted by THX-1138 at 09:34 PM on July 25, 2007
Makes you wonder about human nature sometimes. If common sense is so common, why don't more people have it?
posted by NerfballPro at 03:09 AM on July 26, 2007
Nice link ufez.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:08 AM on July 26, 2007
#1: That website has too much fuchsia and pastels. It feels a bit like reading "Sassy" magazine. Not that I read "Sassy" magazine, but I, uh, imagine that is what it would feel like. With the pastels. And the fuchsia. #2: The "All-You-Can-Eat Seats" don't seem to be a "promotion gone wrong." It's not only continuing but possibly growing. It's kind of like Bat Day at Yankee Stadium -- it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but there isn't a really definitively disasterous moment that would validate such a label. Vomit is hardly an uncommon occurance at the ballpark, even in the "Might As Well Write A Blank Check Seats."
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 08:43 AM on July 26, 2007
I didn't know Mental Floss was a magazine too. I have one of their books and really enjoy reading it over and over. Nice link.
posted by jerseygirl at 09:44 AM on July 26, 2007
One thing I like about going to baseball games on the top major league level is the idea that they are, for the most part, laid back. It's relaxing between innings to watch the defense take the field, the pitcher warm up, etc. All those fans that need to be lured to the stadium based on ridiculous, embarrassing promotions aren't real fans, and they won't probably return until the next ridiculous promotion. The minor league level, I realize, is a bit different, because it's a struggle to get people to attend those games each and every night. The single A team in my city has different promotions between each freakin' inning! At the top level, a bit more professional-type decorum should prevail. I like the "Hat Day" and certain other baseball-related giveaway promotions, but the others are stupid. Cash Drop. The fact the organizers didn't foresee people getting hurt in that one is pathetic.
posted by dyams at 11:24 AM on July 26, 2007
Or nefarious. What if it was a marketing person who was quitting and decided to do in those awful fans?
posted by yerfatma at 11:37 AM on July 26, 2007
That website has too much fuchsia and pastels. It feels a bit like reading "Sassy" magazine. Did somebody say "Sassy"? And totally off-topic and for no reason in particular (other than that I cam across it looking for that Phil Hartman "Sassy" sketch), Phil Hartman in a mid-80s(?) Activision Hockey ad.
posted by holden at 12:04 PM on July 26, 2007
#1--Does anyone else remember that episode of WKRP where Les Nessman is dropping live turkeys from a helicopter in the radio stations Thanksgiving Day promotion? Funny. #2--I miss Phil Hartman.
posted by THX-1138 at 12:42 PM on July 26, 2007
At the risk of impressing everyone and drowning myself in ladies, I will kick your ass at Activision Hockey, even if your name is David Crane. My strategy is a beguiling mix of tripping your forward, tripping your defenseman and then a little something I like to call "Sweep at the black pixels until they move northwards."
posted by yerfatma at 01:00 PM on July 26, 2007
#1--Does anyone else remember that episode of WKRP where Les Nessman is dropping live turkeys from a helicopter in the radio stations Thanksgiving Day promotion? Does anyone not remember that episode? "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:30 PM on July 26, 2007
MLB Fans "How about D battery night when that prick Bonds tries to steal the record." Giants Fans "Haha, thats a good one. I would expand it to “Throw Foreign Objects Night” for the rest of Bond’s season. That way we can see some creativity. Barry might get used to only batteries. Mix it up with some rocks or something. Aim for the knees and have a chance to win season tickets for saving baseball." Hank Aaron How about CAR battery night when that prick Bonds tries to steal the record Bud Selig How about M-16 night when that prick Bonds tries to steal the record
posted by irunfromclones at 04:34 PM on July 26, 2007
irunfromclones: Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to sign up for your newsletter. How about a "beat Bonds in the parking lot with a carrier bag full of syringes" night? Still, we can take some comfort... Given his steroid abuse, we have bigger balls than he does now. And ours still server a purpose. He may as well replace his with pickled onions. (But then he'd get turned on by cheese.)
posted by Drood at 05:38 PM on July 26, 2007
Fun list. I didn't know about the cash drop or the Dodgers' all-you-can-eat pavilion. I found Neal Pollack's write-up of his trip to the all-you-can-eat pavilion (linked in the original piece) quite amusing.