The Out-of-Towners
The upper deck of the Bricktown Ballpark will soon be covered with tarps with advertising.
Bricktown Ballpark. I know it’s a name that is endeared in the community. Many of you do as well. But once again, there’s an effort to do away it. First we saw Southwestern Bell Park. The city revolted. Then there was a compromise offered by the owners of the RedHawks – Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark – that was accepted and embraced. Then onto SBC Bricktown Ballpark, then on to AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.
All along there has been a quiet understanding – keep the name Bricktown Ballpark and everything will be fine.
Now the fad of corporations paying big bucks for naming rights is over (aren’t we all excited about the improvements over at “Oklahoma City Arena”?). The RedHawks were bought by out-of-town owners, Mandalay, and they are making changes as detailed in today’s Oklahoman.
Welcome to RedHawks Ballpark. This is a move by owners who may or may not realize the change in name from the Oklahoma City ’89ers to RedHawks back in 1998 itself wasn’t the most popular move. But no matter. The new owners also are closing off the upper deck that gave residents pride in this new stadium – one that may be minor league, but thanks to the seating capacity and the upper deck, just felt major league.
I suspect that if a survey were to go out, neither change would get a ringing endorsement by local baseball fans or the community at large. But maybe I’m wrong. We’ve seen the out-of-towners come into town making such changes before – there are those who would say just look at First National Tower as example of owners who charted new directions based on their own views of the world, locals be damned, and then faced the consequences later on.
What do you think?
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Comments
Now, now, Tim, I’m not suggesting that. I’m just questioning whether these folks really considered local preferences.
A key in marketing is understanding your target market. I don’t think the new owners have made a good attempt at understanding the Oklahoma City market. I don’t mind out-of-town corporations owning things in Oklahoma City, but it’s a bit insulting when they don’t even bother to understand the market. It’s a bit of an extreme example but McDonald’s doesn’t sell hamburgers in India.
I agree Bricktown should remain in the name. If they’re going to rename it, as a tribute to the 89ers name, I’d rather see it be 89er Bricktown Ballpark.
I don’t like the idea of closing the upper deck, but I can’t defend keeping it open with attendance numbers. Every game I’ve gone to in the last few years has had a few thousand in actual attendance, so the lower bowl would hold that fine. If we look at it like they’re then saving operating dollars by not having to clean/maintain the upper deck, plus with advertising dollars coming in, well, I’m okay with letting them try it. But if it doesn’t make a difference, open it back up.
BTW, if you didn’t notice, we already lost the AAA Championship Game. It will be in ABQ this year. Not sure if that has anything to do with the new ownership or what have you, but I thought it was saying something for it to be here in years past.
Buiding the ballpark/stadium with x number of seats and then tarping/closing them off for no use, is kind of like building a 4 lane highway and then closing off 2 lanes for no use. Why was the money spent to build them if they will never have the chance to be used. Waste of money or bad idea to “close off”?
They are closing the upper deck down the first base line; the third base line will still have upper deck seating. I suspect it will make the lower sections fill in better and the overall atmosphere will improve.
I’m sure if Mandalay finds a way to boost attendance they will remove those tarps with a quickness. They’re just tarps.
Also, it won’t be the first time most of those seats have been covered with tarps. The local ownership also did it some in recent seasons.
I think the tarp is a good idea as long as it comes off if a game can exceed other available sections. Changing the name of the stadium is a terrible idea. Redhawks Ballpark sounds so generic.
Don’t mind the Redhawks name being used in place of a corporate name (but when they find a corporate sponsor, just like the former Ford Center, the name will change yet again). BUT keep Bricktown in the name. It has basically always been there (when they partially learned their lesson originally).
Tarping the seats really isn’t an issue either (not like they are removing them, as we did with the Ford “improvements”). Can be used when needed.
The 4 lane highway mentioned…you do realize we have done that precise thing with the Broadway extension? As traffic increase, they can open up the other lanes and probably cheaper in the long run as it was cheaper to just go ahead and built it then than the increased cost of adding on to it a few years down the road (so to speak)?
steve you lose some credibility with the “names right fad is over” statement when the biggest named rights deal ever was just signed .. Travelers for 700 mil http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/02/aeg-unveils-700-million-stadium-naming-rights-deal-farmers-football-stadium.html
RESPONSE: A.J., I’m not sure one deal marks a reversal in fortune for naming rights deals. There have been several national reports on how these stadiums are not securing the naming rights deals they once did. Note that the Cowboys play in Cowboys Stadium.
you lose a little credibility call naming rights “a fad that is over” … when the largest naming rights deal ever just went down .. 700 mil by travelers for the new football stadium in LA. and the naming right deal for the OKC arena close to being announced.
“AT&T told us they were changing their marketing strategy,” Byrnes said. “We’re talking to a number of companies in the community, but there’s nothing set yet.”
He said “there’s nothing set yet.” Sounds to me like “Redhawks ballpark” is only a working name for right now
If they needed a working name until a new deal is inked, fine. But Redhawks Bricktown Ballpark would of worked equally fine.
A foul ball may go out of the park, but it’s still a foul ball.
Closing the upper deck, does this mean the new owners aren’t willing to look into what’s needed to boost attendance. The owners know the potential of what they have or they would not have bought it. Enter in with a committment to make the necessary changes, they are not going to just happen, and the attendance numbers will start to grow. Winning teams help bring the people in, losing seasons lead to people loss. (REDHAWKS BRICKTOWN BALLPARK)
Strongly disagree with the name change. I think Mandalay will get some well-deserved backlash on that one.
As for the tarps, just think of it from a business standpoint. If they could fill more than 7900 seats (the “after tarp” seating capacity) then don’t you think any smart business would take off the tarps and fill the seats? I’m guessing that the Redhawks averaged nowhere near 7,900 fans per game last year, so…. why should Mandalay pay to maintain and supervise seats that aren’t needed or being paid for? OKC fans have no right to complain about tarping seats if there aren’t enough people willing to buy a ticket and fill them.
I’m not sure the new owners realize how key it is to include Bricktown in the name of the ballpark. I’m not sure that I agree with closing up the upper deck, but we’ll find out this summer when we go to some games and see if it helps the atmosphere or hurts.