champs2005

saw it last night. really weak. it isnt a show about the team at all, just mixes in little short segments into a regular BBTN broadcast. it really sucked. although it was fun to see laroche's kid try to play pepper, he almost killed micah johnson which could have been pretty embarrassing if he ended up on the dl because of it

For what it's worth, my family did one of those "grinders road trips" sponsored by the Sox a couple years back and we stayed with the Sox at the W in Minneapolis

I think James Loney is a FA after this year, I'd like to see the Sox go after him this off-season.

I really enjoyed watching Sunday's game even though the Sox lost. I thought that Paciorek worked pretty well with Stone on supposedly short notice. I also really enjoyed the inning that had the home and away announcers together. Blyleven was incredible. I think that this could be a cool thing to do more of. The production people mixed in a lot of shots of the college mascots like they were manning the equipment in the control room. Just seemed like a loose and fun broadcast. I suppose this wouldnt work every day or maybe it would get tiresome, but it was fun to watch.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 15, 2012 -> 11:39 AM) It isn't Jerry's opinion. It is the opinion of the fans. That was one of the top issues brought up in the survey they had done professionally. He didn't pull that out if his rear end - the fans themselves said it. Agenda much? Of course traffic was a top issue in the survey. My point is that in Chicago traffic is a factor for al major sports, big events, etc. Traffic is a given. It doesnt seem to be affecting the attendance at all the other places. And you cant really DO anything about traffic as an owner. It is a cheap excuse. I hate Jerry.

It is vintage Jerry to say that traffic is the #1 attendance downer. Like it isnt the Sox fault it is out of their hands oh well our attendance "is what it is" nothing we can do about it. Oh by the way if attendance is low I pay alot less on my sweetheart stadium lease deal. It just shows you who he thinks his fans are. Traffic. Wow that is SO deep Jerry. Like no other ballpark in MLB is a big place that might cause a little traffic because of all the folks going there. Where is there NOT traffic in Chicago? People go to those casinos, they go to Warren Dunes Michigan dare I say they go Cub, Bullls an dBears games, they go everywhere but ONLY the Sox blame traffic for their poor attendance.

No one thing in and of itself short of cutting ticket prices in half will solve attendance woes. It will take a comprehensive approach and a bunch of little and big things together. Here is my thinking on changing the music and noise level: If a fan comes to a game and has fun (win or lose they dont care) that fan will come back. If they freshen up the music and have a new intro or other little things like this it can appeal to new fans. Because they aint attracting any of 'em with what they are doing now. How about giving away Sox ear plugs when that Thunderstruck comes on and the guy starts "singing" like a cat with its tail stepped on. Or when Konerko's Metallica walk up music comes on or when r-o-w-d-i-e starts playing or when the fan-o-meter appears? Ditch all that s#it...it is so old and tired!

I hate Thunderstruck and most of the crap music they play during the game. So much of it is old and stale. And too loud as well. I say start fresh with the in-game music and tone it down. So what if some die-hards get offended. The Sox need to make NEW fans and all these tired old crap songs from the oldies bin are not appealing to new fans. Except for "Let's Go White Sox" by Captain Tubby of course. That is great!

never mind 2006 or 2007 guys, we are living in 2012 and the 2013 season is being planned for. The market research reflects what fans think NOW. You dont plan 2013 for what fans thought 6 years ago. We can argue all we want, but rest assured that Brooks Boyer and the Sox brain trust now will NOT assume that more people will show up if the Sox win. They have to create strategies that get people to show up. And they are doing this. Like they built Bacardi in the Park. Like they built that Metra station stop. Now they are finally cutting parking and ticket prices. Of course the GM and that staff want to get good players and we fans want the team to win. But honestly we all must stop repeating this mantra of if "they win they will come" because it isnt true. Especially in light of the fact that 70% of current fans would rather watch the games at home. OMG that is a horrible stat.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Oct 19, 2012 -> 12:58 PM) We've been over this but here's the cliff notes version: Expectations for the team were low at the beginning of the season thus the season ticket base was low. "Winning" means post-season appearances, not jut spending a few months in first place and crashing at the end of the season. It will take a few years of consistent winning to really build the season ticket base up and thus the attendance numbers. It's not going to happen overnight or even within a few months. Your statements are not backed up by the market research. Winning is not correlated with more attendance for the Sox. Period. This is new information. I urge everyone here to stop accepting as Gospel the theory that if the Sox win (no matter for how long they win) the fans will come to the ballpark in droves. The market researchers talked to more than 8,000 fans and this theory was proven false.

