My friends over at SixFourThree*, “a blog about baseball and much more”, posted an entry today that discusses the somewhat counterintuitive recent trend of rebuilding baseball stadiums that contain a smaller – rather than larger – amount of seats.

The author of this particular post correctly points out that the main reasons behind this change are:

1. Aesthetic. Fewer available tickets increases the likelihood of a (near) sellout game, leaving fewer empty seats for the TV audience to see, improving the perception of team success and fan loyalty.

2. Economic. If the supply of tickets available decreases, demand then increases proportionally. This allows for the market value of tickets to increase. 

I think there’s an unintended humanistic result that musn’t be overlooked in this discussion and I’ve provided my thoughts below:

Ignore my shirt and instead look at how close we are!

Growing up a Red Sox fan, with Fenway Park as my home stadium, I think I’ve experienced baseball differently than baseball fans in other cities.

Fenway produces an intimate, community feel because of its small size. This was something I took for granted until I attended a Red Sox- Orioles game at Camden Yards during college – my first baseball experience outside of Boston.

I remember being hugely disappointed by the impersonal feel of the game there. Tickets were very easy to obtain and pretty inexpensive but the enormity of the stadium and the crowd itself made me feel like just another attendee.

Clearly, part of it is my obvious bias, but again, I think Fenway is physically so small that not only you are forced to become friends with your seat neighbors but also you go in knowing that even the worst seat isn’t that far away from the action and the players on the field.

I recently was exploring seat options at Nationals Park for the Red Sox games taking place there this summer. What I noticed was that there were definitely more seat options than at Fenway but a $50 ticket gives you a much better seat in Boston than does in DC.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, of course, smaller stadiums are being built first and foremost to maximize a franchise’s earning potential, but there is a positive outcome that shouldn’t be overlooked – the betterment of the game experience from a fan’s perspective.

*The phrasing of “my friends at SixFourThree” is a bit funny to me because “my friends at…” is a statement that is used in a general, vague sense, but, in this case, the writers of SixFourThree really are my college friends who happen to run a sports blog. Oh, grammatical humor! Gets me every time!

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On Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, I saw Milk, a movie describing the life of Harvey Milk who, as member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, became the first openly gay man elected to public office in California and who successfully fought in 1978 to pass a gay rights ordinance for San Francisco as well as to defeat Proposition 6 (also known as the Briggs Initiative), which would have banned homosexuals, and their supporters, from working in California’s public schools. Milk was assasinated less than a year after being elected but due to his significant contributions he has become an icon for gay rights activists.

What struck me about the movie is that thirty years later not much has changed.

The passing of California Proposition 8 last November, which changed the state’s constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples and eliminated same-sex couples’ right to marriage, highlights the discrimination and ignorance that still exists surrounding the LGBT community.

The fight for gender, racial, and religious equality was won by previous generations of open-minded thinkers. But the civil rights fight of our time is that for sexual orientation equality.

I was fortunate to grow up in liberal Lexington, Massachuetts (the “birthplace of American Liberty”, no less) where we were taught that how others label themselves is irrelevant, it’s who they are as individuals that matters. (Crazy idea, right?)

My town and its schools have come under fire before because of our acceptance of the LGBT community, most recently in 2005 during an annual Day of Silence and when a parent filed a federal civil rights lawsuit after his son brought home a book depicting same-sex couples.

These two events prompted the “God Hates Fags“ Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, headed by Fred Phelps, to stage anti-gay protests at five Lexington churches and at Lexington High School’s Class of 2005 graduation.

Unfortunately, the church is planning once again to protest Lexington because of its strong support for LBGT indviduals.

But this time, I feel like there’s something I can do to show that there’s no place for this type of intolerance in my hometown – and in my country.

Driving Equality is hosting a Phelps-A-Thon to counter Fred Phelps’ hateful message. For every minute the “God Hates Fags” clan is protesting, Driving Equality will be collecting donations for Lexington High School’s Gay Straight Alliance. Pledges can be made in any amount (even $0.25!) for every minute of the group’s demonstration or at a flat rate for the entire time.

During the protest, Driving Equality will display a sign in front of the “God Hates Fags” clan tallying how much money is being raised for LGBT equality. After the event, the church will be sent a Thank You card for their help in raising the funds.

