Fan Appreciation Tailgate.....on a Tuesday Night?

by Zabat on Jan 25, 2011 4:39 PM PST

Did anyone else see that the A's have posted the date and time for their Fan Appreciation Tailgate?

Its going to happen on Tuesday March 29th starting at 4pm. This just seems so odd that they had it in the middle of the week instead of a weekend like they have had it in all the past years I have gone to their Fanfest/Fan Appreciation Workout/Fan Appreciation Tailgates. Kinda a crappy day and time to have for people who love a decent drive from Oakland and have to work during the week. Thought I should just point this out since it seems pretty weird in terms of trying to rally their fanbase for the upcoming season. I haven't seen much publicity for this event either. I don't want to seem like a conspiracy theorist, but it does seem odd if they make their Fan Appreciation event less accessible to the fans and attendance is low doesn't that just fuel their fire that they need to move. I could just be crazy and that they were forced to have it since the Exhibition game against the Giants is on a Tuesday, but from the point of pandering to the fans I would have rather seen a Fanfest event on a weekend like most teams do. I mean I am sure they know Tuesday game are some of the worst attended since they are in the middle of the week.

Here is a link in case you are interested:

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/oak/fan_forum/fan_appreciation.jsp

Poll

Does it seem odd to have a Fan Appreciation Tailgate on a Tuesday night?

Yes

45 votes

No

10 votes

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Comments

to be fair

The season starts on Friday now, with those last Bay Bridge exhibition games moved to the weekdays preceding Opening Day on 4/1. In the past those games were on the weekend so the Fan Tailgate was also on the weekend.

That said, I’d like to see a real Fan Fest event like in years long gone by (or at least the early ’00s).

Empires may crumble, FIP statistics may lose their meaning, but only a Keetsa mattress puts years back on your life while you're sleeping.

by emperor nobody on Jan 25, 2011 4:55 PM PST reply actions

Why were those canceled?

Wasn’t attendance always robust at FanFest events?

"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."

by lenscrafters on Jan 25, 2011 5:04 PM PST up reply actions

It costs money to fly the players in from wherever, get insurance on the Coli and then staff the place.

It’s much easier and cheaper for them to piggy back it on a game.

by LoneStranger on Jan 26, 2011 9:33 AM PST up reply actions

Those are absolutely terrible reasons for not having FanFest.

"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."

by lenscrafters on Jan 26, 2011 9:44 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

I personally only see this as a temporary thing until business picks up again.

You can argue that having a FanFest would help that business pick up, but it does cost money to hold these things in January/February. Someone is looking at a bottom line and deciding on that risk/reward factor.

by LoneStranger on Jan 26, 2011 10:05 AM PST up reply actions

To be fair nothing.....

Last year was the first time, they tried to match it up agains the last ST game. They are just putting less and less energy into it. We used to have it before ST began, They also cut out First Pitch in December. It’s just absolutely ridiculous and I am embarassed that it will be so puny especially after the Gnats will have theirs, 40,000 strong this weekend and will be int heir glory all season long.

"We get two outs, and I was sure, and I had a plan, and I shook Tek off," Schilling said. "And I get a big 'What if?' for the rest of my life."

by Imaseasonticketholder on Jan 25, 2011 5:31 PM PST reply actions

2008 was the last year that the A's held fan fest, they started charging $10 for it in the 2000's, it used to be free and it was always well attended..

Here is an article from the 2008 Fan Fest from the A’s website declaring it a “great success”, they sold 35,000 individual game tickets to the 2008 season at Fan Fest.

http://mlb.mlb.com/oak/ticketing/fanfest_2008.jsp

It makes no sense that they no longer have this event, it makes me mad every time I think about it, the Tailgate thing that they did last year is in no way, not even close, to being a replacement for Fan Fest. Fan Fest has always been planned for right before Spring Training on the day when individual tickets go on sale for the upcoming season. The Giants are having there’s this weekend. The way the used to do it would be that the A’s would have it one weekend and the Giants the other weekend so that they would not conflict with each other. Or the A’s would have it on a Saturday and the Giants on a Sunday or vice versa.

This is such a great way to advertise your product for damn near free and to sell some tickets to the upcoming season. Not having this annual event is one of the worst things if not THE worst thing that the marketing department has ever done.

There is no A in OFFENSE!!

by wacchampions on Jan 25, 2011 5:36 PM PST reply actions

Ridiculous.

