Does the UD policy hurt attendance at the Cell?

[Gene Honda Civic]

I have gone to less games because of this policy.

 

I used to go to about 12 - 15 games a year. Finding people who want to go to 12- 15 Sox games a year is difficult enough. But I have a large base of friends who would go to about 1 or 2 a year. They're mostly what I would call non-fans. They're simillar to what you'd find on the North side of town; they go to drink beer and have a good time. The game is secondary. I've converted many of them. I taught them all how to score a baseball game, what a balk was, and the infield fly rule. We would generally go on the half price nights and buy the cheapest seats. We would always start by sitting in our seats, but by the time we were done with our first beer, we'd head downstairs for some food and a better view. Most of the time we would settle into some bleacher seats or something in the outfield. I like to sit out there so i can tell what pitch is being thrown. The consensus among my friends was that they like the park. With the exception of sitting in the UD and the vertigo that is experienced, i.e. pop-ups look like home runs, generally not being able to tell where the ball is going.

 

Back to the point. I've been to a half-price night after they changed the policy. I didn't think it would be a big deal to skip down to the lower bowl later in the game. Well I was wrong. The point is they are alienating fans. All of those friends that I just spoke of would now be forced to stay in the UD, where they enjoy the game much less. The result is those more casual fans, the bread and butter of MLB fans, go to less games; or have a lesser experience at the game.

 

I've been to 8 games this year. I've spent 2.5 innings in the upper deck. I watched the remainder of that game in the bullpen sports bar. I've had to spend more money this year to go to less games. I've picked terrible games to go to. opening day- 3 hour rain delay, another that didn't start intil 10:15, and another that sprinkled through the entire game. I've seen big comebacks only to fall short, that 10:15 start. I've seen bullpen mismanagment, Colon pitching to bonds in the ninth. But what i've seen most is passionate fans. That game where it sprinkled all night I don't even remeber who we were playing; There couldn't have been more than 5,000 people there, altough the announced crowd was much larger, That 10:15 start, there were more people in the UD than downstairs. Anyone who waited that long should be allowed to "trade up" to better seats.

 

I've rambled for long enough. The White Sox have great fans. Treat them with a little more respect, give them a better ballpark experience, and they will come out.

 

In years past I was responsible for over 50 tickets being sold per year. This year I've been to 8 games, only twice have I gone with more than one person. I can count 24 tickets i've been responsible for being sold. I may go to tomorrows game, if i ditch class, and probably one more time. That's 10 games for me, slightly below average, and about 30 tickets sold.

 

Does the UD policy at the cell affect attendance? YES!!!

[Dick Allen]

Again, that was the original charter.  It's changed over the years to include taxi's & airport related fees.

Taxi's from the airports? Airport fees? How does this effect every taxpayer in Illinois? That is what I'm responding to. I don't think people not in Chicago use taxi's on a regular basis. What are the airport fees? If its a revision it was revised AFTER Comiskey Park was built. Any revision would be to cover the costs of McCormick Place and Soldier Field, so don't get that mixed up with the Cell. The Cell does get a small portion for upkeep.Funny how the state's website and the ISFA website say nothing about these other fees or revisions to the charter. They both say the money comes from a 2% city hotel tax, rent from the White Sox, if it applies, and fees for other events, like the Rolling Stones, Springsteen, etc.

[JUGGERNAUT]

Taxi's from the airports? Airport fees? How does this effect every taxpayer in Illinois? That is what I'm responding to. I don't think people not in Chicago use taxi's on a regular basis. What are the airport fees? If its a revision it was revised AFTER Comiskey Park was built. Any revision would be to cover the costs of McCormick Place and Soldier Field, so don't get that mixed up with the Cell. The Cell does get a small portion for upkeep.Funny how the state's website and the ISFA website say nothing about these other fees or revisions to the charter. They both say the money comes from a 2% city hotel tax, rent from the White Sox, if it applies, and fees for other events, like the Rolling Stones, Springsteen, etc.

http://www.isfauthority.com/assets/PDFs/20...nual_Report.pdf

 

The About is pretty much useless.

If you look at revenues you wll both a city & state subsidy of 5,000,000.

That's in addition to the Hotel Tax revenue.

There are also bonds.

 

Btw, it includes the total bond debt on new SF. Nearly 700MIL.

The salaries for the ISFA board members are interesting as well.

 

In any case there is enough evidence in that report that both the city & the state

have subsidized the Cell since it's inception.

 

Without pissing any one of I'd like to wrap this up.

It really is a catch-22 because of the incline of the UD.

Many people experience vertigo & that subtracts from an enjoyable experience.

Many casual fans go to the park to walk the concourse.

