Monday, March 29, 2010
2010 TICKETS HAVE ARRIVED.
Let me kick of the annual MetsGrrl.com tradition by reminding you of previous years:
And now, for the unveiling of the 2010 package, after the jump.
Missing from the photo are two tickets for the 2010 Open Workout (printed on last year’s ticket stock in last year’s ticket envelope.)
I’m not kidding. That’s it. No gift. No media guide. The ticket booklet, the workout tickets, a letter, and ad placement (under the guise of ‘special offers’) from Stub Hub, Starwood, and Amtrak.
That’s it.
I already knew this, but as you may know, the Mets are not sending out a media guide under the guise of conforming to the MLB efforts to “go green”. The Minnesota Twins, who, last time I looked are part of MLB, sent out media guides. (And before you say, “Well, of course they do, they’re the Twins,” their team doesn’t suck and In the first year of a new stadium, you don’t need to provide incentives to customers.)
But, I’ll buy it. So as part of the “go green” efforts, I trust that we will be allowed to bring empty water bottles of any kind into Citi Field this year? Because I will cry bullshit on this green BS so effing hard if this malarkey continues in 2010.
I want the media guide. If you’re too goddamn cheap to give us the media guide for free, then at least let us buy it at a 50% discount.
As a positive, from a design perspective I find the ticket stock to be elegant and attractive. I like the motifs of the apple, the rotunda, Mr. Met and David Wright’s locker. I love the “WE BELIEVE IN HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE”. That’s a great slogan and would have been a million times better than “WE BELIEVE IN COMEBACKS” as the central theme to base 2010 around.
The rest of this package just sucks eggs and screams CHEAP. The Twins also apparently shipped the tickets in a nice presentation box. And look at how nice the Pirates tickets look. (I like the wire comb binding and ability to lay the book flat.) Please please please don’t start with the “Well they’re the Pirates they have to do that” - if that was the case then the Mets shouldn’t have ever had to do anything but print tickets on plain ticket stock and stuff it in a brown manila envelope. The presentation should reflect the team’s branding and image.
Oh - wait.
No. That’s a cheap shot, and it’s a lame excuse. It’s 2010. Everyone does more than the Mets. I am so tired of this being a race to the bottom on every possible level. It’s just sad. There could be some oomph here. They just don’t even bother to try.
Would love to hear about the specifics of other teams’ physical ticket package presentations not covered here.
Welcome to UniWatch readers. This isn’t Deadspin or sports talk radio, so please go take your feeble attempts at witticisms about how much the Mets suck somewhere else. Useful & friendly comments always welcomed.
Posted by Caryn at 07:24 PM
Aside from the stuff you are used to getting and didn’t get this time, just that they still jazzed up the tickets for the package look pretty good to me.
I’ll have to ask some friends here who have partial Blackhawks ticket plans if theirs came with the same look as my full season tickets. Just curious.
Finally! It sure took them long enough to get the tickets to you.
Why wait for the last minute when the last second will do?
I still have to get tickets. In the bleachers. Why did I wait so long? [/wail]
While I am not a full season ticket holder but only a partial, I do not know what the Royals do for them. However, my 10 game pack came in sets of 5 with a picture of Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke. You can check out the picture on my blog. http://26centsummer.blogspot.com
Julie, I don’t think they “jazzed up the tickets” - the season tickets are always full-color like this. It’s just a different design is all. It’s a very nice design to be sure but I don’t think it was any kind of extra or deliberate effort.
Sharon, it took so long because our first game is the 9th, and the Mets had, quite reasonably, timed tickets to arrive two weeks before your first game - completely forgetting to take into account that they were sending the workout tickets in that package. We could have had them last week except for the lack of ability to have two addresses so had to wait for redelivery.
I really loved the ticket design this year too, but was stumped as to why we didn’t get SOME kind of gift. I still LOVE the Shea Stadium box from 2008. It’s a great ticket-stub holder.
Caryn:
The Minnesota Twins tickets a awesome. Saw them on the Baseball Fever website under the Target Field Design and Construction link on the ballparks page… They are pretty impressive…
The Mets are always behind when it comes to this. One of my pet peeves is also the fact that the regular ticket stock is so bland. Other teams have amazing ticket stock for even day of game purchases that show the ballparks, is colorful, etc. The Mets always seem to have something so insanely bland its crazy.
Did you actually get the physical Media Guide with the tickets? My Brewers season tickets come with a voucher redeemable at any home game for a Media Guide. And I only get a 20 game plan.
Jason, we usually get the physical media guide, but this year they are saying that everyone gets a link to download a PDF. Even the people who spent $5k on a full season.
Caryn:
I noticed on the Mets website the ST holder features now say ‘Online Access to Mets Media Guide’... However, you still get the printed yearbook and first edition of Mets Magazine… I guess thats not going gren enough… LOL
I just got my full season package today (through no fault of the team: I had a screw-up with UPS). That being said, I got a huge kick out the Amtrak advertisement included in the package, which expired on March 13. I know I got my tickets late, but I would have had a day (max) to take advantage of it.
On a more serious note, I’m disappointed that we didn’t get physical copies of the Media Guide. I applaud the “Go Green” initiative but think this is the wrong place to exercise it. I’ve collect the guides and feel certain that my copy (and surely most others) would stay intact long into the future. Not a major issue, but still disappointing.
Looks like we do the same thing as the Brewers - we get a coupon for a free media guide, redeemable at any game during the first homestand.
Our tickets are printed on cardstock, 6 games across, perforated and stapled at the top. Never in a book or wirebound, which would be infinitely more convenient for tearing out & collating for our big group. Anyway I’ll send you a photo when we get our tickets, which should be this week.
We’ve never gotten a gift, not even as charter-seat holders—just a 10% discount at the team store. To my knowledge, the Seahawks are the only Seattle team who gives season ticket holders a gift, usually something small like a “12th Man” flag or a license plate holder.
Our version of the “workout day” you mention is that, one game a year usually in August, we can enter the stadium three hours early instead of the usual two, so that season-ticket holders can watch our actual starters take batting practice.
The Yankees have a physical media guide too,despite MLB’s “green initiative.” It is already on sale for $20 at Barnes & Noble and Borders among others.
It is interesting though that the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty discontinued their guides. The Jets however issued a physical guide last season. As a collector who has all the Mets Guides since 1962, I’m disappointed I didn’t get one with my tickets.
Hi Caryn, Did you notice that the amtrack travel discount offer flyer had already expired? ( already said in a previos post) For my first season packet in years…I was surprised how low budget it was….are we not in a major media market?
Hi Brian, you know, I didn’t notice it - I don’t ever take Amtrak for personal reasons so it’s not anything I think about. I did notice the SPG ‘coupon’ was pointless.
The ‘going green’ thing - i am surprised someone hasn’t just called every team to find out that the Mets are the ONLY ones ‘going green’ here.
Just got an email saying my “gift” for being a plan member will arrive in April. I’m looking forward to it. But also in the email was a link saying which clubs are available for ticket purchasers. The only two seating areas that do not get access to any of the restaurants (other than McFadden’s) are Promande Infield Reserve and Promanade Reserve. I guess if you can only afford these seats, you couldn’t really afford the clubs anyway - so why grant access.
Keep up the great work Caryn! I really love this site!
Aside from the stuff you are used to getting and didn’t get this time, just that they still jazzed up the tickets for the package look pretty good to me.
I’ll have to ask some friends here who have partial Blackhawks ticket plans if theirs came with the same look as my full season tickets. Just curious.