"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."

by lenscrafters on Jan 25, 2011 5:42 PM PST up reply actions

I made a mistake in my post above, the Giants are holding there Fan Fest next weekend on the 5th...and oh yeah by the way it is free....

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/fan_forum/fanfest.jsp

There is no A in OFFENSE!!

by wacchampions on Jan 25, 2011 5:43 PM PST up reply actions

I miss Fanfest so much. :(

And even after they charged $10, I still remember walking up to pick up a ticket and having a random A’s fan hand me one for free — there were a number of season ticket holders handing out extra tix to those of us without because A’s fans = awesome.

I am totally paranoid about the lack of Fanfest because, seriously, having the event was pretty much Marketing 101, it was absolutely brilliant and successful and so. much. fun. Everyone was in a good mood, buying tickets and merch and touring the stadium and watching the Q&As and just taking it in. It was a chance for the A’s to basically roll around in money with minimal effort.

And there was no feeling quite like walking into the waking ghost of the Coliseum and looking out on the field and eating that first Coliseum dog of the year and knowing that this means baseball is coming, baseball is almost here.

"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."

by Kyli on Jan 26, 2011 12:05 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

to quote DFA; "this this a thousand times this"

And there was no feeling quite like walking into the waking ghost of the Coliseum and looking out on the field and eating that first Coliseum dog of the year and knowing that this means baseball is coming, baseball is almost here.

by LoneStranger on Jan 26, 2011 9:35 AM PST up reply actions

a "fan appreciation tailgate" on a Tuesday

before an exhibition game against the Giants

pretty lame, in my opinion.

The A’s used to get very good attendance for Fan Fest. The January 2007 version, for example, drew 25,000.

The Season Ticket holder appreciation event held the next to last home game, after the game, in 2009 was a wonderful event…and very well attended…

A Saturday afternoon Fan appreciation tailgate before a regular season game would at least get some respectable attendance

by OaklandSi on Jan 25, 2011 5:55 PM PST reply actions

Dear Lew Wolff,

I have never been to a FanFest. Please change that.
-MO

"You ain't got nothin to say, it was perfect" -Dallas Braden, 05/09/10
hell hath no fury like a Cowboys fan scorned. -Leopold Bloom

by MissOakland on Jan 25, 2011 6:17 PM PST reply actions

So Just for Fun I am checking to see all the teams that have a Fan Fest and when it is, and what it costs...

Giants: Feb 5th Free
Dodgers: Jan 29th Free
Orioles: Jan 29th Free
Red Sox: Jan 31st Free
Indians: Jan 29th Free
Tigers: Jan 22 Free
Royals: Jan 22 Free
Angels: Feb 5-6 $5
Twins:Jan 28-29-30 $9
Rangers: Jan 22-23 Free
Mariners: Jan 29-30 $10
Rays: Feb 19th Free
Blue Jays: Jan 22 Free
Diamond Backs: Feb 12th Free
Braves: Feb 5th Free
Cubs: Jan 14-16: $60 for a 3 day pass
Reds: Dec 3-4 $17
Rockies: Jan 24th Free
Marlins: Feb 19th Free
Brewers: Jan 30th $15
Pirates: Jan 29-30 $12
Padres: Feb 12th Free
Cardinals: Jan 15-17 $40

As far as I can tell, the A’s, Yankees, Astros, Mets, Phillies and Nationals do not have a Fan Fest, but some of them might but they have already passed and there is no info online.

There is no A in OFFENSE!!

by wacchampions on Jan 25, 2011 6:56 PM PST reply actions

last year astros was right before the season

so it just might not be announced yet

by Athletix Man on Jan 25, 2011 10:43 PM PST up reply actions

In defense of the $10.00 cost in past years . . . . .

the money was said to have gone to the Oakland A’s Community Fund . . . .

by Midori1967 on Jan 26, 2011 12:07 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah all of the teams that are charging a fee mention that the fee is donated to the community in some manner..

There is no A in OFFENSE!!

by wacchampions on Jan 26, 2011 12:11 PM PST up reply actions

Nationals: March 30th $10

http://mlb.mlb.com/was/fan_forum/natsfest.jsp

by Athletix Man on Jan 25, 2011 10:34 PM PST reply actions

So now it looks as if it is just the A's, Yankees, Mets and Phillies that do not have a fan fest..

