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Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Blue Jays may scrap $2 ticket promotion

Withdrewry’s…

The Toronto Blue Jays may scrap their $2 Tuesdays ticket promotion after ugly brawls erupted in the stands during the discount night’s season debut.

Team president Paul Godfrey watched the fights from his private box during Tuesday’s 9-8 loss to Oakland and decided immediately that alcohol sales would be barred from the $2 sections for the three remaining promo dates this season: May 6 versus Tampa Bay, May 20 versus the Angels, and June 10 versus Seattle.

If trouble continues despite the ban, the program won’t return in 2009.

“We’re not going to tolerate that kind of behaviour,” Godfrey said before Wednesday’s contest. “You don’t associate that with Toronto and you don’t associate that with this ball park. It’s not going to continue.”

...Both times the trouble was in the upper 500 level of the Rogers Centre and was “alcohol related” according to Godfrey.

“It’s really unfortunate some fans feel like it’s a night club here,” he said. “The few can always ruin it for the majority.”

Repoz Posted: April 09, 2008 at 07:49 PM | 18 comment(s)
Related News: General, Toronto

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1. DCA Posted: April 09, 2008 at 07:57 PM (#2736965)

Team president Paul Godfrey watched the fights from his private box during Tuesday’s 9-8 loss to Oakland and decided immediately that alcohol sales would be barred from the $2 sections for the three remaining promo dates this season: May 6 versus Tampa Bay, May 20 versus the Angels, and June 10 versus Seattle.

$2 tickets? Fights? Alcohol involved? Could be A's fans.

2. RB in NYC (Now with a Training Schedule!) Posted: April 09, 2008 at 08:04 PM (#2736987)

Why do people pay (even $2) to attend a game, then pay higher-than-average beer prices just to get so drunk they miss the reason they are there in the first place and instead have a fight?

Oh, right, people are idiots.

3. scareduck Posted: April 09, 2008 at 08:30 PM (#2737121)

Maybe if they charged $2 CDN.

4. Golfing Great Mitch Cumstein Posted: April 09, 2008 at 08:30 PM (#2737125)

From looking on youtube, I don't think jays fans need $2 tickets to find a reason to fight.

5. Schilling's Sprained Ankiel Posted: April 09, 2008 at 08:41 PM (#2737169)

I bet the fight started over what the correct spelling of behavior is.

6. As foretold by the prophesy (JFSE) Posted: April 09, 2008 at 08:44 PM (#2737177)

Maybe if they charged $2 CDN.

Yea, Americans can come in and pay just $ 1.98 for a game.

7. Rich Posted: April 09, 2008 at 08:45 PM (#2737179)

There would be a lot less fights if they sold joints instead of beer. Alas.

8. Sid Hārtman Gautama Posted: April 09, 2008 at 08:57 PM (#2737245)

$2 tickets? Fights? Alcohol involved? Could be A's fans.

When I was in college, it was $1 for Wednesday home games in Oakland. Cheapest night out imaginable for me and my girl, or a great reason to skip control systems lecture.

Once time I went to a game and, of course, it got a little rowdy in the upper deck. Two guys started duking it out, security came by and escorted the instigator out. One inning later, he reappeared: he told his friends that he just bought another $1 ticket and came back in.

9. T.J. makes a mochary or the sport Posted: April 09, 2008 at 09:34 PM (#2737379)

I won't tolerate that kind of "behaviour," either. I will only tolerate "behavior."

10. DKDC Posted: April 09, 2008 at 09:40 PM (#2737388)

Once time I went to a game and, of course, it got a little rowdy in the upper deck. Two guys started duking it out, security came by and escorted the instigator out. One inning later, he reappeared: he told his friends that he just bought another $1 ticket and came back in.

That's awesome.

11. Belfry Bob Posted: April 10, 2008 at 08:34 AM (#2737650)

Back in the day when the O's had 'Dugout Club' nights where you could attend selected games at Memorial Stadium for a buck, the sections were, shall we say, a bit rowdy. Once I married, I stopped sitting in those sections, and I wasn't 'distracted' by the fights going on down there.

Beer wasn't seven-eight dollars a pop back then, though; I can't imagine spending the money to get drunk at a MLB game today...I'd have to have a real solid buzz working when I got there so that only 2 more or so would take me over the top.

12. Sheer Tim Foli Posted: April 10, 2008 at 02:44 PM (#2738074)

Team president Paul Godfrey watched the fights from his private box

I love the imagery of Godfrey in his private box tuttuting hoi polloi in the cheap seats interrupting his enjoyment of the game.

I am sure the drunks are annoying and all but the story would have had a little more oomph to it if a fear-stricken family was interviewed rather than the team executive watching from a safe distance.

13. As foretold by the prophesy (JFSE) Posted: April 10, 2008 at 03:04 PM (#2738097)

"TORONTO - AP

[...]

We have interviewed a family from St.-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha, QC about the horrific events.

"Well, our first son had turned 13, so we decided to make le voyage to Toronto to see a ballgame en personne, since he was our little man. Jean-Charles had never seen a game since 2001, when he peed his pants after meeting Youppi.

We bought les trois tickets for $ 100, and when we saw we were in the top level, we were offended! At le stade Olympique, scalpers would pay you to take their tickets!

The game was good, but les maudits anglos got worse and worse as the game went on. People were pushing and fighting, and someone dropped their beer all over pauvre Jean-Charles... he hadn't been that scared since le referendum decided not to split Québec!

It was a horrible day, but we'll make it up to Jean-Charles... we'll stop in Montréal and bring him au Club Supersexe."

14. The Bones McCoy of THT Posted: April 10, 2008 at 03:43 PM (#2738118)

RDF ... MBS Master of the small sample size.

Best Regards

John

15. As foretold by the prophesy (JFSE) Posted: April 10, 2008 at 03:50 PM (#2738129)

In retrospect, I regret not calling the kid Jean-Pierre. (Which is a common name.)

16. Jeff Frances the Mute Posted: April 10, 2008 at 08:15 PM (#2738494)

Beer wasn't seven-eight dollars a pop back then, though; I can't imagine spending the money to get drunk at a MLB game today...I'd have to have a real solid buzz working when I got there so that only 2 more or so would take me over the top.

This is the real problem. A vast majority of the bargain hunters who enjoy cheap tickets won't spring for the 5 or 6 $7 beers it would take to get loaded. They'll slam a fifth of cheap vodka in the parking lot and then stumble into the game obliterated. Then they might nurse their buzz with a few $7 beers throughout the game. Of course, if they are true bargain hunters they might sneak in a flask of rubbing alcohol to stay full loaded.

The Dodgers tried a series of $2 ticket nights and they canceled it after 3 or 4 games due to rampant fan misbehavior. I can't tell you why these cheap ticket nights seem to inevitably end in disaster, but it seems they always do.

17. Sheer Tim Foli Posted: April 10, 2008 at 08:21 PM (#2738509)

Well met, MSSS. Bravo.

18. baseball chick, now with lousy baseball team Posted: April 10, 2008 at 08:33 PM (#2738557)

thank goodness they haven't gotten rid of the 2fer $2 night here at the Box or i wouldn't never be able to afford to take my kids.

not sure exactly why but we don't have any problem with fighting drunks in the cheap seats...

or anywhere else in the upper decks. actually i've only seen guys ejected twice. once during the allstar game and once during a cubs game

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Blue Jays may scrap $2 ticket promotion

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