What Promotions Would Get Fans to OPACY?
It turns out that the Orioles suck. Like, a lot. And, as one might expect, no one likes to watch sucky baseball. Especially sucky baseball between two sucky teams in sucky weather, as evidenced by the picture below from last night's game (link).

That, my friends, is not a lot of fans. Definitely not the announced attendance of 9,299, and, arguably, not even more than the 1,500 fans the Charm City Rollers draw. Read that again. A roller derby team can outdraw our Major League Baseball team. These are your 2010 Baltimore Orioles.
This whole thing got my roommate and me thinking, how can we get fans to the Yard? What promotional events can the marketing department pull that would entice people to pay real money to waste away a perfectly nice evening watching this terrible team lose? I think we came up with some pretty good ideas that would get some people to OPACY. In fact, they could jack up ticket prices and I would still come for most of these.
1. Julio Lugo Pinata Night - Pretty self-explanatory. The pinata should be filled with anything but base hits.
2. "Lou Montanez Can't Hit, So Let's Deal With It" Matinées - On Sundays, Lou starts in left, and every time his turn in the batting order comes up, one lucky fan will get picked to hit for him. If the collection of fans beat Montanez's batting average that day, they all win something. Just make sure the prize isn't too big, because we will be giving away a lot of them.
3. Garrett Atkins Night - Atkins in a dunk tank on Eutaw Street for the entire game. Everyone gets a pair of Atkins replica fake teeth.
4. "In With the ReimOLD" Bobblehead Night - Turn Reimold's bobblehead night into a homecoming of sorts. Have him throw out the first pitch, deliver the lineup card, and let him be the first base coach for the night. In the 7th inning stretch, he stands on the mound and fans can chuck their bobblehead at him.
5. Adam Jones Curveball Night - Give the first 10,000 fans one of those wiffleballs that you can curve really easily, and make it say "And Jones goes down swinging" every time you throw it.
6. DDDWTF Nights - Give fans signs that say "WTF?", so they can wave them whenever Dave has his WTF moment. A lucky fan gets to pick an inning before the game, and if the biggest WTF moment comes in that inning, he gets to manage the O's for the next game.
7. Mike Gonzalez Meltdown Night - In the middle of the summer, give every fan a Gonzo figurine and a magnifying glass, so they have something to do other than watch the game.
FanPosts are user-created content and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of Camden Chat or SB Nation. They might, though.
155 comments
|
3 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
$1 beer night
Seriously
"Oh, and Joe? If Brian hits any of your delicate millionaires, know that he meant it." - Stacey
10-Cent Beer Night
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=beernight/080604&sportCat=mlb
"This club is not a good club." --Jim Palmer
BTW
It’s Garrett with two t’s. That’s why it didn’t highlight his name.
"Oh, and Joe? If Brian hits any of your delicate millionaires, know that he meant it." - Stacey
Probably the best line in that article
When Grieve hit his second home run in the fourth inning, he had not yet rounded third base when a man — entirely naked — ran onto the field and slid into second, probably getting dirt in places unsuitable for speculation.
The future is not what it used to be.
by John Stephens on May 18, 2010 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Man I just read it again
What a story. Mike Hargrove just beating the crap out of a fan, a fan throwing a knife at the Indians manager, Billy Martin leading his team into the outfield armed with bats. Holy crap. I wish I could have been there. Or…maybe not I guess. But you know.
I did a column on stupid things Russians and Americans do in warm weather
Russians get so drunk going on vacation — that is, while they’re still in the plane — that flights have been turned around in mid-air and returned to Russia rather than land in a foreign country. For revenge (I guess), one Russian flight attendant crew got so drunk they beat up a passenger.
And the American illustrations? Ahem: ""The summer game’ has inspired several criminally idiotic episodes in the Midwestern heartland that give Russia’s “Drunks on a Plane” a run for their money.
