Co ‘Merica Park
They’re only open for six months every
year. During those six months, they’re only open on 81 days. And on those 81
days, they’re only open for a few hours. But at the end of each season, nearly
3 million customers patronize their single brick and mortar location. They’re
the Detroit Tigers, and Comerica Park serves as their headquarters, their one
store, and their home. There, you won’t find utilitarian value. But I can
guarantee you’ll find an experience and for some, more emotion than you’ll feel
anywhere else.
Experience: An irrefutable aspect of the
Detroit Tigers and Comerica Park is that fans come for the experience. Sure,
you’ll get to experience a handful of the greatest baseball players in the
world, but it’s more than that. As you walk to your seat you’ll have to hurdle
by the bright-shirted men carrying ballpark hotdogs. You’ll smell them, and the
mustard and ketchup that cover the franks (Only in the last couple decades have
vendors even carried ketchup for hot dogs. It’s truly a disgrace to America but
amateur fans enjoy it so it’s a moneymaker). Once you find your row, you’ll
feel the satisfying crunch of peanut shells beneath your feet. Next, you’ll
hear the best sound of all: the crack of the bat when it meets the ball. And if you
haven’t had these experiences, a trip to Comerica Park in early April is a
necessary one.
Emotion: I’ll be honest. I’ve suffered
more heartbreak from the men wearing the Old English “D” than any girl I’ve
ever looked upon. Those same men also provided me with a greater feeling of
happiness than the finest cuts of steak, and I love steak. We, as Detroiters,
have more loyalty to the Detroit Tigers, their players, and their personnel
than any other business in the world. Maybe it’s because we love baseball, or
maybe we just love competition.
But I think I know my audience, and I
realize that many of you won’t feel the need to ride the roller coaster that is
the Detroit Tigers season. So let me describe the more common emotion: You have
relaxed on beautiful beaches, and seen outstanding movies in large theatres,
and eaten food that rolled your eyes into the back of your head. The experience
at a baseball game brings all of these emotions together and at the same
magnitudes.
Truthfully, I’m bias, but I’m not
ignorant. From Fenway Park to Dodger Stadium, the Detroit Tigers’ business
competitors serve up a pretty incredible experience as well.
Jack,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are quite the diehard fan. I'm right there with you, nothing beats baseball season. Some might think it's too long or boring but I love watching the team go through its ups and downs. Hopefully this season can provide a better ending for its consumers than these past seasons.
Hey Jack, I enjoyed this blog. Personally, I am a Mets fan and I truthfully despise the Tigers. However, I am a huge baseball fan, so I can relate to a lot of the aspects you talked about here. Sports organizations in general arguably give more hedonic value than any other company possibly can. This is because we have such an emotional attachment and heart loyalty to our team and no one else. For instance, every baseball fan can relate to that anticipatory feeling when it is time for "pitchers and catchers" in late February. Then, what is better than a baseball opening day? Whenever I go to Citi Field for a Mets game, I can't help but take a moment to take in the atmosphere, much like you talked about here at Comerica. There is not a single product or service that can elicit this type of emotional attachment and experience, which is why I absolutely love sports of all kinds. Great blog again, Jack!
ReplyDeleteHey Jack,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your blog post. The way you described all the sights and sounds of the park was great. I have had many of the same experiences at Citizens Bank Park, as I am a Philadelphia Phillies fan. I love baseball and one of my goals is to visit every MLB ballpark, because each ballpark has something unique to it. I'm planning to go to Comerica Park this summer. What would you say is one thing about the ballpark that differentiates it from the rest? For the Phillies, I believe they have a couple things that differentiates their ballpark from others. They have two types of food, the cheesesteak and Chickie's and Pete's crab fries, that are not seen in other ballparks, and then they have the big ringing liberty bell for whenever someone hits a home run. Great blog! I look forward to reading your next one.