There is no A in OFFENSE!!

by wacchampions on Jan 26, 2011 2:58 AM PST up reply actions

Is there anyway we can forward this thread to the A's office?

"We get two outs, and I was sure, and I had a plan, and I shook Tek off," Schilling said. "And I get a big 'What if?' for the rest of my life."

by Imaseasonticketholder on Jan 26, 2011 5:40 AM PST reply actions

I thought they cancelled FanFest because of the teenage girls asking Bobby Crosby to date them

Seriously, we need FanFest back.

It's the fans that make the game fun. -- Rickey Henderson, July 26, 2009.

by Englishmajor on Jan 26, 2011 9:36 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

Yeah, this half assed thing in the parking lot before a preseason game is a JOKE!!

There is no A in OFFENSE!!

by wacchampions on Jan 26, 2011 12:12 PM PST up reply actions

I have a friend that works for SMG...

..who runs the Coliseum, and he said that even if the A’s wanted to have a Fan Fest before Spring training they wouldn’t be able to this year at the Coliseum.

The Raiders season ended recently, it took about a week to ten days to remove all of Raider seating, the grounds crew then had to remove all the grass.

This Saturday there is a Motocross event in the Coliseum and for the last week and half they have been piling in several tons of dirt, after the event is over this weekend, it will take about a week or so to remove this dirt.

Then in February, there is a Monster Jam event in the Coliseum, because this will also require tons of dirt, they will not be putting in any grass until after this event.

Additionally, there is a Mexico vs. Paraguay soccer match scheduled for March 26th which means the Coliseum won’t be in Baseball configuration until just prior to the EXH game on March 29th.

Unless you want your FanFest to be in a half converted Coliseum with piles of dirt on the field, it’s logistically impossible to have a tradtional Fan Fest.

The SFG’s don’t share a building and don’t have these concerns, I’m sure 90% of MLB teams also don’t have this issue.

I’m sure that there may be other reasons to not have a FanFest but this logistic hurdle is pretty large IMO. Check the schedule of events @ www.coliseum.com.

So to everyone who is crying foul, please consider the situation as a whole before jumping to any conclusions.

by Where my pitches at? on Jan 26, 2011 12:42 PM PST reply actions

Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, FanFest has never entailed or required having the field be in baseball condition.

"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."

by lenscrafters on Jan 26, 2011 12:47 PM PST up reply actions

One year it was rainy and dreary and the field was mud. We just looked at it from the dugout.

All they really need to be able to do is put a stage on home plate.

by LoneStranger on Jan 26, 2011 12:52 PM PST up reply actions

Yep, it's been piles o' dirt without grass out there before for FanFest.

And it was just fine. :D Since, y’know, it reminds us all of September…

"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."

by Kyli on Jan 27, 2011 2:21 PM PST up reply actions

Back in the 90's they held Fan Fest at Jack London Square, and there were huge crowds that showed up to it...

There is no A in OFFENSE!!

by wacchampions on Jan 26, 2011 1:25 PM PST up reply actions

Another thing to consider is that the Coliseum was able to schedule these other events because the A's are not having Fan Fest...if the A's were having Fan Fest at the Coliseum then these other events could have been moved to a different day..

Specifically talking about the motorcycle event this weekend here. That is the only conflict for the Fan Fest, so they could have had fan fest last weekend or moved the motorcycles to last weekend. Back in I think it was 1992 or 1993 they had fanfest and there was no grass on the field at all it was just dirt…

Also, in reference to my above post, I think it was 1996 that Fan Fest was held at Jack London square, because of the construction at the Coliseum, and it worked just fine!

There is no A in OFFENSE!!

by wacchampions on Jan 26, 2011 1:32 PM PST up reply actions

That's a good point

Last of the Ninth - Photography

by Flashfire on Jan 26, 2011 4:00 PM PST up reply actions

whaaat? really

I wasn’t a fan back then, but that sounds totally cool!

by sf drift king on Jan 31, 2011 1:20 PM PST up reply actions

Couldn't the A's have it somewhere else in Oakland, like at a convention center or something?

Conventions are held at the Marriott downtown. There’d be enough room to hold something in that place. You wouldn’t get to do clubhouse tours or anything like that but there could still be events and such, plus there’s a parking garage there.

Last of the Ninth - Photography

by Flashfire on Jan 26, 2011 3:58 PM PST up reply actions