Going to the Game 2012

[metirish]

Enjoy !

any else think the voice over guy doing the REO Speedwagon commercials is the Mets PA announcer, but he is using a rougher voice, trying to sound all tough.

[Ceetar]

I wonder how much quieter they can really make it. (LFL can't always see the scoreboard either though)

I guess they can mostly mute the mics on that level, but it's not like the surrounding areas are far away.

I'll be at Friday's game as well. I'm not staying for the concert. I have no idea what REO Speedwagon even sounds like.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ceetar wrote: I wonder how much quieter they can really make it. (LFL can't always see the scoreboard either though) I guess they can mostly mute the mics on that level, but it's not like the surrounding areas are far away. I'll be at Friday's game as well. I'm not staying for the concert. I have no idea what REO Speedwagon even sounds like.

Cmon man. Stay for the Midwest-fresh arena RAWK! (I will be at the game too).

eGgLPriZUSA

[Frayed Knot]

The Mets are considering adding a designated "quiet" seating section with lower volume PA Announcements and no music or cheerleading. The seating section would be located in the Left Field Landing.

OK, so am I the only one here confused as to how you can designate one section for "lower PA volume"?
The stuff they pump through the speakers of that stadium can be heard in Astoria. How do you block it out of one area?



The "throwback" idea is great.
The only problem they may run into is that so many people (in virtually all sports and all stadiums) have been conditioned to expect and accept ear-splitting volume and every interlude of more that six seconds to be filled with some sort of "entertainment" that you run the risk of having at least a portion of the audience interpret those interludes as translating into a game that's 'flat' or 'dull'.

[Gwreck]

The "quiet" section is an interesting idea but when their survey asked if you would consider purchasing seats there, I said absolutely not. Primary reason: I don't think the left field landing seats are very good.

The "throwback" day is interesting re: limited cheering and PA announcements. Why ruin it with the horrible organ music?

[Edgy MD]

Just the idea that a team would consider a variety of viable ways to present a ballgame, and varying among them, is pretty great.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: The "throwback" idea is great. The only problem they may run into is that so many people (in virtually all sports and all stadiums) have been conditioned to expect and accept ear-splitting volume and every interlude of more that six seconds to be filled with some sort of "entertainment" that you run the risk of having at least a portion of the audience interpret those interludes as translating into a game that's 'flat' or 'dull'.

You think so? I know my wife notices some of that stuff but I'm not sure she'd miss it if it was replaced with organ music. Have we been conditioned to expect that or have stadiums/arenas been conditioned to think that we expect/want that and we don't actually care? (Actually, I've never thought it was at ear-splitting volumes, and I'm usually sensitive to that)

[batmagadanleadoff]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: This is from an e-mail survey I just got from the Mets: The Mets are considering designating one weekday game each week for a "throwback" ballpark experience with live organ instead of recorded music and fewer PA Announcements. How likely would you be to attend games on the Throwback day? Please assume all game days and start times would work with your personal schedule. Note: This is hypothetical concept that the Mets have not committed to; you are evaluating the concept for research purposes only.

Don't fall for this trap. It's an excuse to bring back the hideous black drop shadow uniforms. The season was barely two months old and they already trotted them out for John Franco day. You keep it classy, Fred.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy DC wrote: Just the idea that a team would consider a variety of viable ways to present a ballgame, and varying among them, is pretty great.

Yes.
Part of the problem in the way games are presented (again, at large, not specifically to the Mets) is that organizations are too afraid to stray from 'established' formulas for fear of maybe falling on their faces.
I always found it amazing that hockey arenas, for instance, refuse to allow silence for the 13 seconds it takes them to line up for a face-off.

[Edgy MD]

I'd start by doing away with WWF-inspired PA intros. The Nationals Park guy for years has been introuducing me me to RRRRRYannn ZIMMerMANNnnn!! with this awful voraciously cocky cadence that says And he's DOing your GIRLfriend and she LIIKES it!!!

I feel filthy after every home half inning.

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: Have we been conditioned to expect that or have stadiums/arenas been conditioned to think that we expect/want that and we don't actually care?

I believe there is a portion of the public who have never experienced a game without the noise and one would suddenly feel the game was lacking something if it weren't there.

I remember Russo one time talking about a 1950s era World Series Game that was being shown back when 'Classic Sports' channels were brand new.
His comment to Francesa was that, while he enjoyed the action, it "just didn't feel like a big game" to him. Mikey, there was no buzz, no energy'
What he was saying in effect, even if he didn't realize it, was that the re-broadcast lacked all the bells and whistles --Graphics, sound effects, replay, slo-mo, loud announcers trying to "define the moment"-- he had come to expect from modern network TV.
And while you could certainly say that 'well, that's just Russo' I don't know that anyone represents the modern sports fan better.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Have we been conditioned to expect that or have stadiums/arenas been conditioned to think that we expect/want that and we don't actually care? I believe there is a portion of the public who have never experienced a game without the noise and one would suddenly feel the game was lacking something if it weren't there.

well yeah, that's me. At least, I don't remember a time before all the noise and stuff. But would I actually..miss it?

I probably would..but not in a bad way. Take the hockey example for instance, the 13 seconds of noise until the faceoff. LIke it or not, I've been conditioned to know that the silence means the game started again. Same with the between innings stuff. When it stops, it means I should stop looking at the out of town scoreboard, the vendor pouring beer, or the hot girl in the next section and pay attention to the game again. (granted the "Now batting: " should do that at a baseball game) I wonder if there are other things so ingrained at this point that I'd miss, even if I'd be glad they were gone?

[Frayed Knot]

Some I'm sure wouldn't miss it.
I just tend to think that teams are so afraid of adverse reactions from those who would that no one wants to be the one to go out on a limb and try it.

