If standing in line for three hours to get an autograph is your thing, then no doubt you had a great time at the San Francisco Giants’ annual FanFest today.
I went the past two years and I can tell you from my own experience, it ain’t all that.
Today’s event drew an estimated 36,000 fans, most of them wearing Panda hats and Tim Lincecum or Buster Posey jerseys. Many more wore Matt Cain shirts.
Roseville’s D.J. Silva showed up in his latest Brian Wilson look-a-like garb. (Dude nailed it again.)
All of them—however differently they may have shown their love for the Giants today—had one thing in common…
They all had to wait. A lot.
Want a picture of the 2010 World Series trophy? Wait in line.
Want to visit the Giants clubhouse? There’s a line for that, too.
Some camped out overnight, thinking the gates might close early again (like last year). They didn’t. The Giants changed some things around this year to make sure everyone got in.
After all, how can you maximize your Giants merchandise sales if people are stuck outside?
I thought about going again this year, but my son had Little League tryouts at 8:00 this morning, and we had a Kings game in Sacramento this evening. “Squeezing in” a Giants FanFest would have sent me over the edge for sure.
As expected, parking around AT&T Park was a *****. The trains were overcrowded. Fans were pushy.
On the KNBR stage, it was more of the same talking points we’ve heard since the season ended.
In other words, today’s Fanfest was a big yawner.
If I’m going to wade through a crowd like this…
…I want to see a ball game.
But that’s just me.
For those of you who went, my hat’s off to you. I’m sure many—if not most—of you had a really great time.
Yet, many of you are probably thinking about staying home next year for one reason or another 36,000.
Spring training is almost the opposite. You can get much closer to the players. They’re actually a lot friendlier. Autographs are plentiful (and you don’t have to wait in a long lien to get one). And the weather’s even nicer than it was today in San Francisco.
And they actually play baseball.
Scottsdale, anyone?
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