Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Man Bites Dog

If Eliot Spitzer really wanted to help the "little guy" instead of just getting free face time on TV making empty threats of non existent trials and lining his gubernatorial campaign's pockets...then perhaps just maybe instead of attacking HR Block for attempting to give lower income investors an opportunity to reap the benefits of tax deferred savings programs he should focus on the real fleecing of the famished masses.

Thats right Im talking about the price of hot dogs (and food vending in general) at Major League Ballparks. A regular donkey like me is good for about two dogs and six seven beers during a game costing roughly sixty bucks. Now being a young single man with disposable income I dont like the hit, but I can absorb it, but when I look upon a family of three four I cringe at the damage being done to the parents wallet...hot dogs, fries, ice cream, cotton candy, peanuts and crackerjacks...


"I dont care if I never get back (change),
Let em gouge, gouge, gouge the home fan,
If they cant pay it' a shame.
For its twenty, fifty, hundred bucks, youre out,
At the old ball game."


It strikes me as odd that the government had such a hard on for Microsoft and their monopolistic practices when the playing field always seemed fair enough to me and whether Gates built a better mousetrap or not he marketed it better than the next guy (Netscape, Apple, etc...and those guys arent exactly widows and orphans) but buy a hot dog ($6) and a beer ($7) at a ball park or a pack of gum at the airport ($2) and the real enemy will be revealed. Fight the power. Aramark is the devil.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

i'm thinking of supporting william weld for governor. he's got a track record at least.

Anonymous said...

stop complaining. they HAVE to charge so much because they are paying their illegal immigrant workers less than minumum wage in order to keep them below the poverty line. go aramark.

Anonymous said...

I was in San Fran for the Mets three years ago (when Piazza injured his sac) and Ill tell ya..yeah it was expensive, but a beautiful ballpark and those garlic fries kick vampire ass.

Lily said...

You're back!

Anita- My mascot is still the gorgeous Jim from "The Office". Step up, girl.

Mookie McFly said...

Never been to PNC Park in San Fran(now HSBC?) but I went to Enron (now Tropicana)in Houston and the BOB in Phoenix last year...both were more affordable but so is everything in those areas (homes, grocceries,etc.) because people earn less...whatever it is, it's a scam that they charge you for a hot dog at the park what you could buy a package of hot dogs for and the same w/beer & other confections. My real beef (pun intended) is that besides the Yanks, Angels, Red Sox, & Mets, the rest of beisbol made a profit last year. The difference is that the above mentioned teams put more stock in winning and being winners than the rest of baseball. How do people root for a team, pay their parking fees, bloated concession stand prices, etc. and not get a good team on the field. Why even bother being a fan when your team (i.e. the Royals, et al) don't even want to win if it comes close to cutting into their bottom line. I say pack a bag lunch, park illegally or take the train/bus to see the loser teams. They don't even want to win.

PS - According to Jeff Wilpon the Mets new stadium will not be called Shea (tragedy if you know their history) as they want money for corporate naming rights. How about Preparation H Park...pretty appropriate because our favorite team gives it to us in the keister every time we go to the ball park.

Rhino-itall said...

"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated" Is that how it goes? The Mark Twain quote?

Well anyway, i didn't read the post because i have no time but "I'll be back"

Mookie McFly said...

Something like that...I wanted to give Donkey some cred for resolving his blog problem as well as the new twist on Take Me Out to the Ball Game (the dirty version). As on of my high school teachers used to say (usually with a hint of sarcasm),"you sir, are a gentleman and a scholar".

Anonymous said...

Youre dead to me Rhino. Youre more dead to me than your dead mother. I just thank the Lord she didnt live to see her son as a mermaid

Mookie McFly said...

I knew it! I knew it all along that (s)he was a mermaid! Hot damn, I bet he loves that movie w/Cher too!

Ben, I feel your pain, remember I am a Mets fan. They do too much sometimes to placate the fans. The Cubs are good this year though...but that division is tough. Every team right now is above .500 and it will probably take a lot of wins to get the division or even the wild card for that matter. I am not a betting man but Houston looks good with all that pitching especially if Roger the Redneck returns from retirement again.

Mookie McFly said...

Hey? Were Anita and Rhino dismissed? Did they doubt the Republican party or PJB one too many times? Donkey's a tough boss...I just couldn't put up with all the sexual harassment around here!

Anonymous said...

I actually got booted as well. Still not sure what happened. All have been re-invited (except you ya hippie) Just waiting for response. Rhino is being censored at work so he has to wait til he get back to the island. Its tough being a Mexican these days.

Anonymous said...

i think i'll pass on the aurora membership for now. it's been fun and i certainly appreciate your letting me join in. but i think i prefer "outsider" status. it's a little less stressful. i'm starting a new job over the next couple of months, plus i think i need to put some time into my own blog. but not to worry. i'll be back to comment on your errant opinions and misguided ways.

gary said...

I noticed that my link was moved to Sleepin Wit Da Enema for a few hours and then disappeared. So I have deleted my link to The Aurora in retaliation. Take that Aurora!

Anonymous said...

Relax Bueller. If you havent noticed we were having some tech difficulties. Its nothing personal, the link to my Mets is gone to...trying to get everything in order. However if youre going to be a little girl about....

gary said...

Donkey, so am I your "little girl?" Is that why you put me in the Sleeping Wit Da Enemy category? Maybe you're just gay for me. You know who else is gay? George W. Bush.

gary said...

"Baby in the Corner"? Donkey, I am flattered but I just don't think of other men in that way. I have restored The Aurora to my bloglist, however, in the Gay Blogs category.

Anonymous said...

Good one Bueller.

Your sharp witicisms and clever barbs are too much for my simple intellect to rebut. That could be it, or I forgot all my "yo momma" jokes in the sixth grade. Keep up the weak work.

Lil

Thanks for your concern. Whatever hippie god you were praying to, must have listened.

Ben

How is baseball a free market? The poor and unsuccessful suckle off the teet of the rich. Four teams spend less on their payroll than they get in rev sharing (welfare) They make money for doing underacheiving. Pitt, Fla, Tampa, KC the rest besides the big dogs break about even. Mediocrity and failure should never be rewarded in a free market. You might be right about the players but MLB is as close to socialism you can get in the real world.

Anita

Did you get invite?

Anonymous said...

no, i didn't.

Anonymous said...

oops. seems i did.