Friday, July 19, 2019

Comerica Park Nightmare



Beware: Honest and colorful language in this post. I am not typically an internet slammer spewing negativity too often but my last Tiger game in Detroit was stupid. Feel free to skip this post and wait for my next as it is just a whiny, bitchy review.

I posted about going to a game with Dennis from Too Many Verlanders a while ago. If he hadn't been with me that day to laugh at the audacious bullshit I might have been physically thrown from the stadium out of frustration. It will be my last game at Comerica Park, forever. I am still a Tiger fan but have no reason to throw money away just to have a shitty time at the ballpark.

My experience that day was not ideal to say the least. I showed up to the game at 2pm to be in line for the Miguel Cabrera bobblehead picture frame giveaway. When your ball club loses 100 games a season it is the little things that matter and giveaway days at Comerica can be crazy. As soon as I stepped into line it began down pouring. I was soaked! Nobody's fault really but then they opened the gates late. When I finally got to the front of the line security opened my very small pull string bag I always bring to games and unwrapped my camera I always bring to games and said it was too big. I had to leave and could not enter. I had just waited 2 hours in a monsoon and have brought this camera to HUNDREDS of games at this stadium and a handful of others and never once had a problem. I threw a fit and reluctantly was escorted away from the stadium. Taking pictures is the only reason I attend games. Especially now that the whole viewing area on the lower level has a net blocking a clear view. But, now they have a strict 80mm zoom limit on cameras. So I have no reason to go back to another game. I can list a million benefits to watching the game at home on TV anyway. So, fuck off Comerica Park. I won't be wasting my money anymore.

 I had already fought with the Tigers earlier in the week leading up to the game as my father-in-law bought the tickets for me for my birthday in March but never received an email with the actual tickets and did not have the MLB Ball Park app. Customer service said "the tickets show they were never printed and the email was never opened but we cannot resend the email. I can have them at will call for you for $10 a ticket." What the fuck Comerica Park?! How does that work when he purchased their parking pass for $30 on top of the $200 tickets? So much time wasted for no good reason. It was an unbelievable phone conversation that did nothing but piss off myself and my father-in-law.

On game day, I ended up returning my camera to my car and entering the stadium another way. I was able to get the giveaway item but sold it to someone at the game as soon as I could to pay for food while I waited out a 4 hour rain delay. I was told by other fans and multiple Tiger's employees I should have just jumped in another line. Wow. Wonderful. That makes me feel better. Waiting out the rain I watched kids throwing balls to see how fast they threw. Lo and behold a dad pulls out THE SAME DAMN CAMERA I HAVE and starts taking pictures of his kids. I took a pic and blurred his face and tweeted the Tigers that I would not be back. I'm not usually that guy but I was just pissed. Now I see how that guy (angry internet bitcher) is created. After all this BS there is nothing that could rectify the situation anyway so it was a pointless vent. Of course they replied to me that they would have Comerica Park in contact with me which never happened. It wouldn't have made a difference if they had but just another example of the whole company sucking. I know I am one person out of hundreds of thousands that enter the stadium but never thought I would be driven to be the grumpy douchebag who felt deceived and cheated. The Tigers have made me an angry old man well ahead of my time.

8 comments:

  1. Things have really gone downhill since Mike Illitch passed. Not that some of this couldn't have happened under him, but it's clear the kids don't give a shit and would rather wring as much money out of them as they can. The stories about them getting tons of taxpayer money to buy up properties and "revitalize" the area but then pocketing the money make them as bad as any other owners, but at least some of them try to win occasionally.

    If I were you I'd be tweeting at Comerica Park multiple times a day (screw DMs, they should be put on blast) until they answered me, but I don't blame you if you don't want to put in the effort.

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    1. Seems weird I would bash them on twitter then suddenly; 1. Get 2 free tickets to a future game & 2. Win Ram Pick The Stick with that same email and twitter handle.

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    2. "Congratulations to our Pick the Stick winner, Paul, who won with his selection of Carlos Guillen!' That's an interesting point, though it still doesn't address your main complaint about the camera, the thing that would immediately solve your issue and get you to come back.

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  2. Wow, so sorry to hear about the lousy experience.

    I've only been to one game at Comerica, and really enjoyed it, but I don't blame you at all for feeling how you do after reading about what you went through.

    I guess you'll just have to go watch the Tigers on the road.

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  3. That stinks. TV is better anyway. Nobody hassling you, no lines for food or toilet, air conditioning, no sunburn, etc.

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    Replies
    1. EXACTLY! I still get hassled, just not by strangers.

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  4. Sorry to hear about your crappy experience. I would have been livid too... especially after seeing the other guy with the same camera. Glad you were able to pay for your food with the bobblehead sale.

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