Transportation : glitch-free!
April 14, 2008
Everything else — not so much! I’ve been holding back my disappointment. It’s early! Give it time! But at this point, I’m throwing my hands in the air and sadly considering giving up the photography thing - at least for this season. I recently read a study on the effects being a sports fan can have on one’s health and it didn’t paint a pretty picture. My experiences over the last several games were likely detrimental to my health for the same reasons. Photography is the activity I enjoy the most while taking in a game, making me feel connected to it as I predict where the next play will be, when the runner will take off on a steal attempt, or which infielder will claim a pop fly. Yet the obstacles I’ve encountered so far causing my blood pressure to rise have robbed me of the usual enjoyment and left me very frustrated and thinking it’s just not worth it. I eagerly anticipated the opening of new Nationals Park as much as the next fan. I convinced myself that despite my new seats being some forty rows further back than my previous RFK seats, all were seventeen feet closer to the field and therefore should still allow me to photograph. I made excuses for the frustrating concession ‘giltches’ the first few games, thinking it’s early, they’ll work it out, just like everyone else. However, the frustrations have just mounted to the point my blood was bubbling yesterday and I wanted to explode or burst into tears — so I did a combination of both.
I had it made at RFK. All three seasons, I was eight to ten rows back from the field on the first base line or slightly past into right field. I had enough room to put my Nats cooler serving as a camera bag in front of my feet and balance my scorebook on top of it, leaving my hands and lap free to work the camera while balancing food in my lap. I’m a pretty easy-going fan. As regular readers know, I’m there to watch the game with maybe one break to grab a bite or drink. I don’t like to miss much because the spectacular turning point play of the game could happen while I’m away from my seat. I reasoned that with our new seats being six rows in front of the concourse, at least I’d have quick access to concessions. We were pushed back because all the big spenders from the Diamond Club at RFK bailed to our area after seeing the price tag on their comparable seats (so now those cushy blue Prez Club seats look desolately empty on television broadcasts). I’m unable to find an elegant loquacious way to say this, so here you go… Our seats flat out suck compared to what we had at RFK. There’s absolutely no room for my bag, so my scorebook must remain in my lap, even if I’m eating greasy fries I need to set on top of it. We’re in the middle of a long row instead of 2 seats from the end like previously. Ok, fine, I can work around that and hope desperately that we move closer next season. Other things, however, I can’t work around.
The reason I ran up for food yesterday? Because I was so annoyed with the constant parade of people running up and down the aisle blocking my line of sight during at bats. Really annoyed. Downright screaming at people to sit down annoyed — which is so out of character for me. I needed a breather — and maybe something to bring my blood sugar up. I had already heard they were out of chili at Ben’s and naturally, the line was too long for me to attempt to get my favorite comfort food - cheese fries. Running up for a “quick” trip to the concessions means weaving my way through the overcrowded concourse like a salmon swimming upstream only to find incredibly long lines at places I figure I’ll settle for food from. Like yesterday - chicken tenders and fries sounded fine since the line was short (and this was after taking the long ramp on the first base side to the 200 level in order to avoid said crammed concourse - only it takes forever and there’s no radio broadcast there). As I was nearing the front of the line, I heard they were out of chicken tenders. Fine, screw it, I’ll get Five Guys. (tap tap tap wait in line… at least I could hear the radio) I was sure the guy had rung my order up wrong when he told me $19.50. What?! For lunch for one person? Mental note: last time I go there. Plus, it actually should have topped $20 because I forgot you don’t get a lid or straw with the regular sized drinks - have to get a large plastic souvenir cup.
It wasn’t just yesterday’s game either. These types of crammed concourse and concession issues have plagued every game since opening day. First it was Five Guys running out of potato products. I’ve heard there were no veggie burgers at stands boasting them, that hot chocolate was hard to come by, etc. I’ve even seen beer vendors claiming not to have the 50 cents change owed customers, ala RFK days. Food is prepared as ordered at some stands (”Around the Majors”), so each three or so customers have to wait about five minutes for the group before, meaning a line twenty deep can take 40 minutes!
