another ballpark auction

[Guest attgig]

http://mets.auction.mlb.com/

not sure who's actually going to buy some huge advertisements, but there's already some bids on the champion banner wall pieces.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I think this wall advertisement would sell well.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Scene: Citi Field offices. A Mets accountant named Dolores pours over a pile of past-due Citi Field bills. Also present are Fred Wilpon and an Outspoken Mets Staffer With Common Sense (it's fiction).

...

Dolores the Accountant: "Mr. Wilpon, the company cell phone bills are 90 days past due and Verizon is demanding payment. This hacked copy of QuickBooks '98 you had the new IT guy install last week is showing that we're still severely in the red. What should I tell them? And what is Tandy? Is it a computer??"

Wilpon looks at his Verizon phone and sees it reads 'No Service'.

Wilpon (to Outspoken Mets Staffer): Say, do you still keep a personal cell phone?"

Outspoken Mets Staffer With Common Sense: "Yes, I still have my personal cell phone since you stopped paying for our company phones, yes."

Wilpon: "Great, that's great. Would you mind calling Travis, our new IT guy? I need to have a word."

Outspoken Mets Staffer With Common Sense: "Travis? Who the eff is Travis??

Just then, Travis, the new IT guy, enters the room and is covered in grime and sweat.

Travis the New IT Guy: "Mr. Wilpon, I've finished cleaning off the laid-off employees' laptops and listed them on eBay. I picked up that old push mower you got on Craigslist and changed the oil, and I listed the riding mowers on AutoTrader. I've also cleaned out the storage area in the back. There are all these giant padded advertisements. Wheat Thins, Lincoln, Verizon, what should I do with them?"

Outspoken Mets Staffer With Common Sense (to Wilpon): "Wait, you St. Lucie'd the entire Custodial and IT staffs for this guy?"

Wilpon: "Yes, I had to, but Travis is fantastic. Travis, did you finish Ronny Cedeno's physical?"

Outspoken Mets Staffer With Common Sense: "Wait, you whacked the medical staff, too?!? Well, OK..."

Travis the New IT Guy (to Wilpon): "Yes, Mr. Wilpon, I did. His arm-ish, shoulder-ish area makes this popping noise, though..."

Wilpon: "That'll be fine, Travis, just fine. Now take those large signs out back and ... did you say Verizon?"

Travis the New IT Guy: "Yes, Mr. Wilpon. Verizon, Wheat Thins, some other crap..."

Wilpon's brow unfurrows and a wide grin stretches across his face.




Outspoken Mets Staffer With Common Sense: "Are you shitting me? It's not even from Shea! I'm sure the Verizon people really want to trade the Mets cell phone service for this piece of Citi Field garbage. What are they gonna line their company basketball court with this thing? Jesus H."

Wilpon: "Trade? No chance. That's durable plastic there, my boy! I think we can get $1000 bucks for this thing. Travis, get the Verizon people on the phone now and pitch it hard. Then the Wheat Thins folks after that. Then when you get payment, update the Quick Books."

Dolores the Accountant: "Sir? That's my job."

Wilpon (to account): "Dolores, I'm sorry, I'm afraid the organization is in the midst of a restructuring... Travis, Verizon! Now!"

Mets Staffer bro: "What the hell?!"

Fred: "What's that you say, son?"

Mets Staffer Bro: "I said Travis, can use my cell."

END SCENE.

[metirish]

LOL, it does have the appearance of desperation about it alright.

[ashie62]

GOLD!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Oh, yeah, by the way...

*SHIPPING IS NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE*BUYER MUST CONTACT AMAZIN' MEMORABILIA TO ARRANGE FREE PICKUP OR DISCUSS COSTS OF DELIVERY* These panels were part of the outfield wall at Citi Field from 2009 to 2011. Each panel is approximately 4'X8� and weigh about 75 pounds. Please contact Mets Amazin� Memorabilia to discuss shipping/pickup details. You may pick up the panels at Citi Field during regular business hours at no additional cost.

[metirish]

Christ , one of these days we will go to CF and the place will be stripped.

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: Christ , one of these days we will go to CF and the place will be stripped.

well 'we' did ask them to do this basically.

[batmagadanleadoff]

metirish wrote: Christ , one of these days we will go to CF and the place will be stripped.

Yeah. Because the repo man's gonna take whatever's left that the Mets don't auction off.

[metirish]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: metirish wrote: Christ , one of these days we will go to CF and the place will be stripped. Yeah. Because the repo man's gonna take whatever's left that the Mets don't auction off.

lol

[Edgy MD]

You know, you could really get caught up in a racket, building a stadium and tearing it down every ten years --- getting folks to pay for part of the new one, getting them to pay for pieces of the old one. You could definitely get a Producers-like scheme rolling. Even better, slap some new fa�ade pieces on one year, auction them off the next, replace them regularly, but the structure still stands. Ka-ching!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgy DC wrote: You know, you could really get caught up in a racket, building a stadium and tearing it down every ten years --- getting folks to pay for part of the new one, getting them to pay for pieces of the old one. You could definitely get a Producers-like scheme rolling. Even better, slap some new fa�ade pieces on one year, auction them off the next, replace them regularly, but the structure still stands. Ka-ching!

The whole Mets story is begging to be turned into a satirical movie musical farce.

[Guest attgig]

I find it funny that they decided to have first the wheat thins as the featured auction, then the generic wall panel and now wheat thins again. at least they can put one of the championship wall panels as their featured auction.

[HahnSolo]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Oh, yeah, by the way... *SHIPPING IS NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE*BUYER MUST CONTACT AMAZIN' MEMORABILIA TO ARRANGE FREE PICKUP OR DISCUSS COSTS OF DELIVERY* These panels were part of the outfield wall at Citi Field from 2009 to 2011. Each panel is approximately 4'X8� and weigh about 75 pounds. Please contact Mets Amazin� Memorabilia to discuss shipping/pickup details. You may pick up the panels at Citi Field during regular business hours at no additional cost.

