Class baiting article in OCR draws attention from Fangraphs

[Guest]

I love that picture.  It is hilarious.

I like it because it encapsulates hyperbolic "journalism"

[VariousCrap]

To be honest, that Orange County Register article really gave me a negative feeling.  Despite what some people in this thread have stated, the Angels have clearly geared their home experience to a wealthier crowd and I just think that sends the wrong message to the "average fan".  

 

I commented about this on Facebook yesterday and Geoff (LightTheHalo) brought up an interesting point:

 

The Angels don't have to pay the City of Anaheim for the use of the stadium until they sell 2.6 million tickets.  After that, the Angels have to pay the city $2 for every ticket sold.  It is very possible, that Arte's financial team has figured out how many tickets they need to sell a season to wealthier fans, still turn a profit and that number of tickets just might be less than 3 million.  So not only is Arte still making a profit, but he is sticking it to the City of Anaheim by the Angels not selling that many tickets over 2.6 million.

 

No matter what the reason Arte has chosen to do this, I don't care for their decision and I think it is the wrong choice.  Am I going to stop being a fan over it?  Of course not, but I'd sure had to see the next generation of Angels fans get smaller because of this reason.

Edited June 6, 2015 by VariousCrap

[Inside Pitch]

Even removing the author's "spin", and quotes aren't great. People on a budget might not like being called "discount buyers".

And the thread title change reeks of what people around refer to as "butthurt". Marketing dude used the word "socioeconomic" - he's thinking and talking about class as much as any writer with an agenda.

 

I'm not saying this to be argumentative -- because I think I might just be desensitized to certain terms....  but, when did the word socioeconomic become the N bomb?  I spent four years majoring in business finance... the word was everywhere, not once was I informed it was an insult or remotely demeaning towards anyone.   It's not like there is a bias against people at the lower end of the ledger -- they just spend differently, you still want to sell to them.   Again, I agree with you that people might not like being classified as "discount buyers" but pretending they don't exist or that they don't have a particular spending pattern is a joke.  Conversations about money tend to be very bottom line oriented and maybe I'm naive but it seemed to be a conversation about money.

 

 

Was this an interrogation? He willingly engaged in the discussion. If it was important to the Angels to not give the message that they're getting blasted for in these articles, it could have been avoided. I'm just saying that removing everything the author adds and looking just at the quotes - even acknowledging the finance background - it still doesn't read well.

 

 

Again, this is a time where maybe I'm reading it differently because of my professional background.  I've been in a lot of conversations that used those exact terms and discussed price-points and average tickets.   Even at the retail level in places like the Home Depot buying office there were conversations on how to best impact the average ticket in every region and subregion.  We had a lot of conversations about what would sell and what wouldn't based on who bought what and where -- demographics were a huge part of the conversation.

 

To me the entire thing reads like this.   Q:  Are you worried about not getting 3 million in attendance and how it may impact the team...  A: No, because while we aren't drawing as much we are making more money in other areas.  

 

I read it purely from the business view of it and the article reads decidedly slanted to me.   Seeing what the author has chosen to highlight in his twitter feed and the wording used -- It's hard not to see the agenda.

 

 

 Pedro Moura retweeted

GustavoArellano â€@GustavoArellano  9h9 hours ago

Anaheim Angels: We don't need poor fans, and we don't want them http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2015/06/anaheim_angels_poor_fans.php â€¦

 

Pedro Moura â€@pedromoura  Jun 4

In selling tickets, the Angels are de-emphasizing "many of the people on the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder." http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ticket-664311-season-angels.html â€¦

 

1. Pedro Moura â€@pedromoura  Jun 4

   The Angels are selling far fewer tickets, but that's OK to them, because prices are higher. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ticket-664311-season-angels.html â€¦

   

    

    

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Read those tweets and tell me the author isn't trying to take the conversation in a certain direction..

[VariousCrap]

Read those tweets and tell me the author isn't trying to take the conversation in a certain direction..

 

 

 

He is because that is what he feels the Angels are doing.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Yeah -- from the same guy that questions Moreno on why there are no blacks on the team and who previously has basically called Arte a fake Mexican that only cares about his heritage when it can make him money.

No agenda there at all.

exactly. This is the same guy who also completely twisted that espn article last year about what the angels are doing in the minors...the one that takes about how the angels were ranked dead last farmwise but ended up sending like 4 of 6 minors teams to the playoffs...well, he ended up writing it as 'angels ranked last'

Seriously, the oc weekly is a joke. Fun fact for most of you who didnt know, the oc weekly isnt considered media by anyone...they are bloggers...with no press pass. This is the same as for any of their other stories, bot just sports.

And this gustavo guy in particular has zero understanding of baseball, feel free to read his articles...like IP said, hes just some guy with a grudge against moreno

I have far more accessibility to the team....

[Spirit]

A family of 5 could afford to take their entire family to an Angels game before they could afford to take their entire family to Disneyland.  I guess because Disney doesn't need or want poor people. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

He is because that is what he feels the Angels are doing.

and this is the problem. Hes stating opinion as fact.

Reporters do this all the time with crime stories as well...which is a problem because you have people with no background of law telling other people with no background of the law what the law says....rhen everyone gets mad, and no one bothers to check what the laws actually state

[VariousCrap]

A family of 5 could afford to take their entire family to an Angels game before they could afford to take their entire family to Disneyland.  I guess because Disney doesn't need or want poor people. 

