View Full Version : If You Build It... They Will Come
That's no longer just the tag line from The Voice to Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams.
It's what the fan base has been saying to the cheapskate owners of the Pirates for years, every time there's a complaint about low attendance. People just got tired of broken promises... and I know quite a few who vowed to stop going to games until there was a winning team on the field, as has been promised since the State, City & County agreed to build PNC Park.
Today, for the first time in over a decade, the Pirates are 4 games above .500 at this point in the season, a game and a half out of first place.
We decided last night to get tickets for tonight's game, as we'll be out of town this weekend when we'd normally go (ironically, we'll be in DC to see the kids... and the Nationals. But since they're not playing the Pirates or the Yankees, I can root for them, and the many ex-Pirates on the Nats roster, with a clear conscience.). Spoke to our rep, ordered & paid for the tickets, went down to pick them up at Will Call at lunchtime.
There's a TV reporter doing a story on the walk-up ticket sales. The line is all the way down General Robinson Street, heading past the park and going into the parking area that used to surround 3 Rivers Stadium. That's about 5 - 6 blocks in length. They estimated that the wait in line was about 45 minutes.
Last year... 2 years ago... hell, as far back as recent memory serves, a weekday game against the worst team in the MLB, at this point in the season, and no special promotions going on, they'd be giving away tickets, just to put some fannies in the seats. Typical paid attendance might be 8000 - 10,000, and half those people didn't show up.
Last night? Walk-up ticket sales on game day of over 6000 tickets. Amazing what being a winning team in a pennant race will do for you.
My rep's busier than a 1 legged 1 armed paper hanger in a mule kicking contest. She's hasn't had time to come up for air all week.
You should see the look on Little Miss Field Day's face. She has NEVER seen this before; the last time the Pirates approached this good, she was about 2. All the kids who teased her about being a Pirate fan, and not deserting them for the Steelers and/or the Penguins? Now they're jealous; we have good seats, they can't get anywhere near us. Heh heh.
The Voice was right. And it may not last, but while it lasts, it's sure fun to see.
They built it.
The fans are coming back.
Or, as in the case of my team...if you rebuild it, will they come back?
WØTKX
07-06-2011, 09:29 PM
Meanwhile, the Rockies pretty much SUCK. Oh well.
Meanwhile, the Rockies pretty much SUCK. Oh well.
They're still a game ahead of the Padres in the NL West.
The Kings can go away as far as I'm concerned. No more tax supported playpens for billionaires.
They're still a game ahead of the Padres in the NL West.
Pods seems to have the Gigantes number.
W1GUH
07-07-2011, 09:00 AM
The Kings can go away as far as I'm concerned. No more tax supported playpens for billionaires.
Could say that about all pro sports teams.
Could say that about all pro sports teams.
Agreed, the drama and overinflated egos and paychecks are ridiculous. Some college and all high school football FTW!
Well, fine then. When we organize Amateur Radio day, I won't bother to invite you guys.
Well, fine then. When we organize Amateur Radio day, I won't bother to invite you guys.Do so at The Jake and we'll gladly attend. :yes: :snicker:
Do so at The Jake and we'll gladly attend. :yes: :snicker:Sorry, I'd only go to the Jake to watch the Yankees kick butt.
And that would get me a double dose of REAL trouble. A Yankee fan who lives in Pittsburgh? The die-hard Clevelanders would probably toss me in the Cuyahoga and then see if it can still ignite!
The die-hard Clevelanders would probably toss me in the Cuyahoga and then see if it can still ignite!
It won't - they've actually cleaned the river up to the point that it has a healthy fish population.
The gotcha, of course, is all the residual heavy metals which are buried in the bottom silt layers. Thus, consumption limits for fish harvested from the Big C...
suddenseer
07-07-2011, 11:10 AM
There is truth in the building up an area. Years ago, one of the Dayton, Ohio city commissioners got this wild idea to bring a minor league baseball tem to town, build a new stadium in the desolate downtown and they will come. I thought they were bonkers. My thoughts at that time were shared by many. Why would someone go to a desolate downtown Dayton to see a minor league single A team when they can go to a Red's game just an hour's drive away. I thought it was doomed to fail. It was the best thing Dayton ever did to revitalize downtown. It turned out to be the best value in family entertainment.