 

Now I don't know if it can be done, but a concourse for the UD would be nice & might attract the casual fan to it. But the catch-22 is that it's a risk that if you make the UD more appealing to the casual fan they might visit more often. It's a high risk & probably not worth taking give the cost it would take to renovate the UD.

 

I've often argued for knocking down some rows on the 3B side because then you could see a nice view of the skyline from the 1B UD. But again that's a major $$$ undertaking.

 

Another option is to build a stair case entrance at the top of the UD so that people have 1/2 the distance to walk either way. This makes it easier to move around.

But again it's a major $$$ renovation.

 

So there is no answer w/out spending $$$.

[Guest hotsoxchick1]

http://www.isfauthority.com/assets/PDFs/20...nual_Report.pdf

 

The About is pretty much useless. 

If you look at revenues you wll both a city & state subsidy of 5,000,000.

That's in addition to the Hotel Tax revenue.

There are also bonds.

 

Btw, it includes the total bond debt on new SF.  Nearly 700MIL.

The salaries for the ISFA board members are interesting as well.

 

In any case there is enough evidence in that report that both the city & the state

have subsidized the Cell since it's inception.

 

Without pissing any one of I'd like to wrap this up.

It really is a catch-22 because of the incline of the UD.

Many people experience vertigo & that subtracts from an enjoyable experience.

Many casual fans go to the park to walk the concourse.

 

Now I don't know if it can be done, but a concourse for the UD would be nice & might attract the casual fan to it. But the catch-22 is that it's a risk that if you make the UD more appealing to the casual fan they might visit more often.  It's a high risk & probably not worth taking give the cost it would take to renovate the UD.

 

I've often argued for knocking down some rows on the 3B side because then you could see a nice view of the skyline from the 1B UD. But again that's a major $$$ undertaking.

 

Another option is to build a stair case entrance at the top of the UD so that people have 1/2 the distance to walk either way.  This makes it easier to move around.

But again it's a major $$$ renovation.

 

So there is no answer w/out spending $$$.

oh hell theres two of these types of threads... oh well i already put a reply in the other one.....sorry for the interuption......

[Steff]

For the record.. the LD was NOT sold out tonight.

[Steff]

You are wrong it us called the Illinois sports authority , not CHICAGO only Taxpayers all throughout Illinois footed the bill.

Sorry.. but you're wrong.

[Al Lopez Ghost (old)]

I would never go to a game in the Upper Deck - I checked out the view in 1991 and thought it was too steep. I go to about 30 games a year, splitting a season ticket. Before they restricted the mobility of Upper Deck fans, on big crowd games, like the Cubs, playoffs and Opening Day it was impossible to get in and out of the men's room after the 4th inning without missing two innings. So I have noticed the benefit to the lower deck fans from the new policy. I endorse it.

 

I would also like to emphasize a point somebody made in this thread that might go overlooked. Rob Gallas is a huge asshole who should be fired, hired and fired again. This guy couldn't draw flies on s***. His one idea that was original, turn back the clock, was his daughter's idea. Unfortunately she hasn't had any others. So she leads Rob 1-0. By the way, I think Rob got his job because Piersall choked him, when Rob was a reporter.

[cwsox]

I would never go to a game in the Upper Deck - I checked out the view in 1991 and thought it was too steep. I go to about 30 games a year, splitting a season ticket. Before they restricted the mobility of Upper Deck fans, on big crowd games, like the Cubs, playoffs and Opening Day it was impossible to get in and out of the men's room after the 4th inning without missing two innings. So I have noticed the benefit to the lower deck fans from the new policy. I endorse it.

 

I would also like to emphasize a point somebody made in this thread that might go overlooked. Rob Gallas is a huge asshole who should be fired, hired and fired again. This guy couldn't draw flies on s***. His one idea that was original, turn back the clock, was his daughter's idea. Unfortunately she hasn't had any others. So she leads Rob 1-0. By the way, I think Rob got his job because Piersall choked him, when Rob was a reporter.

While I am a huge fan of the upper deck, we must agree to disagree because if we all sat in the same place, it would be overly crowded.

 

However, I sometimes ponder that we have all these threads which attack each other and attack Sox players and attack JM and attack KW and attack JR

 

but we never have any threads trashing on the one person who truly deserves to be removed from his job and have employment elsewhere: Gallas.

 

When I win the PowerBall and buy the Sox, Gallas will be the first person to be relocated to a new job position outside of the organization.

[RibbieRubarb]

By the way, Camden Yards and Turner Field have even steeper upper decks than the Cell...

 

 

 

So there

[CubKilla]

but we never have any threads trashing on the one person who truly deserves to be removed from his job and have employment elsewhere: Gallas.

