I'm sure he could bring his family; I certainly couldn't bring mine.

The Yankees have 14 dollar bleachers, 5 dollar obstructed view seats, 28 dollar grandstand seats, and 5 dollar night, family night, etc etc etc. You are allowed to bring in your own food and drink to yankee stadium.

In contrast, Fenway has standing room areas that range from 20-30 bucks, their bleachers are 26 bucks, and their infield grandstand is 50.

If you can't afford 28x4 a couple of times a year, that's a shame, but I don't know how much cheaper they are supposed to be.

One thing I haven't been able to understand about the high-priced seats at the new Yankee Stadium being empty:

The Yankees priced the seats before the economy tanked. Then when the economy tanked they were left with several seats that were overpriced and, therefore, undersold. Those seats have largely been empty, as I understand it (i.e., the highest-priced seats). The stated problem has been that the Yankees couldn't drop the prices of the highest-priced seats because there were people who had already bought seats at the old market prices.

But why couldn't the Yankees just drop the prices of the highest-priced seats anyway, once it became clear that the market wouldn't support those prices? Is the argument simply that it would be "unfair" to the people who had bought at the old market prices, and therefore that it would upset those people (and hurt the bottom line)? Or is there something more going on? All I've heard is that the Yankees "can't" lower those prices. But why "can't" they?

Then when the economy tanked they were left with several seats that were overpriced and, therefore, undersold.

A lot of those empty seats are sold. But the people who own them work for banks that received TARP money, and don't want to be seen as spending taxpayer money on baseball tickets (even though they haven't).

But why couldn't the Yankees just drop the prices of the highest-priced seats anyway, once it became clear that the market wouldn't support those prices? Is the argument simply that it would be "unfair" to the people who had bought at the old market prices, and therefore that it would upset those people (and hurt the bottom line)? Or is there something more going on? All I've heard is that the Yankees "can't" lower those prices. But why "can't" they?

I don't think it's so much that the Yankees think it would be "unfair" to those who'd already bought the tickets, as it would be (a) once the price comes down, it likely would stay down for a long time, even after the recession is long past; and (b) even more to the point, those who had bought their tickets at the hyper-inflated rates would feel as if they'd been chumps for having bought them so soon (which of course they were), when if they'd waited they could have saved a bundle. And the Yankees fear (not without reason) that it would be a cold day in hell before those people would then renew, even at the new and lower rate.

The truth is that once the Yankees set those insane prices in the first place and got their best (or dumbest) customers to commit to them, the ONLY way that they could possibly lower those prices without incurring a huge backlash among the 2009 season ticket holders would be to simultaneously give a rebate to those current customers for an amount equal to the discount offered to prospective new customers. Without that, they'd risk the scenario I outlined above.

And since the chances of such a rebate's happening are next to zero, the Yankees are stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place, with no real way out. And it couldn't have happened to a grander bunch of fellas.

#2. Fenway also has $12 bleacher seats, the top third of the bleachers, basically. And standing room tickets in Fenway are $20 except for the handful of seats up on the green monster and a couple other spots. 90% of people in Fenway with an SRO ticket paid $20.

#6, Sorry, I just eyeballed their numbers off their website. My bad for getting it wrong.

No problem. If you were a cheap bastard without connections living in central Massachusetts, this information would have been more familiar. Just, um, hypothetically speaking.

The Yankees are leading MLB in attendance at more than 45,000 fans per game, so its not really accurate to say people can't afford to go. There are a relatively small number of rather visible seats that are over-priced and unsold but the market will eventually determine the price for those seats, even if it takes a season or two.

I've been to two Yankee games this year. The first, I paid $5 a piece for a good view in the grandstand outfield...far away, but no obstruction or anything. On Monday night, my wife and I got terrace seats in the infiield for $25 a piece on stub hub.

NYS is more annoying than OYS, but still generally cheaper than Fenway when you consider primary and secondary markets. I've never paid less than $40 for a seat at Fenway, except for one SRO ticket early this season. The scarcity of seats at Fenway leaves you at the mercy of the ol' Kenmore Square triple markup. I usually have to watch the firt inning at the bar.