On Disco Demolition Night at Chicago’s Comiskey Park in 1979, the widely advertised bombing of a mountain of dance records — some promotion, eh? — inspired a night of mayhem in which thousands of disco-hating baseball fans stormed and looted the field, set fires and rioted. Or take Cleveland, where the very name of an even brain-deader baseball promotion — Ten Cent Beer Night — practically guaranteed disaster. Untold bottles of near-giveaway suds turned thousands of calm and orderly fans into a rowdy and raucous crowd devoid of inhibition, attacking visiting players, umpires and each other with knives, chains and portions of stadium seats. Cleveland’s team was ordered “to grab bats and help” defend the visitors as rioters threw steel folding chairs and athletes literally ran for their lives. Ah, summer.
History records that a group of American males assembled in Philadelphia one sweltering July and invented their own country. A Russian might think they succeeded only because they didn’t have to fly there. Americans may assume they triumphed by wisely choosing not to invent baseball first. Whoever’s right, if — and only if — the weather here stays cool, the next round of 10-cent beer’s on me. "
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
I think the WTF? has some legs as a guerrilla marketing campaign
The signs would look like cartoon bubble thoughts extending from our heads. We could all hold them up with quizzical looks on our faces and probably be the coolest fans on ESPN.
tough environment...
i mean, if we’re seriously looking at promotions. i went to a dollar dog game w/ matusz on the mound on a lovely sunday afternoon last september and it wasn’t close to full.
what i’d like to see? how about camden yards opposite day…boog manages, diamond dave flips burgers; fancy clancy plays first, garrett atkins hawks beers; statue of the babe coaches 3rd, juan samuel hangs out on eutaw.
"If they pitch to you, make them pay."
--Diamond Dave to the Phenom
I don't think you can seriously look at promotions
because people won’t really come back until they have a reason to. I mean, bobblehead day might get a bunch of extra people out to the park, but you just gotta win. everything else is background noise. At least, in Baltimore. Some places you can win and it doesn’t matter (Florida), some places you can suck and it doesn’t matter (Wrigley Field).
Wrigley cultivated that
If you want people to come even if you suck, you have to make it a great experience for them when they are there.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
Sure they did
However I don’t think Baltimore fans would buy into that. I’ve been to Wrigley Field a number of times and I don’t want to be part of a baseball population that can be that happy when their team sucks.
I hang out at lots of places
and usually even watch sports that I am not at all that interested in simply because there is affordable beer and affordable food.
Another reason NOT to go to the ballpark
The food and beer are NOT affordable. I can find beer a hell of a lot cheaper than $6.
"Oh, and Joe? If Brian hits any of your delicate millionaires, know that he meant it." - Stacey
It has been since opening day
but I thought I was paying more than $6. But, yeah, seems like a pretty quick fix. I would drink and eat there all the time if it were a reasonable expenditure.
I want to get 1 Italian sausage and 1 beer
I’m out at least $11. That’s ridiculous.
"Oh, and Joe? If Brian hits any of your delicate millionaires, know that he meant it." - Stacey
you can take your own food into OPACY tho....
by twistedlogic on May 18, 2010 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah I brought in some awesome sandwiches on Saturday
and drank 4-5 of those $10 24 oz. cans and had a great time.
Rub some $100 bills on it, you sell-out. -duck
Fair point
That said, I don’t want to be part of a baseball population that is only fair weather fans either.
Which I know isn’t what you are saying. But I think you could have much stronger attendance and still have very pissed off fans.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
That's true
But I think that once you reach where the Orioles are it’s hard to call people fair weather fans. The Orioles have done plenty to drive people away and I don’t blame people for saying enough is enough. The O’s didn’t fall out of top 5 in AL attendance until the 2006 season, 8 years into losing. They dropped to 10th after that because I think 2005 really took it out of a lot of people.
I think that at some point, even if you’re still a fan of the team, it’s acceptable to stop coming. How else do you express that what is happening with your team is not ok? I think teams like the Cubs, teams that draw about 3 millionish every single year, what incentive do they have to try and get better?
