When Yankees fans head to the new Yankee Stadium for the first time in 2010 they will notice a variety of changes at the concessions stands. In addition to the standard ballpark fare (hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, etc.) the Yankees organization will now sell a variety of new offerings at its 137 concession stands, including:
- Cuban Sandwiches (sold at the Latin Corner)
- Nachos and Burritos
- Noodle Bowls
- Sushi and Salads
- Barbeque
But one of the biggest changes that fans will notice is that concessions stands around the new Yankee Stadium will post information detailing the amount of calories that are in the food available for sale. With consumers thinking more consciously about their health and eating, and exercising habits, industry personnel can expect to see more teams follow in suit with similar calorie insights at the concessions stand.
Read on, with photos...
Apr 9, 2009
Counting calories at Yankee Stadium
From the Partnership Activation blog, here's some info about new food and calorie counts on menus at Yankee Stadium. The stadium, like most other places that sell prepared food in New York, has to post calorie counts on all of their menu signage.
Reading Phillies host "Gluttony Night"
Ben's Biz Blog reports on Gluttony Night:
"All-You-Can-Eat-Nights" have become commonplace around the Minor Leagues in recent years, and one could certainly argue that these promotions are gluttonous in their own right. But "All-You-Can-Eat-Nights" are usually limited to a special section of the ballpark, and often involve a restricted menu.
"Gluttony Night" is something else entirely. Tell 'em, press release:
For just $12.00 fans can eat as much as they want from the time the gates open at 5:30 PM until the 7th Inning Stretch. Hot dogs, French fries, pizza, funnel cake, ice cream and fountain drinks are all included in a Gluttony Night ticket.
"Who knows if we'll ever be able to do this again," a somewhat nervous Scott Hunsicker, R-Phils General Manager, said. "I'm trying to encourage my family and friends to attend this game. Just in case I get fired over this promotion, I don't want them to miss my last game."
...
While fans are not limited to how much they can eat, a key provision is this: one item at a time, per person. This will both keep the lines moving and insure against those whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs.
"One person cannot get in line and ask for 100 hot dogs, but they can get in line as much as they want, and eat as much as they want," said Hackash.
When it comes to documenting the history of their 42-year-old franchise, the R-Phils front office staff is nothing if not thorough. The current record for hot dogs consumed in one game is 4,278, but that number could very well be eclipsed on "Gluttony Night."
Read the entire article...
Apr 8, 2009
All about the "Beer Man"
Brian Gainor has an informative and entertaining look at "The Beer Man". A couple of interesting findings from his research:
- Wally the Beer Man is a local legend in the Minneapolis-St. Paul vicinity; famous you might say. Wally has his own baseball cards and has been a focal point of national media coverage on multiple occasions...Wally has been selling beer at almost every beer-friendly sporting event in the Twin Cities since 1970.
- Japanese beer men strap a keg onto their backs (with a portable cup dispenser) to serve fans at local baseball games. The Japanese also offer "beer women" that roam the stands and serve beers to fans in attendance... Even these women carry a keg on their back to serve fans!
Who has the cheapest beer in baseball?
Darren Rovell reports on Sports Biz that the Pittsburgh Pirates have the cheapest beer in MLB.
...that great honor goes to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who not only have the second-lowest average ticket price in the league ($15.39), but also have the lowest beer price.This season, the Pirates will be charging $4.75 for a 21-ounce beer, according to Team Marketing Report. That means they are doing it for a cent per ounce cheaper than the Phillies did it last year.
The most expensive brew goes to the Boston Red Sox, who are charging $7.25 for a 12-ounce cold one. That's 60 cents an ounce. I don't think that's Sam Adams either.
Apr 7, 2009
Construction begins on the Dallas Cowboys video scoreboard
Back in August we told you about the video scoreboard that the Dallas Cowboys were planning to install in their new stadium. It's HUGE, no doubt about it. Now, the massive task of building and hanging the scoreboard has begun. Here's part of an article from Star-Telegram.com:
"It cost $40 million to build Texas Stadium," the Cowboys’ 42-year-old former home in Irving, said Stephen Jones, Dallas Cowboys executive vice president.
At the new Arlington stadium, "the scoreboards alone cost more than $40 million," Jones told an audience at the University of Texas at Arlington’s Business Week dinner last month.
