November To Remember: Tiger Playoff Complaints and Wishes

Dear Friends,

I promised to blog so today, I want to rant about my experience working a MLB playoff game. The reason behind this blog is simply to finally let go on some issues I had while working playoff baseball games. This is a list of what happened and what should have been done differently.

Complains and Gripes:

10.) Early time: During the NY Yankees games, we worked at night which does not bother me but we would get out later. However while working the Ranger games, we had to be there late afternoon but the game did not start until after 6pm. Baseball games are short if you want it to be but these games were long and boring and especially, when Detroit started to lose games in the later innings.

9.) Differences in fan base: The fans were not the die hard fans that supported them all season. These people were out of town fans or the opposing teams fans. People assumed that we made money from these games but I feel like we could have made more if there was more fans that were loyal to the team all season.

8.) Out of town vendors: There are 150 vendors that I work with. However, once the Tigers made the playoffs there were an additional 25 to 50 vendors coming in from Cleveland, Chicago, and Cincinnati. I was upset because these guys would not only break rules and cause havoc, but some come with attitudes. I might have had fun working but these guys made it hard to deal with from working point of view.

7.) The coverage of the games: Now if you ever watch baseball on TBS or FOX during the MLB Playoffs, these guys that call the game would and could bore people to death. One of my pictures I took during the playoffs was of TV and satellite trucks. There were almost 50 or more sports reporters all over the ball park. That also made it hard to work because these guys would walk all over or would block access to get to fans. I also want to say I hate with a fucking passion Mr. Joe Buck. I know he hated Detroit since the playoffs started and I hope the motherfucker dies for being so bias and so fucking bland.

6.) Complaints: Normally, I could deal with complaints but these complaints are different. I said that people were coming in from out of town or were not familiar with the customs of Comerica Park. These people would get heated because we did not serve their beer or would not come to them fast enough. So being the person I am, I tried to deal with it. However, these people were coming in with chips on their shoulders.

Changes I wished could have been made:

5.) Start times of the games: All the games should have started at like 6pm on the dot. Why at that time? Well it gives people to get their families and also eat something. Also, Detroit in the fall is a cold and dreary place. So why would anyone want to be down there after it drops from 60's to like low 50's?

4.) Tickets: Every single ticket in the place was overly inflated by about 60%. My suggestion would have been to give some tickets away and not let close to 1,300 people stand for 3 hours. Standing room is a joke and not something I would love to do.

3.)Detroit's economy: Even though Detroit profitted from these playoff games, more people could have benefitted from it. I say that because most of the revenue were from out of town fans. I also say that because there weren't enough places for people to go before or after the game.

2.) Image of Detroit: I said that the coverage of the games did not provide a great image of the city. I would have loved to have seen some of the local sports reporters do not only the games on TV but showed people like Joe Buck to have some fun doing the games. God I miss Ernie Harwell.

1.) The Tigers themselves: I would have loved to seen them play St. Louis and not Texas. Detroit owes St. Louis for the embarrassment from 2006 playoffs. I would have loved to seen Albert Pujos in Detroit again. However, that would be something for dreams.

Some of the things I mentioned could have been done different but I did learn that things like working a MLB Playoff game are flukes for every couple of years. So my life is a bit different for being a part of history. I love history especially sports history of Detroit. There is more to come but that's all for now. 

Eugene Chandler III