Shutting people up about the curse of the Billy goat, and ending the longest title drought in big 4 history.
Everyone thought Baltimore was three easy wins and we got our ass kicked three times. - Dustin Pedroia, After the Red Sox got swept by the Orioles.
by BaltimoreSportsFan on May 18, 2010 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that at some point, even if you’re still a fan of the team, it’s acceptable to stop coming. How else do you express that what is happening with your team is not ok?
Well, I write stuff here. But I still go to the games every chance I get. Not that this is very often.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
You live out of town
It’s a different dynamic. I go to a ton of games every year but if they were good I’d go to all of them probably. But right not it’s not worth my money for the product, frankly.
I'd go to more games outside of my season tix games, too, if they were good.
Everyone thought Baltimore was three easy wins and we got our ass kicked three times. - Dustin Pedroia, After the Red Sox got swept by the Orioles.
by BaltimoreSportsFan on May 19, 2010 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I guess when you consider season tickets...
…that makes more sense. At that point you’re talking about over a thousand dollars at least. Especially in a town like Baltimore that doesn’t have tons of companies buying season tickets to give away to clients and vendors and the like.
I mean heck, I think half the seats in Citi Field are sold to corporations, and they still don’t sell out.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
I think there is one simple idea that could work
Have the lowest ticket and food prices in baseball.
Price discrimination makes this somewhat tricky, but there seems to me little reason why the Orioles don’t release all unsold tickets to the public for $5 the day of the game. Make going to Camden the cheapest thing you can do on short notice in baseball.
Other idea: free tickets to any family for a game who can produce a Baltimore City or County report card with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
Not sure about the $5 tickets
but they could definitely offer really deep discounts for day of and could certainly make the food/drink MUCH cheaper and probably end up doing better financially for it.
I dig the report card idea too.
Rub some $100 bills on it, you sell-out. -duck
You dont want to provide a disincentive to buy tickets early though
Especially if there’s not a shortage of tickets, I’m not sure this actually would do much to increase attendance. If anything, it would potentially decrease ticket revenue.
That's true.
I wonder what the breakdown is between pre-sale tickets and walk-ups.
Rub some $100 bills on it, you sell-out. -duck
Yeah
Like I said, price discrimination makes this tricky.
At the same time, at some price point, it is beneficial to sell out the stadium for say, $10 a ticket, than it is to sell 9,000 tickets at $30 each. The key is to reach some balance.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
simple
Don’t do it for every game. Just announce it the night before for SOME games. That way, people who want to go to a particular game will have to buy their tix in advance, since they won’t know if the cheapies are coming around.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
If they could do the report card idea for Howard County, too
I’d attend a lot more often. Also the Keys do something similar to that.
Everyone thought Baltimore was three easy wins and we got our ass kicked three times. - Dustin Pedroia, After the Red Sox got swept by the Orioles.
by BaltimoreSportsFan on May 18, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd say they should do it for the whole state
Get ’em while they are young, and they will be fans for life.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
Ten dollar tickets, open access to anything but suites
First come, first serve.
Dollar dog night. Cheaper beer. Cheaper all-around concession prices. Try this all weekend on any series that doesn’t involve the MFY/PHN (’cause giving their fans cheap behind the dugout seats would be a fucking crime).
However, I think at this point we need to start winning to get crowds back in big numbers. 13 seasons of sucking is just too much for people to go regularly. This season should have been the year where we were at least holding our own and they could try to get creative to keep people back in. But I think the shitty start ruined this year’s marketing potential. Birdland is a sad place. Fuck.
I'm ready for a straight jacket. - Joe Angel, 4/17/10 (O's record: 1-11)
by Eat More Esskay on May 18, 2010 3:36 PM EDT reply actions
We all want lower prices
but then they’ll raise them when they start winning, and we’ll give them holy hell for that. Drop prices in half now, then raise them by 75% when they’re winning, and people will bitch, even though the ticket prices never recovered to its original level.