Crews finished assembling the two sideline scoreboards and two smaller scoreboards facing the end zones in March. Last week, they began "lighting" the boards, a process of calibrating the millions of LEDs so the pictures on the video screens appear seamless.
"In order to have that large of a display and not look like a checkerboard . . . we have to work very hard to match those LEDs across the board with the same color and properties," said Mark Foster, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s Diamond Vision Systems.
...
Foster said that when installation is completed, Mitsubishi will apply to Guinness World Records to have the stadium scoreboard officially named the largest in the world. Mitsubishi already holds that title with its 218-foot-wide, 37-foot-tall (8,066 square feet) video screen at Tokyo Race Course in Japan.
...
Mitsubishi made the LED panels in its factory in Nagasaki, Japan, and the electronic ribbon boards that encircle the stadium interior at its plant in Warrendale, Pa.
The panels, each 4-feet-by-5-feet, were shipped to the stadium and then hoisted up, one by one, onto a large metal frame that was built on the field and then lifted 90 feet into the air. Large orange sandbags were placed on the metal frame to mimic the weight of the screens, and as panels were installed, sandbags were removed from the frame.
Foster said that installing the panels while suspended in midair enabled technicians to keep seams from appearing in the large screen. Each panel is separated by only 10 millimeters.
Read the entire article...
All about the new Cincinnati Reds video scoreboard
Cincinnati.com has an article all about the newly-upgraded video scoreboard at the Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds. Some highlights:
- "It’s 138 feet wide, 39 feet high and puts the Reds in the realm with the Atlanta Braves, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals’ stadiums."
- "The Reds spent about $10 million and 18 months to bring the scoreboard and other technology upgrades to the ballpark, including new HDTVs in the luxury suites, [Jennifer Berger, Senior Director of Entertainment, Events and Production] said."
- "The team expects to save money in the long run, because the new LED scoreboard displays use about one-quarter of the energy that the former scoreboards used."
- The scoreboards were designed and installed by Daktronics. A crew of 25 people will operate the scoreboards on gameday.
- Returning crowd cams, including the Chicken Dance Cam, the Kiss Cam, the Limbo Cam and the Rock Band Cam – only now, fans will see four-story, high-definition versions of themselves. The Flex Cam has a new sponsor and a new name: The Certified Angus Beef Beefcake Cam.
- Read the entire article...
Apr 6, 2009
The Onion reports on half-time contests
From The Onion:
Getting Randomly Picked To Make Half-Court Shots Now Best Way To Earn Living
WASHINGTON—A new study released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Tuesday confirmed that the most dependable source of income for American workers in the current economic climate is to win a novelty contest in which one must successfully shoot a basketball from half-court.
"After factoring in the odds of your ticket number being called while attending a game, the median dollar value awarded, and the athletic ability of the average American citizen, and cross-referencing these data with employment forecasts and current job-security indices, we have determined that half-court shooting contests are currently the most effective way to support a family of four," the report read in part.
"While this may seem like dire news, keep in mind that the consolation prize for missing the shot usually includes a food item from the concession stand." The report cited several other possible methods of securing a livelihood, including 50-50 raffles, lotto scratch-offs, and inventing YouTube.
All about John Mason, the PA announcer for the Detroit Pistons
This is from a few years back, but worth reading. It's about "Mason", one of the most popular PA Announcers in the NBA. If you've never heard Mason's announcing before, check out this video of the Detroit Pistons introductions. (Or this video of kids doing their best Mason impression.)
“Deee-troit, bas-ket-ball.”
It doesn't really come across in writing, but if you've been to the Palace recently, you know what I'm talking about.And the man behind those words is Pistons P.A. announcer John Mason. From his designated spot at the center of the courtside press table, Mason has perhaps the best seat to catch all the action.
Mason shares his thoughts on his dream job, the Palace crowd and some of the greatest moments he's witnessed, as well as a couple of memorable mistakes from his early days on the mic.
Apr 5, 2009
VIDEO: Super Mario Williams
Here's a fun vid from the Houston Texans, created for "Super Mario" Williams:
(via Partnership Activation)
(via Partnership Activation)
Great moments in stadium signage: The giant plunger
"The Penning Plunger is the newest feature at Fifth Third Ballpark in 2009! Watch the plunger go as the Whitecaps flush away the competition." (As seen on Ben's Biz Blog.)
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