Monday, October 12, 2009
Ray at Citifield
Well, its a definite upgrade of Shea but then again anything could be an upgrade from that. The outside of the park is nice but nothing really stood out, the outside of the Park is same like Philly, DC, Detroit, Cleveland, Texas, Seattle with the brick and steel/glass. Not saying that its bad but nothing stood out to me. Getting into the park was easy, although we did have to get wanded with a metal detector. Went in at the J.R. rotunda, I have to say that I was a bit under-whelmed. I had heard and read so much about this I thought it was going to be something grand but its just a space with an escalator and the Mets store. Walked around the lower level, spacious walk ways but again thats standard for all new parks. A lot of TV screens so you can keep tabs on the game. I over heard some fans saying that it was one of the things they love about the park that is you can be anywhere in the park and hear whats going on. Didnt they do that at Shea? I mean at the old Yankee stadium if you were in the halls you can hear the radio call. I guess thats an upgrade for the Mets. Anyways, walked back behind centerfield where they had yet more stores and to the food area. So the first thing I noticed is that they have a bridge. A bridge? I asked Matt what the deal with the bridge is and he didn't know, its just there. So the food area, where to begin with this? Ok, they did have a lot of food options in that center field area so that was good but only 1 of them was really popular, that Shake-Shack place. We waited a HALF HOUR on that line, yes you read that right a half hour. The other food stands didnt have nearly the line that this one did and apparantley its like this every day from what I heard, so maybe the Mets will be smart next season and maybe get rid of one of the stands that dont do as much business and add another Shake Shack. I mean to wait a half hour is crazy. Another thing that is very obvious is that there really is no mention of the Mets history, I mean not even the stadium colors are blue and orange. I mean I know that the Mets don't have the history of the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants or Marlins but seeing some stuff would have been nice. One thing that I really liked about Citi is that they have a video screen in the centerfield food area so you can watch the game and they have a nice picnic area which if I remember correctly is behind the plate in the upper level which also had a nice screen so you can keep your eye on the action. There were a couple of things that stood out to me in a negative way about Citi. First is that they have 1 huge scoreboard which is nice but then right to the side of it they have a smaller version of if. Why? If you're sitting in certain area you can't see both of the scoreboards. Why didn't they put the smaller board on the other side of the field so wherever you are you can see it? Another thing with the scoreboard is that they have the out of town scoreboard is on top of the left field upper deck, now we were sitting by 1st base so it was great but if you're sitting in left or right field you're shit out of luck with trying to get out of town scores. My biggest pet peeve about Citi, and I wasn't the only one, is the total BOMBARDMENT of advertisement. I mean I know that they have to pay the bills but the sheer amount of advertisement in that stadium is unreal. Its like Citi Field is a big NASCAR car. I mentioned the food area tv screen, its a nice size screen but its completely surrounded by advertisements so the screen looks tiny. I did notice that they have some pictures of old time Mets but guess what? Yup, its an advertisement for Nikon. If the Mets could have put advertisements on the field of play I'm sure they would. It was just overkill. As for the game watching experience, it was good, the seats actually face the infield which right away is an upgrade over Shea. Sightlines were good which is all you can ask for. Citi is nice but overall just run of the mill, I'd group it with the likes of Detroit, Cleveland, Texas, Atlanta and Philly. Not as nice as San Fran, Pittsburgh, Baltimore or Seattle but definetly an upgrade over Shea.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
23 comments:
Well advertisement's is just part of the game today, you can't be all that surprise about that, all the new parks have someone paying the bills for them, well except the money making Yankees, no not them, and about the metal detector, what team is just gonna let you walk right in without being detected?
The JR Rotunda, I share your same thoughts, it was just space, and as for the bridge goes, it is just to add some character plus no jams in that area, oh and about the Met history not being on display well imagine if you would had gone there in the beginning of the season where there was none at all, at least they have some now and will keep adding some more for next season. Hey like we both said, it’s not Shea anymore.
I understand advertisement is part of the game but the Mets went way overboard. I've never seen anything like it. I've had my bag searched at parks but not with a wand. I guess you can't trust Mets fans.
Freddy, what the fuck are you talking about? I didn't get wanded when I went to Yankee Stadium and I HAVE NEVER BEEN WANDED going into any baseball park in my life. It must be the air in Queens.
In order for the Mets to continually put historical things up, don't they first have to make historical things happen? I'm just saying.
Ray never said that there weren't advertisements in Yankee Stadium. He couldn't factually tell you anything until he actually went to Yankee Stadium so isn't it unfair of you to whine about information he couldn't possibly have other than what he sees on TV?