That being said, if you asked me the better place to watch a game, I would have to grudgingly say Fenway in a heartbeat. NYS kinda sucks.

#2. Fenway also has $12 bleacher seats, the top third of the bleachers, basically.

Really? I've never heard of this. How in the world do you get your hands on such tickets?

#2. Fenway also has $12 bleacher seats, the top third of the bleachers, basically.

Really? I've never heard of this. How in the world do you get your hands on such tickets?

I dunno, but you might try looking at their website, because they're right there in plain view.

This link is where I got my pricing (mistake) from, and it doesn't have the 12 dollar tickets listed.

This link is where I got my pricing (mistake) from, and it doesn't have the 12 dollar tickets listed.

You're not really mistaken, because I'm pretty sure that the only way you can buy those $12 tickets is by standing in line (and not leaving it) beginning five hours before the game. I don't think that those tickets are actually available for advance purchase. And even when you stand in line, you can only buy one ticket and you have to enter the park immediately, which rules out scalping of any kind.

Seems like a pretty fair system, but obviously you don't want to be drinking before your start your wait, since portable pissoirs aren't included.

What kid under the age of 12 would ever want to go to a golf tournament?

To see Tiger play? Plenty

phil

picture taking your twins somewhere and telling them to not make a sound and not move on a golf course and see how long THAT lasts

and it isn't gonna work for older kids neither. not for hours. not for minutes

Lots of campers is in to see. No?

I've never been to a golf tournament (and don't want to). But my understanding is that you stand in one place on one hole. So how much Tiger could you see? If you're lucky, maybe he'll take one shot within 50 yards of you. And then he's walking away, and then he's onto the next hole. Yippee.

"my understanding is that you stand in one place on one hole."

There are more than 18 ways to watch 18 holes of play.

Some camp out in one spot all day and watch everyone go through.

Others watch one player and walk 18 holes with them.

Most mix it up - walk 2 holes with Tiger, cut across to see Phil a couple of holes over, watch a little play at the cool nearby Par 3, then check out a hole where nobodys are coming up - you can stand not many feet from the hole, in the front row.

They also have the usual to-do things for kids, like mini golf and pros giving free lessons, as well as merchandise tents and so on.
You could take a kid to a golf tournament.

What kid under the age of 12 would ever want to go to a golf tournament?

Me when I was under 12. We used to go to the LA Open every year.

But my understanding is that you stand in one place on one hole.

You're right. You've apparently never been to a golf tournament.

What kid under the age of 12 would ever want to go to a golf tournament?

I've taken my son to the AT&T;each of the last three years, starting when he was six. There are plenty of kids there every year.

picture taking your twins somewhere and telling them to not make a sound and not move on a golf course and see how long THAT lasts

and it isn't gonna work for older kids neither. not for hours. not for minutes

No. You're asken to be quiet for a few seconds if you're right near someone hitting or putting, which really for most kids (who want to be there) is not hard at all. You're basically never required to stay still; people are constantly moving all over the course.

There are more than 18 ways to watch 18 holes of play.

Some camp out in one spot all day and watch everyone go through.

Others watch one player and walk 18 holes with them.

Most mix it up - walk 2 holes with Tiger, cut across to see Phil a couple of holes over, watch a little play at the cool nearby Par 3, then check out a hole where nobodys are coming up - you can stand not many feet from the hole, in the front row.

What we did on Friday was sort of follow the Kim/Furyk/Love group - watch them on 6 & 7, skipped ahead to the 9th green, waited fro them, saw them tee off on 10, move to the 11th green, etc. That way saves a lot of walking, and you get a much better view when they come around. If I weren't with an 8 yr old I'd do more camping; some friends of mine sat at the 9th green for a few hours and it sounded interesting.

One thing I'll say in defense of Yankee stadium - it may be expensive, but I've never had to wait in line for 80 minutes for a shuttle bus to take me from a parking lot to the stadium, like I did on Friday.

Forget the prices, what I still can't believe is how New York built 2 stadiums without a roof, is there a more rainy MLB city in America than New York? It's cold in April and October too.