SB Nation Bay Area Editor's Pick
Oakland Athletics: Green Collar Sham! Small and Large Beer Are the Same Size!
by DowntownChico on Feb 14, 2011 12:25 PM PST
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A recent photo of the domestic beer prices.
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Nice
The Seawawks got caught pulling the same scam last year. This is even worse, though, because in Seattle the price difference was only $1.25.
by Glorious Mundy on Feb 14, 2011 12:57 PM PST reply actions
Article...
… actually says that they were both 20oz in Seattle… so those buying 16oz were getting 4oz for free or $1.25 less than those who order 20oz.
by Tim Blekicks on Feb 14, 2011 1:09 PM PST up reply actions
According to the vendor's "internal investigation," yes
I find it hard to believe that a company could be so incompetent as to screw itself out of four ounces of beer for every small brew it sold because it didn’t know how big the cups were. If only those fans had brought a graduated cylinder with them to the game, we’d know for sure.
by Glorious Mundy on Feb 14, 2011 1:13 PM PST up reply actions
That is absolutely phenomenal.
Someone needs to save that video before the A’s or MLB go after them and try to take it down.
Official Athletics Nation Rotating Tagline Editor - Pam liked my old sig better.
My thoughtful watermelon is easily mistook for an early American catapult.
Don't see why not
They just label them “small” and “large”. Neither of those is an actual measurement of cup size. So they’re not deceiving anyone. If you look at the two cups they’re basically the same size. Anyone whose not blind should be able to see that.
The moment they charge almost double the price
for the same amount of beer, they are misleading people into thinking you get more.
Waiting for mikev to write my new sigline
by OptimistPrime on Feb 14, 2011 3:00 PM PST up reply actions
How so?
If I were to hold up two slices of pizza that were essentially the same size and offer to charge you three dollars more for the one on the right and you choose to pay more for the same slice that’s your problem.
(Mind you I’m playing devil’s advocate, frankly I think it’s a bit shady what they’re doing and don’t like it either but it’s not necessarily wrong. The consumer has to take some responsibility for actually looking at what they’re buying).
I think you're off the mark on this one with the Devil's Advocate side
You can’t make slices of pizza look much different in size without affecting how much you get.
This is an easy case of “short, fat cup” vs. “tall, thin cup” and one being $3 more. One is advertised as large, the other isn’t advertised with any specific size. Most people are going to assume the “large” gives you more. It’d be a lot different if they advertised a specific number of ounces in each and misled you, but it’s even shadier here since they aren’t even doing that much.
The consumer shouldn’t have to do something like this to realize they’re being swindled. It’s absolutely wrong.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
When I was younger, and there was only one short fat glass or one tall skinny glass, my sister and I used to fight over who got what glass when we shared a soda (or pop, as we called it at the time).
Turns out, they held the same amount of liquid.
by LoneStranger on Feb 14, 2011 3:12 PM PST up reply actions
If you buy by the slice
You get what you’re given. Some slices are going to be bigger than others?
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
If the eggs actually hatch I made more than a mistake, I made some scientifically impossible crime.
Exactly.
When you’re buying a “value” beer and a “large” beer you get what they give you. You can get around that by being one of those people who asks, “what does the large look like”…
My argument to that is...
The consumer doesn’t really see the cups side-by-side. They just see small and large. If you hold them in front of me then sure I should be able to spot the similar sizes, but I can’t unless I ask to see it.
Pavelski soaks panties faster than a firehose - Mr. Plank
by GoldenStateGuerrero on Feb 15, 2011 11:23 PM PST up reply actions
In fairness
That sign doesn’t actually say “small.” Just “New”. For all we know they could be selling “aged” beer as a more expensive drink.
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
If the eggs actually hatch I made more than a mistake, I made some scientifically impossible crime.
Just so long as it's not "Recycled"
It's the fans that make the game fun. -- Rickey Henderson, July 26, 2009.
by Englishmajor on Feb 14, 2011 5:44 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
The taller one fools people into thinking there's more
Even though it’s thinner than the shorter one. Most people probably have no clue.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Um...
