Sports Day in Minnesota - an idea

Some of us may know that Fox Sports North (FSN), the regional cable sports network here in the Twin Cities, annually sponsors what they call "Hockey Day in Minnesota." FSN broadcasts peewee games, a high school game, a Gophers game and a Wild game all in the same day.

I was thinking the other day, now that Minnesota's sports teams all have a place of their own to play, what if all four major teams and the Gophers, played at home, on the same day?

It could work. It would be an economic boom for the Twin Cities with all those people. The TV networks would love the revenue. Here's how I envision it would work, and who would broadcast what.

We start the day at 11am with the Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. The game would be carried either by ESPN or the Big Ten Network.

You could have a Wild game at 2pm at the Xcel Energy Center, broadcast by FSN.

It would take some doing with the NFL, but suppose there was a Vikings game at the Dome at about 3pm. Maybe even 4pm. This is where it could get a little interesting. Depending on whether FOX has the Major League Baseball playoffs that year, they might opt to show the World Series instead of a mid-season NFL game.

If Turner Broadcasting had the playoffs that year, just throw a couple million dollars at FOX to broadcast the game.

The overlap with the Wild game wouldn't be too bad.

Then, say the Timberwolves have their home opener at 5pm at Target Center. This one would be broadcast locally on Channel 45, KSTC.

And then, the piece de resistance, the Minnesota Twins play at Target Field at 7pm. For all five of these games to converge like this, it would put this particular day on or around October 28. The NBA regular-season doesn't start until very late October at the earliest.

And, it also assumes that the Twins likely took their season to Game 7 of the World Series that year.

All five teams would be very happy of course. All five are taking tickets, at home, in their own place, on the same day. I envision officials from MetroTransit at each venue passing out balloons, making speeches and throwing rice, celebrating the fact that the light rail systems they built and the commuter rail are working at full capacity.

This day probably would work best after the Central Corridor light rail along University Avenue is completed.

Downtown Minneapolis would benefit the most, as you'd have 40,000 for the Twins game. 63,000 for the Vikings game. 20,000 for the Timberwolves game. Another 50,000 just across the river for the Gophers. And, downtown Saint Paul would see 18,000 for the hockey game.

Restaurants and bars would be crowded. Streets would be buzzing with people. Traffic would be miserable (for those that didn't take mass transit). But, that would be one fun day.

Did the Marlins make the right move?

Some of us have heard, and for some, it doesn't matter, but last Saturday, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies (Major League Baseball) pitched a perfect game against the Florida Marlins in Miami.

A perfect game in baseball is 27 batters up, 27 batters down. The feat has only been achieved in the MLB 20 times; however, it is the second perfect game this season (Dallas Braden had the other) and the third in the last calendar year.

It's what the Marlins are doing about this perfect game that has me a little confused. The game was played at SunLife Stadium. For those in Minnesota, it's like the Metrodome, without the roof. It's one of the few remaining "multi-purpose" stadiums that also serve as ballparks.

According to the Marlins website (click "Did the Marlins make the right move" for the article), the announced attendance was just over 25,000. To "commemorate" this occasion, the Marlins are selling the remaining tickets, online, for face value.
To me, this is a bad PR move by the Marlins. First, the Marlins didn't pitch the perfect game, the Phillies did.

Second, what is now likely to happen is that these "re-sold" tickets are going to go for a bundle on eBay and other online sites. Instead of creating a scarce memento, the Marlins are essentially crowding the market with tickets that were never used, and never sold for the actual game. If there's 58,000 tickets on the market, and 33,000 tickets weren't even used; it demeans the "rare" nature of a ticket for a rare occurrence.

Third, if anyone should get possession of the tickets, it should be the Phillies. I think the Marlins should have released the remaining tickets to the Phillies, and let them decide whether to resell them or not. Incidentally, because the Marlins are doing this, that will bump up the attendance for the game.
Marlins president David Sampson said this, "Any ticket revenue is part of revenue sharing and part of the local revenue. So it gets reported." So, essentially, they have to report these tickets as sold, even though more than half weren't even used for the game.

The ultimate solution, because a perfect game is such a rare occasion, the Marlins should have destroyed the remaining tickets, or left that decision to the Phillies, so as to put more of a collectible nature on the tickets that legitimately got people into the game; and weren't sold after the fact.

At any rate, there are now going to be 58,000 people who said "I was there when Halladay pitched that perfect game." And, unfortunately, they'll also have the ticket to prove it. What I am not sure of, is because of this, whether or not there was some sort of authentication given to the tickets that actually were scanned at the gates. Sometimes for special events or rare occasions, tickets can be stamped as a verification that they were in fact at the game.

As of right now, I am not sure whether the Marlins did this or not. Sadly, we will probably never know for sure.

A Double-Shot Part II

For the second half of my post today, there is another sports story that might need a bit of PR to convince some people that it is a good thing: yesterday, the National Football League (NFL) announced the 2014 installment of the Super Bowl will be held in (drum roll please)...East Rutherford, New Jersey.

This is a first for the NFL. Cold-weather cities do not get awarded the sports world's finest prize very often. Cold-weather cities that do get awarded the Super Bowl have domes. Minneapolis hosted in 1992. Detroit hosted in 1982 and 2006. Indianapolis will host in 2012. As I understand NFL bylaws, if cities bidding for the Super Bowl have an average temperature below 50 degrees in February, the city must have a domed stadium.

New York was considered to host the 2002 Super Bowl, as a good-will gesture after 9/11, but the game went on as planned in New Orleans at the Superdome.

This is an unprecedented move, but, now that New Jersey has actually been awarded the game, who's to say that Chicago, Buffalo or even Green Bay can't bid on the Super Bowl in the future? Still, with tickets topping $1,000 apiece last year in Miami, if ticket prices stay at that level, ticket buyers are going to need some serious convincing that this is a good idea, in a city whos average temperature in February ranges from 25-40 degrees.

The National Hockey League (NHL) the last few years has played an outdoor game, usually on January 1. This annual event, known as the Winter Classic, has been very well received by fans. Chicago, Buffalo and Boston have hosted the Winter Classic. I've sometimes referred to it as the "cold-weather Super Bowl," as it would be unusual to see the event in Dallas or Atlanta.

Is it possible that New Jersey could be a trend-setter, and open up an opportunity for other cold-weather cities to host America's favorite football game? If all goes well, and it is well received by fans, can Seattle, Foxboro or Baltimore have as good of a chance of hosting a Super Bowl as Atlanta, Phoenix or Houston?

Nonetheless, a Super Bowl in New Jersey will need lots of PR behind it, for a game that usually is played in sunshine and 70+ degree weather (except for Super Bowl XLI in Miami, when it rained for four hours straight).

