Monday, March 30, 2009

Your Zeroth Look At Citi Field

I'll be showing you my own photos of the place next weekend, but Zack has a really good critique of Citi Field in photos. He brings up all the things that stink about this park--and it's all logistic stuff I completely understand. In his overall assessment at the end, he says what I've been saying for years, pointing out all the ways it imitates the other new parks. I've been calling them "the new cookie cutters" for a long time now.

Camden Yards got it right. They looked at the way parks used to be, and did something in that spirit, instead of copying 80 per cent of the other stadiums around it....whereas all the parks coming out now? That's right, they're: "copying 80 per cent of the other stadiums around it." Some are nice, but the whole league is so anti-septic now.

The question to me has been, "who will build the next SkyDome?" That place was the Eagles tour-bus brigade to Camden Yards' Ramones' first club gig. That poor city got stuck with the last of the dinosaurs, then watched as everyone else partied it up in the gutter. Now with the new cookie-cutters, somebody else is gonna get stuck with the last, most sterilized, overly retro-fied, spring training looking park that costs way too much money to build and get into...right before somebody else starts a new trend. I think the city of New York may have co-dinosaurs.

But how sweet would it have been if the Yanks had built their big tomb, while the Mets waited it out...and then started a new trend? But what would that new trend be? Well, no $2,600 seats. No catering to the rich. Put all that money-making fanciness on the periphery, and leave the fans to sit and watch baseball on a ballfield.

God I'm glad we've still got Fenway Park. The only true solution for these other teams is one they can never attain: going back in time.

Comments:
To clarify, the order went: "rock" bands got bigger and bigger and bigger, with bands having huge entourages (SkyDome), which led to....people going back to just rocking, i.e. punk rock (Camden). After reading my post again I realized some people might think I meant that SkyDome was better or something--I just mean it was the one final attempt at the big, multipurpose, turf fields that started as the "new fad" in the 60s/70s, right before everything changed. And we're on the verge of that again.

So the new NYC stadiums are like Kings of Leon. People are all impressed, thinking this is the best thing ever, but they won't realize how utterly shitty it is until someone slams them over the head with something that really is good.
 
Jere,

Box office is selling tix to the June NYY series over the phone if you're interested.
 
Just called and they said all games sold out from that series.

I talked to a person. I also called the automated line--also a no go.

You got some?
 
Yeah, grabbed some Bud Deck SRO for 6/9, terrible view but it gets me in the park...
 
Nice job--so was this like way before you wrote the comment, or right before....cuz that guy sure acted like it was all sold out and I called like 8 minutes after I got your message. I have heard other games have been available on the phone that aren't online--like July 4th weekend. It goes to show you, always try the phone and never believe a game is completely sold out.
 
About 10 minutes beforehand...a friend of mine just called and was told "scattered singles only" so I guess it depends on who picks up the phone...
 
Crazy! I just called again, got a different guy, and as soon as he heard the date I asked for, he said, "No, all the Yankee series are sold out."


Of course, I already have a Batman #14--but I'm always lookin' out for the other three, if you know what I'm sayin'.
 
Woohoo! Just called back: "one in the Bud Deck."

Sweet! That's all I needed....

Thanks a lot for the tip. Seriously.
 
You got it.

Your posts have led to several ticket scores on my part, figured I'd spread the word.

Other friends this afternoon reported getting tickets in the loge for Fri 4/24, as well as piggybacks for the April series.

Might be worth a shot tomorrow if you're trying to go to those games.
 
Cool. I wonder if they have any Opening Day just hangin' out there....
 
My Critique+Videos, from Citi Field, Friday Evening, giving me Big Papi, Youk, and Company, live from the Land of The Ice King Of Corona, on the I R T #7 Line instead of The T to Kenmore:

The Next Stop is Mets-Willets Point.
 

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