You don’t think that by calling something “large” you are representing that it is larger than the one you are calling “small”? The devil needs a new advocate.
by Glorious Mundy on Feb 14, 2011 3:11 PM PST up reply actions
But they're not advertising the other as small
That’s the key. And technically the “large” is SLIGHTLY larger. It’s just not very much larger. This isn’t anything new at the Coliseum. I’ve never bought the large and never will for that reason. I buy bottled beers only when possible.
No. Its fraud
It is a knowingly false statement intended to another to rely on it to their detriment, and who, like the sap who buys the large, in fact is harmed by 4 bucks. Its quite illegal. Now, if we only kept receipts, perhaps we would have a class action ready to go “Beer Drinking A’s fans v. Coliseum”.
by mikedaviswhereareyou on Feb 14, 2011 4:18 PM PST up reply actions
Unfortunately they don't give receipts for concessions purchases
Unless you pay by card, I guess.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
But the problem you have is that you're comparing something labeled "new"
To something labeled large. There’s nothing in their pricing or menu to lead anyone to believe the large is larger than the new other than the price. And if you’re dumb enough to not ask to see how big the large actually is compared to the new you’re a moron.
I say we demand they replace the "large" cups with plastic Oktoberfest steins
and be forced to keep the old large price.
Are we sure he bought them?
We know he drank them. But didn’t Feeba buy him quite a few?
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
If the eggs actually hatch I made more than a mistake, I made some scientifically impossible crime.
In her defense, she did not buy them FOR me. I just ended up drinking them.
I'm here to talk about the past.
How bout my boy's shirt?!
That’s almost more offensive than the beer! Needless to say, he’s not from the area and he’s not on the call list for night games.
Please feel free to share this around the web. Those responsible must be held responsible! lol. As long as they don’t try to solve it by decreasing the volume of the smaller one.
Downtown
I’ll post on Drumbeat (SFGate A’s blog). I assume that’s you doing the demonstration. You want to give us your real name and city of residence?
Unbelievable.
This isn’t something that happens on accident.
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
Pfft, who buys beer at the game? That's what flasks are for!
Seriously though, this is hilarious. And quite surprising. Good detective work! Now it would be nice to find out what size the cups actually are – the advertised large size or small size.
"Everybody in the building is standing except for people in a wheelchair." - Doug Woog
"It’s like the lost burrito of Atlantis." - jeepers
by Where's My Burrito? on Feb 14, 2011 2:21 PM PST reply actions
that’s what flasks four year old kids with a’s backpacks are for.
by Billy Frijoles on Feb 14, 2011 2:53 PM PST up reply actions
I do love how those kids' backpack giveaways are really the perfect size for beer.
So kindness and consideration from the A’s promotions folks.
"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."
that's a shame
Waiting for mikev to write my new sigline
by OptimistPrime on Feb 16, 2011 10:29 AM PST up reply actions
If I could rec this more than once, I would. This is important information that the world needs to know!
This is… oh man, hilarious and it HAS to be so, so illegal.
"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."
Not sure it's illegal.
They aren’t representing that either “size” is a specific weight or volume. It’s really shitty, though.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
That's my take.
They’re not lying. They’re being deceptive, sure, but there’s no limit on how much larger a large has to be.
Okay, true.
I feel like misrepresenting to that extent has to be a violation of SOMETHING, but if it’s a loophole, it’s a loophole.
However, in the court of Angry (ANgry?) A’s Fan Opinions, taking advantage of poor, innocent drunks? IS A HIGH CRIME.
"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."
It's a classic case of manipulating the letter of the law.
And why the legal profession is so annoyingly icky. Do something that’s patently wrong by just about any reasonable human being’s standard? Lawyer up and hide from it!
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
It really isn't
It’s a classic case of poorly designed packaging.
The small is “16 ounces” when filled to the appropriate fill line, but filled to the brim is enough more that it’s similar to a large.
WOE IS US, THE SMALL BEERS ARE OVERFILLED.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
One has a fill line, and the other doesn't?