A Super Bowl in New Jersey, a good idea? I need some convincing, too.

Thanks for reading. Click "A Double-Shot Part II" for a USA Today article about the Super Bowl in 2014.

A Double-Shot

Since the Twins are playing half a game today, on top of a regular nine-inning game, I thought, maybe I'd do the same with a new blog post today. So, you'll get 1 1/2 posts, for the price of one.

It seems there's been some issues with the whole rain check policy. The Twins' policy, direct from the website states: Target Field Rain out Policy
In the event a regulation game, as defined by Major League Baseball (i.e. 4 1/2 innings if the Twins are ahead and five full innings if the visiting team is ahead or the game is tied), is not played due to weather, an act of God or any other reason, the following policy will apply:

The game will be:
A. Rescheduled to an open day, or
B. Rescheduled to a split day-night doubleheader (two separate games on the same date)
Fans holding tickets to a postponed game should keep their tickets as they will be required for admission into the rescheduled game. All tickets are valid only for the rescheduled game.

But, reading on another blog site, this Major League Baseball rule was also cited:

Rule 4.12(d)
"Rain checks will not be honored for any regulation or suspended game that has progressed to or beyond a point of play described in Rule 4.10" which apparently is what is happening. Ticket holders for today's regularly scheduled 6:10 game will be admitted to the 4:10 makeup.

In the eyes of the league, last night's game, even though it "ended" in a 0-0 tie, because they called the game at the top of the 6th, the game is complete.

Hopefully, now that this has happened, the Twins will put a little PR money into that policy to further inform fans of this policy. There's maybe a learning curve of sorts for the Twins executive brass, as this is the first time we've dealt with a rain-delayed game.

I probably wouldn't feel too bad about that policy; but I worry about a group from Grand Forks, ND or Duluth that comes all the way down to the game, only to find out, their tickets are no good for the remaining four innings being played at 4:10 this afternoon.

Hopefully, clarification from the Twins will be made, so that in the future, policies can either be altered or put in place to inform fans.

Click on "A Double-Shot" to go to the other blog I was referring to, which has several comments and further explanations of what we saw yesterday.

Target Field - what a sight Part II

click on "Target Field - what a sight Part II" you will be led to the Flickr site where I posted the rest of my pictures-----

I went today to go see the Red Sox and the Twins. My first real game at Target Field.
Today had a bit of everything: sunshine, a Twins home run, a rain delay, and unfortunately a Twins loss.

It was one thing to be there for the open house; it was entirely another to be there for a game. Via my experience, I thought I might tell you about some more highlights and not-so-highlights of my trip today.

The concourses can get congested. I was down on the 100 level concourse and it moved along, but dodging in and out of people was as much of my experience today as it was at the Dome. However, even though there is gridlock in the concourse, it is wider (about twice as wide as the Dome), so you don't feel like you're stuck. It is probably one of those things that will slowly work itself out.

Exacerbating the situation were slow lines at concession stands. I got my food early, and before the end of the inning. But later on in the game, I went up to the concession stand for a Pepsi. The line was so long, I almost said "forget it". BUT, I looked over to the right, and there was a concession stand over by Gate 14 and the entrance to Hrbek's, just a few steps away that hardly had anyone at all.

I have heard others say that if the main concourse is too busy, you might find better luck on the 300 level concourse.

Food is good here, but expensive, so be prepared. My Dinger Dog (almost a foot-long hot dog), cheese curds (better than the State Fair) and Souvenir Pepsi came to about $14.

While I am on the subject of concessions, a quick note: not all concession stands are the same at Target Field. Example: I went to the Hennepin Grille concession stand behind our section to get a Big Dog (the replacement for the Dome Dog). I was informed that the Hennepin Grille did not sell the Big Dog, and that it could be found at a stand down by Section 105.

Which I probably would have figured out, if I had consulted the Concession Guide that I picked up today. It is a pocket-schedule-sized guide to all the concessions offered at Target Field (information can also be found at http://www.tasteoftwinsterritory.com). But, if I had gone to 105, I probably would have missed out on those cheese curds.

The sound system at Target Field is miles ahead of the Metrodome. However, where we were sitting in Section 110, I felt like I was front-row, main-floor at a Guns N' Roses concert. It seemed to me that the sound system was a bit, too loud back there. The back rows in the lower level sit underneath the Legends Club overhang. So, there are speakers aplenty; and also flat screen TV's.

Walking around on the Plaza, I felt like I was at the State Fair. The people roaming around, the smell of great food, sunshine - it had the feel and ambiance of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. There is lots of room, and if you're going for the first time, you can walk around with the greatest of ease to check out our new ballpark. Gates open 1.5 hours before weekday games, and 2 hours before weekend games.

And yes, we had a rain-delay today. Not much of a delay, 15 minutes at best, there is plenty to do and see at Target Field while waiting out the rain. There are several restaurants within Target Field that are open to all ticket holders. Hrbek's, over by Gate 14 (third base); the Town Ball Tavern on the left field side (inside the administration building) and also the Twins Pub - which if memory serves right, is on the Legends Club level, but is open to everyone.

You can also head over to the Majestic Clubhouse Store to find a souvenir. Beware: prices are hefty but there is a good selection of items.

And, while you're there, don't forget to take a look at the wind veil. It truly is a great piece of work and on a day like today, can capture your attention.

As for the Metrodome? I honestly can't believe we played there for 28 years.

Target Field - what a sight

I was fortunate enough to score tickets from a friend to the Target Field open house last weekend (an event "exclusive" to season ticket holders), and was I ever surprised at what I saw.

Walking up to the ballpark from 6th St. was almost unreal. Slowly, walking by Target Center and over I-394, it started coming into view. The sounds, the people, the huge video board in left field. All the pictures I have been looking at for the last three years was right in front of me.

I wanted to sit in as many price locations as possible, see as much as possible, take as many pictures as possible (250 + to be exact). I'd like to leave you with some of my impressions:

As far as seating, anything is better than the Dome. I do highly recommend the Grandstand. The Grandstand sits between center field and right field. I don't, however, recommend the seats directly below it, the Powerball Pavillion. These seats, to me were very tight and uncomfortable; and I wasn't the only one that thought that. I heard comments from others who felt the same way.

I really enjoyed the Home Run Porch seats out in left field, as well as the left field bleachers. You won't be able to see the big video board as it will be directly behind you (the video board is positioned much the same manner as it is in the Dome). And, be warned, the upper seats in the Porch area are incredibly steep. If you thought the upper level seats at the Dome were steep, your legs haven't experienced anything yet.