A big takeaway from the Sox Market Research was that 70% of fans would rather watch the game on TV rather than go to the ballpark and that this ratio has basically flipped since 20 years ago when 70% said they'd rather go to the game. wow. tough crowd. Another big conclusion was no one said they werent going to the games because they didnt think the team was any good or werent winning. So much for that commonly-posted theory that if Sox win then fans will come. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/201...cket-price-cuts

I have a couple thoughts on why dont more fans go to games: I think there is a clear distinction between a fan who goes to a game and a fan who only watches the games on tv. My sense is that the Sox have a ton more fans than many other clubs who only watch on TV. Given that our TV ratings are decent, there are people sitting at home who are Sox fans who dont go to the games. I bet most are south suburbanites who never venture far beyond Orland for anything. Sox park is in the middle of the white flight place their parents or grandparents left. It has been ingrained in them that they "escaped" this area. Why expect them to come back? The idea of going to a Sox game is just off their radar or they may go one Sunday a year. Too far, too scary I dont know exactly why. And frankly I dont care. If I were the Sox I'd stop chasing these couch potato suburbanites to come to games. Watch TV, fine. But the Sox should concentrate their ticket-buying marketing on people who already go to games and try to get them to go more. To heck with the lazy people who never go, you will never convince them to change their ways.

sorry, where is Hawk?

Guys, the Sox are in still first place in spite of playing like crap. The Tigers are sucking even worse than the Sox. As this article says, Detroit couldnt even split a double header at home against the lowly Twins with a share of first place on the line as extra motivation. Scherzer is done. They have more issues than the Sox. Read on, you will feel better... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writ...?sct=mlb_t11_a0

Just to follow up these comments, the hotel tax fell short this year and the City is kicking in their own (our) tax dollars. It begs the question why is tax revenue subsidizing a private business? If this tax didnt subsidize Jerry, then it might be available to go to schools, cops etc, actual public goods. Also, someone said the ILSFA "paid" for their two skyboxes. Really? With what money? TAXES! This is a classic case of the people who are supposed to be "regulating" an industry getting in bed with them. This deal stunk when Reinsdorf (and Thompson) extorted us and it STILL stinks!

http://www.suntimes.com/9161027-417/state-...oza-passes.html Buried in the story about the IL Sports Facilities Authority worker trading Sox skybox passes for a dozen three-day Lollapalooza passes is a nugget that the ILSFA has TWO Sox skyboxes (one right behind home plate and another larger one down the right field line that was only used like 14 times last year). The skyboxes are for Board and Staff use and all food and drink they consume is half off. UNBELIEVEABLE! No wonder they never ask Jerry to pay for anything or to provide a return back to the public on OUR investment! I AM SO MAD ABOUT THIS!

I think this is a fine topic. The Cubs took back the hot stove spotlight and will probably keep it after Epstein hires Sandberg. We are underdogs. Probably always were, but still after 2005 not so much. Also, I feel like Kenny Williams read then watched Moneyball too many times. It's like he thought, jeez I cant wait til they write my book and Denzel plays me in the movie! Kenny is trying to be too smart for his own good. PK as player manager? OMG so stupid. Why always the need to think outside the box? Trying to be the new Billy Beane. Trying to prove everyone wrong. How about just WINNING for a change? Fans arent coming to see the Sox because we have a "boy wonder" GM who does it differently than everyone else. In a division with managers like Gardy, Smokey Jim and Acta, we got Robin. Wow. Those guys are gonna think rings around him on field next year. Thanks Kenny. It is always about you, it seems.