Yeah, that’s not on purpose.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
They're the 16S and the 20
From here
And it’s absurd that your complaint is that the 16oz size is often filled to 18oz.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
by nevermoor on Feb 14, 2011 10:10 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
They're thieves
But at least they’re “Green” thieves.
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
If the eggs actually hatch I made more than a mistake, I made some scientifically impossible crime.
It's naive to think the cups weren't chosen
with the end goal of selling the same product with two different labels, at two different price points. Businesses do this all the time.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
I doubt anyone did this side-by-side test.
I bet they just ordered “small” and “large” cups and threw them into the storage cabinet. Don’t attribute this to something sinister when a better explanation might be simple incompetence.
!#%&$#@&%&% antioxidants! - pam
needs moar bacon
by cuppingmaster on Feb 16, 2011 12:42 PM PST up reply actions
Ever read the "Selling It" page at the end of Consumer Reports?
There is no way a company like Aramark doesn’t know exactly how much of their product is going into a container. Companies spend an enormous amount of time and money on these details, because over the course of serving 10,000 beers a game, it really adds up. You don’t really think in an environment like the Coliseum, they expect their employees to notice or use a fill line, do you?
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
I don't run a bar, so I don't know what kind of overflow waste they expect to have, or how they account for it.
Nor do we know who filled it up and their competency level. Maybe he or she thought the guy was cute and gave him a little more and a wink.
Also, the video shows a dude with a cup filled with water. They didn’t hold the camera up to the counter and order two different beers and witness the difference. They filled it up themselves. Yes, it’s silly that the cups are not really all that much different in size, but running around yelling that someone is trying to cheat someone else is dumb unless you have the actual facts straight.
by LoneStranger on Feb 18, 2011 2:29 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
OMFG
Your complaint is that the smalls are OVERFILLED and DISCOUNTED.
Which is bad. Because. So there. Or something.
On the menu the small would appear at 16 oz if that was listed. OAKLAND A’S SERVING TOO MUCH BEER: EVIL CONSPIRACY
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
No, you're wrong.
My complaint is that Aramark knows full well the fill line is ignored, they know exactly how much product goes into each container, and they know that they can say what you say above if they get called out on it. No company that sells that volume of a product wouldn’t know details like this.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
Considering the mark up on their products
I’m not so sure they’d care enough mid-way through the season to keep that close of tabs on it (if they ever do). They probably budget for part-time employee incompetence and waste. Above the line and spills probably fit into that budget.
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
If the eggs actually hatch I made more than a mistake, I made some scientifically impossible crime.
So your complaint would go away if the small was only filled to the line
And they charged more for it?
That would make you happy?
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
That's what I'm thinking.
If they specified a size, i.e. 16 oz, 20 oz, etc., then they’d probably be governed by some state weights and measures bureaucracy.
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are."
~ Anais Nin
I think we should be thanking aramak's long pourers
I am only pretty on the outside
dannycakes can also be called "hipsterbot"
Why did this take so long to get out?
We could have used this earlier in the offseason. It might have avoided more meta.
Give them a chance to explain themselves
I’m sure there is an explanation for this. The As management always has Oakland fans’ best interests at heart.
Yeah, the explanation is
for $3 you get the word “Large” and about 1/2 inch more beer.
Waiting for mikev to write my new sigline
by OptimistPrime on Feb 14, 2011 2:50 PM PST up reply actions
The same thing has been happening with the attendance for years
They’ve been tarping off half the seats and telling us that the stadium is full.
Waiting for mikev to write my new sigline
It hasn't been full even with the tarp :(
Official Athletics Nation Rotating Tagline Editor - Pam liked my old sig better.
My thoughtful watermelon is easily mistook for an early American catapult.
I need a beer
Waiting for mikev to write my new sigline
by OptimistPrime on Feb 14, 2011 2:54 PM PST up reply actions
order the small.
Official Athletics Nation Rotating Tagline Editor - Pam liked my old sig better.
My thoughtful watermelon is easily mistook for an early American catapult.