The money-making Yankees? Holy shit. My bad, I forgot the Mets were a complete charity case. Wow, that hits home twice. I was making a point but they really are a charity case.
Yeah, the Mets aren't money making. They averaged almost 39,000people. That's pretty fucking great for a losing ballclub. I'm sure that will soften the blow.
My point is that every stadium of course has adverstisements but Citi Field is on another level and I wasn't the only one who made that observation.
Good call on the money making comment. There was a pretty big crowd at the Mets game that I went to, and that was a for a meaningless game on the last day of the season so the Mets must be doing some monkey making of there own.
I look forward to going to Yankee Stadium in 2010 and see if it lives up to the hype.
Ray we should coordinate that trip to Yankee Stadium in 2010 if it is before June 10th or so. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to go as I will be traveling cross country for some crazy move to Cali.
Got a date in mind?
1st of all, I don't go to ballparks and let advertisement make that the reason why the ballparks is good or not, advertisement? please, like I said that is part of all the new ballparks except Yankee stadium, Petco Park, Citizen Bank Park, AT&T Park, Busch Stadium, PNC Park, Citifield, see? they are all supported by some big name company that helps them pay the bills, but Yankees stadium no need for them to attach some bank or big name company to their name, I guess that's where I get that money making reference, plus it cost Yankee Stadium twice as much to build then what it took to build Citi, but hey more power to the Yanks, they can do that.
Hey I cant say that Yankee stadium has all the advertisements that Citifield has, but what I can say is that they fucked it up by making it small, and that Citi lacked history, oh & let me just say that 69 & 86 were 2 pretty historical WS Danny, those 2 WS are probably in the top 10 of all time in my opinion, 69 & 86 are 2 WS that are easily remembered in any true baseball fan memory bank, and that's why the Mets fucked up bigtime for not putting them around the stadium, but hey they will fixed that come next season, the fans have spoken.
That's what I meant since they are not making any new history, they couldn't eveen put ancient history in there?
I have no problem giving you 1986. But 1969? Get the fuck out of here. Easily memorable? Were you even born? I don't think so. You know not of what you speak.
I wasn't talking about the name of the park, I'm talking about as you walk around the park all you see is advertisements. Its like they beat you over the head with it and it wasn't just me who thought so, I was with 3 other people at that game and they all said the same thing and 2 of them are Met season ticket holders so please spare me your "You are anti-Met" speeches. I've been to over 20 major league parks and Citi Field by far had the most advertisements. No, it doesn't make or break a stadium experience for me but it was something that I noticed and stating my opinion on. Its the one thing from that park that really stuck in my head and that's not a good thing.
How can you say that they "fucked" it up? The beauty of baseball is that no other sport has is where every playing field is different, I like that the Mets made Citi Field big and I've grown to like the new Yankee Stadium because they both offer a different type of excitement that as a baseball fan I like to see. So I have to disagree with you on that whole they "fucked" it up thing.
I hope that the Mets learned from this season and embrace there history, I'm sure you'll see more of it next season.
Danny, we'll have to discuss a possible NYC trip. I'll have to check out the schedule and get back to you.
69 was not amazing? was I born? no, but was you born when the Yankees won the other 20 something titles? 69 was amazing because before that the Mets had never had a 500 season and were always known as the lovable losers then they shocked the baseball world by beating the heavily favorites Orioles. 69 & 86 top 10 WS ever, again in my opinion.
I know u been to almost all the ballparks compare to me who have only been to a hand full, but to be honest with you the advertisement did not enter my mind cause I guess I learn to accept it as part of everything we see today, everything today is an advertisement, you saw it and made it a point to point it out, I guess I will have to make that a check list whenever I see other parks.
The Mets fucked up because they have 2 glorious WS to their name and no history was on display around the park to symbolize that when they opened the doors, it was pretty much Mets fans only beef about the new park & that's why they fucked up.
Did Citi looked big to you?
This discussion is about the Stadiums not World Series, put up another post about that.
Trust me, advertisements have never been on my checklist for parks but then again I've never been beaten over the head by it like I was last weekend at Citi.
Yes, it did look big, its spacious which is very nice, you don't feel cramped like in the old park and the playing field is huge which is nice as well.
To be fair, he did mention the WS here.
But on the other hand, I am not one of those fans who is always bitching about those WS from the 60's. Oh yeah and the 50's. And the 40's. Oh what the hell, the 30's and 20's to. The ones before that also.
So no, 1969 was not amazing because I don't remember shit about it. Without going to google or not telling me anything about how long the Mets were a franchise, what can you rememeber (while you were not viewing) about any particular game in that WS?
