College World Series: Fan Fest and All the Fun!

It seems to me that the "experience" surrounding a sporting event is now becoming an ever bigger thing than the acutal game.  Be it a college football game or a big league baseball or tournament game, it's all about the "fan experience" which is much more than just a hotdog or a bag of peanuts at the game.  My husband has told stories of the one and only NASCAR race he went to and said that there are people who go just for the outside tents, they don't even have tickets for the game

For me, I can't imagine facing a crowd and not even going to see the big game. I'd rather stay at home. However, for the girls, it's all about the "stuff."  Whether that is the treat they will get to eat once inside the gate, the soccer game in the parking lot or what we plan to tailgate with before the game.  Guess you could say they have bought into the hype of the entire fan experience.  They are the marketers delight.

Just ask them.  They even noticed that the Coca-Cola staion at the College World Series wasn't giving out free samples of Coke Zero this year like they had in years past.  Told ya.

On Thursday, when my husband took them to see a great baseball game, they were all in for the entire event, wearing team gear, playing at the FanFest and of course getting the free samples and coupons from the various vendors.  Thank goodness, the Reeses Peanut Company was handing out pb cups and coupons for free ones at the grocery store.

Guess they did enjoy the actual game too.  In fact, Miss A noticed that numerous players on the Arizonia Team had names that started with the letter J.  A few of them were actually pretty cute too. At least she was playing attention to the action on the field.  Her mother used to go to CWS games as a child and bring a book along to read. Unless, of course, the cute Cotten Candy boy walked by.

That must be the difference between my generation and my children's; I brought along my own fan experience in the form of a piece of classic literature (or at least the latest Babysitter's Club book or Judy Blume book I was reading) and my children expect free foods, high tech photo booths, and live action sports they can participate in right outside the game. 

Well at least we all enjoy the 7th innning stretch and singing the Take Me Out to the Ballgame Song!