But the large costs moar, so it must be moar
Waiting for mikev to write my new sigline
by OptimistPrime on Feb 14, 2011 3:01 PM PST up reply actions
No. Don't order the small.
Order the new.
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
If the eggs actually hatch I made more than a mistake, I made some scientifically impossible crime.
OK, but then people will be pissed at you for not just shutting the fuck up and being happy with the small.
Official Athletics Nation Rotating Tagline Editor - Pam liked my old sig better.
My thoughtful watermelon is easily mistook for an early American catapult.
They can go to hell, cause you're saving a few bucks.
And later you’ll be drunker cause you saved on each cup.
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
If the eggs actually hatch I made more than a mistake, I made some scientifically impossible crime.
What tarp?
The A’s don’t have a third deck. That’s a myth perpetuated by senile 30 year olds who talk about 2003 like it was the good ole days… They should be put in an old folks home before they hurt themselves on the way to their weekly trip to the nightclub or fashionable coffee shop.
so the arte moreno cuts the price of beer. our guy charges us an extra $3 for a marginal 1.7 ounces. suh-weet.
the artist formerly known as inbillywetrust
Technically, they lowered the price of the smaller beer, they didn't raise the price of the larger.
As far as I remember.
by LoneStranger on Feb 14, 2011 3:23 PM PST up reply actions
True
But his point is a good one. The A’s beer prices and selection compared to say the Angels or Padres is pathetic. In fact the A’s food selection is pathetic all around compared to most other teams. But it fits with playing in the most pathetic stadium in baseball so it’s all relative I guess.
Sure hope that Aramark isn't selected for the new stadium.
by LoneStranger on Feb 14, 2011 3:45 PM PST up reply actions
So should we all
Or have any of us forgotten that the Coliseum was the lowest rated stadium for food safety in the state with over 34% of all food stands with health violations.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=5401646
Supposed it could be worse though, we could be watching games at Tropicana Field where 100% of vendors are in violation barf
So really shouldnt we be psyched we're paying $3 less for the same beer?
"I was right and you were wrong." - Ray Fosse
I am VERY upset!
Oh..I can’t buy beer yet? Sucks for you guys!
"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
No, just the meat, dear. Just the meat.
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
If the eggs actually hatch I made more than a mistake, I made some scientifically impossible crime.
Says the guy who buys the large beers
"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
Makes me glad I splurged on Sierra Nevada or New Belgium
24 is my age 22 is my gauge
by catfishunterSthompson on Feb 14, 2011 4:57 PM PST reply actions
Shouldn't we be blaming Aramark not the A's?
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
ARAMARK LIED THEY NEVER TRIED!
"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
but we're customers of the a's. the fan experience is the a's responsbility even if the services are outsourced.
the artist formerly known as inbillywetrust
Exactly right.
Aramark is contracted by the A’s. It’s ultimately the A’s responsibility.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
LEAVE ARAMARK ALONE!!
You bastards!! weeping
"The most important thing to do in your life is to not interfere with somebody else's life." - - F. Zappa
by EddieVegas_NRAF on Feb 15, 2011 9:11 PM PST up reply actions
This is an incredible discovery!
It's because he derived his torque from the buttocks -- cityplANner
I nominate this for Investigative Reporting of the Year
It's the fans that make the game fun. -- Rickey Henderson, July 26, 2009.
The small might be more watered down
I remember one of the local news stations had a report about how the $5 beers were watered down at the coliseum, and watered down slightly more at pac bell park.
That doesn't make any sense.
If you’re gonna water it down, water it all down. But if you’re gonna only water down one size, water down the stuff going into the larger cups. That way the “full strength” beer (heh) is going out in smaller quantities.
Truth be told, the shit’s about as watered down as it can reasonably be, by the manufacturer.
"As the tag line of my favorite dirty joke would have it: 'Keep your hat on. We could wind up miles from here.'" ~Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus
There filled from the same thing.
So there’s no way its watered down more than the large. Not saying that there not both watered down, though.
Maybe this year they will be so watered down, that the video was the actual beer you will get.
by Athletix Man on Feb 15, 2011 12:51 AM PST up reply actions
2 thoughts
1. am i the only one that thinks that in the video it looks like the larger cup would hold at least a couple more ounces?