It was so nice being able to walk the concourses there and not feel cramped. I honestly have no idea how many people were there that day, but it didn't seem like alot because the concourses are so spacious and wide.

And, buyer beware of the right field bleachers. Those were the last seats we tried (which was about 3pm). The sun had already passed by, so it was very shady and very windy back there. Well, early on in the season, buyer beware. On a July day, they might not be so bad. But, they are aluminum, so they can get cold on a cold day and will be scorching on a hot day.

I am pretty certain I did see seat cushions being sold in the Twins Store, however.

The overall experience was so great. The sound from the PA system didn't seem to carry as much as I thought it would. There wasn't much of an echo, or a 'delayed echo' that you sometimes get from loudspeaker systems outdoors. What really surprised me, was how little I actually heard standing on the plaza, outside the confines of the ballpark.

I knew the sound system was on, they were replaying game 163 from last season on the big scoreboard, but out on the plaza, you could hardly hear it. That is good news for surrounding neighbors, but potentially bad news for folks out on the plaza. There are lots of speakers throughout the concourses of the stadium though, so you will hear incredibly well when you're out getting a hot dog.

And, there are flat screen TV's aplenty at Target Field. Don't worry about missing any of the action.

One interesting note, as I entered the main gate, open house tickets in hand, I had to ask the ticket taker/security guard whether he needed to see the tickets. He didn't even ask me for them. The day before, I heard a story of someone who got tickets the same way I did (through another friend) and was actually stopped at the gate and his name was checked on a list (and he knew it wasn't going to be there).

So, I was relieved I didn't have my name checked against a list (these open houses were for season ticket holders after all); but surprised at the same time upon entering the ballpark and somewhat of a lac luster approach. Granted, when the turnstiles are installed and actual baseball begins at Target Field, things will probably be much better upon entry to the stadium.

It was nice to be there to explore areas (i.e. the club levels and suites) that I wouldn't get to explore without an expensive ticket or season ticket. The only spot at Target Field I missed was the Metropolitan Club, over on the right field side. It had been a long day and it was starting to feel like I had been to the State Fair.

It's only a few short days now until my first ever game at Target Field. Incidentally, I checked out my seats while at the open house. The Twins do warn people on their website that in the lower level, from about row 24 and up, part of the video board will be obstructed because the club level overhangs the lower level by a couple rows.

Well, I have row 24 in an 'obstructed' area. So I was a bit concerned. I could see the whole video board, no problem. One row up, row 25, might have been a different tale.

It was quite an experience.

Twins Ticket buying strategy

Just as I did on March 1...I spent a good twenty minutes in an online "waiting room" for tickets to the rest of the Twins games this season at Target Field. Might I say, buying Twins tickets through their Web site is one of the most infuriating experiences you'll ever have.

I sat with five browsers open, each for a different weekend game. Many times I saw messages telling me the transaction activity was too high or the number of seats I was looking for was unavailable in a particular section.

After much perseverance, I finally did score tickets in the Family Section on August 1 against the Mariners.
Please note, this will be my last time purchasing tickets through the Twins Web site.

However, there are alot of other reputable sites through which to purchase Twins tickets. I'd like to share some of them with you:

http://www.ticketkingonline.com/ - a Hudson, WI-based company who guarantees their tickets. They are pricey however. Tickets for the opening game against the Boston Red Sox are taking in anywhere from $200-$400 a ticket, and that's just in the upper reaches of the stadium. Team performance can sometimes affect the going rate for tickets here, and they can substantially go down during the season.

http://www.stubhub.com/ - A ticket broker service that, if memory serves correctly, is the "official" secondary ticket supplier for Major League Baseball. Note of caution, the "fees" and other charges associated with this particular service are rather high. Buyer beware.

http://www.ebay.com/ - I think everyone knows eBay. eBay is an online auction site, and I've seen several listings for Twins tickets in the last few days. Incidentally, my tickets for the Oct. 4 game last season were purchased via a contact I made through eBay looking for tickets to another game. Of course, with eBay, the highest bid wins, and shipping charges are usually reasonable.

Of course, there's always the old-fashioned way of going to the Twins ticket office at Target Field and purchasing tickets walk-up. Games this year are in very high demand however, and I'm beginning to wonder exactly how many tickets will be available for walk-ups once the season starts.

After two successful but irritating experiences buying from the Twins Web site, I have opted to stick with eBay and a "ticket exchange" group that is being started with members of a blog site I frequent which has been tracking the construction of Target Field since the funding bill was originally passed in May, 2006.

It still promises to be a great season, and I can't wait for my first game on April 14.

Report from TwinsFest 2010

Spring is in the air - it's time once again for TwinsFest at the Metrodome. 2010 marks the 21st installment of the annual festival celebrating your Minnesota Twins.

This is my second consecutive year going to TwinsFest. I went last year, and thought to myself, "they've done this for 20 years now, why haven't I been here until now?" It's a big enough deal that even this morning's Pioneer Press and Star Tribune newspapers had cover stories on their sports pages about the event.

I decided to do things a little differently this year: I got my tickets in advance, instead of waiting out in the cold at the ticket office to buy them at the Dome. It saves four dollars; advance tickets are $8, "at the door" tickets are $12.

I left for the Dome immediately after work on Friday January 29th, with the gates opening at 4pm, it gave me an hour to get downtown and to the Dome. The lines getting into the stadium (only 2 gates were used for entry, Gate F and Gate H) were incredibly long. And, between folks standing at the ticket offices getting tickets, and those in line waiting to get in - it got a bit confusing.

I got to the Dome at about 3:40 pm and I didn't actually get inside the stadium until 4:15. The line seemed to move quickly at 4, when the gates opened, but then lulled as we got closer to the gate. Years ago, ticket takers at the gate, would tear a small portion off the ticket. Sporting events, concerts, operas - you name it - use electronic ticket bar code scanners these days. Apparently, one of the electronic scanners wasn't working correctly, and slowed everything up.

What really surprises me, is shortly after the Twins departed the Dome, the stadium officials took the turnstiles out of the stadium. You'd think, without the turnstiles, the lines might move faster getting inside. Not so much. I think it took longer for me to walk the 20 feet to the gate, than it did for me to follow the line around the stadium waiting to get in.

Once inside, many things have changed. The Vikings have painted purple all over the concourses. You wouldn't even know a baseball team played there; although the baseball configuration is used for TwinsFest.

Familiar exhibits filled the field including "Down Memory Lane" which this year was a collection of items from the Twins' three ballparks: Met Stadium, the Metrodome and their new ballpark, Target Field. It was a good collection of memorabilia, especially from the days of the Met. The Twins also cancelled some TwinsFest staples this year, namely dugout, clubhouse and press box tours.