How nice of them to offer Free Pickup.

[HahnSolo]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: metirish wrote: Christ , one of these days we will go to CF and the place will be stripped. Yeah. Because the repo man's gonna take whatever's left that the Mets don't auction off.

Ha Ha.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I kinda like that they are doing this. I'm happy I bought a piece of railing from Shea.

[Ceetar]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: I kinda like that they are doing this. I'm happy I bought a piece of railing from Shea.

I keep saying I should've bought a brick. wonder if it's too late.

I'd love a random beer sign or something for when i get a place.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

HahnSolo wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Oh, yeah, by the way... *SHIPPING IS NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE*BUYER MUST CONTACT AMAZIN' MEMORABILIA TO ARRANGE FREE PICKUP OR DISCUSS COSTS OF DELIVERY* These panels were part of the outfield wall at Citi Field from 2009 to 2011. Each panel is approximately 4'X8� and weigh about 75 pounds. Please contact Mets Amazin� Memorabilia to discuss shipping/pickup details. You may pick up the panels at Citi Field during regular business hours at no additional cost. How nice of them to offer Free Pickup.

Parking for the pickup?

Well, that's another story.

[Benjamin Grimm]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: I kinda like that they are doing this. I'm happy I bought a piece of railing from Shea.

I have a big metal exit sign that says "Loge Level Gate B" with a picture of the neon catcher. I love that I own such a distinctive piece of Shea Stadium.

[Edgy MD]

I have a banner forever reminding me that it's our team. And it's our time.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Let's see whatcha got. We could do a show and tell thread. Im fine with just a show thread.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Ceetar wrote: metsguyinmichigan wrote: I kinda like that they are doing this. I'm happy I bought a piece of railing from Shea. I keep saying I should've bought a brick. wonder if it's too late. I'd love a random beer sign or something for when i get a place.

I see stuff on eBay, and there's some store that bought a whole bunch of things. I think he goes by "Mr. Shea Stadium" or something. Prices seemed high.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

http://metsguyinmichigan.blogspot.com/2009/04/saying-hello-to-citi-field-by-holding.html

I haven't been able to re-post photos from the blog since they changed the format. So here's a link. And the photo of me at the end is pre-weight loss, so just kind of scroll over that...

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy DC wrote: You know, you could really get caught up in a racket, building a stadium and tearing it down every ten years --- getting folks to pay for part of the new one, getting them to pay for pieces of the old one. You could definitely get a Producers-like scheme rolling. Even better, slap some new fa�ade pieces on one year, auction them off the next, replace them regularly, but the structure still stands. Ka-ching!

Speaking of stadium scams, I see where the St Looie Rams have "volunteered" to be the home team during the NFL's annual game in London for each of the next three seasons, meaning that real home games in eastern Missouri now number seven per season rather than eight. Convenient also that this three year stint lasts exactly as long as the team's lease at the domed stadium that was built specifically for them not all that many years ago. After that the Rams are often stapled to the short list of teams that would jump at the opportunity to go to LA when and if a stadium is built there specifically to lure an NFL franchise. If such a move does involve the Rams it would be a case of them moving Back to LA following their move from LA to StL when ... wait for it ... they had a stadium built for them.


So, city of St Louis, how's that public expenditure working out for you? -- nothing like pouring public money into an already profitable private business for the purpose of supposedly bringing entertainment to the public which lasts until ... well until a better offer comes around from someplace else.
I confess that I have no actual idea of what percentage of the money the city put into that building (although I'm betting that the number falls between 'Virtually Everything' and 'Everything') but it could turn out to mean, what, just 20-some years of a team and (unless I'm mistaken) never even a Super Bowl there even though it included the cost of a dome in an area which doesn't really need a dome and the SB is usually the big carrot hung out there in order to get cities to finance the building of domed stadia.

[metirish]

There is some speculation that this is a precursor to a move to London.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jan/20/st-louis-rams-nfl-london-franchise

[Edgy MD]

If cities want big league franchises, start a new big league. Stop letting the cartels strong-arm you.

Why is Bill Shea the last player who realized this?

[Ceetar]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: http://metsguyinmichigan.blogspot.com/2009/04/saying-hello-to-citi-field-by-holding.html I haven't been able to re-post photos from the blog since they changed the format. So here's a link. And the photo of me at the end is pre-weight loss, so just kind of scroll over that...

I'm confused as to what you mean about not being able to post photos.

[nymr83]

Why was St Louis stupid enough to build the stadium without ironclad gaurantees? If I were a municipality, I wouldnt pay for a stadium (I'd maybe go so far as to offer a tax break or supporting road improvements for privately financed one, but i'm iffy even on that), but if I were to build one, there'd be so many doomsday clauses that the franchise would be afraid to even mention moving, they'd have to gaurantee 8 home games per year for 40 years or face heavy fines if they reneg.

[Ceetar]

Nymr83 wrote: Why was St Louis stupid enough to build the stadium without ironclad gaurantees? If I were a municipality, I wouldnt pay for a stadium (I'd maybe go so far as to offer a tax break or supporting road improvements for privately financed one, but i'm iffy even on that), but if I were to build one, there'd be so many doomsday clauses that the franchise would be afraid to even mention moving, they'd have to gaurantee 8 home games per year for 40 years or face heavy fines if they reneg.

That ironclad type deal is what the Islanders have on Long Island..and it's a horrible situation for everyone.

[Gwreck]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Let's see whatcha got. We could do a show and tell thread.

Pair of green seats, still sitting in the middle of my living room as I haven't figured out what else to do with them.