The Dayton Dragon's have the best minor league stadium in the country. It is modern, clean, and bright. They played their first game in 2000. Saturday 7/9/2011, they will break the all time consecutive sold out games of any professional sports team. They tied the record at 814 set by the Portland Trailblazers. They enjoy an annual attendance of almost 600,000. That is amazing for a small town single A team. People are actually moving back to downtown. The yuppies, wait in line to get renovated warehouse luxury apartments.
http://dayton.dragon.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t459
...jus' gotta do something about those out-of-control Dayton cops...
...jus' gotta do something about those out-of-control Dayton cops hams...
Fixed that for you.
suddenseer
07-07-2011, 04:25 PM
Well, I cannot do anything about Dayton cops, or hams. If you stay close to HARA, you won't encounter Dayton's finest. Hara is located in the suburb of Clayton, i think.
There is truth in the building up an area. Years ago, one of the Dayton, Ohio city commissioners got this wild idea to bring a minor league baseball tem to town, build a new stadium in the desolate downtown and they will come. I thought they were bonkers. My thoughts at that time were shared by many. Why would someone go to a desolate downtown Dayton to see a minor league single A team when they can go to a Red's game just an hour's drive away. I thought it was doomed to fail. It was the best thing Dayton ever did to revitalize downtown. It turned out to be the best value in family entertainment.
The Dayton Dragon's have the best minor league stadium in the country. It is modern, clean, and bright. They played their first game in 2000. Saturday 7/9/2011, they will break the all time consecutive sold out games of any professional sports team. They tied the record at 814 set by the Portland Trailblazers. They enjoy an annual attendance of almost 600,000. That is amazing for a small town single A team. People are actually moving back to downtown. The yuppies, wait in line to get renovated warehouse luxury apartments.
http://dayton.dragon.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t459Interesting timing. This was posted today: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=neumann-110708_dayton_dragons_sellout_streak
suddenseer
07-08-2011, 10:53 AM
Good deal, I really enjoy a Dragon's game more than a Red's game. My company had good seats, but did not renew them in a budget cutting move. They said keeping one more person employed is better than box season tickets. A Dragon's game is always a good night in this town.
Tim, a bit off the subject, but who are these people that you have in your sigline...i notice it keeps changing. Is there a backstory?
suddenseer
07-09-2011, 09:00 PM
Tim, a bit off the subject, but who are these people that you have in your sigline...i notice it keeps changing. Is there a backstory?Those people have all been killed, or committed suicide as a result of bullying just for being different. I consider them martyrs. My present picture is Tempest Smith. http://tempestsmithfoundation.org/ I was a friend of her mother before she passed away 4 years ago. Tempest took her life in 2001
I am trying to raise awareness of a real problem in this country. I have shown Matthew Shepard who was killed because he was gay. I also show black people who were killed by evil white men because they wanted to have equal rights like white people. I consider them all martyrs. The hatred must stop if we are to evolve to be the best humans we can be.
suddenseer
07-10-2011, 10:12 AM
Yesterday, the Dayton Dragons broke sports history. There is a special excitement when a person attends a full house sold out game. This is a daily event here in Dayton. It is hard to get a job selling beer in this ballpark. People want to work here, maybe because it is fun. I am on the waiting list to be a beer man.
http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/dragons-knock-record-out-of-the-park
Yesterday, the Dayton Dragons broke sports history. There is a special excitement when a person attends a full house sold out game. This is a daily event here in Dayton. It is hard to get a job selling beer in this ballpark. People want to work here, maybe because it is fun. I am on the waiting list to be a beer man.
http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/dragons-knock-record-out-of-the-parkGood for them!
If I ever get to a game, I'll look for you. Hopefully by then I'll be on other meds and allowed alcohol again.
Those people have all been killed, or committed suicide as a result of bullying just for being different. I consider them martyrs. My present picture is Tempest Smith. http://tempestsmithfoundation.org/ I was a friend of her mother before she passed away 4 years ago. Tempest took her life in 2001
I am trying to raise awareness of a real problem in this country. I have shown Matthew Shepard who was killed because he was gay. I also show black people who were killed by evil white men because they wanted to have equal rights like white people. I consider them all martyrs. The hatred must stop if we are to evolve to be the best humans we can be.
Well said and well done. I completely agree with you and i can only hope that one day things get better, or at least we stop the bleeding. Im quite vocal about that subject...have been since i was a weird, outcast kid. My hats off to you.
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