Most of my time was spent at the Target Field display. I grabbed all the ticket information, seat charts, pocket schedules and other assorted paraphernalia I could get my hands on. It is hard to believe in just three short months, the Twins will be playing outdoors.

I played a few of the "spin the wheel" games. I put $5 down at one, and ended up winning an autographed Bob Feller bobblehead doll; a bobblehead that sells for $40 at the Bob Feller Museum in Iowa.

I was a bit disappointed to see the lack of Target Field merchandise at this year's TwinsFest. I asked one of the folks in the Twins Pro Shop section if they had any Target Field t-shirts or anything; no such luck. I was tempted however to buy one of the new home jerseys, unveiled a couple months ago, the one that pays homage to the jerseys worn in the early 1960s.

The Metrodome seems to work well for TwinsFest. The Twins have looked into hosting it at a convention center or hotel, according to the Pioneer Press article, but because the event is so large (TwinsFest boasts the largest sports card and memorabilia show in the Upper Midwest), and the Metrodome's capacity to hold large groups of people, the Dome seems to win out.

And, truth be told, for obvious reasons, Target Field would seem out of the picture as well.

Patrick Klinger, director of marketing for the Twins praised the Dome in this morning's Pioneer Press article saying that, "[the Dome is] really a perfect venue for TwinsFest." Yes, it was great to be back in the old place again; but also to look forward to what lies ahead at Target Field.

As a final note, one of the sports card displays set up on the field (if you haven't been to TwinsFest, you would be surprised how many tables and exhibits are set up on the field) had unused tickets from previous Twins seasons at the Met and at the Dome. I looked for those two tickets I lost on my way out of the final game at the Dome last October - no luck.

Welcome back Joe!

Happy New Year everyone. I trust all of your holiday celebrations went well - and we all survived the winter storm over Christmas.

Well back to it. The greatest news I heard this entire week was that Joe Schmit, formerly the main sports anchor at KSTP Channel 5, is regaining his position as the main sports anchor, beginning next week.

The reason for Schmit's departure in 2006, is still a mystery to me. I heard some folks say it was because he was old - and they threw him out. And, other reports I heard was that he was merely taking a break from television.

Schmit was also shifted to news desk anchor before he left KSTP. According to an article from the Pioneer Press, Schmit held the news anchor position for "a little more than a year." After leaving KSTP, Schmit went on to a job with the John T. Petters Foundation - a subsidiary of the Petters Group, which, of course was led by Tom Petters. We all know how that turned out.

Prior to leaving 5 Eyewitness News, Schmit had been at KSTP for 20 years. When I heard Schmit was coming back, I was very happy to hear the news. KSTP had a brief little segment about his return on the 10 o'clock news last night. There were hugs all around for Schmit from old colleagues, as well as new friends at the station.

Schmit told the Pioneer Press, "I felt like Brett Favre for a while, I changed my mind a couple of times during the process. But the stars aligned and we were able to work it out that it made great sense to me and the station to come back."

On top of being main sports anchor, Schmit will also be sports director at KSTP. Phil Aldridge, who is currently the main sports anchor at KSTP, will move to the weekend shift - until July, when it is rumored Aldridge will be leaving the station. Schmit will assume the sports anchor position next week.

Welcome back, Joe. You've been missed.

You may read the Pioneer Press article here: http://www.twincities.com/ci_14141361?source=most_viewed

Too many sports teams?

I read the Twin Cities Business Journal on a regular basis, and this morning, I read an article that caught my attention; apparently, the Twin Cities has too many professional sports teams.

The study was conducted by Portfolio.com, and they tested 82 markets to determine the financial capacity of cities in both the United States and Canada to support professional sports. The professional sports they studied are teams in baseball, football, basketball, football and soccer.

Here in the Twin Cities, we have a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the Twins. We have a team in the National Football League (NFL), the Vikings. A team in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Timberwolves, and finally, a team in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Wild.

This is the second time the Twin Cities has had four teams, in four major leagues. This region had four teams from 1989-1993. The Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves and our old NHL team, the North Stars. Of course, the North Stars moved to Dallas at the end of the 1993 season.

So, we've done this before, and we've done well - in my estimation. The reason the North Stars left had nothing to do with attendance (having been in the Stanley Cup Playoffs a couple years earlier). The move had a little to do with the arena (the Met Center was getting old, and with the Timberwolves' new Target Center having opened a year earlier, made it hard for the Bloomington arena to stay competitive). The move had a great deal to do with Stars' owner Norm Green and personal issues he was dealing with, including his marriage.

I read somewhere that Norm's wife (I believe it was in Jay Weiner's 2000 book Stadium Games) gave Norm an ultimatum: either sell the team, or move to Dallas. And to the disappointment of many Minnesotans, Green chose the latter.

The Twin Cities got an NHL franchise back on June 22, 1997, to begin play in 2000, and we've been a four-team market ever since. The Twins stuck it out and waited 11 years to get a new ballpark to keep them competitive. The Wild sell out every game at the Xcel Energy Center. The Timberwolves are happy, just uncompetitive on the court.

This is just my opinion, but instead of complaining about having too many teams, wouldn't that be considered a good business model? A market this size, supporting four teams? The Twin Cities isn't the size of Los Angeles, and yet, we have an NFL team, Los Angeles doesn't. Saint Louis is a good-sized market, as is Kansas City; and neither has an NBA team. Kansas City had all four teams back in the 70s, but lost their NBA team to Sacramento in 1985; and their three-year-old NHL team to Denver in 1975.

I don't quite understand why soccer was thrown into the mix. Yes, we do have a pro soccer team here, the Minnesota Thunder, but they are in a minor-league type situation. They are not a member franchise of MLS (Major League Soccer), which sometimes uses NFL stadiums for their games; although, many teams are building smaller, soccer-specific stadiums.

With the stadium issue of the Minnesota Vikings once again waiting to rear its head in the 2010 Minnesota State Legislative session, and the NFL deciding to cut its revenue-sharing program for smaller-market teams (i.e. the Vikings), it will be interesting to see how much longer the Twin Cities will remain a market with four (five if you throw in the Thunder) pro teams. But, so far, I think we're doing well.

To read the article from the Twin Cities Business Journal, click here:
http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/12/14/story9.html

Thanks for reading, and have a great Christmas season.

Minnesota Twins PR Part 2 - Rebranding

In my second installment of analyzing the Minnesota Twins' PR, on the way to opening their new ballpark, I'd like to discuss their recent re-branding efforts, as they are headed into their 50th season of baseball in Minnesota.