Now, ask me about the Yankees run from the 1995 ALDS and on and I pretty much have it in my memory bank. There memorable because THEY ARE ACTUAL MEMORIES.
Lovable Losers? What is that? Just losers will do. I've only heard that term once in baseball and it wasn't to describe the Mets. It was the Cubs. If you think you are suffering, then you need to take a back seat to people who have died waiting for that team to win it all.
Oh and I can talk to you about what I remember of the 1980's Yanks and the early 90's. The 70's? I can only go off of what I've heard. I can only assumt the 77 and 78 WS were great but I can't say they were glorious. We won. I couldn't tell you specifics other than Reggie's and Chambliss' heroics.
Well you may not remember because it was before we were even born, but I have seen the video of 69, 77, 78, even in the 50’s and 60’s, I’m a baseball fan & part historian so I try to remember the past and not just what I was around to see, with that said, the Mets from 1962 to 68 were known for being the lovable loser and not the Cubs, those were the Mets because they lost in every way imaginable, they were the new team who you were just happy to have if you were a one time Brooklyn Dodger or NY Giants fan, I don’t know if you knew this but the Mets have the record for most loses in a season with 120 defeats in their 1st season in 62 & opened up with 4straight 100 plus seasons to begin their franchise, & the most they had ever won in a season was 73 games in 68, then came 69 and no one saw it coming, that’s where the term {Amazing Mets} was born, they went 100-62 & won it all.
So you say the Cubs, well I say the Mets were the originators of that term, because althought the Cubs havent won in a long time they still were at least contenders, while the Mets were just god awful, nothing to be proud about, but those were the Mets.
Danny, just because you didn't see something doesn't make it great. I never saw Mickey Mantle play but I'm pretty sure he was a great player.
As for the lovable losers term. Sorry Fred, that title belongs to the Cubs. Check it out:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_baseball_team_is_know_as_the_lovable_losers
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2009/01/23/baseballs-lovable-losers-square-off-against-under-armour/
http://www.amazon.com/Wrigleyville-Magical-History-Tour-Chicago/dp/product-description/0312156995
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_baseball_team_nicknames
It seems that the Cubs have had that title for longer but the Mets have also been called Lovable Losers as well.
I think the links I posted got cut off but if you google lovable losers and origins you can find stuff on it.
Ray, I don't think I said it but then again I didn't go back and check but I didn't say that what I hadn't seen wasn't great.
What I was getting at is that I have actual memories of the things I have seen. Not how wonderful something was 60 yrs ago. I can give you specifics of things that are in my memories. But for Fred to say that the 1969 series is in his top 10 I just find it to be a little (Mike Tyson) ludicrous because he didn't actually see those games. I can't say that the 1927 Yankees winning it all was in my top 10 because I know shit about that series other than the murder's row lineup. That's my point.
Ok, I got it. The way you originally wrote it, it seemed like you didn't think it was great because you weren't around to see it. Thanks for clearing that up.
well that settles it, the Cubs were the originators, but the Mets are more linked to that term.
While I was searching I came across this about Cubs fans:
{Unusual Facts About the Cubs}
Male Cubs fans spend most of their time hanging out in cheap strip joints, where a pair of fingers, thoroughly drenched in a Cambodian hooker's stinking twot, are traditionally smeared across his upper lip in a gesture of friendship. Handshakes, on the other hand, are likely to be met with hostility, especially if following the afore-mentioned gesture.
This was actually on UNCYCLOPEDIA
LOL
See that's the WHOLE PROBLEM come full circle.
You state that stuff about Male Cubs fans as facts. I think you said unusual facts about the Cubs. That is the problem with your "reporting."
IT IS NOT A FACT BECUASE you read it somewhere. It would only be a fact if in fact EVERY SINGLE MALE CUB FAN spent most of their time hanging out in cheap strip joints etc etc etc.
When did I say this was fact?
1st I did not write that or even took it as something that was legit, I just posted that because it was funny, for laughs dude.
Damn Danny you need to chill, that was clearly in jest.
You guys are nuts sometimes. I understand it was jest. I'm not stupid.
The first line in the below paragraph is my problem.
Just leave the word fact out. Honestly the word is blurred with you given your history of "facts."
To think none of this would even be happening if you didn't state what you said about the Yanks being the most hated. That's all.
{Unusual Facts About the Cubs}
Male Cubs fans spend most of their time hanging out in cheap strip joints, where a pair of fingers, thoroughly drenched in a Cambodian hooker's stinking twot, are traditionally smeared across his upper lip in a gesture of friendship. Handshakes, on the other hand, are likely to be met with hostility, especially if following the afore-mentioned gesture.
Post a Comment