"Oh, and Joe? If Brian hits any of your delicate millionaires, know that he meant it." - Stacey
Oh yeah, they really can't win as far as that goes
I am not sure how much cheaper prices on everything will entice people to come out on nights like last night. Rainy Monday in May against the Royals isn’t going to fill up half the stadium right now even if you let people in for free and cut concession prices in half. When the team sucks, there’s not great weather, and the opposing team sucks, people find other stuff to do. Like all of us on CC who live within 30 miles of the stadium. Heh.
While the OP here was a joke, I think it feels like the team may need to do something drastic and soon to entice people to come to games and worry about “when they’re winning” when they actually start winning. I think increasing the frequency of some bargain promotions would be one way to do that. Gauge whether these things have an impact and then go from there.
I'm ready for a straight jacket. - Joe Angel, 4/17/10 (O's record: 1-11)
by Eat More Esskay on May 18, 2010 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Ehhhh...
…in Baltimore, I really think without a winning team not very many ideas will amount to much in getting the fans back. The few things I would suggest are:
- The No Brainer. Dropping prices. When you’re putting a Kia of a team on the field, you can’t be charging Honda prices.
- Better food. Attman’s is a start, although it’s not my personal fave. But they can do so much more with this. Give some other tried and true local legends a spot at the table. Like Faidley’s and DiPasquale’s. How about some good Fried Chicken? A Chicken Box is perfect for the game. Get Five Guys up in there.
- More cultivated drinking options. How about a section that is a straight up Bar that looks out onto the field? You charge a price that includes a couple drinks plus you get to see the game. Allow for some different vibes as well in the bars at the stadium.
The key is this: Make it feel like a diverse urban environment. Not a terminal at BWI Airport, like it does right now.
Here's the problem
Not everyone WANTS a diverse urban environment when they go to a game.
Yes, I’m the resident redneck, and I don’t want there to be any racial subtlties read into that previous sentence. When I go to a game, I want to go to a game – not an urban environment. If I want to go to a bar or a club after, I will.
But I’m at Camden Yards to see a baseball game – I want a baseball environment. We can have an argument over the importance of architecture of the stadium, the draw for local merchants and the role of the team as a civic beacon and leader if you wish, but at the end of the day, Camden Yards is the home field of a baseball team. That’s why I’m there. Not to partake in a diverse urban environment.
As much of a mish-mash of some of the worst ideas of new parks as Nationals Park is, I do like the restuarant in the outfield that overlooks the playing surface. Get a table close enough, and it’s a great way to watch a game and have a meal.
I’d rather have cheaper food than better food. Both would be nice, but I’d rather spend under $10 on a hamburger and a drink than get a better hamburger.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
laughing
diverse + urban = alarm bells for middle america.
There is no way around it Duck. OPACY is an urban environment. It is in the city. It has been a centerpiece of the reimagining/gentrification of the Inner Harbor for the past two decades.
And diversity is a good thing. Especially diversity of markets for us consumers.
I just wanna watch a game!
What’s so wrong in that? Why does it have to be a culinary adventure? I just want cheap hotdogs, cheap hamburgers, a decent Italian sausage, and affordable soda and beer.
Why is that so wrong?????
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
Don't worry, duck.
I’m the same way. Give me a hot dog, some fries, a soda, and a seat, and I’m plenty happy.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
And I'll tell you where this rant started for me...
Cleveland, OH.
I went to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame within a year of it opening.
The wife and I are strolling around, and after searching in vain for 2 hours of any musical act aside from Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix that I actually listened to (Hello? Some groups used Marshall amps? Where are they? I’ve seen enough James Taylor, Stephen Stills and Joni Mitchel artifacts, thankyouverymuch), we got hungry.
I figured, we’re in Cleveland, it’s the RnR HoF, we’ll just grab some burgers. Oh, hell no. There were these sandwhich carts on each level, and something as simple as a burger or hot dog was much too pedestrian and bohemian for such an august museum.
