have agreed to start weeknight home games at 7:11 p.m. under a sponsorship deal struck with the convenience store chain known for its Slurpee frozen drinks, the team announced Wednesday.The team will probably reinvest the profits in either the team or ballpark. ... Or not. Whatever.
White Sox spokesman Scott Reifert would not disclose the value of the three-year deal with Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc., but he said the revenue it generates will probably be reinvested in the team or its ballpark.
The new start time does not represent a drastic change since many weeknight games at U.S. Cellular Field currently start at 7:07 p.m., Reifert said. "We're just talking about four minutes, so it's not much of an inconvenience for the fans," he said.
Is there anything that baseball will not sell for a few extra dollars? Maybe Reebok can sponsor intentional walks? How about Purdue doing something with foul balls? When will players get logos tattooed on their foreheads?
[Hat tip to Eric Wilbur, who also has a few anti-Thom Brennaman links.]
Probably reinvested. Or else just pocketed.
ReplyDeleteYou know we'd be watching the Mastercard World Series if they thought they could get away with it. Instead of the World Series presented by Mastercard, which is almost as bad, but not quite.
Redsock asks: "Is there anything that MLB will not sell for a few extra dollars?"
ReplyDeleteIt's obviously a rhetorical question, since we all know. I have a theory that MLB corporate offices aren't on 9th St in NY. They actually front a huge sweatshop in the garment district. When a team clinches, it's a race to whether the box score gets posted to the website before the 'buy the gear' link. After that, it's all hands to the sewing machines to get them orders filled. I bet there's even one with Bud's name on it, for when they get really busy.
In other news, FOX was a bit harsh on Psycho. All they had to do was transfer him to their News Department, who would find him a nice fit for their Southern border beat.
Speaking of 7-Eleven, did you hear they decided to stop selling Citgo gas, right after the Bush/devil remark? (Citgo's gas comes from Venezuela.) But claimed they were planning on selling their own brand of gas anyway... suuurrre.
ReplyDeleteThe message, apparently, is:
Speaking your mind in the USA is BAD. Screwing with the national pastime to sell 80-ounce sodas and Slim Jims to already obese people is GOOD.
The ultimate in the game's disgrace on this point is still the re-naming of stadiums according to which bank or orange juice company is willing to pony up.
ReplyDeleteI so agree. And once it starts, it's a slippery slope. Look at San Francisco's new park, which has changed names, what, four times in its short history?
In this case, it's not MLB making the change, it's individual teams' ownership. I suppose MLB could forbid naming rights, but I don't see how.
At most parks now, every friggin thing is sponsored. I'm expecting each pitch and at-bat to be sponsored next season. I find it really depressing.
Speaking your mind in the USA is BAD. Screwing with the national pastime to sell 80-ounce sodas and Slim Jims to already obese people is GOOD.
ReplyDeleteSounds about right.
I wish the City of Boston would see to getting that Citgo sign landmarked, before another Chavez-related upheaval gets the wingnuts going.
I understood what Lyons meant. I also understood what he meant about Shawn Green a couple years ago.
ReplyDeleteIt was probably over-reaction to fire him, but that's typical in the broadcasting world, where people are routinely fired between broadcasts. That happens on every level, from lowly techies to talking heads.
I don't like how at Fenway it's now "Coca-Cola presents the Seventh Inning Stretch." They shouldn't have touched that one. Why not just call it the "Coke Stretch"?
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about the Lyons firing, I figured the stories were omitting something bad because I couldn't figure out how anyone could be ofended by what was being reported.
ReplyDeleteI didn't hear the exchange during the game, so maybe there was more in the tone. I doubt it, though.
Yes, Lyons is a moron, but no more of a moron than the average ESPN announcer. I keep saying it -- it's astounding that all these plum jobs go to people who, by all appearances, don't do a damn bit of preparation and just vomit out outdated cliche after stupid cliche.
I'm looking forward to the WS, but the thought of having to listen to McMoron fills me with dread.
There certainly could have been more to the firing than we heard about. There's no reason to assume we know the full story.
ReplyDeleteBy the way: my understanding is that the Citgo sign is a designated landmark now.
Really. Then all the blather about taking it down or hanging a big US flag over it was just hot air. Not that I thought anyone was actually going to do anything, but if it's landmarked, it doesn't even work as a party stunt.
I wonder why the Citgo sign can be landmarked and not Fenway Park itself.