So now the season has been underway for two weeks and at this point I’m frustrated as hell. (can I say that days before the Pope visits?!) I’d like to see someone say when some of the issues such as concession inefficiency, bad flow of human traffic through concourses, and scoreboard displays will be worked out. I’ve already harped on the inefficient showing of stats and previous at-bats on the HD scoreboard and lack of information on the ribbon boards - as has everyone else. I guess I expected to see more improvements between homestands and was surprised to see the same issues. I mean sure, a few concession stands had Disney ropes, but that wasn’t enough.
On a happy note, I have now driven, Metroed, and RFK/Nats Expressed my way to games and had not a single problem with any of those! Oh, and the cherry blossoms are finally blooming in the centerfield plaza!
Ok, breathe in… breathe out… it’s still early… it’s still early!
Posted in MLB, Stadium, Washington Nationals
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April 14th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
I’ve only been once — Fri 4/11, miserable 3-0 loss to the Braves. Blogged it at Nationals Blue. But one thing that worked well for me was the food. No wait at all at Red Hot & Blue, pretty fast for a Bass Ale, no one at all at the Dippin’ Dots. They had a line at Giffords in the 5th inning, maybe 12 people long — even though the guy in front of my said it moved fast, that’s about 8 people too long for me.
But people coming and going without regard for the game annoyed me too. In San Francisco, they have discreet little signs asking you to leave and reseat between batters, and the ushers at the top of the rows actually won’t let you sit down the aisles during an at-bat. Since we’ve already got the ushers, and since they don’t seem to have any actual responsibilities, perhaps they could help with that.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Thanks for your perspective, Rick! Maybe next time I’ll hunt down Red Hot & Blue. I need to give up the french fries anyway. And cool that your 9 year old got a ball on his birthday! Yeah, hopefully the ushers will get on the ball with the people flooding the aisles. For one game, I’m sure this sounded like a rant out of proportion with the annoyances, but they had built up over all the games I’d been to and culminated in a very frustrating experience. Good thing they won - imagine my wrath had I endured all that AND a loss in the final inning! Ha! I guess for me, I was so much further down before, I didn’t have all that aisle traffic and it’s blowing my mind (and my camera lens).
April 14th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Cheer up and stay focused MissChatter - you are right about the sightlines though, anytime anybody is in the aisle they block your view.
I like to take photos of the players while stretching and warming along the foul lines. Well the new stadium is retarded the way you can’t walk up and down the foul line from the dugout to the outfield. You have to walk up and find an empty row and walk between the seats because the area immediately adjacent to the field is reserved and behind plexiglass.
But RFK was made in a totally different way engineered with different priorities. Even though it’s old and dilapidated - it will always remain one of the best sports venues of it’s time and I’ll miss it when they drop it for demolition.
Change is never easy…most people like things the way they are because they are used to it and it’s comfortable from what they know. Eventually, you’ll learn to find some love for Nationals Park. :)
April 14th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Miss Chatter,
Hang tough. Changes are always hard on the soul but in the end it usually works out for the better. I ditto your transportation experiences. I’ve parked in prepaid Lot K, taken the Nats Express, Metro’d, and even parked on Fort McNair (retired military-bonus!)and walked the few blocks and not one of those methods was a hassle. I do prefer Lot K though, 50 feet from South Capital and then whamo you’re on 395 headin home. I think the ushers really need some training on stopping folks till there is a break in the action.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Thanks, guys. You’re right - change is hard. I’m sure things will work out over time. And the new park is better for the game and players, which is what counts most, right?
April 15th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Thank you for at least airing these issues. I’m usually up in the upper right field terrace, (not bad seats for $10) and haven’t noticed the problem with people in the aisles. Metro has been better than expected too. But…
I’ve been to five games and have been disappointed that the food service isn’t getting better. I can understand some long lines on busy days for popular things, but too often, like you mention, they are out of things, or didn’t stock things, or just don’t care. (I’m still on a quest to find a curly W helmet sundae. I’ve got a Marlins and Astros helmet though, uhgg.) I’m hoping for better during next week’s homestand.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:03 am
I checked out my seat at the Open House, but haven’t used it for a game yet. I’ll be a lot further from the field, (417 Row E) but I’m in the first of the little rows over the tunnel. Not a lot of leg room, but there are only three seats between the aisles, and no one directly in front of me. I won’t get much in the way of close up photos, but no one will be standing in front of me.
The next game in my package is April 23 — so I’ll see how the concessions shake out by then. If there’s a Gifford’s wagon anywhere near me, I may never want to leave.