No, I was treated to four kinds of bread whose names I couldn’t pronounce, vegetable spreads and wraps that looked like what my cat spits up after a hair ball, and tofu.
I am not kidding. In the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, I couldn;t find a hamburger. Or any other semblance of normal food.
Do I want to deny these choices to others? No. Have your craft beers, your microbrews, your veggie spreads, your panini and wraps and your soy milk.
Just don’t pretend EVERYONE likes that stuff and make it your only choice.
Some of us just want a burger and soda. Or, in my case, a well-cooked Italian sausage (hold the peppers and onions) and a beer for less than $12.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
by duck on May 20, 2010 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
...Wow.
That’s just wrong.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
+ several million out of 10
A highly articulate outburst!
On food at least, we agree. Simpler is better.
You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.
They lost me when they voted in ABBA over AC/DC
Matt Wieters has a sustainably high BABIP
by CoachOfEarl on May 21, 2010 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Or refused to put in Black Sabbath for a decade and a half
and still refuse to put in KISS, Rush, Yes, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and Judas Priest. And that’s just off the top of my head. I mean, Def Leppard’s eligible. Motley Crue is eligible. Sure, they may not write songs about epic poems and grand themes (OK, Iron Maiden does), but those groups belong in the RnR HoF.
Jann Wenner is an elist snob with pets he wants to see in and entires genres he wants out..
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
One last thing
I’m not the only one that think Slayer should be inducted.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
Hey now!
Rush knows how to bring the Coleridge as well!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanadu_(song)
You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.
That's the thing though...
…cheap doesn’t have to equal crap.
In & Out Burger is cheap. Shake Shack is cheap. I go to Shake Shack regularly here in NY, and get a burger, fries, and a large Arnold Palmer for $9.25. For a burger that regularly wins national food awards.
And so that’s the thing, I think. You can create a diverse, urban environment that features much of the best of Baltimore in one of its signature locations and make it both affordable and something that the fans don’t have to think about if they are more into the game than the experience. And do it for less than what the current food options cost. What it takes is a commitment to excellence. Which the O’s could use both on the field and in the stadium to a greater degree.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
mmm shake shack sounds good
in and out is cheap and delicious. very very delicious.
by twistedlogic on May 20, 2010 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Ah...Arnold Palmers....
incidentally, has any man done any less to become famous? Oh, wait to go, Arnold Palmer, you mixed lemonade and iced tea!
Outs in baseball are like lives in Mario.
Not everyone WANTS a diverse urban environment when they go to a game.
it probably would have sounded better if you said you don’t CARE if there’s a diverse environment. The way you wrote it sounds like you don’t WANT a diverse environment. I agree with the former, the later is racist.
I came to camdenchat and all I got was this lousy avatar.
I just want to see a game
and when I read diverse urban invironment, I envision rich white guys putting too much cream and cheese on food and drinking hard liquor in stupid mixed drinks sitting in sidewalk cafes discussing tennis. Doesn’t appeal to me.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
when I read diverse urban environment,
Oh, I read racial diversity when I hear that term. Yeah, I don’t care if rich, white guys show up either. I don’t care who shows up. I just want to watch a fun game.
I came to camdenchat and all I got was this lousy avatar.
See, I don't.
I grew up with 33% minority population in my used-to-be rural town. I teach at a HS that’s 53% minority. I’m used to a racial diversity, well as much as there can be with just two races to pick from.
But rich white guys who put cream or cheese on everything and were packing cell phones to OPaCY in 1992 and eat their french fires with a fork? Got no use for most of ‘em, and don’t trust any of them, and I don’t want their fancy-dancy food and wine cluttering up my ballpark!
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
sure, but in terms of popular discourse,
“Diverse urban environment” usually refers to racial (and class) diversity. At least that’s how I read it.
I came to camdenchat and all I got was this lousy avatar.
Witness for the defense
Was at a game with Duck once & there was a guy in our row who had clearly overserved himself & was making, shall we say, less than enlightened comments when he spotted a black cop.