The Twins re-branding effort does not have too many major changes. There are some small changes. The new primary logo is similar to what they have now, with the exception of the word "Minnesota Twins Baseball Club" added to it. This is a little strange to me. I think most people, especially those in Minnesota and neighboring states, understand full well that the Twins are a baseball team.



This is my opinion, but if your product is good (this applies to all business), if your company is respectable or if your company has been around for 50 years or more, you shouldn't have to tell people what it is. For instance, the big, cursive, capital G is the logo for General Mills. The logo says it all. People know the logo, they trust the products with that logo on it and they purchase products with that logo on it. General Mills' logo speaks for itself, they don't need to add to their logo "cereal company."



A good corporate brand should be able to speak for itself.



The Twins have also designed a commemorative logo to honor both their 50th season in Minnesota and their inaugural season at Target Field. Both were designed very well. The inaugural logo is maybe a tad overboard on the blue tones; but still looks nice. The colors on the 50-year logo blend very nicely together and create a sharp, distinctive image.



Lastly, there have been some more noticeable changes on the uniforms for the 2010 season. The road uniform seems to have undergone the most significant changes. It is a slightly lighter shade of grey (the Grateful Dead song is probably coming to mind right about now) than the previous road uniform that has been used since the 1987 season. The pinstripes on the road uniform are also gone. Instead of a block-letter "Minnesota" across the chest of the uniform, "Minnesota" now stands out in a very nice script logo.



The primary home uniform is virtually unchanged, but I've saved the best for last. Last season, the final season at the Dome, the Twins designed an alternate home uniform that replicated the uniforms the Twins wore the first year in the Dome in 1982. The Twins have designed another "throwback" home uniform that replicates the home uniforms worn in the 1960s at Met Stadium, when Twins fans cheered on Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew. The color scheme, script logo and sleeve logo from the 1960s jersey is replicated in this new alternate jersey that will be worn for Saturday home games.



All in all, the Twins have done a good job in re-branding themselves for the next generation of baseball here in Minnesota. To take a look at the changes yourself, click this link: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/photogallery/year_2009/month_11/day_16/cf7673110.html

Thanks for reading.

The Minnesota Twins' moving sale

Again, I'm sorry for my absence in writing. It's just that I've waited for something to write about. I thought over my next couple entries, it might be fun to analyze the PR of the Minnesota Twins organization in getting ready for their move to Target Field next season. So, I will attempt to do that over my next few entries.

The first PR move that I thought would be good to talk about was last weekend's "moving sale." Not to be degrading or anything, (I think most of my readers will find this funny), do you want to know how to win a Minnesotan’s heart? Tell them there’s a garage sale.

I am technically not from Minnesota. I was born in South Dakota. But, being that I’ve lived in Minnesota since I was 6 months old, I do know that Minnesotans love garage sales. Last weekend, the Minnesota Twins had a "garage sale" – unloading 28 years worth of stuff accumulated during their tenure at the Metrodome.

Call it what you want – garage sale, moving sale, rummage sale (actually all of those terms were used to describe it) – the Twins did something I have not seen another team do before moving to a new stadium. I try to be very on top of who is getting new stadiums, arenas, ballparks; and this is the first time I’ve heard of a team unloading years worth of stuff for their fans’ benefit.

I thought the Twins organized this event very well. I got there early enough to be standing in line in front of Gate D (I’ll admit, the line went further back than that). The entry was Gate F. The Twins offered free parking in their surface lot, which as you can imagine was full. I arrived at the stadium at 9:30 and it still took me until 10:15 to get inside. They also made sure that everyone didn't enter at the same time. They did let people enter in shifts, so as to prevent over-crowding in the 22-foot-wide concourses.

The Twins had everything: pennants, baseballs, caps, shirts, posters, publications, banners…you name it, they probably had it. The strange part was that all this paraphernalia was inside the concourse. I thought, “why not have it on the field?” Well, the tape recording on the outside of the stadium told us why: there was an Augsburg-Saint Johns football game at 11.

Inside, while being crowded, was also very organized. At each table, you told the volunteers what items you wanted, they bagged it up for you, and you pushed your way through the concourse – table after table, until you got to the cashiers in front of Gate H. At least they didn’t make people pay at every table. It was hard enough trying to see over everyone’s shoulder trying to see what was there.

Some of the items were of no interest to me; I’ve never been a collector of bobbleheads. I know collectors love them and they go for hundreds of dollars on eBay, but I was after the “harder to find” things. For instance, I was able to snag a program from the groundbreaking of Target Field – the original date. The Twins had to move the groundbreaking ceremony back three weeks in 2007 in respect for the victims of the 35W bridge collapse. The program I got had the original August 2, 2007 date on it.

There were promotional items from the final season at the Dome I picked up, including plastic ticket holders (which, if you read a blog entry I did about the final Twins game at the Dome, you can understand why I got these). Also in the mix I got a Target Field calendar, a 2009 opening day pennant, a Kirby Puckett Weekend program, and some other small things.

This event was supposed to go from 10am to 4pm. A gentleman I spoke with in the line to pay told me he didn’t think the sale would go until 4pm, the way things were going. The Twins said that anything that wasn’t sold would be saved for other events like TwinsFest. And some items would be placed in a museum at Target Field.

Overall, as impromptu as this event was (I believe the full details were announced only about a week before the actual sale), it was a success; and really was a good PR move by the Twins. It provided a once-in-a-lifetime (for some) opportunity to get items that most teams would probably throw away. If the Minnesota Vikings ever get their new stadium built, hopefully they took notes on how well this event turned out for the Twins.

For November 7, the weather was nice for everyone standing outside waiting to get in. It was probably a major factor in why 15,000 people came. Amidst our ill-conceived idea to build a ballpark sans-retractable roof, it’s possible the weather gnomes will begin to show us favor. Either that or they’re gearing up to pull a real good one on us come April 12, 2010, the scheduled opener for Target Field against the Boston Red Sox, and dump six inches of snow about the same time Joe Mauer steps to the plate for the first time.

When tragedy strikes at the arena

Some of you might have heard it on SportsCenter this morning, like I did. As fans were leaving the St. Louis Blues' (NHL) game at the Scottrade Center in Saint Louis, one of the escalators carrying fans malfunctioned and several were injured in the accident.

No one was killed, thankfully. Thirteen people were injured, according to the story at http://www.bnd.com/breaking_news/story/958726.html . Things do happen, even at the sports arena. Several years ago, Wayne Gretzky's wife was struck in the head by a piece of plexiglass that had come loose after a hockey player slammed an opponent into it. About 12 years ago, a section of bleachers, loaded with fans collapsed at a San Jose Sharks home game. And in 2002, a 13-year-old girl was killed by an errant hockey puck that flew over the plexiglass, and hit her in the head.