You must have missed the myriad of posts from posters like myself, The Critic, Maury, and HSC Vince. While we don't rip on Gallas as much as JR, KW, and JM, we have ripped on Gallas outdated, overused, and unimaginative PR devices.

 

BRING ON NICKLE BEER NIGHT FOR '04 ROB!!!!! :fyou

[cwsox]

By the way, Camden Yards and Turner Field have even steeper upper decks than the Cell...

 

 

 

So there

I've sat in the upper deck in Miller and Comerica and they are ever so slightly less stepp by a degree or two but much further away because of that.

[The Critic]

but we never have any threads trashing on the one person who truly deserves to be removed from his job and have employment elsewhere: Gallas.

I can only speak for myself, cw, but I have described in an earlier thread what I thought the best "This Is White Sox Baseball" commercial would be.

It goes a little somethin' like this:

 

Gallas is pitching his latest syrupy, hokey, awful commercial when he is suddenly dragged outside and beaten mercilessly while his attackers yell "OH-WEE-OH, MAAAAAAAGGLIO".

He is then dumped in the trunk of a car and driven to a remote forest preserve.

He is taken out of the trunk and beaten some more while his attackers yell "Jo-SE, Jose Jose Jose...."

He is then thrown in a patch of poison ivy, covered with honey and placed next to a nest of angry hornets.

 

Mind you, this is just a COMMERCIAL - I don't really wish any of this on Gallas.

His dismissal or relocation to a department NOT involved with the marketing of the team would be fine...

[The Critic]

BRING ON NICKLE BEER NIGHT FOR '04 ROB!!!!! 

MMMMmmmmm......beer for a nickle........

 

They'd have to shut the concourse down from EVERYONE on those nights!!!!

[The Critic]

By the way, Camden Yards and Turner Field have even steeper upper decks than the Cell...

 

 

 

So there

but CAN THEY WALK THE CONCOURSE????

THAT is the secret to a QUALITY baseball experience!!!!

[cwsox]

but we never have any threads trashing on the one person who truly deserves to be removed from his job and have employment elsewhere: Gallas.

You must have missed the myriad of posts from posters like myself, The Critic, Maury, and HSC Vince. While we don't rip on Gallas as much as JR, KW, and JM, we have ripped on Gallas outdated, overused, and unimaginative PR devices.

 

BRING ON NICKLE BEER NIGHT FOR '04 ROB!!!!! :fyou

CK, the number of Gallas threads is far, far too few!

 

I've seen some, but never enough!

 

Is "Get Gallas a Job on the North Side" the one thing we can all agree on?

 

[CubKilla]

Is "Get Gallas a Job on the North Side" the one thing we can all agree on? 

 

 

[IlliniBob72]

One time I was flipping through the channels and came across a ball game where they showed the field from center field. I was absolutely sure it was The Cell. Turned out to be Yankee Stadium. Take away the monuments in left-center and the albeit cool railing across the outfield, Yankee Stadium and The Cell are identical twins, right down to the blue seats. I never read about how lousy Yankee Stadium is, or the other fields mentioned in this thread.

[Dick Allen]

One time I was flipping through the channels and came across a ball game where they showed the field from center field. I was absolutely sure it was The Cell. Turned out to be Yankee Stadium. Take away the monuments in left-center and the albeit cool railing across the outfield, Yankee Stadium and The Cell are identical twins, right down to the blue seats. I never read about how lousy Yankee Stadium is, or the other fields mentioned in this thread.

I've been to both, the Cell blows away Yankee Stadium, believe me.

[cwsox]

One time I was flipping through the channels and came across a ball game where they showed the field from center field. I was absolutely sure it was The Cell. Turned out to be Yankee Stadium. Take away the monuments in left-center and the albeit cool railing across the outfield, Yankee Stadium and The Cell are identical twins, right down to the blue seats. I never read about how lousy Yankee Stadium is, or the other fields mentioned in this thread.

noticed that myself a few times

[The Critic]

I've been to both, the Cell blows away Yankee Stadium, believe me.

I'd never want to go to Yankee Stadium because that would mean I'd have to watch the Yankees, probably my least favorite sports team of all.

 

That place doesn't look all that great on TV, either...

[JUGGERNAUT]

I've been to both as well. YS is much worse overall than the Cell, but it's UD is like a 45 deg angle. Much easier to walk for the average fan.

 

I agree with the other poster. The worse mistake at the Cell is not putting the stair well entrances in the middle. That would have completely changed the experience in the UD as far as ease of going to/from the seat for food & such.

 

I think that would be a much better change than lopping off the top 7 rows.

 

Paying less for concessions on the UD would be a big boost to getting people up there

as well.

[Mathew]

The steep upper deck is what makes it great. Old hockey stadiums come to mind. I loved my time in the U.D. at the cell.