Now unless a cretin like this is hassling you directly, it’s best to ingnore him. But no, Duck gets right in his face, leaving ME to worry about what I was gonna tell his wife if things ended badly!
You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.
eaving ME to worry about what I was gonna tell his wife if things ended badly!
Duck coaches wresting and owns guns. Things were not going to end badly for Duck.
I came to camdenchat and all I got was this lousy avatar.
You obviously haven't met me
Body by Pepsi, dude. I’m at least 50 lbs. overweight. It wouldn’t have ended well. But he had it coming. Racism’s stupid, and I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it.
I’m tempted to make that my signature line.
I came to camdenchat and all I got was this lousy avatar.
Feel free, dude
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
i think i already did that.....
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on May 21, 2010 7:19 AM EDT up reply actions
What foods do these people put cheese on?
And, more importantly, what food do you put cream on exactly? Strawberries? That’s all I can think of.
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
I dunno about cream
But I’m pretty sick of how the new thing seems to be putting some kind of aioli on every goddammed thing.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
Ew
Unless it is sweet cream cheese, that’s nasty.
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
Chicken. Never needs cheese.
Breakfast sandwhiches. They don’t need cheese. Pasta. Doesn’t needed cheese. The list is endless.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
I feel like I don't even know who you are
breakfast sandwiches without cheese? Nature’s perfect breakfast sandwich, the Egg McMuffin, has cheese and it is delicious.
How about nachos?
ew gross
cheese should NEVER be liquid. NEVER.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on May 21, 2010 7:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Uhh anyone who has ever experience a true Philly Cheese Steak would beg to differ
If it ain’t got Whiz it ain’t authentic
Make the world a better place; punch a Yankee fan in the face!
by PBR me ASAP! on May 21, 2010 8:40 AM EDT up reply actions
i think we've been over this before
i maintain that liquid cheese is incredibly disgusting and ought to be banned.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on May 21, 2010 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
OK, I love nachos
I’m not even gonna lie.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
Wow. That's not what I expected.
You sure would hate living in the NY-NJ area. Chicken never needs cheese? Chicken parm is it’s own food group in this area. Breakfast sandwiches? The taylor ham, egg, and cheese on a bagel (a real bagel, not some dunkin donuts crap) is a NJ masterpiece. Pasta? Lasagna? Stuffed shells? Hello?
I don’t like seafood (it’s a mental thing really) but I’m not gonna put down people for enjoying it. I wish I could. These guys you’re talking about might be tools but these are all very common (and very delicious) foods. Maybe you just hate Italians (i’m not one, but I love their food).
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
Married an Italian/Cajun
Mom’s 50% Italian, dad was 100% Cajun.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
so by knowing somebody part italian
you should know that not putting cheese on foods is a mortal sin right?
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on May 21, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Still don't like it
What’s wrong with Marinara?
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
that was an incredibly cheesy joke
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on May 21, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions
It definitely wasn't very gouda
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
Better set my screen pref to wide
Because this is gonna take a while
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
sadly, i don't have many cheese jokes
i know, i know. its very unlike me to miss a beat with the plays on words.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on May 21, 2010 10:54 PM EDT up reply actions
thanks for that
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on May 22, 2010 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions
100 Cajun?!?!
Where’s your Dad’s family from? My Dad’s also 100% Cajun (hints the name GUIDRY).
Geaux Eaux's
by NawlinsOriole on May 27, 2010 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Read that wrong
Where’s your father-in-law’s family from?
Geaux Eaux's
by NawlinsOriole on May 27, 2010 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions
He was from Ville Platte, LA
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
hahaha
Ville Platte, I know exactly where that is. We played them a couple times in baseball back when I was in high school.
Geaux Eaux's
by NawlinsOriole on May 28, 2010 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Funny part is...