[Ceetar]

also, on the Russo thing, the 1950s sports fan was a much different beast. They watched games differently, just culturally. Even just wearing mets stuff to games for instance. It seems to me that fans in those days were a little more formal in their watching of sports. Whereas nowadays its a more casual atmosphere.

hmm. I wonder if this is somewhat related to dress codes in general. I know some people seem upset when people wear less formal attire to Broadway plays. Is it because sports are clearly the #1 entertainment destination, and back in the day maybe Broadway/Opera/etc was more of the prototype for dress/behavior at an entertainment venue?

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I think there should be nights when a live band performs during the games. Rope off a few seats and have them play right in the stands. They can do the walk-up and rally music and perform full original songs between innings.

There's some history behind this too, the Red Sox Royal Rooters used to sing show tunes all games and then there's the Dodger's Sym-phony Band (hey, Brooklyn Fred might like that).

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: also, on the Russo thing, the 1950s sports fan was a much different beast. They watched games differently, just culturally. Even just wearing mets stuff to games for instance. It seems to me that fans in those days were a little more formal in their watching of sports. Whereas nowadays its a more casual atmosphere.

Well now you're into a whole separate topic.
Yes, we as a nation dressed a lot more formally in the 1950s - hell, my grandfather worked in his garden in better clothes than I've occasionally worn to the office. The reason team-related sports gear wasn't worn to parks wasn't just because it was considered too casual but because it never really occurred to teams to sell it, and those that did consider the concept tended to reject it. They treated it as an elitist thing; the idea of some kid walking around on the streets in a Yankee cap was abhorrent to the team because they thought it reduced the 'specialness' for the handful who actually earned the right to wear one.

But what Russo was talking about was not the game itself but how it was presented. That it had no screaming announcers, no piped-in music, no splashy graphics, and no miked-up crowd noise signaled to him that this somehow wasn't an important game even though he obviously knew it was.

[metirish]

Big tennis fan Russo I bet prefers the US Open over Wimbledon for the reasons FK mentioned.

[Ceetar]

well quality of broadcast plays in too I imagine. It's not like the Polo Grounds had a high quality crowd mics under every row of seats. Or the extra cameras with a resolution good enough to zoom in on the nervous guy in the upper deck chewing on his hat to demonstrate the tension.

I know it's a pretty small sample, but my impressions of the 2006 playoffs were that a lot of this stuff WAS toned down. I remember thinking it during the second game of the NLDS how there wasn't nearly as much silly mid-inning stuff. Obviously they still did all the PA "Let's Go Mets!" stuff but it was definitely a different atmosphere/experience than the regular season.

[HahnSolo]

Ceetar wrote: I know it's a pretty small sample, but my impressions of the 2006 playoffs were that a lot of this stuff WAS toned down. I remember thinking it during the second game of the NLDS how there wasn't nearly as much silly mid-inning stuff. Obviously they still did all the PA "Let's Go Mets!" stuff but it was definitely a different atmosphere/experience than the regular season.

I believe that MLB takes over all the in-game promotion, etc. for the postseason. What that exactly means, I don't know.

[Ceetar]

HahnSolo wrote: Ceetar wrote: I know it's a pretty small sample, but my impressions of the 2006 playoffs were that a lot of this stuff WAS toned down. I remember thinking it during the second game of the NLDS how there wasn't nearly as much silly mid-inning stuff. Obviously they still did all the PA "Let's Go Mets!" stuff but it was definitely a different atmosphere/experience than the regular season. I believe that MLB takes over all the in-game promotion, etc. for the postseason. What that exactly means, I don't know.

You'd think that'd make it worse right? But it didn't feel that way. I guess it means more generic stuff versus "Uncle Jack's Steakhouse" giveaways via pizza passes and Mets trivia giveaways. Fox highlights of the other games. etc.

[Ceetar]

How would you characterize the balance between sales messages/promotional content and entertainment content in the Citi Field scoreboard presentation? More entertainment than promotional content Equal amounts of entertainment and promotional content More promotion than entertainment content Don't know/ N/A

http://mets.survey-mlb.com/se.ashx

[Benjamin Grimm]

I answered that one with "equal amounts" because it all blends together for me anyway.

Each "entertaining" feature is sponsored by somebody.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'd start by burning down the CF scoreboards. Then I'd grenade 'em. Then I'd stab 'em a few times.

They don't get any uglier.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ceetar wrote: How would you characterize the balance between sales messages/promotional content and entertainment content in the Citi Field scoreboard presentation? More entertainment than promotional content Equal amounts of entertainment and promotional content More promotion than entertainment content Don't know/ N/A http://mets.survey-mlb.com/se.ashx

I took the survey and ripped them for the advertising assault and urged them to be creative for once.

Do you remember the last time they wanted to know how we felt about a race between puppets with giant heads. Why now is it a choice between blaring top-40 or "organ music"? Why not a jazz band? Why not a musician of the day?

[Edgy MD]

I demand hand jiving between innings!

[Benjamin Grimm]

For that, you have to go to the HJ Clubhouse.

[metirish]

Reasoning behind quite area question

@Mets We recently surveyed #Mets fans about a quiet section at Citi Field. It was prompted by requests received from parents of autistic children

[Ceetar]

I'm taking a baseball virgin to next Saturday's Mets-Yankees game. That's going to be an interesting first exposure to live baseball.

[metsmarathon]

going to the game today. section 138 with mrs. & minimm

mr. met dash and keith hernandez bobblehead. happy fathers' day to me!

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I was pleased to see that the Mets are in Chicago at the same time as the AOA Conference. The wife and I have tickets to watch the Mets take on the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, June 26th. It will be nice to see the Mets in person once again.