The White Sox have a chance to win it all!
And they already have the right attitude about it.
This being the season when MLB teams normally have some sort of fan event, it’s a reminder that the White Sox once again are going to avoid the (remaining) fan base by not holding SoxFest, instead holding some gathering for the big spenders only that requires season tickets.
Nice move, as usual.
Not a surprise for an organization that treats the riffraff like pond scum by banning those with 500 level seats from the lower deck — even before the game starts — and blames fans regularly for being the cause of Jerry Reinsdorf’s miserly ways because they don’t buy enough tickets to watch a lousy team.
No question, Reinsdorf and his execs have a complete disdain for ordinary fans. Generally, that’s considered a no-no — at least not something you let escape out to the public which you disdain.
But what if they’re right? What if they’d really be better off without all us riffraff around, concentrating instead on the big bucks? The White Sox last year were among the least expensive parks in the majors for families (buying the cheapest tickets and having a drink and a hot dog), so maybe there’s not enough profit for Jerry and friends there.
Pro sports have long catered to the rich or, mostly, to businesses that can write off the price of top tickets and all that goes with them; luxury boxes mean Daddy Warbucks and pals can literally avoid breathing the same air as the rest of us. The Sox have Terrace Suites and All-Star Suites and Fan Boxes and Diamond Suites to bring in the big money, while tolerating the little guy and his family if they must.
Still, you’d think they still need the ordinary fan to buy the occasional ticket, and they shouldn’t poke sharp sticks in the eyes of people who can only afford the upper deck. But what if they don’t?
Plenty of businesses thrive at the top of their markets. GM may have a history of a wide spread of price options, from Chevrolets to Cadillacs, but BMW does just fine scoffing at the concept. Rolex feels no need to emulate Timex. Alinea doesn’t offer a Big Mac.
LET’S FACE IT — MAYBE TREATING THE HOI-POLLOI LIKE DIRT IS THE RIGHT STRATEGY
Fact is, having lots of fans is a big bother, and that’s not just because maybe they would have asked an annoying question had there been a SoxFest.
You have to have a big crew to guide cars around parking lots, then to clean up the mess the tailgaters leave. You have to have people take tickets and scan bodies and hand out those little refrigerator magnets. You have to have ushers and concession stand operators and 50-50 pot sellers and janitors and security. That’s all expensive, and it comes out of the cheap seats as well as the luxury boxes.
What if you could avoid all that? What if, instead of profiting, say, $25 a seat from 20,000 seats, you could make that half million from just a handful of sales? Or just one or two? Life would be so much easier.
There’s an old joke about a used car lot where every car was priced at a million dollars.
“Are you crazy? You’ll never sell any at that price,” said the dealer’s friend.
“Maybe not,” said the dealer, “ but if I ever sell just one, I’ll be rich.”
