Mariotti challenges us

[Steff]

Well I was and I wasn't, I don't expect every game to sellout, I do wish we had better attendance though.  Most of all I hope we continue to win 3 out of every 4 games!

 

 

 

Which is why I thought you were being facetious.

 

Sell outs are nice, but they are not the norm unless you are a Boston fan. Not even the Yanks sell out on a regular basis anymore.

[nitetrain8601]

I find it sad that some of you here are more interested in attendance that what the team is doing.  :headshake

 

My argument is that Sox fans are missing what the team is doing. They could see them live and rather sit on the couch and tell their wives/girlfriends to toss them another beer.

[Steff]

My argument is that Sox fans are missing what the team is doing. They could see them live and rather sit on the couch and tell their wives/girlfriends to toss them another beer.

 

 

Maybe they can't afford it..? Maybe that have to be up for work at 5am..? Maybe they don't live close by..???

 

 

My argument is WHO CARES

 

 

They are playing awesome ball and every day it's another new thread b****ing about attendance..

 

 

Obviously some here care.. :rolly

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

I assumed that you and Nuke were facetious in your replies. 

 

 

I was. Anybody knows that you're gonna have trouble filling the park up when it's cold and the weather is bad. That is, unless you're a mindless flubby drone who goes because you think its cool and not because you like baseball.

[TLAK]

Please give up on this.

[winninguglyin83]

this is the only thing he could write about a 27-11 team?

[ottawa_sox]

Ken Williams said he thought it would take 2 straight championship years to capture the majority of baseball hearts in Chicago. We are in the middle of May of the first year (we hope). Most of us are pinching ourselves wondering if they are for real and we care more than anyone. To my way of thinking, it is perfectly reasonable that skeptism, for now, continues to abound. I think the attendance to date has been reasonable. Give it some time. As YASNY pointed out, recent public relations mistakes include the strike, the white flag season, TV station fiascos and sale of the team. Winning, will eventually, take care of all the mistakes. As long as attendance continues to move in the right direction, then all is good.

[The Critic]

if they promote it right it won't be a problem.

If my 1st place team is at home on the 4th of july, I know i'll be there.

Whether or not my team's in 1st on July 4th, I'll be there anyway.

Just grabbed my 1/2 price club-level ticket this afternoon.

White Sox Baseball and post-game fireworks for 20 bucks.....

[YASNY]

LMAO at you and 01!! I'm sure Brian will be dialing as well.   

 

Isn't it nice to be so loved?

[retro1983hat]

Here is my email to Jay Mariotti:

 

Mr. Mariotti:

 

I am not going to rip you as some White Sox fans probably have during the last two days following your column giving Sox fans a hard time for not filling up the park.

I think you had some valid points, but I believe your timing was off.

The weather was cold this weekend and the fact we still drew 130,000 in May is very good by Sox attendance standards. That article would have been more appropriate two weeks ago when the Sox drew flies against the Royals. I am sure Sox management would be thrilled to average 20,000 for the Texas series this week, including the day game Wednesday.

The list of why more people go to Cubs games is longer than both of our arms put together. Few people attend Cubs baseball games, people attend Wrigleyville fiestas, only one part of which happens to be the Cubs game. Deep down, you know this Mr. Mariotti. Just witness the festivities outside the park following a Cub loss, you wouldn't know whether the team won or lost.

In any case, whether it be true or not, you do appear to have a bias against the Sox. Personally, I believe all media members do, whether they would admit it or not. The reason, of course, is that the Cubs winning and breaking whatever contrived curse they think they have, would make the ultimate sports story for writers/announcers/broadcasters.

So, please give our Sox a break. They are winning and the attendance is steadily climbing upward. Check it out, it is. At the end of the year, we will be up 10-20% over last year. There are so many more and better stories to write about. Sox attendance and comparing the experience to Wrigley is extremely easy to write. Pick something where you actually have to interview some of the players and get into their heads.

 

I'll keep reading, but I wish you could give the Sox organization credit. The players, coaches and, yes, management all have deserved it.

 

 

Here is is response to me:

 

No one has ripped me at all. The truth hurts.

[YASNY]

I didn't exactly rip the guy, but I put a few barbs in my email to him.

[southsider2k5]

Sox currently have the number 1 record in baseball but are number 23 in attendance. 

 

I'd like to see the attendance meet halfway with our current record, at the very least...

 

The Sox attendance is already way up from last year. They are still having their best April/May attendance since 1994.

 

Through May 16th last year they had drawn 392,434 people to the ballpark. This year with the same amount of home dates we have drawn 436,069 for an increase of 43,635. I am not sure how MLB computes average attendance but we did have two postponements by this time last year, and had two home DHs to make them up. If MLB counts those people as one date then the average for 2004 to this point was 20,654. If they count them as two dates the average drops to 18,687. So far in 2005 the Sox are averaging 22,951. On a strickly tickets sold basis, the Sox attendance is up 11.1% already. And this is with the 2004 team having already played the Yankees at USCF.

 

As a matter of a fact, the Sox are currently only 1500 fans per game behind their entire 2004 season average, without having played the Yankees, Red Sox, and the Cubs so far. If the Sox keep up the good play, averaging 30K on the season isn't out of the question.

 

As usual with Kotex-Boy, the sky is falling on a bright beautiful day.

[Guest JimH]

It was interesting today that he specifically comments on voice mailers and emailers, stating he's not a Cubs fan or Sox fan, he's simply a columnist making observations.

 

When he says no one ripped him, that's hard to believe. All he had to do was read the letters column in Sunday's paper. In fact he can read it every Sunday, someone is always writing in and ripping him.

[southsider2k5]

And appropriately enough the Mac, Jurko and Harry question of the day was what is the most overdisscussed sports story in Chicago?

 

Leading the way with 31% is White Sox attendance, with many, many Kotex-Boy rips along with way.

 

http://www.espnradio1000.com/mcneiljurkoharry.asp