Fan "Faith Nights" growing trend in pro sports

[Reggie Dunlop]

MLB Diamondbacks, Braves plan postgame preachfests

I dunno. Whatever turns your crank, I guess. You can always leave.

Does bring up some interesting issues. How much of this stuff could end up incorporated into actual fan game experiences. Is actively courting the Christian segment of the population a wise business move?

[Vulcan]

I'm with you on this one Reg. I go to a sports event I don't want to hear any preaching or be surrounded by Bible thumpers. Each to there own, but I'd be uncomfortable.

Chris Reitsman, the Calgary boy, is going to be at one. Isnt his dad a minister?

[PowerPlayoffs06]

I guess this was the next logical step after sports arenas began catering to the Muslim crowd and building or making available seperate rooms for them to pray in during ball games.

Soon they'll be serving kosher ballpark franks for the Jewish fans and outlawing all drinks with caffeine on the premesis on behalf of the Mormons.

[StoneCole]

It's like Susan Sarandon says in Bull Durham:

"the only church that feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the church of baseball"

Let's keep sports and religion seperate. I believe Sundays are for one thing: Football.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

I wouldn't doubt that at all, but you get the point I was hinting at. =P

[J pold]

What I want to know where is


In all of this...

[Frank the Tank]

Americans are nuts. What a bizarre concept.

[tvp2003]

Who cares about religion when you've got this:

Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato from VeggieTales will also appear at all three events.

[octothorp]

Christian music? John Smoltz talking about his faith? I can't believe they found a way to make going to a baseball game even more boring.

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Christian music? John Smoltz talking about his faith? I can't believe they found a way to make going to a baseball game even more boring.

So true

It is like the episode of the Simpsons when Homer gives up beer for a month and says I never realized how boring this game really is.

[Burninator]

So at Flames games instead of yelling "Yaaahooo!" We would scream "Aaaaameennnn!"?

[Reggie Dunlop]

From a business standpoint, it's probably a good quick way to fill lots of empty seats. I can see why it's inticing, especially for minor league teams. Sell to the churches big blocks of seats. Easy sell, because it's a case of follow the leader. It's Church Night Out (though that makes for a long evening for those clean-livin' folks).

You'll be getting a crowd that presumably will be well-behaved (though unlikely to buy a lot of beer).

On the other hand, how many of these people are going to become sports fans/repeat customers? Instead of watching the game, they could wander about handing out pamphlets or something. These people don't miss a trick when it comes to captive audiences.

[rawr]

I don't see a problem with it. It does say it's postgame so if you think it's boring or stupid don't go. It's that simple.

[Julio]

Minor league teams have been doing stuff like this for years...the Cannons did it the last few years that they were in town. I think that for the most part for teams it's a way to attract a niche group to the park who might not otherwise go, same as pet owner nights.
In San Francisco the Ginats have, over the last two months of the season, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Africian-American, LGBT, Union and College 'nights', to attract other niche markets.

[FireFly]

Well, the Christian population in the US is booming which we here in Canada just don't get... that's why these events are so popular. I was at Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho during Christian Family Weekend and even though it was cold out, there were a tonne of Christians there. It's good to recognize large parts of society as being important to your business once in a while.

[RougeUnderoos]

It's times like these when I am comforted by Peter 2:16.

"Blessed are those who advantageously take of their faith, or faith perhaps just falsely professed, and do profit handsomely".