Continuing the Conversation

We need metaphors as we talk about and try to imagine our future and the consummation of our story.  It’s like looking into a midst and describing what we see…none of us knows fully.  Sunday we spent a little time with four metaphors Scripture gives us:

Seedtime/Harvest: The promise (especially when talking of Jesus as “first-fruit”) that there is more to come…

Citizenship: Living in colony and spreading the influence of our country rather than waiting to go back…

Birth Pangs: Bringing about/waiting for new creation may be painful and slow…

Marriage: God’s creation and God’s new creation one day wedding…made for each other as male and female…

 

How do these metaphors provoke your imagination?

Thoughts on New Stadium…

I checked my son out of school Thursday, and together we went to see the Royals play an afternoon game against the Mariners.  Great day.  The Royals won – six in a row (and counting).  I’m happy and enthused by the Royals so far – please keep that in mind.  

This was my first trip to the new stadium and I’ve been desiring to record my thoughts.

Overall – it’s pretty much what I expected – a stadium that primarily exudes a “family fun center” ethos.  It’s not that I’m against family fun centers, or that I think they did a poor job executing a design, etc.  It’s just that the new stadium embodies one of my frustrations with the Royals marketing branch for generations…

 

…They refuse to understand that baseball can sell itself.  

 

If you market baseball in an authentic and honest way, the sport can sell itself – it’s that unique.  It’s that beautiful.  I have traveled to many stadiums, and other organizations seem to get that (take a trip to Texas and see how well baseball can sell itself in Arlington by going to one game at the Ballpark).  

The Royals organization however (marketing) downplays baseball in favor of trying to create a day at an amusement park (your thrills will be catored to you – you do nothing and invest nothing).  I’m not sure they even employ anyone with an understanding of and love of the game.  If so, the “stadium” experience would feel a little more historical – a little less Party Deck, etc.  

Here’s a brief list of my complaints (and suggestions) this year and throughout the years:

• Why call this a “stadium”?  Stadiums are for football and concerts.  Baseball is about “Parks” and “Fields”.  We had the perfect opportunity to rename this place, “Kauffman Field”, “Kauffman Park”, or even “Kauffman Yards” – all of which evoke baseball.  Not “Stadium”.  
• Related to the above – why take the only good part of our park’s name (“Kauffman”) and reduce it to “the K”?  Are we ashamed of the name Kauffman?  Or is it just easier to say “K”?  (I’m sure the Party Cove leftovers on the “Party Deck” approve).  What about the logo for “the K”?  Is it just me, or does it evoke images of an all-night convenience store?  One must ask – who is the target of this marketing ploy?  Who reduces one of the great baseball names in Kansas City to a “fun-filled” letter and thinks that is more likely to sell tickets?  
• I am appalled when I go to a baseball game and am treated like I’m going to a youth group/Young Life event.  I’ve always felt like the Royals organization is trying to shape the game into a kids’ club experience (let’s play the song “Another One Bites the Dust” when an opposing pitcher is taken out.  Get it…get it???).  The new stadium has ratchet up the youth group cheese element – a ton.  Now between innings, our club leader/mc for the day travels around different sections asking fans to play silly games and do silly things.  I couldn’t believe we didn’t see a fan stick as many marshmallows in their mouth as possible…that’s coming soon, I’m sure.  

I love the Royals and want to love the game experience.  Every time I go to a Royals game (at the K!!) I leave feeling more and more, however, like I don’t belong in this town and need to move to the east coast.  (By the way, can you see Royals marketing men during a seventh inning stretch at Fenway?  ”Why are they playing Sweet Caroline?  Is the pitcher’s name Caroline?  Why are the fans singing so wholeheartedly?  There’s no bouncing ball and mascot telling them to?)

I want my son to love the Royals and I’m working on that (turns out, it’s not hard…he loves them).  But to foster his love of baseball I’ll have to take him to Arlington (or just about any other baseball city – not Arizona…we have a lot in common with them…), and that makes me sad.