FanPost

Fun at the old ballpark



While there was an offbeat and fun post about giving fans the opportunity to recreate some fun moments in recent team history I find myself thinking the fan experience is not as fun as it could be. Here's a few suggestions:

1. Winning is the funnest fan experience so keep winning!

2. Batting practice. If you like watching BP you only have the opportunity to watch the opposition, not the home team. It might be worth getting there early enough to see some opponents take BP but I want to watch the Sox. Why would they tell Sox fans they can't watch their own team?

3. Open the lower deck to upper deck fans again. This is a new development and it's a frustrating one. Lower deck food options are much better. The lower deck has a nice concourse to walk around and still keep an eye on the game. It has the shower. It has the statues of Sox greats. It has the center field stand up picnic tables from which to watch the game. I know our newfound success has meant large crowds and thus a crowd management problem during those games ushers, which are posted at every aisle could check tickets keeping us upper deckers out of the seats we technically don't belong in.

4. This might be the most minor, but the stadium has exit ramps and entrances of course in the left field corner and right field corners that they haven't been using. Funneling all of the outfield traffic to the other exits makes no sense and seems to communicate to fans 'you don't matter'. It may also help to allow the escalators to be used to help fans leave the game as well. I could walk all night but I know many of my fellow upper deckers would appreciate it.

5. Turn off the stupid sound meter trying to make fans get excited when they don't want to.

6. Use the organ again. I know Nancy is retired but there's got to be another talented musician like her somewhere.

7. The Sox signature song is Na Na Na Na.... We sing it once a game when the other teams starter gets removed. How about the way the rules of baseball intended, after homers, after knocking opposing pitchers out, and of course after victories. These are things Sox management can manage and I guess since the Reinsdorf czarship disdains all things Veeck they won't bring them back.

8. Between inning fun. I'm not quite saying turning it into a minor leaguish sideshow but they're mostly boring. Play highlights, bloopers, great moments in Sox history. Enough of the mixed up hat shuffle. Interviews are worthless in the upper deck because you can't hear what Leah's saying because in the background they have music playing....dumb.

9. Start games earlier since MLB is helpless to shorten games. Even a 6:30 first pitch gives us 40 extra minutes to end games at a reasonable hour. The parade of fans leaving at 9:30 in the 7th inning is striking.

10. Move the minor league affiliates close to home. How many of us would have driven to a stadium 3 hours away to see Luis Robert and Eloy and Dylan and well you get the idea. It makes no sense those teams are all across the country.

11. I do like fireworks, the LED light effects, the upper deck ramp view of the city and the Chicago sign they put up there. There's often a line of people waiting to get their picture taken there.

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