These incidents have just happened in the National Hockey League (NHL). Other professional sports have had similar incidents at their games in various arenas.

A gentleman from Belleville, IL, Shayne Hill, was seriously hurt in the accident. His foot got caught at the bottom of the escalator where two of the stairs collapsed into each other. His shoe had to be cut off to get him free. If being caught at the bottom of an escalator, "with nowhere to go" as he put it wasn't bad enough, other fans on the escalator had started falling on top of him.

Another fan had pushed the emergency stop on the escalator to prevent further injuries. If that hadn't happened, Hill said, "It could have been a lot worse." The Blues, while seemingly not issuing much in the news release category (at least that I saw) did spring into action. Dave Checketts, an executive with the team visited injured persons in the hospital. “He apologized for the incident in person, which I thought was a very nice gesture," Hill said.

Hill also said that he had tickets for this Saturday's (Oct. 10) game in the 300 level of the arena. With an injured foot, it's all but an impossibility to get up there. "[The Blues] graciously offered to upgrade my seats to be (team President) John Davidson's personal guest in his suite," Hill said.

I did not see a written statement or a news release on the Saint Louis Blues website. This surprised me; just because so many people were involved, and if nothing else, to reassure fans attending future Blues games at the Scottrade Center, that it is safe to attend events there.

"The safety of our fans is always our first and foremost concern. We are hopeful that they are well and being taken care of and we have already begun to investigate the cause of the accident," was the only 'statement' I could find regarding the incident (quoted in the article link above). It was made by Eric Gelfand, a spokesman for SCP Worldwide - the group that manages the Scottrade Center.

However, FOX2 in Saint Louis, reports that Peter McLoughlin, CEO of Blues Enterprises did make a statement saying, "The safety of our fans and customers is always first and most in our minds." That is almost identical to what Gelfand said.

Actions do speak louder than words-or a press release even. The Blues organization did visit injured fans in the hospital. The Blues president did make a very nice gesture to Hill by allowing him to sit in the owner's suite as a replacement for his Saturday game tickets. But, what about someone like Kim Muren, also of Belleville and injured in the accident, who said in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch that she, "never plans to ride an escalator again after this."

So, given Muren's comment, it seems that a little damage control is in order for the Saint Louis Blues. Which leads me back to my statement earlier, that a press release or a written statement by the organization posted on the website would have gone a long way for fans like Muren, who now, will think twice when deciding where to buy seats for events at the Scottrade Center.

Memories of the Metrodome

Or what we thought was the final game at the Dome. Final regular-season game it turned out to be.

I am a collector of sports stuff from inaugural games, final games, etc. Back in April, I perused eBay for a ticket from the "Final Dome Opener," and am still on my quest to find one, even though I wasn't there. But one fellow eBayer emailed me and said "I'd be willing to sell you tickets to the last game, and you can keep the tickets as souvenirs."

So, he did. We settled on a fair price, which he informed me was about the cheapest I'd find them. So, I was one of 51,400 fans present at the Dome on October 4, 2009.
It truly was a great game. Even though it wasn't the "final" game, it was still exciting and felt very much like 1987. Here are just some of my thoughts on the final regular-season game at the Dome.

Being amongst that many fans is a Twins experience I've had maybe once. I was at the Dome in 1987 awaiting the team's arrival with 55,000 fans. This was after the Twins beat Detroit and was on their way home for the World Series.

The crowd was electric. I was up in Section 232 Row 19 with my brother. We'd been planning this outing for months. It dawned on me in the bottom of the 3rd inning, that my dad and I sat in Section 232 for the first Twins game I ever went to back in 1986.

I don't know how the Vikings cope with sellout crowds in the claustrophobic concourses at the Dome. And the Vikes draw 15,000 more than the Twins did on Sunday. It took quite some time to get to the concession stands; and if you wanted to go to the restroom...forget it.

We had a gentleman in our section who really made it a fun night. He bought out two vendors' supply. Early on in the game, he bought one vendor's supply of cotton candy, and just threw bags of whipped sugar to folks in Sec. 232, and even one in Sec. 233. Later on, he did the same to the Cracker Jack vendor, and distributed Cracker Jack in the same manner. One comment that came from a fan above us, "When's the beer coming?"

You couldn't ask for a more fitting regular-season finale. Twins 13 Royals 4. Incidentally, the final game at Met Stadium in 1981 was also against the Royals. Apparently, only 16,000 showed up for that game. And, a tie-breaker playoff game to boot. Considering the Twins lost their inaugural home opener at the Dome in 1982, and went on to have an abysmal 60-102 record, it only seemed fitting to close the place out with a playoff appearance.

Surprisingly, only about 30,000 stayed for the post-game ceremony. My brother and I were going to stay until the very end. The ceremony was terrific. Seeing all the old "Dome-era" players on the field was really something. Emotions started to rise, goosebumps and lumps in the throat formed when radio announcer John Gordon, who was the ceremony's emcee announced, "There is only one member of the All Metrodome Team who is not with us." That of course being Kirby Puckett, who died in 2006. They even played an old tape of the Twins' original PA announcer Bob Casey (who also passed away several years ago) calling out the infamous announcement, "Batting third, center-fielder, number 34, Kirbeeeeeee Puckett!"

And, the number one moment in the Top 100 Metrodome Moments countdown, which they've done live at the games all season, was the now infamous home run by Puckett in game six, with Jack Buck's call, "and we'll see ya, tomorrow night." Also, beginning last season, a countdown placard over in left field counted down from 162 (2 home seasons of 81 games each, also a full Major League season). I went to TwinsFest this year, when the placard was at 81. And, seeing the final number come off the sign was exciting. The sign reads "Countdown to Outdoor Baseball." Under the number one, was a bulls-eye, the logo for the Twins' new ballpark naming sponsor, Target.

There was also a video presentation live from Target Field where other Twins greats, Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva raised Twins flags at the ballpark site.

Kent Hrbek made some comments about the game - including the fact that it was not going to be the last of the last games at the Dome. "You guys screwed up my whole speech," he said. But, even with the "stupid roof" as he called it, there were great memories at the Metrodome. In preparing the crowd for the tie-breaker game, Hrbek said, "It gives us a chance to drink some more beer!"

Who knows how much longer the Dome will last for the Twins. Already, the Vikings are re-doing signage outside the stadium, with large pictures of Vikings players above the gates, and all across the top of the stadium, purple banners; some of which bear the stadium's new moniker: Mall of America Field. There is very little evidence remaining outside of the stadium that a baseball team ever played there.