He spoke like Allistair Cooke hosting Masterpiece Theater. He went to Catholic school, and the nuns were from New England, so he adopted a sort of upper crust New Englandish accent.
Shortly before he died earlier this year, he wrote a dozen pages or so of what life was like growing up in Louisiana during the 1930s. Absolutely fascinating.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
And I think of urban
as fancy rich white dudes working in downtown offices biking to work with their holier-than-thou attitudes about how they’re SOOOO much better than people out in the ’burbs because they can go to an opera or an art museum. Not that they ever do, but they could.
Real people of all ethnicities live in the city. Stuck up rich white dudes putting cheese and cream on everything, they live in diverse urban areas, because that’s exactly what they would call it.
JP lives in the city. Stacey lives in the city. Cell phone talkin’, neck-tie wearin’, sportin’ sunglasses at 9 pm people in box seats at an O’s game live in diverse urban areas.
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
Take the wave to Shea!
Oh, wait….
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
What about those of us who actually do...
…go to the opera and art museums (only ten days left to see Rembrandt’s “Girl at a Window” at the Frick!) but don’t think we’re better than anyone?
FWIW, I’m not much of a cheese fan either.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
Who are you people?
Oh, and I think I’m better than everyone, but that has nothing to do with where I live.
I know it is weird
I’m guessing you’re talking about the cheese and not the opera.
You are better than everyone of course (not that I’ve ever met you or anything). But me, I’m just a lout with taste.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
Not this again...
Though I have to admit, I do a double-take every time you say you don’t like bacon, and it’s all due to the kid in your avatar.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
Glad it's not just me
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
And this is where I enter the convo
and tell you that this is absolutely correct
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
and this is where i say
i just ate a five guys burger. and it was delicious.
by twistedlogic on May 20, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Man do I love 5 Guys
The first time I had it was in Baltimore and it was awesome. Then, quite magically, they announced there would be one a mile down the road from me within the next coulpe months. It’s a beautiful thing.
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
its really good
i got a little cheeseburger since i havent eaten any good food in a while. i wish it was more than a dollar cheaper than the regular one.
by twistedlogic on May 20, 2010 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions
BANNED!
Bacon deserves it’s own food group!
Make the world a better place; punch a Yankee fan in the face!
by PBR me ASAP! on May 20, 2010 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Everybody knows you don't eat fries with a fork.
You eat them with salt, mayo, & vinegar.
From the Land of Pleasant Living...
Tell that to the lawyer types that took over the decent seats at OPaCY in the early 90s when it opened.
Going to see a ball game with a jacket and tie on? Get the hell outta here!
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
gross
i dont put any of that junk on my fries. the malt vinegar smell makes me want to vomit…likely from my restaurant work days. i have eaten fries with a fork once too.
by twistedlogic on May 20, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
This is true
Disco fries, pizza fries… these are not foods you want to be eating with your hands.
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
Fried with brown gravy and cheese
usually it’s american, mozz, or swiss. Not really my thing (I don’t like gravy) but if you grew up around here it was probably a staple of your diet through high school/college (the diner years of your life).
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
and that should read "fries with brown gravy and cheese"
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
You can still see a game.
The ballpark is enormous (and, currently, empty). There are plenty of places to stash all sorts venues catering to all sorts of tastes. Don’t worry, country boy, there will still be plenty of places to buy a burger, hot dog, fries and a beer and listen to Classic Rock tunes from the 60’s and 70’s. But as of right now there are too many place like that. It’s too homogenous and frankly, boring to a lot of people. Bear in mind in this argument that the team sucks, so we’re trying to provide other forms of entertainment to bring people in.
Plus as someone noted above, better and cheaper are not mutually exclusive. Bring in DiPasquale’s and have some of the best sandwiches you’ll ever eat in your life for under $10. It’s not difficult to do. The problem is that the franchise is still stuck in the airport mentality that they have a captive audience who they can charge whatever the hell they want to for any old slop. If the team was good this might still hold water. But as we all know, those days are long since past.
oh man I would KILL for some DiPasquales at Camden Yards
It’s so hard to get to Highlandtown during the day.
