One of these days, I have to get myself to the Christmas at Fenway event. It looks like people who are there have a lot of fun. Bravo to the organization for putting together such a great event. It’s another example of how it’s possible to make things just a little bit better, but have a huge impact. Sure, you could just have people stand in line for tickets. The image of people waiting in a pouring rain for tickets always looks good in the newspaper. But, the Red Sox decided that wasn’t good enough. As long as the fans were there, they might as well make it worth their while. A nice place to wait, a couple guest appearances, and you have a day that you can promote for weeks. Nice job.
It’s also “amazing” how the Carl Crawford press conference fell on Saturday as well. It took him longer to schedule a physical than it takes me. But, it allowed him to go right from the press conference, to say hi to the fans waiting for tickets. Genius. Speaking of genius, how about the move of having Crawford wear a Liverpool tie? Nice touch. I had asked when the group bought LFC how much cross marketing would be going on. This was a nice, yet subtle, step. I don’t know about you, but now I want to buy the tie that Crawford was wearing.
The news about the Sox offering a deal to Cliff Lee was interesting. The reports were that they offered a seven-year deal just to make everyone else go seven years, and to drive the price up a little bit for everyone else. It also distracted the Yankees, at least a little, from focusing on Carl Crawford. A great ploy. I have to wonder, though. How do you come up with that offer? How much do you lowball? Does Lee’s agent have the understanding that this is a bogus offer? Is it a seven-year deal at the league minimum salary? Is it seven years, $100 million to make it high enough to scare other clubs if it leaks? What if Lee accepts? Is the offer low enough that the Sox wouldn’t have been sunk if he agreed? What if Lee looked at the offer, saw it was less money, but really liked the idea of winning a ring while beating the Yankees fans that treated his family so poorly? How do you make an offer that won’t be accepted, but is real enough to scare the other clubs? How much do you need to work with Lee to get that to happen?
I’ve been to baseball games that were cold before. And by cold, I mean October night game cold. 45 degrees. Maybe some wind. I’ve been at games like that where the Sox have been trailing. The thought has crossed my mind during those games that I might actually want the Sox to lose. The time it would take for the Sox to score five runs might kill me if I had to wait that long in the cold. I thought of those games while I was watching the Patriots Sunday. Imagine you’re a Chicago Bears fan at the game. It’s freezing. The wind chill is 20 below. It’s snowing. Half your concentration is on the game. Half is on just keeping warm enough to make it through. Then, at halftime, your team is down 33-0. How on earth do you come back for the second half? How do you not just go home and get warm? I have to give the fans that stuck it out a lot of credit.
I doubt I would have.
Think if Lee would have accepted we would have had him for a low amount and then just not signed Crawford. Think Lester, Lee, Beckett, Buchholz, Lackey. That is one hell of an impressive rotation. To me the bad thing would have been if they had offered Lee the smaller amount and he told them maybe and theo put things on hold waiting on a decision (like the yankees did).
ReplyDeleteYou want a Liverpool tie because of Crawford. Have you found yourself watching their soccer games yet? I have but I was a soccer fan before the Liverpool purchase. I just didn't have any rooting interest in the European League. I do now.
That would be one mighty fine rotation. I like the way it all worked out though.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched the games yet. I've always been interested in the EPL from affar. The whole workings of the league is great. Now that I've been given a horse in the race, I can see having a passing interest in LFC. A tie. Maybe a shirt. Something simple. Don't know how many games I'll catch. Sort of how I follow the Bruins, I suppose. I'd prefer they win, but don't get heartbroken if they don't.
Maybe you should get a older LFC jersey from when the were sponsored by Carlsberg. That would be fitting.
ReplyDelete