All You Can Eat
Thanks for your patience as we get back into the swing of things. To answer your questions about the pavilions, the reason they look different right now is because they’re completing some work with the concrete underneath the benches. There won’t be any noticeable differences in the pavilions when you show up on Opening Day, as the benches will be put back in before then. There will be one difference, though, in the right field pavilion, which some of you might have read about this morning in the L.A. Times. The pavilion will be an all-you-can-eat ticket for $35 (or $40 if you buy it on the day of the game). This was something we tried last year and fans really seemed to like it, so we’re going with it for ’06.
I noticed the one comment on the blog that was not a proponent of this change but I ask you all to give it a shot. There are obviously people who really enjoyed this opportunity last year and for those that don’t, they can simply choose to sit elsewhere in the park and it should have no affect on them whatsoever.
On a side note, while the L.A. Times article is correct in stating that the least expensive day-of-game ticket will be $10, it failed to point out that we still will have $8 tickets, provided you get them in advance. I think it’s important that fans realize that we’re still trying to provide affordable entertainment for everyone.
In regards to the Dodger Fan Rewards program, we are still waiting on some detailed information from Sports Loyalty Systems, the third-party company that operated the program. We hope to have the information shortly, so thanks for your patience.
Inside the Dodgers 
Thanks Josh. It’s good to know that they’re reinforcing the concrete under the bleachers… all to accomodate the extra weight of all the food that will be consumed there. Not to mention the added weight that the requlars will be placing on the foundation as the season progresses. :o)
Also from the LA Times:
“David Beckham, perhaps the world’s most widely recognized soccer player after Pele and Diego Maradona, today signed a five-year, $250-million contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.”
There is still going to be over 3 million dodger fans that will go to Dodger Stadium.. but maybe that’ll get the Dodger front office to start acting like a major market team.. spend some of that $$ they are getting out of the pockets of poor fans out in the pavillions… I had planned to go to at least 10 games in 2007, but now I’m reconsidering, it comes down to be pretty expensive for a game now..
“There are obviously people who really enjoyed this opportunity last year and for those that don’t, they can simply choose to sit elsewhere in the park and it should have no affect on them whatsoever.”
Yeah, can’t wait for that first ESPN broadcast where the jokes will flow at OUR expense. Bad idea.
Benny, what does Beckham signing with the Galaxy have to do with the Dodgers? Do you think it makes sense to sign someone for that much moeny? Where do you think that money will come from? I understand $10 is a lot of money for many people but it is not a lot to attend a major sporting event when a movie ticket costs that much or even more. Remember, many of the people who do attend Dodger games did not pay for the ticket; someone else did. Enjoy the soccer games and we will miss you at Dodger Stadium this coming season.
If you do the math, the “all you can eat idea” makes no financial sense. Let’s say you eat two dogs, two cokes, peanuts, and say, nachos. That comes to, what, $30? Or am I being naive about how much the McCourts have jacked up food prices, from the obscene to the insane? I can see that this all you can eat idea could be a hit with the really really large among us, the type that you find bellying up at a Hometown Buffet, but how many of those people have $40 per person to spend on a game? Then what if you have kids? No way kids are going to eat $40 worth of food, at least until they are 12 or so. The only thing I can figure is that the Dodgers want to attract the untapped market of fat, rich teenagers. Sarcasm aside, I just don’t get the math here and I can’t see why anyone would find this idea attractive….
Thanks for the update on the Rewards Club — I look forward to hearing about that. Saves me a frustrating phone call to follow up!
MAN, JANUARY IS ALWAYS THE SLOWEST MONTH!!! HOW MANY DAYS LEFT TIL FEB. 15TH?
Josh,
I can’t tell you how pissed I am about the rewards club program. I hate to vent to you, but you’re the only official Dodger ear available. I’ve been trying to build up points for a year and now it seems for naught. I hope you guys come up with some sort of deal for those of us with points. And yes, cc3451, the all-you-can-eat move makes zero financial sense and seems like a disgusting way to put on thirty pounds in a single trip to the stadium. But I’m still gonna try it for one game. It’s too crazy of a baseball move to pass up.
“Let’s say you eat two dogs, two cokes, peanuts, and say, nachos. That comes to, what, $30?”
