Walking around Angel Stadium at the dawn of a new season, the recession was everywhere you looked, but with as pleasant a spin on it as possible. Gone were the people-herding poles with lanyards weaving hungry fans into Angelino's and Ruby's counters - the wait now never appeared to be more than two fans in front of you as everyone seems to be bringing their own food.
And the ones who are buying food might have the same selections as ever, but we bought a $10 California Pizza Kitchen pizza from an aisle vendor (shout out to Angelhawker and his wife) and were delighted to discover that it was actually hot and fresh - we had given up on the stadium pizza after we sadly discovered that stale bread and cool, thoroughly coagulated cheese was the norm. The pressure is finally on to deliver quality and convenience, heretofore unpalatable concepts at Rally Rat Aramark of Anaheim.
But it doesn't stop there. Buy a replica jersey and get two tickets to an upcoming Angel home game. Spend more than $5 in the team store and get a free program. Donate to curing blood cancer at the team store and get a delightful cheery shout out from the cashier staff. Need to go to your car? The security at the gate punches your ticket with a smile and polite instructions for your return.
Those yelping credit card application booths lining the stadium walkways offering a free Angel comb or towel if you give them enough info to ID theft you before you leave the park? They are either gone or pretty quiet these days. The crackhead semi-homeless "vendor" wandering the parking lot offers (stolen or bootlegged) Angel caps for ten dollars to folks just getting out of their cars. At the souvenir booth just outside the main gate the team's official hawker announces his official merchandise with prices. Authentic team caps are $7.
And all of this is available to fans for $3 at the first of what will be many midweek game specials. The line to the walkup ticket window was long before the game started, but not a single person in it was paying ticketmaster surcharges.
I guess we should all enjoy this recession while it lasts!
0 recs | 22 comments
Hey, there positives in almost any situation
Like my dad used to say about people hawking " I survived the (fill in the blank)" t-shirts after natural disasters, " Hey, no matter how bad the situation, someone somewhere makes out like a bandit."
HaloDutch - April 8, 2009
i know this has nothing to do with the post
but where did the pregame questions appear yesterday and where are they for todays game?
only reason i didnt guess is i couldnt find them.
am i blind?!
kingfish - April 8, 2009
Looks like they are showing up in automated threads after 2:30PM.
If you go to the main page, on the LEFT SIDEBAR you will find all sorts of handy “categorized post” links, such as:
Top 100 Angels
All-Time Jersey Roster
Angel Debuts
Events
Game Threads
Minor Leagues
News
Postgame Threads
Pregame Threads
Top 100 Angels (2005)
There you have it. Directions provided free of charge.
Downing Rules - April 8, 2009
thanks downing
that was driving me crazy
kingfish - April 8, 2009
to clarify...
the automated thread was on the main headline page from 2:30PM until just after game time. After game time, it goes and hides in that sidebar link. I am guessing, by the way.
Downing Rules - April 8, 2009
I am actually
going to take advantage of those $3 game tickets at some point this year. Can’t beat that.
angelskid2210 - April 8, 2009
$3...
I’m going to the stadium this morning and getting tixs for tomorrow night’s game so I can take the family… went to opening day with a client and, yeah, the stadium seems a lot more… mellow.
ScottD00 - April 8, 2009
As for the "Semi-Homeless" offering up
their mechandise (legit or not, my guess not), I’ll confirm teh $10 going in, but get this, it was $5 on the way out last night. So if you need to save $2, check him out. My brother in law said “With deals like that, I bet he might even have Lunar Shuttle Tickets.”.
I too saw several folks with their own food, and huge posters with pricing on Halos merchandise at the team store.
So far I think they are off to a great start and improving the quality of experience for the fan, I just hope in continues throughout the season.
BrianDowningFan - April 8, 2009
Shorter food lines
Could be a combination of the economy plus the now overabundance of the smaller “Grilled” and “Fried” stands. There are at least 3 new stands behind the LF Pav. The “Grilled” stands offered sausages and hot dogs and the “Fried” stands offered, you guessed it, various french fry choices such as Taco Fries (huh?) and Garlic Fries.
Farmer John hot dogs have been replaced by Wienerschnitzle and Hooters is back, this time sponsoring the Home Run Inning. Can’t recall what they were giving away.