The Santino
sandwich they have there is truly one of the most amazing sandwiches I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I swear that place is one of the best Italian Delis you will find anywhere – including New York City.
THIS.
They know there bidness there, too. Clued me into a really nice Prosecco a few years ago for NYE when everyone’s looking for champagne. Says to me, “I can’t keep it in stock – we have people saying it’s better than champagne.”
I have half a mind he’s yanking my chain, but I love those folks so I defer & buy it. Everyone loves it, I find out the hard way they reall can’t keep it in stock, and the next time I buy it the bottle comes with a tag reading “As Seen On Good Morning America – ‘This is better than champagne!’ – somewineguy”
But yeah… their sandwiches are the shiznit.
As long as we’re touting local eateries, I vote for a Matthews Pizza stand at OPCY. Best pies in town.
From the Land of Pleasant Living...
Matthews is good
But I’d rather have Pizza John’s or Squires. Although it’s rare that I find myself on that side of town so I haven’t had either in forever.
Matthew's
All the way….add a Chicken Rico stand and Fiesta Mexicana from Philadelphia Road in Rosedale and we will be cooking with gas. Oh and while I’m fantasizing., some German sausages, pretzels and beer from Binkert’s, also on Philadelphia Road. Add that and some Big Bad Wolf BBQ from Hamilton and I will be moving into Camden Yards.
I've never made it to Chicken Rico
even though I vowed to after you mentioned it here the first time.
That stuff
is delicious.
Hop on over there. Highlandtown isn’t that far. Although you will have the competing temptations of both DiPasquale’s and Matthew’s to contend with.
Oh..another great spot to add to the Yard: Trinacria. That place makes the biggest, cheapest and most delicious Chicken Parm sub I have ever sunk my teeth into.
Now, see, your first paragraph
shows we can live in harmony. :)
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
And classic rock?
I’ll pass. Death metal, son, DEATH METAL!
When you watch the Orioles every night, a beer after dinner turns into a six pack WAY too many times. Stacey
Paper bags over head night?
The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST
Orioles Retro Night
Only, instead of using retro uniforms, actually use the old Orioles players in the lineup: Cal, DeCinnces, Dempsey (for comic relief and rain delays), Kiko Garcia, the more obsure the better…
Could they really be much worse?
This would be the best promotion ever!
“Come out and watch your Baltimore Orioles kick the ever-living crap out of MuthafuckinYankees!”…ahhh, a boy can dream though….
Make the world a better place; punch a Yankee fan in the face!
by PBR me ASAP! on May 20, 2010 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Serious proposal
There’s virtually no chance that the team will lower prices mid-season.
However, there is a pretty easy solution that allows them to maintain price discrimination: after the 3rd inning (or whenever, you pick), open the gates. Anyone can come in, for free, and sit anywhere in the main seating bowl.
Some of those people will just come and watch the game. That’s okay; we can use seat-fillers in the stands. But some of them will buy $7 beers and $6 hot dogs and what have you.
A small number of people will game the system — go, hang outside the ballpark, and wait for the free entry. That’s okay; those people aren’t really contributing a substantial amount of walkup revenue anyway. And corporate clients will continue to pay full freight — who wants to look cheap in front of clients/contacts/schmoozees?
Sidney Ponson Buffet Night
All you can eat! But you have to throw it bcak up afterwards. Oh, and then take the mound, ‘cause you’re actually starting that night, you just remembered…
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
If they lose, you get a free ticket to another game.
Food coupons for every piece of Orioles memorabilia that you wear.
Waiting 'til next year.
We are a good team night.
They actually win…
"On my tombstone just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived.'"
Earl Weaver
Two thoughts
1. Free ticket night – if/when the O’s lose, all attendees get to exchange their ticket stubs for another game;
2. Peter Angelos pinata night

by 


