The only negative of the day, on my way out, the tickets I used to get inside the stadium, fell out of my program as I went through the revolving door.

The Metrodome Gets a New Name

Imagine my shock today, when I looked at my daily email from the Twin Cities Business Journal saying that the Vikings have sold the field naming rights to the Mall of America.(http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/09/28/daily47.html?ed=2009-10-01&ana=e_du_pub)

Call it what you want, the Hump, the Dump, the Humpty Dumpty...this one does take me by surprise. I know why they named the place the way they did back in 1982: after Senator Hubert H. Humphrey. But, the Dome seems to be a mediocre tribute to a famous Minnesota politician.

The article cites reasons why the Vikings did it: they are the only tenant left in the Dome as of next Monday (Oct. 5). The Gophers are gone, and the Twins will be moving into their new Target Field next April; however, the transition of the Twins offices to the new ballpark will probably take place much sooner. This deal is at least one means of making some extra revenue for the Vikings - now that they don't have 81 guaranteed nights of revenue from concessions, tickets, advertising and so forth.

The article begs the question, why would the Vikings ink a deal like this, with only a year-and-a-half left on their lease? They've been telling us for years, at the end of the 2011 season, their time is up. So, will a naming rights deal with the Mall of America really make that much of a difference?

There seems to be a catch, however. The naming deal does not expire until February 2012. According to the article, "the [Vikings] described the arrangements as a short-term rebranding effort." The fact that it is a "rebranding effort" piques my curiosity. I know that there has been some light talk as of late about a renovated Metrodome which the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (the group that operates the Dome) touts as "Metrodome Next."

So, is this to suggest that the wheels are spinning for "Metrodome Next" to come to fruition; and the naming deal with the Mall of America is an inroad to the future of the Vikings and the Metrodome? I'm not entirely sure what is meant by a "short-term rebranding effort," usually, if you re-brand something, it's should stick for more than three years. Are the Vikings suggesting that a much larger re-branding effort is in the works somewhere?

The new naming rights deal will be unveiled on Monday Oct. 5 (the day after the Twins' final home game) during the Monday Night Football (R) matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

A 3rd jersey for the Minnesota Wild?

A ha, finally. an issue I love to write about: sports and corporate branding.

It has been announced that the Minnesota Wild (NHL) will unveil a "third" jersey to be worn this season. The unveiling will happen next Sunday at the Minnesota State Fair. There are speculations about what the jersey might look like. One can be found here: http://media.photobucket.com/image/Wild%20green%20jersey/puckdrawn/Concepts/MinnesottaWildConcept.png, and another can be found here: http://www.wildpuckbanter.com/2009/08/new-wild-jersey.html.

This is an interesting concept to me, sports teams have been using "alternate" jerseys for many years now. Some have been successful, and others have been total flops. However, the Wild had an alternate jersey a few years ago. The jersey seen here: http://www.icejerseys.com/item_details.php?id=5354.

What happened was, the NHL had switched jersey manufacturers. The league contracted with Reebok and their new Edge line of jerseys. The "Rbk Edge" was a custom-fit jersey, which was supposed to supply better comfort for players. And, the NHL made a rule that teams had to scrap whatever third jerseys they had, and couldn't unveil a new one for two years.

The Wild kept their white jersey, and opted to keep the red "alternate" jersey http://www.icejerseys.com/item_details.php?id=5354 and got rid of the original green sweater.

Here's what bothers me about the red sweater they kept. The logo on the front. In my estimation, a good and respectable corporate brand, should not have to tell you what it is. You will notice that the words "Minnesota Wild" surround it. Earlier in the franchise's history, the words "NHL Hockey" even appeared on a secondary logo the team was going to use.

If you see the logo for GM, you know that it's for General Motors. They make cars. The company does not need to put "auto manufacturer" on the logo. If you see an oblong "G" surrounded by a green and gold oval, you know that logo is for the Green Bay Packers. They don't need to put "We play football in Green Bay" on the logo. Let's not forget the Golden Arches. These are respectable, reputable, trustworthy corporations, that do not need to label what they are, or what they do, to get the point across.

I feel the Minnesota Wild made a mistake when choosing what sweater to keep. The Minnesota Wild have some of the best merchandise sales, if not the best merchandise sales in the National Hockey League. The only problem, most people can't figure out what animal the head belongs to, that you see on the front of the jersey. Is it a bobcat, cougar, a panther? No one knows. But, they DO know that logo.

On the other hand, looking at some of the concept drawings people have conjured up in their minds (the ones with a script font "Minnesota"), many sports teams in all professional leagues are putting the city or state of origin on their road jerseys.

Personally, I think the Wild should ditch the red jersey with the circle "Minnesota Wild" surrounding the cougar head (I'll call it a cougar). The Wild have made a name for themselves in the National Hockey League, in their ten years of existence - on the basis of their enormous fan base, merchandise sales and team ownership.

I feel that it is in the best interest, not just of the Wild, not just of sports teams, but of all corporations, to do their very best to cultivate a corporate brand, a corporate logo that is immediately recognizable - without being told what it represents.

Farewell, Williams Arena floor

After 81 years, the hardwood at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus is being replaced.

I know it's not a widely-renowned playing surface, a la the grass court at Wimbledon, Amen Corner at Augusta National or even the infamous parquet floor on which the Boston Celtics play, which was even moved from the Boston Garden to the new arena across the street in 1995 (the place changes names so many times, I'm afraid if I use one here, it'll be obsolete by tomorrow); but, here in Minnesota, they're cutting up a piece of history at "The Barn."

It was on that very floor (which sits atop a concrete slab, raising it a couple feet, to improve sightlines) that the 1951 NCAA Basketball Championship was played. It was on that floor that players such as Randy Breuer, Kevin McHale and Mychal Thompson played their years of college hoops.

And above that very floor, hangs championship banners - and even empty spots in which banners were taken down because of NCAA sanctions (namely the banner for the Gophers' 1997 Final Four appearance).

The St. Cloud Times reported that the floor has been sanded and re-painted several times in the floor's history - but it will now be replaced by a floor with more "modern materials and a new paint job." And, the new floor will be raised, just like its predecessor.

So, now, the court sits under a white "dust shield" while the demolition continues. It looks a little bit like they're protecting the floor from a nuclear attack. The pieces will be cut up and sold as part of a fundraiser for the U of M Athletics Department.

Thanks for reading - and have a good holiday weekend.

What's Happening to Block E?

