Earl and I went to Syracuse to see the Skychiefs play at MacArthur Stadium P & C Stadium Alliance Bank Stadium tonight.
Now, I have to say that I’m not the biggest baseball fan in the world. It’s fun to go to a game or two during the summer, but I don’t get rabid over the Yankees or crazy about the White Sox or anything like that. I wasn’t very good at baseball or softball as a kid; perhaps I’m still traumatized by the whole ordeal. Nevertheless, being a spectator can be fun under the right circumstances.
Tonight’s weather was perfect for the game with a crystal blue sky and temperatures in the mid 70s.
We had free tickets courtesy of work with our seats up in the 300s, in the general admission area called the SkyDeck. To our left was an older couple. Apparently they had a few too many hot dogs as Earl barked out “Has she really eaten four hot dogs?” I didn’t want to say anything, but her first had ketchup, the second had mustard, the third had relish and the fourth had cheese.
But who’s counting.
It seems like there was more action in the stands than on the field. People were constantly moving. Hardly anyone was sitting as people mingled up and down the aisles, barkers barked out “cotton candy” and “programs” and several people paid more attention to the lone seagull flying over the stadium than to the players on the field.
It was a great study in people watching.
I’m always amused by the heavy corporate sponsorship going on at arenas and stadiums these days. At the site of the stadium used to stand “MacArthur Stadium”, which was probably named after someone important that mostly likely did not leave the cake out in the rain. Well they ripped that down a decade or so ago and up in it’s place came “P & C Stadium”. Not a sexy name by any stretch. By the way, P & C is a grocery store chain here in Upstate New York. When they held naming rights, 1st was in produce, 2nd was in meats, 3rd was in dairy and home plate was at the checkout lines.
Nah, I’m just kidding, but wouldn’t that have been a kick. Especially if the baseball was green like a brussel sprout or something.
Anyways, P & C filed for bankruptcy so they gave up the rights to name the stadium and it became “Alliance Bank Stadium”.
You’d think they’d have more than one ATM machine on site.
Then there’s a bunch of rotating billboards all over the place. Gone are the days of a hand painted signs along the dugout and chain link fence, now we have flashing lights, billboards that change messages and banners that proclaim the virtues of some law firm. You know, I’ve never set foot in a Supercuts (with this haircut?) but I have to wonder what the clientele is like when they heavily advertise facial waxing and barely mention hair styling.
Earl and I stayed at the game through the bottom of the fifth and decided that we had fulfilled our baseball obligation for 2006. Overall it was an enjoyable experience, but I think we’re ready for some football.
