Crying in Baseball
by Scott Hardie on September 20, 2009
Kelly and I won tickets to see a Tampa Bay Rays game in a deluxe suite last night. We've been excited about it for weeks, looking forward to a good game, good seats, and good food, all paid except the parking.
What we got was a let-down. The game wasn't so good, due to eight scoreless innings, but this was Rays vs. Jays so that wasn't a big surprise. The food wasn't so good, but hey, it was free, so whatever, we made a meal of it. The problem was the seats: We were told that twenty people would be there, plus a representative from the company that owns the suite. When we arrived, there were only nine seats with any view of the action, all taken. There were a few empty tall-boy chairs in the kitchen area toward the back, where we could watch the game on TV and listen to the crowd cheer. Hooray. We drove all this way to see something we could have watched on TV at home. Why did they invite twenty people to a suite that only seats nine? After some people got up, we stole their seats for a couple of innings late in the game, but by then the excitement was over and we were already looking forward to seeing friends in Tampa after the game.
I don't want to sound ungrateful, since the people who ran the contest went to a lot of trouble, and I really had fun playing it. I just wish the prize had turned out to be what was promised, and I could instead be writing a blog post about what a great time we had.
Three Replies to Crying in Baseball
Steve West | September 20, 2009
I went as a kid to an Orioles game after winning tickets similarly. They were advertised as tickets to sit in the 'Bird's Nest' This was when the Orioles played at their old stadium, Memorial Stadium. The seats were part of the concrete infrastructure that held up the overhang. Seats so high even the birds got nosebleeds. Catering consisted of a special visit from the hot dog vendor. Once. And it still cost money. I'm not sure about parking. What we could see of the game between the concrete pillars was exciting enough but my brother and I kept having to switch seats between innings to give the other a chance to see the game. But I remember my Dad getting a beer and letting me have a sip. That was pretty cool.
Amy Austin | September 20, 2009
Aww... and all these combined experiences are what helps to put the millions in the pockets of those 'roid-munchers. I'm sorry, Scott. ;-( (Congrats on "winning", though... ;-))
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
More Than Meets the Eye
Paramount is holding a contest in which one lucky fan will have their line of dialogue added to the upcoming Transformers movie, spoken in character by Optimus Prime. (link) I wonder if they'll take my submission: "I want these motherfucking Decepticons off this motherfucking plane!" Go »Goodbye Dooce
Dooce.com has given me a lot of laughs over the years, and it's one of the few weblogs I have made a point to visit every day. But lately I just can't get past how much Heather bashes her husband, and with increasing viciousness. Go »March 14, 1977
I hope this doesn't set a precedent for doing this on everybody's 30th birthday, or I'm going to be busy writing these for the next few years... Top Ten Reasons Denise Sawicki is Awesome 10) She wore red on her wedding day, and she looked good. 9) She doesn't just send the DVD as a surprise birthday gift. Go »What We Kept
One winter in the mid-1970s, my grandfather Donald was hospitalized with a serious infection in his foot. Being diabetic, he went out of his way for years to avoid any infections or other hazards, but his luck had run out. On Christmas Day, he was informed by the doctors that they would have to amputate his foot the next morning. Go »Bill$
Saving up is hard to do. I'm spending every dollar I have after the holidays to move Kelly here next week, then we have to move again in two months to a larger place. And I have more than a grand to pay in taxes. Go »
Aaron Shurtleff | September 20, 2009
Yuck! I'm sorry that the experience wasn't all it was cracked up to be. My wife got tickets to a game once, and I think it was in a similar spot to that. Two rows of cramped seats up front, and a food/drink area out back?