Most of these posted idea lineups are even more punchless than today! The Sox need at least one if not two more hitters that can put up PK type numbers in order to compete next year. These new guys probably need to play 3B and LF. Trade Quentin? I wouldnt do that. Sox need to add MUCH more offense to support the great pitching and defense. And Im not talking about Rios, Beckham and Dunn doing better. We need two NEW top 20 type hitters. Maybe trade Floyd or Thornton for them?

Just went Sunday. Tried the helmet nachos. SUPERB! EPIC! A really tasty and enormous ballpark snack. Can easily split for two. So cool to get a real life-sized helmet bowl (flat bottom) to take home. Perfect for potato chips service in your man cave! PS: NO ONE was getting pizza. No lines at that stand. Line 20 deep at the nachos though.

I cant quite put it into words, but Ill try...last nights sequence of events with Konerko getting hit in the face by Pavano, his trying to get up and go to first, Herm holding him back, his puffed up lip as he stood at first base, MB hitting the first guy up for the Twins next inning with his first pitch and then PK hitting a homer on the first pitch in his next AB...this was one of the top 5 highlights of the season for me. Regardless that it all came in this game; Twins sweep, nail, coffin, etc. Not to take anything away from Paulie, because that homer was so perfectly timed. But, is there any chance at all that Mauer said something to PK in that next at bat like "sorry dude, number one down the middle take a shot" or Pavano threw him a cookie to atone? Probably not but just throwing that out there. That would be even more dramatic, in an "inside baseball" kind of way.

Lighten-up all you wave haters. It is entirely possible to watch every single pitch and participate in a wave as it rolls by and to glance up at the waves progress. It doesnt make you any less of a fan to have a wave done at your ballpark or God forbid to raise your hands and yell a little as it goes by. Jeez Louise. Not everyone who goes to a game has the radio on headphones and keeps score with the pitchcount noted. At least wavers are in their seats and yelling. THere are plenty of worse things to do at a Sox game (ahem, and bathrooms) than do the wave. Believe me, the players dont care about the wave at all it doesnt faze them please dont think for a minute Putz was bothered by it.

Mark Kotsay is the second coming of Dan Pasqua. Remember back in 1993, during the playoffs, one of the Sox players commented that they were playing "a man short" because Pasqua was still in the starting lineup. Never could figure out the love for this guy. I was reminded of "The Hammer" Pasqua yesterday. Bases loaded. Kotsay due up. Indians make a pitching change to lefty Perez. Guillen leaves lefty Kotsay in. He swings at first pitch..pop up to second base! The Sox are again playing a man short running Kotsay out there every day (to say nothing of batting him FIFTH!)

That's it. Uncle. It aint fun anymore. I throw in the towel. I can muster any semblamce of enthusiasm during Konerko and Rios bat or Thornton or Santos pitches. Floyd now 2-6 Buehrle a 180 degree turn since perfect game Peavy looking nothing like he used to Q, Beckham, Alexi with the ugliest swings on the most hittable pitches AJ never taking a pitch and having that look on his face that says I dont give a f**k anymore and what that means for the "clubhouse chemistry" Running Kotsay out there every day in the 5-spot Watching them scratchnig and clawing for one or two lousy runs and knowing the opponents will put them up in bunches easily. All the talk of trades, rebuilding, etc I mean I never thought that everything had to break right for this team to do well, but EVERYTHING has broke wrong. It's a team wide SLUMP SEASON! IM SO DISAPPOINTED IN THESE WHITE SOX!!!!!!!

I was there last night and booed the jerk who ran on the field. Not many other folks booed. Why do folks cheer for these knuckleheads? Why is it amusing? I think that if the whole crowd booed loudly, it might make some of these drunken psychos not take the plunge.

I went to ST last year. A reallly nice place to have a beer and watch the NCAA tournament is The Yard House in the big mall by the U of Phoenix stadium and the hockey rink where the Coyotes play. The Yard House has like 100 beers on tap and is really nice. This mall is a fun place to hang out and people watch and there are several bars and restaurants there. There is a small family-run Italian Joint east on Glendale avenue that was featured in Diners Drive Ins and Dives called La Piazza Al Forno. It is hard to find little places like this in Phoenix-Glendale as most every restaurant is a chain. That said, In-N-Out Burger is a must. There are several locations. There is one just a couple exits north on the highway that runs near Camelback.