While looking for information about “Dog Day” at Coors Field (it’s this coming Monday), I noticed two things. First, the Rockies have really lame promotions — we get solar calculators, trucker hats (in what fashion-impaired universe does anybody wear a trucker hat in 2007?), floppy hats, and “commemorative desk item” — no bobbleheads, ever. Second, the Rockies have Faith Day:
Faith Day
Come worship at the ballpark! Following the game, we will have an on-field concert and will give Rockies players the chance to share their testimonies with the fans.
Date: Sunday, July 29, 2007
Game Time: 1:05pm
Opponent: Los Angeles Dodgers
Ticket Price: $15 Outfield Box, $10 Upper Reserved Infield
Oh hell no. I’ve heard about “Faith Day” in the minor leagues, in the south, but at a Rockies game? I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but really?
Clearly, I’m not up to speed on the world of Christian baseball festivities. It turns out that “Faith Day” isn’t unheard of in MLB. The Cardinals, Braves, Reds, and Rangers have Faith Day promotions. According to the Rocky Mountain News, the Rockies have had an under-the-radar “Christian Family Day” for the past two years. Publicized only to church groups, Christian Family Day offered discounted tickets, post-game concerts, and “testimonials” from players and coaches. According to the article, the name was changed from “Christian Family Day” to “Faith Day” “in an apparent effort to make [the event] more inclusive.”
I wonder what else they’re doing to make the event “more inclusive.” According to a spokesperson, the Rockies “believe the event should encompass all faiths.” That’s nice, but are they doing anything to make this happen? I can’t tell from the information posted on the website. How is it even possible to have an event that encompasses all faiths? What about people who don’t have a “faith” or just don’t give a rat’s ass?
Of course, including all faiths and all “nonfaiths” would include everyone and make it just another day at Coors Field. For the sake of argument, let’s say that the event features only Christianity, which, considering the Rockies, seems like a reasonable assumption. My question then is: What’s the point?
Money, right? Faith Night seems like a lose/lose situation for the fans — Christians are being used for their money (or, to put it in less skeptical terms, aggressively marketed to in an attempt to get them to come out to a game), and non-Christians are being alienated. I’m sure it’ll be a money maker for the owners, and if you know anything about Rockies’ ownership, you know that the only thing they love more than Jesus is money.
The Rockies are a business, and the powers that be are free to do what they want to make money. I’m not really bothered by the fact that Faith Day exists, but it reminds me that I don’t feel like the Rockies will ever be “my” team, no matter how long I live here. I’m not sure how much more of my money I want to spend supporting them. For the rest of the summer, instead of buying Rockies tickets and overpriced beer at Coors Field, maybe I’ll blow the cash on Ozzie Guillen bobbleheads and a Jim Thome jersey for my dog.
July 19, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Listen, I’m there if they promise that on Faith Day that they’ll pit the Jews and the Muslims and the Christians all against each other in a Gladiator type event. This of course will include bobblehead deities. Bobblehead Jesus, bobblehead Mohammed, and bobblehead Moses.
I got it! We can split the stadium into three sections and split up the religions accordingly. Then they can sell only beer and pork rinds in the Muslim section, gay porn and reqular porn in the Christian section, and of course all the regular food and drinks in the Jewish section (but at double the original price). Baseball’s Never Been Hotter!
July 19, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Holy shit, that’s the most awesome idea, ever. We could also have Deity Races, which would be a cheap ripoff of those sausage races they do at Brewers games. I’d also like to implement a bulk discount on tickets for quiverfull fundies who want to bring all their kids.
July 19, 2007 at 3:47 pm
‘faith Day’ for MLB? That’s rich. Must be another Disney/ESPN ratings idea, like ‘Who is more now?’
It does take tremendous ‘faith’ to root for steroid addicted baseball players who alos drive drunk.
You won’t see Josh Hancock anywmore. Dead at age 26 with a blood alcohol level of .159. In a rented SUV. he had wrecked his SUV a few days earlier!
Lucky thing his manager Tony LaRussa has not killed anyone yet—he was arrested for DUE just ten nbeofre his middle releiver crashed into a tow truck.
Orlando Cepeda was arrested a few weeks ago(and quickly released) for DUE and possession of crack and meth amphetamines. Orlando works for the SF Giants (Balco Baroid Bond’s team) and he performs the anti-doping talks for school chilren. That’s yet another leap of faith, eh??? Esteban Loaisa, drunk driving Oakland pitcher clocked at 104 mph at 1:30 am.
Steve Howe is gone, Kirby Puckett, Ken Caminitti all dead by age 43 too.
Doc Gooden, Daryl Strawberry, Daren Daulton, Bobby Welch are struggling with addiction demons too.
But we can still have faith in those Disney/ESPN profits! Corked bats, steroids, booze, pine tar, dirty, but very exciting.
July 19, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Brilliant! I’m laughing my ass off at my desk right now just visualizing them rounding first base with Moses tripping on his own beard and Jesus losing a sandal. Then the actual sausage guys come out and scares Mohammad into the dugout.
During rain delays we can have Noah make a guest appearance with the grounds crew pulling out the tarp.
July 19, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Was Noah hooked on performace drugs too?
Nike Lance wants us to believe in miracles. And PED and cow blood transfusions (HBOCs) are miraculous so the man does have a point.
July 19, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I’m pretty sure the racing sausages and Noah were all seen in the dugout rubbing The Cream and The Clear on each other — and I think we’re going to have to test all of Noah’s animals for Bovine Growth Hormone.
July 19, 2007 at 5:39 pm
hitbyapitch:
That’s not possible as NO DRUG tests exist for:
synthetic hemoglobins (HBOCs)
human or cow blood transfusions
EPO micro dosing
hGH
many corticosteroids
Interleukins
IGF-1
insulin
And—whilst many drugs CAN be detected by urinanalysis–they are not:
testosterone (not tested for unless T/E exceed 4 times)
female ferility Clomid
choroinic gondatropin (female hormone)
The sausages can dope just like Tony’s boys.
July 20, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Tomorrow the leader of the TDF may be disqualified for ‘cow blood transfsuion allegations’
Two witnesses came forward from Colorado re: Micheal rasmussen’s Hempore cow blood made by Biopure in Cambridge, Mass.
I told you so.
ps: Lance Phamrstrong dodged his cow blood chrges back in the 2000 Tour. But times have chnaged.
July 20, 2007 at 8:17 pm
http://www.velonews.com/vntv/?Art_ID=1277
Empty denials and apologies.
Lance refused to allow in journalists (trolls) who asked such questions. His press conferences were ‘friends of Lance only’ PR affairs.
Took a page out of corporate America shareholder meetings.
July 21, 2007 at 8:54 am
hitbyapitch, I’m getting hammered by this guys sports hating comments just like you are. No matter what the topic, or how hard you try to have a two way conversation, it never fails to go into one of those crazy rants. Every time, under a different name to maybe add “bulk” to the amount of people supposedly agreeing with this crap.
I’m guessing it’s a clever way to spam blogs such as ours. When someone googles any of these topics (and comments get indexed in search engines too) he’s got links all over the place. Anyway, I’m going to block this crap from now on, so good luck on your end.
Oh yeah, one more thing… MICHAEL VICK STILL SUCKS! ;-)
July 22, 2007 at 1:26 pm
I love sports!
I despise doping, cheating, fixes, Nike, dog fighting and doper apologists.
Doper apologists are the lowest form of TV media freak.