Yeah, but don’t forget you’re getting a ticket too. The left field pavillion seats are $10, so that adds up about right. It may seem a bit excessive, and you have to be really hungry for it to work, but it’s interesting.
What gets me is just looking at the menu. Admittedly, I’ve been to Dodger Stadium once (that’s what happens when you live on the east coast), so I might not understand everything involved, but here’s the whole listing:
• Dodger Dogs
• Nachos
• Peanuts
• Popcorn
• Coca-Cola products
• Water
Candy, beer, and ice cream are understandably not included. But what about french fries and those giant soft pretzels? And no offense to the Dodger Dog, but are there other meal items (burgers, sandwiches, pizza, etc) available, and are they covered?
I would expect there to be a lot of empty seats in the right field pavillion. I don’t say this because people won’t buy them, but because there’s too much incentive to stand away from their seats and cash in on free food to give to left field pavillion fans, for example. If I’ve got a right field ticket, and my buddy in left has a family of four and they all want dodger dogs and a coke, then they could give me $30 or $40 which I could pocket, so it’s like a free night at the ballpark with all the food I want.
I’m a season ticket holder and I don’t think I spent $40 all season. Call me frugal… or maybe just a body concious individual who doesn’t need to stuff themselves with artery clogging “food”.
Sorry to take it out on you Josh, but as said above, you’re the official “ear” for the dodgers online. You probably didn’t have anything to do with the decision anyway.
It just disgusts me to think that somebody can eat that much food. I know it’s expensive to eat at the ballpark, but common.
I don’t drink, but maybe if that included beer it would be justified.
Ice cream’s are about $4, pretzels are $3, hot dogs are $5 or $6? People are going to have to eat A LOT of food to justify that.
I love the organization and hope they succeed on the field and off the field, but I have a feeling this is going to be a bust, sorry.
Also, I have a question. What determines the increase in season ticket prices and how do you figure out how much to raise them? My seats were raised $2 each this year. While it’s not a drastic difference at first glance, it works out to be a 40% increase which is much more than my yearly raise at work.
Patriotacts425 – the left field and right field pavilions are seperated and there is no way to meet with fans on the other side. In fact, they are completely cut off from the rest of the stadium. The seats are about the cheapest you can find and they tend to get a pretty rowdy crowd. They don’t serve beer out there either. Cut the hoodlums off from the rest of the stadium and keep them sober so they can’t fight (any more than they already do) or steal seats from the field level patrons.
“Thanks Josh. It’s good to know that they’re reinforcing the concrete under the bleachers… all to accomodate the extra weight of all the food that will be consumed there. Not to mention the added weight that the requlars will be placing on the foundation as the season progresses. :o)”
I swear i laughed out laud on that one.
But seriously the McCourts are putting money on the team & that’s all I ask for, I’ll be happy to dish out a few more bucks.
ksspark
What’s the word from Boise? I saw an article in the LA Times that Boise State is having a good recruiting class. As an Oklahoma fan I was less than pleased with the outcome of the game, but those are the hazards of rooting for a team thats expected to win them all.
I work with a BS grad and we decided the BCS should expand and always hold open a couple of spots for teams from the smaller conferences.
Anyway I just as soon the loss was to a team on it’s way to consistently doing well against the so called big hitters.
Sometimes the media hype surrounding these games really annoys me.
knouffbrock, what does Boise State’s good recruiting class have to do with the Dodgers? Oooops… I was channeling “lbirkin” for a moment there I think! :o)
What’s the word? Do I have to choose just one? Aside from “WOW”, I guess I’d have to choose Chris “Peterson” as the word. The man can do no wrong at this point in his life. He has a key to the city and a great football program at his fingertips. But I’ve seen this coming for several years now.