I wish I would’ve taken a picture, but I was happy to see new recycling bins all over the stadium. They’re green plastic containers with an Angels helmet serving as the entry point for your bottle or can.
ReggieBullits - April 8, 2009
$5 at Tu Tu Tango, I think
red floyd - April 8, 2009
Ya I was shocked to get a hot dog so fast and drink one thing i didnt approve of
was the onions i love onions on my hot dog and they now offer them in a plastic bag they dont taste good at all not fresh that was a bummer.
sexassassin - April 8, 2009
Yeah, that one was a surprise
red floyd - April 8, 2009
Same as last year on the onions...
maybe been that way for two years.
Downing Rules - April 8, 2009
I asked last year
it is a health dept issue
Rev Halofan - April 9, 2009
They're not the same
Last year they appeared to be fresh cut in the little plastic cups. This year they’re clearly freeze dried and sealed in a plastic bag. I was bummed about that too.
ReggieBullits - April 11, 2009
ONE OTHER THING
The race between the cartoon baseballs was a three-way tie with everyone’s stub good for free wings at HOOTERS today. Here is the best part: People booed the TIE even when the prize was announced.
In 2004, Hooters was whining via the LA TIMES about the Angels offense hurting them (if i recall correctly cost is estimated at $160K for the chain in a wings promotion, but they make $250K in extra sales) but now they want us!
Rev Halofan - April 8, 2009
Cheapskates...
I am a classic cheapskate, but you should not skimp here …
When receiving a free food item, you should still tip as if you paid for that item.
Example:
I have free 10-wings from Hooters (an $8.99 value). I also get a soda for $3. I receive my bill for $3. The cheapskate leaves $4 thinking, “hey, that’s over 20% of the tab.” However, the nice guy leaves 20% times the $12 that the bill “should have been” or approx $2.50 as a tip.
A little “free food” tipping advice from a guy who is a cheapskate, but realizes fairness when fairness needs to be doled out (translation: I’ve worked for tips before and man, can people be cheap).
Downing Rules - April 8, 2009
$3 tix = Bait and Switch Night
The Angels need to do $3 tix nights a lot differently than they did last night. A big help would be to open more than of the one ticket window. Last night, as noted above, there was a long line stretching far into the parking lot for the cheap tix. Every other ticket window at the Stadium was closed. Me and my kids got in the ridiculous line at 5:30 and were getting close to the window when an Angels spokesman came out at about 6:50 to announce all of the discount tickets were sold out and the cheapest seats left were in the $20- $35 range. I understand that tickets do sell out, but the fact the Angels made so many people wait at a single ticket window and then waited until game time to let people know there wouldn’t be any discount tix was rather shabby.
I ended up just going to Frys and buying my kids some video games and eating the parking I had already paid. I did get in touch with the Angels to complain, and they were sympathetic, if not helpful. Simple solution- open more than one ticket line. I’ll still attend the 20-30 games I always attend, but its doubtful I will subject myself to the $3 ticket circus again.
Go Angels!
Zaius - April 8, 2009
I was there
I understand your frustration, but I tend to doubt you got in line at 5:30. I got in line at 5:41 (I checked), and had completed my ticket purchase at 6:11. There is no way you were still in line at 6:50 if you got in line before I did.
That said, they were running out of discount tickets when I got to the window (I was going for the “VLAD” discount, not the $3 ducats). I was a bit surprised they had only one ticket booth (there were actually four windows open) in operation. It seems kind of random whether they have others open (I haven’t detected any pattern in the past). Of course, more windows = more staff = more expenses, at a time when I suspect they’re trying to cut costs.
jjackflash - April 8, 2009
This post's headline loses something in the aftermath of Brian Powers' death.
“Discounts, Smiles and Fights Greet Angel Stadium Visitors” seems more applicable.
I am so down right now.
Downing Rules - April 8, 2009
Sethy's Billy Mac post made it onto deadspin.com
http://deadspin.com/5204036/its-good-to-be-bill-macdonald
Mayheminthehood - April 8, 2009
Whats Ridiculous...
Is that it took a recession for professional sports to realize that they needed to return to marketing and encouraging fans to come out to the game. Service to the customer should be the number one priority of any business.
Northwest - April 8, 2009
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