Sometimes...it just doesn't work

I've always been interested in the behind-the-scenes workings of sports business. The team sales, new arenas, relocations - that sort of thing. But, lately, I've been thinking about this fact: sometimes a new arena or a new location just doesn't work.

The National Hockey League's (NHL) Phoenix Coyotes are a great example of how both a new arena and a new location don't really work for a franchise.

The Phoenix Coyotes moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1996. When the franchise was the Winnipeg Jets, they struggled in a fairly bad market with a below-par arena. Matter of fact, the Jets almost moved to the Twin Cities as a replacement for our beloved North Stars, who headed south to Dallas a couple years before.

The Phoenix area beat out the Twin Cities for the struggling Jets. The first couple seasons, the newly-renamed Coyotes shared an arena in downtown Phoenix with the NBA's Suns. A couple seasons later, the Coyotes moved west to Glendale, AZ where they have played ever since.

But now, the Coyotes are even struggling in Glendale at the Jobing.com Arena. And, according to the article linked above (click on "Sometimes...it just doesn't work") and others floating around on the Internet, the Coyotes must find a local buyer by the end of this year, or the NHL will allow the team to move backto Winnipeg.

This is not new. You may remember, several years ago, Los Angeles lost not one but both of it's National Football League (NFL) franchises. The Rams moved east to Saint Louis, and the Raiders, moved back to Oakland; where they had left about 17 years prior. The Rams moved into a downtown domed stadium in Saint Louis, and the Raiders moved back to the dingy, old stadium (albeit some renovations) in Oakland they had left behind.

There have been rumors that the NBA's Sacramento Kings might move back to Kansas City, where they departed in 1985, to a more modern, shiny new arena just outside of downtown Kansas City.

There are the relocation successes: Washington Senators moving to the Twin Cities in 1961. Baltimore Colts moving (to the shock of everyone) to Indianapolis in 1983. Houston Oilers moving to Nashville circa 1996; and these are just a few. But, apparently, relocation to a shiny, new arena in another city, sometimes just doesn't work as well as expected.

As for the final fate of the Coyotes - stay tuned.

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.

Section S

Click the title "Section S" for pictures from the game.

The Pioneer Press the other day wrote a huge article about a specific seat in Section S at Target Field. They claim that, because of the Legends Club wall right next to it, home plate was out of view.

So, when I went to the Brewers game on Sunday, I decided to find out for myself. The picture above was taken from that spot. I can see home plate just fine. I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss was about.

I also realize that I've probably done the Target Field review thing to death. So this will likely be the last post on that, then I have some ideas that will get back to the original intent of the blog: sports and PR.

Sections S-V at Target Field are primarily for group sales. They have nice sightlines and a great view of the Minneapolis skyline. Do be careful in the lower numbered seats in each row, as the railing that separates the Legends Club from the Skyline Deck can create an obstacle. Seats higher than 4 or 5 should have no problem.

This level of Target Field seems to be much less congested. Of course, it doesn't seat as many people on this level either, as opposed to the main concourse. It has a much different look than the main concourse, and the entrance to the Legends Club is clearly marked, and also guarded.

I have also learned a lesson or two about exiting the ballpark. It's taken me three tries, but I think I've got it. It's probably your best option to try to get back to the main entrance (Gate 34) out in right field. We exited out Gate 6 yesterday, in left field, and got caught in the throngs of people waiting to board the light rail (which I did not take to the game). It probably took about an extra ten minutes to get to Gate 34.

Of course, and this is a hindsight revelation, if you do exit Gate 6 but didn't take the light rail, or have no reason to get back to the Plaza, you can also turn to your right and walk down 5th Street. But walking along that promenade will be lots of "excuse me's" to get to your ultimate destination.

As for concessions, I can give a hearty thumbs up to the cheeseburger basket. A very nicely grilled burger and very tasty fries, for about 9 bucks.

Thanks for reading. I hope I've given enough information about Target Field for you to consider when going to the ballpark. If anyone does have further questions about Target Field that maybe I didn't cover or you'd like clarification on, please feel free to post a comment.

Row 9

I promised in my last blog post that I might put one together about a potential Vikings stadium. Well, nothing really happened in the final weeks of the MN State Legislative session, matter of fact, a bill that went up that would have put a tax on sports jerseys, hotels, car rentals and a specialized lottery game, died almost as soon as it was introduced in committee.

So, I thought I'd share about my third trip to Target Field on May 6, some new things I've discovered and so forth.

I do like how Target Field looks at night. And, just like it was when I went to the Red Sox game, it was raining, albeit much stronger than it did on that April afternoon. Last night's rain lasted most of the game (incidentally, tonight's game against the Orioles has been officially declared a rain out).

First, a little bit of caution, and an explanation for this particular post's title. I sat in Section 320 Row 9 last night. Here's an interesting thing about row 9, and a caution - if you have aisle seats, you will encounter a railing in front of you. That didn't bother me so much as the night wore on (I got over it pretty quickly, I just didn't realize it was going to be there).

Because of the railing, there are no cup holders in front of you, or affixed to the railing. So, that's just a heads up if you get aisle seats in the 9th row of sections in the 300 level. I got a good deal on the tickets, and overall, they were great seats, so I can't complain.

Also, just a forewarning, sitting there, you will encounter lots of people walking by, as people are coming up from the concourse. No worries though, by the bottom of the second inning, things cooled down substantially in that area.

I decided to try the "Big Dog" last night, which is the replacement for the Dome Dog. I've heard some not so great comments about it, so I tried it myself. As far as a hot dog goes, it tasted OK. About the same as the Dome Dog did. Many people have complained that the temperature of the hot dog is somewhat on the cold side. That was not my experience last night.

A price comparison for you: I purchased a Big Dog and a regular Pepsi for a grand total of $9.25. The cheeseburger and fries without the drink, costs you $9.25.

Later on in the game, I tracked down a "retro vendor" that sells the Dugout Dog. It's a natural casing hot dog, and is slightly longer than a typical hot dog, but not "foot long" size. This particular hot dog has lots of good flavor and a nice, crisp taste. Hands down, the best of the 4 hot dogs Target Field has to offer. The key is, if you can find them. The vendors that sell them wear red and white striped short-sleeved shirts.

Unlike April 14 when I took the bus down, I drove last night and parked in the same spot I usually did for games at "the other place." So, I thought it would be interesting to calculate how exiting the park differed between the two modes of transportation.

Crowd traffic getting out of the park was pretty slow, in my estimation. We ended up taking the stairs down to the main level, which in hind sight was probably a mistake. While the crowds don't exit single file through a revolving door, it still takes a little bit to get out. Traffic entering to I-94 west from 3rd St. was about the same as it would be during rush-hour. Once you're on the freeway, you're good to go.

The upper level concourse at Target Field is probably no wider than the concourses at the Dome. I thought about this the other day..."what then is so different"? At the Dome, the 22-foot-wide upper concourse services about 33-to-34,000 people. At Target Field, the 22-foot-wide upper concourse services about 11,000 people. There are roughly 11,000 seats in the 300 level at Target Field. So, there is a lot less foot traffic.

Looking at the main concourse throughout the night, last night in particular, people were mostly standing at the top of the aisles, standing underneath the radiant heat lamps. Granted, this probably won't be a concern come June and July, but for these early season games, it does create a great deal of congestion on the main concourse. However, while it is congested, you can still move around fairly easily.

So, for the second game experience at Target Field, a great night, all-around.

Thanks for reading. Click the title of the post "Row 9" to see pictures from the game.

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.