I know, this is a more local post, but it really irks me that GameWorks is leaving the Block E development in Downtown Minneapolis.
To give a little background, several years ago, a development was built across the street from Target Center, that included a hotel. It was designed to revitalize the entertainment district in downtown.
One of its anchors, Borders Books, already closed a couple years ago. And, it appears that GameWorks, another anchor, is going to follow suit.
In a letter to the editor published in the Minneapolis StarTribune today, the writer suggested they tear down Block E, move the Schubert Theatre there, relocate a bar, and plant trees where the Theatre stands now. In essence, his message was, put everything back the way it was in 1998.
What bothers me, is that Target Field opens in less than a year. There are no restaurants in close proximity to the stadium. Block E seems that it would have been a perfect pre- or post-game spot. Target Field, walk across 394 on Target Plaza, walk past Target Center, and there you are. Hard Rock Cafe and all.
It is unfortunate. Hopefully things will start to look up again for the Block E development. I would assume, that the Graves601 Hotel that is a part of that development will be the preferred hotel for opposing teams when they come to town.
What else would there be for the players to do in their free-time, if the arcade is shut down? God forbid you go over to CityCenter. There's nothing to do there either. I think the owners of GameWorks should have waited it out, to see if the ballpark would have created any new customers.
And, if all goes well, and the Twins score the 2014 MLB All Star Game, who knows what Block E could have provided for all the folks that come to town for that as well.
I guess we will never know.

Thanks for reading.

Sports writing - a thing of the past?

Recently, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that shocked me a little, but not as much as I thought. The article ran in the April 7, 2009 issue in the sports section. It was titled, "Baseball Writers Brace for the End." The image is from 1962, a packed pressbox at Yankee Stadium.

The article goes on to tell how pressboxes at ballparks are getting emptier. Jack O'Connell, who is the secretary of the Baseball Writers Association of America was quoted in the article as saying, "I certainly see the dark clouds," in regards to the future of baseball beat writers.

But, what about other sports? Maybe it was just me, but at last weekend's NCAA Final Four in Detroit, I didn't see as many spots on press row as usual. Sure, maybe I didn't notice because the Final Four setup places the floor on a 14-inch-high platform, therefore press row seems to be in an orchestra pit. In past years, usually there are three rows of press tables along both sides of the floor. This year, I only saw two on either side.

The WSJ article went on to talk about the Beaver County Times, a paper published just outside of Pittsburgh, and that the paper is no longer covering Pittsburgh Pirates spring training, and is covering only a limited schedule of road games. The paper quoted the New York Times as spending $6,500 a month to cover the team on the road (the WSJ did not specify whether it was the Yankees or the Mets). And a trade-off seems to be in order in the nation's capital: the Washington Post will rely on the Baltimore Sun for coverage of the Baltimore Orioles; and the Post will rely on the Sun for coverage of the Washington Nationals.

This is just baseball. Of course, a baseball season is twice as long as an NHL or NBA season (162 games for Major League Baseball), so will this become something that happens to other sports coverage as well? Who knows? The WSJ article quoted Mark Cuban, the young, iconic owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, who wrote in his blog recently that for newspapers to "die" would be a "recipe for disaster." Cuban believes that newspapers are the NBA's best medium to reach a large audience; and the decline as of late for newspapers can also hurt a team's marketing.

Here's one interesting statistic the WSJ wrote about papers in Detroit. Both of the city's newspapers (Detroit News, Detroit Free-Press) have cut their home delivery to three days a week. The Detroit Red Wings of the NHL conducted a survey, and they found that 65% of the team's season-ticket holders get their news from the newspaper.

So, maybe some good news still remains for sports beat writers in our local daily newspapers. But with the increasing use of social-networking sites, blogs and other user-created mediums, the president of the Baseball Writers Association of America might not be too far-fetched when he was quoted as saying, "We're waiting for that first domino to fall...."

You can read the full WSJ article by clicking on this link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123906424665995337.html.

I apologize to any of my readers if you have been unable to post comments on this blog. In re-vamping the look of my blog recently, I discovered that the comment posting permissions weren't set correctly. It has been rectified and you should be able to comment without having to be a "registered user."

Thanks for reading.

The Timberwolves' Pledge

I'm sure we've all seen it by now, the TV spot featuring Glen Taylor, owner of a beleaguered Timberwolves team, sitting center-court, in a darkened Target Center, telling folks about season tickets for next year. "Season tickets as low as $5 per game" is the marketing ploy for the 2009-10 season ticket campaign.

If you have turned on a Timberwolves game lately, there have been lots of empty seats. And, it's not just four seats here, three seats there that are empty; there are entire sections of seats that are empty.

Think back 20 years, when the Timberwolves, one of the newest expansion franchises in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing in front of very large crowds at the Metrodome. As a matter of fact, in their inaugural season of 1989-90, they set an all-time NBA season attendance record of over 1 million people.

But now, the Timberwolves are changing things up for their 2009-10 season ticket campaign. In a letter penned by Glen Taylor (and also mentioned in the TV spot), the Timberwolves have reduced prices on 95% of the seats in Target Center. I looked on the Timberwolves website, they have reduced ticket prices dramatically. Glen Taylor's letter to the fans can be found at http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/tickets/200910_Glen_Taylor_Letter.html .

Don't get too excited, however. The $5-per-game tickets are way up at the top of the arena, on the ends. And, those are season ticket prices; not single-game prices. What's more, the "Early Bird" deal, as they are calling it, lasts only until July.

This might be a bad thought, but I wonder whether or not the Timberwolves are lowering ticket prices to match the product on the court. Gone are the days of the NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Gone is our beloved Kevin Garnett, who for so many years got us to the playoffs. Now. it seems as though they're starting all over again.

Perhaps, in this bad economy, which is cited as a main reason for the ticket price reduction, that's exactly what the Timberwolves should be doing from a PR standpoint. They aren't asking for a billion dollars to build a new arena; they are trying to get their fan base back. What's more, they are trying to do that amidst a bad economy and a poor team.

Another part of this new campaign is the "no-risk pledge." This confused me at first. The pledge was, that if you lost your job, you wouldn't have to pay for the season tickets; you'd get your money back. According to the letter and the website, folks who lose their jobs will be refunded the money from the unused tickets. It's unusual, if not unprecedented in professional sports. But, I'm happy the Timberwolves have made that pledge.

In this world of billion-dollar stadiums, skyrocketing ticket prices, and the increasing luxury that is professional sports, it is refreshing to see a professional team make a PR move like this. I hope that this campaign is successful for the Timberwolves. I also hope that it will set a standard for other teams to consider; instead of always wanting more from their fans, to give a little back.

In my opinion, that is what keeps a fan base.