 

 

 

Uh...that has been known for decades.

[Guest]

He is because that is what he feels the Angels are doing.

 

He's stating it as if it were a fact. The title of the article (the one he uses in his tweets) is egregious. Not only is that article poorly written, it completely ignores the function and purpose of a marketing executive. He's getting offended because the VP of marketing uses terms like 'discount buyer' and his entire article revolves around that term.

 

The VP he keeps quoting is responsible for the marketing of ticket sales...why is Pedro Moura butthurt? I know, he needs clicks for his shitty article. 

[VariousCrap]

and this is the problem. Hes stating opinion as fact.

 

 

 

It didn't come across that way to me.

[VariousCrap]

He's stating it as if it were a fact. The title of the article (the one he uses in his tweets) is egregious. Not only is that article poorly written, it completely ignores the function and purpose of a marketing executive. He's getting offended because the VP of marketing uses terms like 'discount buyer' and his entire article revolves around that term.

 

The VP he keeps quoting is responsible for the marketing of ticket sales...why is Pedro Moura butthurt? I know, he needs clicks for his shitty article. 

 

 

 

Again, didn't come across that way to me, but I don't feel the need to defend the Angels 100% all the time.  Some people in this thread can't say the same thing.

[Spirit]

why is Pedro Moura butthurt? I know, he needs clicks for his shitty article. 

 

 

Bingo

[Guest]

exactly. This is the same guy who also completely twisted that espn article last year about what the angels are doing in the minors...the one that takes about how the angels were ranked dead last farmwise but ended up sending like 4 of 6 minors teams to the playoffs...well, he ended up writing it as 'angels ranked last'

Seriously, the oc weekly is a joke. Fun fact for most of you who didnt know, the oc weekly isnt considered media by anyone...they are bloggers...with no press pass. This is the same as for any of their other stories, bot just sports.

And this gustavo guy in particular has zero understanding of baseball, feel free to read his articles...like IP said, hes just some guy with a grudge against moreno

I have far more accessibility to the team....

Pedro Moura writes for the OC Register. http://www.ocregister.com/reporter-profile/pedro-2244-moura

Really disappointed with the OC Register....

[Dick B Back]

Maybe the Angels thinking is "discount buyers" = "trouble making Dodger type fans" and they don't mind them not coming to games.

[Inside Pitch]

Again, didn't come across that way to me, but I don't feel the need to defend the Angels 100% all the time.  Some people in this thread can't say the same thing.

 

 

I'm not even defending the Angels, I don't really see what needs to be defended but at the same time I can see where the comments could be taken as insensitive.   I do however question the intent of the author... but then I was raised to question what I read.  

 

See how easy it is to play the I'm better than you card?

Edited June 6, 2015 by Inside Pitch

[Jobu]

No issues with socioeconomics the word or the topic. Just commenting on the title change to "class baiting" when the Angels rep was happy to discuss the topic.

I think the stadium lease stuff is interesting. I remember reading an article saying that the city sometimes loses money on the deal and sometimes makes some but it's not a huge swing. So I wonder how effective tanking the overall attendance will be.

[Jobu]

Maybe the Angels thinking is "discount buyers" = "trouble making Dodger type fans" and they don't mind them not coming to games.

They make trouble after buying 7 Corona bombers, so I think they're fine with that crowd.

[Inside Pitch]

They make trouble after buying 7 Corona bombers, so I think they're fine with that crowd.

 

LOL -- because you nailed it.

[Dick B Back]

They make trouble after buying 7 Corona bombers, so I think they're fine with that crowd.

I didn't know they were buying at the stadium. I thought they were bringing their drinks in via the wife's diaper bag.

[nando714]

I didn't know they were buying at the stadium. I thought they were bringing their drinks in via the wife's diaper bag.

Nothing wrong with that either

13 dollars for a tall can my a$$

[Inside Pitch]

Nothing wrong with that either

13 dollars for a tall can my a$$

 

Cmon Bro..  

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/baby-flask/

Edited June 6, 2015 by Inside Pitch

[nando714]

Cmon Bro..

http://www.instructables.com/id/baby-flask/

Jeez straight e&j. Rip

[VariousCrap]

I'm not even defending the Angels, I don't really see what needs to be defended but at the same time I can see where the comments could be taken as insensitive.   I do however question the intent of the author... but then I was raised to question what I read.  

 

See how easy it is to play the I'm better than you card?

 

 

 

No, you have been.  Without a doubt, but I liked what you did there.

Edited June 6, 2015 by VariousCrap

[Jay]

On the other hand, what socioeconomic group are they marketing to with all those silly giveaways?

[Blarg]

I became a fan because my father took me to games when I was a kid and it was cheap enough for a young working-class father to do so. This led to two Angel fans for life (my brother and I). Of course, the Angels weren't good in the 70s, so they couldn't pick & choose who went to the games.

 

However, this is just a microcosm of society at large. Nobody gives two shits anymore about the lower or middle classes, so this is not surprising.

 

It is cheaper to watch the games from home than to go to the games and pay $8 for a beer or $4 for a soda and $6 for a hot dog and $5 for a bag of peanuts. Maybe if THOSE prices were lowered (and the quality were improved), more people of all socioeconomic strata would go, and they'd actually spend money on concessions instead of feeling like they are being robbed blind due to captive audience pricing.

 

You are allowed to take food into the park so you're down to beer money and plenty of bars charge about the same for lousy beer.