This is an opportunity to turn something so negative and hateful into something positive. I hope that you will help me spread the message and will consider joining me in donating to the Lexington High School Phelps-A-Thon to show solidarity with the LGBT community at Lexington High School – and worldwide.

(More information on the Lexington High School Phelps-A-Thon can be found here and pledges can be made here.)

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I have been extremely lucky in my career on a personal level – I have continuously found myself surrounded by such a passionate, diverse group of people who I know wish me nothing but the best and will do whatever it takes to make sure I succeed. It’s a very powerful thing and I am truly grateful.

For my first professional position, I worked in the marketing department of a start-up and got a real taste of how exciting, vibrant, and brilliant these companies can be, as well as the people within. Many of the people who worked there have now moved onto new challenges (as have I – I last did some small contracting work in 2006, but otherwise, my time there ended Spring 2005).

However, I have been fortunate enough to stay in contact with these individuals in the form of the occasional “Whine Club” meeting, pun intended. We meet for drinks and dinner, usually at the Papa Razzi located by our former office, to discuss politics, celebrate accomplishments, and vent our frustrations.

We met this past Wednesday, since my move and new position fall under the “accomplishment” category. It was a really nice evening but a few interesting points came out in conversation that I’d like to capture here:

• I believe that the Superbowl was rigged. We were perfect all season and then it just so happens that we lose? Something’s not right there.
• Holly believes that Tom Brady is faking his current injury. He’s got a hot girlfriend, he just made a killing selling his Newbury Street apartment, he’s got endorsements pouring in… So why work? Why not “get injured” and enjoy the season from the sidelines? We’ve already seen proof that’s he’s not 100% committed to his job.

Thoughts?

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the following things signify the beginning of summer:

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Hi Lana,

I miss you a lot, too, but I’m glad that you are having fun and playing with Deena. Putting on plays is lots of fun… I think I have a box of old costumes and dress up clothes – ask Mom, I think it might be in the attic – and it can help you come up with some new stories.

I heard it was really cold in Boston. I hate the cold!! Here, it’s not that bad, but it is really rainy. When I wake up in the morning, it is really nice outside, the sun is shining and it’s not so cold. But then… when I leave my class, it is rainy and dark and cold. Hopefully, the weather will be nicer soon.

So what else is new with you? Do you have big plans for this vacation?

McDonalds is closing so I have to go, but know that I love you and miss you VERY MUCH.

Hugs,

Julie

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Things to be done before I leave – an abridged list!

1. Pay the parking ticket I got in Harvard Square two days ago when I was there with Micki, one of my best friends from school, who was visiting Boston after a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, and a three-week vacation in South Africa. We met up with another one of our friends from school and had lunch at the famous sandwhich shop (where the sandwiches all have names like Jeb “favorite bush” Bush sandwich), browsed at Urban Outfitters and the Gap, walked a lot. And somewhere in between I got the meter 7 minutes late…

Maybe I should use http://www.parkingticket.com/, which guarantees that my parking ticket will be reduced or dismissed. Although, it would probably cost more to fight my ticket than to just pay the $20.

2. Buy a Wi-Fi USB stick. Right now, I have a linksys adapter and it kills me that for my wireless internet connection to work, I need a wire!

3. Buy a backpacking backpack. My stepfather has one so I might just use his… but really, I have no clue on this one. It just needs to be done.

4. Submit my petition for reduced dues for my sorority. Because, although I’ll still have to pay about $150 for National Dues, it’s better than paying the whole amount. This is easy to do, I just have to write a letter explaining where I’ll be next semester and fill out an application. I just have to stop putting it off.

5. Comfortable walking shoes and well-fitting jeans. Perhaps a sweater or two, also.

6. Put together e-mails and physical addressses of people I want to stay in contact with abroad.

7. Get 6 passport-sze photgraphs taken. I was told that they don’t need to be high quality – I can et them done at one of those 2 minute photo booths that cost $3. The problem is that the only one I know of is at the AMC Theatre in Burlington and it hasn’t been there for at least 4 years. Does anyone know of another one in the Boston area?

That’s all I can thinking of for now. But I’m sure this list needs to be continued…

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