UPDATED 10:43 p.m.: After we had already elected to cancel the “See The Birds” event next week, WNST just received an official “cease and desist” letter from some attorney at MLB telling us that we’re not allowed to help the Orioles fill a few thousand of their 40,000 empty seats next Tuesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
So much for gratitude or fan friendliness. I guess they don’t want to see real Orioles fans in their upper deck.
Well, they are who we thought they were. Their shady business practices are on full display this morning.
Sadly, the WNST effort to bring 1,000 people to the Orioles-Rays game for next Tuesday night has been thwarted by the team, who refused to sell our group their heavily advertised $1 tickets (which, as we pointed out last Friday, don’t really exist).
We will be refunding more than $1,000 collected today to the many who wanted to come to the game with a fun group and donate to Nick Markakis’ Foundation.
I’ll be writing more about this sad turn of events later (or maybe not — I’m a little wrung out with these clowns), but many had been inquiring and trying to rally groups of friends to come down to the ballpark. I think we might’ve been able to top the 2,000 mark if we had the whole week to promote the event and mobilize the fans. We had more than 500 today before lunchtime and we hadn’t even really started getting the Twitter and Facebook thing going.
It’s just sad…but “See The Birds” is over — at the legal urging of Peter G. Angelos and his staff. They don’t want our money. They don’t want our fans. What can I say? I did my best to help them and support these young players.
We are still encouraging people to join us down at The Nest for a beer next Tuesday night but I will not be attending the game.
At least everyone at WNST can say, “We tried!” We really DID TRY and we thought of it as a “no lose” proposition for them and a way for them to reach out to our substantial audience at WNST.net in their 12th consecutive year of losing.
We wanted to come and cheer for their young players. They obviously want us to stay home.
As predicted, they always want to fight and be difficult and be mean-spirited.
As some had predicted, it would end with a MLB “Angelosian” legal missive from the gutless people printing money by the millions at the lowest point in the history of the franchise.
These are the same people who ban legitimate media members with 20 years of sportswriting experience from covering their team.
On a night when they managed five hits and lost in a what-would-be-embarrassing for any other franchise 10-0 defeat at Fenway Park, I’m frankly out of words to convey my disgust.
I’ll just turn my cheek and join the rest of the city in turning my attention toward the Ravens and a very exciting and promising NFL season.
The Orioles don’t want us at the ballpark next Tuesday night and their $1 ticket claim is fraudulent.
We’re going to tell dozens of kids, Little League players and charitable groups that we’re not taking them to the Orioles game next week. Fathers and sons, friends and co-workers once again doing what we’ve been doing for years — staying away from the ballpark.
All we wanted to do was have some fun and do something nice for a local baseball-related charity before the Orioles go into hibernation for the winter. And show some support for these players that the MASN commercials like to portray as “family.”
Once again, the Orioles continue to expose themselves for what they are — not very nice and not very fan-friendly.
And NOT very smart…
I’m going to bed…