2. as i pointed out a while back, the $4.99 domestics are still at least as expensive if not more than the ipa’s, if you consider alcohol content per dollars.
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2010/5/22/1483636/best-deal-on-beer-at-the-coliseum
Zito: You ever think about the space time continuum?
Huddy: Uh... no.
he never claims there the same. This isnt Seattle..
He says this is the difference your paying for $3 more.
as posted above to marine layers piece it’s 1.7 ounces
http://newballpark.org/2011/02/14/this-cup-doth-not-runneth-over/
by Athletix Man on Feb 15, 2011 12:49 AM PST up reply actions
Oh man, this is some PT Barnum shit
Oh well, all the more reason to tailgate pre-game.
MexicAN AmericAN VegAN
PEOPLE TAILGATE?
Official Athletics Nation Rotating Tagline Editor - Pam liked my old sig better.
My thoughtful watermelon is easily mistook for an early American catapult.
If everyone bought the "large" beer we could've afforded Beltre!
Nice vid!
Visit my blog the Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan!!
I still say we buzz it up
Just because I want to see this make the front page of yahoo
Yay! Let's buzz up something negative about the A's when they aren't actually doing anything wrong!
Hurray for a positive outlook on our team for non-fans!
by LoneStranger on Feb 16, 2011 10:09 AM PST up reply actions
That kinda reminds me of when people hit the "like" button on Facebook
when someone posts that they are sick, or their dog got run over
Waiting for mikev to write my new sigline
by OptimistPrime on Feb 16, 2011 10:32 AM PST up reply actions
I know. I have to pause when someone posts something good and bad in one update.
Do they know which one I’m ‘liking?’
I think for one day, FaceBook should change ‘Like’ to ‘Lick.’
by LoneStranger on Feb 16, 2011 11:07 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
in all fairness
it appears that the gentleman in the video has filled the smaller cup to the brim, which, (I’m not certain of this) is not normally policy for most pours. Thus, if he were to have filled the cup to the bottom of the top collar on the smaller cup (the line about a half inch from the top rim) where, it is likely recommended by Aramark management to fill to, the total difference in liquid volume between the two cup sizes would be that much more increased. While it still seems outrageous that the difference in price of perhaps less than 4 fluid ounces is $3 – it’s not like they’re exactly the same. STILL, it’s close enough that the difference in price seems totally unjustifiable.
True
In reality, the small cup won’t be filled to the brim, and there’ll be foam to further reduce the amount of beer. On the other hand, the same holds true for the large, so in the end, they really cancel out.
Isn't that because they reduced prices on the small, though?
I mean, seems like reaching pretty far for your outrage to me.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Yea, I think this is a non-issue.
Funny how unscientific the test was and how many sites are now clamoring about how the A’s are trying to pull a fast one.
by LoneStranger on Feb 15, 2011 4:35 PM PST up reply actions
This
$8 for 20oz, which is probably reasonable for stadium beer.
To pay the same price for 16oz is $6.40.
So people are pissed off that (1) the A’s reduced the price of a small by $1.41 and (2) the guy in the video, and presumably some vendors, add an extra 2oz to the small pour.
This is, of course, a terrible conspiracy by which the A’s screw their fans, and for which they would be sued but for those wily and evil attorneys. ::shakes fist::
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
I think you mean "$4.99 for a cup of beer!!!!!!!"
It's because he derived his torque from the buttocks -- cityplANner
by WaddellCanseco on Feb 16, 2011 1:55 AM PST up reply actions
I read today that ARAMARK may be releasing a video of their own in response to this next week
just saying
Waiting for mikev to write my new sigline
Deadspin has picked up the story
Link. First comment (Iron Mike Gallego) is priceless.
"The most important thing to do in your life is to not interfere with somebody else's life." - - F. Zappa
by EddieVegas_NRAF on Feb 16, 2011 11:23 AM PST reply actions
At least they didn't get the story as wrong as Yahoo!
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
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