Dan Hawkins really helped pave the way for Peterson’s leadership this season… and not to mention that he was a gifted offensive coordinator to begin with. It’s just too bad that a division 1-A team with no losses gets ranked fifth and sixth in the nation. I’d love to see a one game playoff… our defense is one of the best in the country and I think we’d hold our own against Florida… but we’ll never know, will we?
http://www.broncosports.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=4061&DB_OEM_ID=9900
The stadium improvements are nice , the bleacher food section is what it is, good or bad, but if the McCourts want to make more money tell them to invest in getting the best players on the field and winning some championships. That will bring in more people than any gimmicks can.
fliegel@ptd.net this years crop was not all that good I’d rather pay Andrews good money rather than Soriano plus we got Schmidt for 3 years only, would you rather have Zito for 7 years??? no thanks.
interpol2424, I’m not saying they should have signed Zito or anybody else right now, all I’m saying is put that money into the team rather than having gimmicks to try and bring more people into the stadium.
i am sorry ksspark i am all for the cinderellas but boise state would have gotten completely demolished if it played florida. they would have got blown out by USC as well. did you see the game??? thompson from oklahoma threw what 3 interceptions, and they still almost came back and won if not for a few brilliantly designed trick plays. they were ranked where they should have been until, they start scheduling higher ranked teams. i think we would have saw a similar game had boise state played notre dame as they should have, they were no match for LSU. that was the worst college football game ive seen.
I am a returning Dodger season ticket holder out in the jungle (Left Field Pavilion). I missed maybe five games all of last season. I usually brought my own food to the games, but I “Dodger Dogged it” (as my 12 year old son calls it) maybe two or three games each home stand. It cost me $32 for four DD’s, two small drinks, and a bag of peanuts – and that was for BOTH of us. Sure, late in the game my son would want something else (usually a chocolate malt), but we still came in at well below $70 (2 X $35).
What is unfortunate is that there are a lot of people who want to sit in the RFP without this silly buffet gimmick, but will now have to pay $35-$40 to sit there even if they do not want to participate in the buffet. This should be an optional buy-in thing and not a mandatory thing to enjoy watching the game from the RFP. Why not take this promo to the Top Deck (or a section of the upper Reserve Level) instead of the RFP?
Although this gimmick will not directly affect me in the LFP, it WILL force a lot of the regular RFP fans who do not want to play in McCourt’s silly little hot dog games to move over to the already crowded LFP.
Just my $.02
GO DODGERS!
PS: Only 86 more days until the home opener!
They already know the all-one-can-eat seats will be unpopular. That’s the point. This is little more than a way of depressing ticket availability–like the tarp in Oakland. Except, in Oakland, people make fun of the owner for using the tarp. The all-one-can-eat seats are a little brilliant in that, not only do we get to pay McCourt more money to go to the games, but now we get to look like ******, while he goes unscathed.
I hope the Branding experts got a bonus for that little gem.
Wow. “Em oh are aye en es” is verboten here? My apologies for the tough language.
graffitigenius… I’m glad you’re a genius with graffiti… ’cause your BSU take is way off. Did you even watch the game? If you did, you’d see how well BSU handled Oklahoma up front where it mattered the most. If you did, you’d also remember the fluke play on the punt that hit the BSU player on the leg resulting in great field position for Oklahoma. If you did, then you also forgot about Zabransky’s late interception which gave Oklahoma the lead. Really, this game wasn’t as close as it appeared to be. I’ll take BSU’s defensive ability against ANY team.
Take that to the bank and cash it… it’s as good as money.
Hi, Josh. Recently I saw the 2007 promotional schedule in a couple of different places (including on the team’s website, or so I thought). Now I can’t find it anywhere, although I’ve Googled it a few times. Can you suggest how I can find it? Thanks.
So what impact will this have on Andre Ethier?
Josh, I just got a copy of the promotions. Thanks, anyway.
Josh, I just got a copy of the promotional schedule. Thanks, anyway.
From a baseball fan in Texas. I think it is a great idea. Posted a note about it on my blog. Check it out at:
http://www.tradewars.mlblogs.com
“Baseball Talk With the Big Dog”
I personally think the RFP change in ticket prices is ridiculous. I could spend only 15 dollars on food and still be full, so I don’t know why we would need it to last the entire year. I think it was good to have it as a promotion every now and then, but for the whole year? I highly doubt it will be half-full near the middle of the season. I went to about 20 games last season, so I knew I would have to change my eating habits at the stadium, for the sake of money and my health, so I tend to bring in my own food and my own sodas. Another annoying rumor is the raise in parking. Has anyone heard about this? If you are going to raise parking again, then I want to see some drastic improvements on that situation. Why not offer a courtesy shuttle at the Union Station and China Town stops for the Metro to encourage public transportation. It would benefit the overflow of the parking lot, the smog in the air, and I am sure the neighbors would not mind seeing a decrease in traffic?