10 Things I Wish the San Francisco Giants Would Bring Back or Improve Upon

I love my San Francisco Giants.  During the good and bad times, the warm days at AT&T Park and freezing cold days at Candlestick, and from the nosebleeds to the premium seats that had me on TV all day long, I've always been a loyal fan.

At AT&T Park, there's always new developments and innovations that makes our ballpark stand out as one of the best in the nation.  But there's always room for improvement.

I wish there were some things they can improve or bring back from the past:

1. Every time we win the game, do they always have to play the "whoo hoo" song?  Isn't there a more recent trendy song that can get the crowd going?  Remember "Who Let the Dogs Out?"  It was great to hear that and hear the fans in the stands sing out loud.  Could we sing the Ghostbusters song when Posey hits a home run?
2. The Giants promotes all these new food options like the Original Joes burgers and sushi, but these new creations are only sold in just one isolated location in the entire park.  Original Joes burgers are only sold near section 136 near the mini ballpark for kids, and the sushi stand is in the Club Level which means only the privileged Giants fans have access.  At least open a second stand somewhere accessible to everyone.
3. Where's the social media hangout they planned to open at the former Build a Bear stand?  Now it's an abandoned building for the last few homestands.  If you don't plan to open a social media hangout, how about opening a second Crazy Crabz location because those sandwiches tastes GOOD!
4. Sometimes the ushers don't really care about people going to their seats while the ball is in play or the batter is in the box.  It annoys the crap out of me seeing people just walk up the stairs to their seats and blocking the view of the ball being pitched.
5. I remember the when the arcade section had the flat penny machine and the penny you received said what game you attended.  It was the best souvenir for just 51 cents.  Can we get that back?
6. Can you cook the garlic fries a little bit longer?  The Club level has a reputation for cooking good garlic fries, but the rest of the stands in the park could use a little more TLC.
7. Bring back the souvenir pin giveaways.  It used to be a common occurrence back at Candlestick, including one pin I still have on my hat from nearly 20 years ago when the Rockies first played against the Giants at Candlestick.  I like the pins more than a box full of giveaway hats and oddball items like fingerless gloves.
8. I find it ironic that soda cans are banned from bring brought into the park, but they sell beer in aluminum bottles.  Are aluminum beverage containers considered a weapon?
9. Please kill-off the "Family Feud" from your gameshow inning promotion.  How the hell is Dirty Harry not a top eight choice for best San Francisco movie, but that Nicholas Cage film, The Rock is a top eight?
10. Is it just me or is nearly impossible to find the designated driver program booth anymore?  Ever since they yanked-out the desk next to Guest Services, there's no way to tell if they even take sign-ups anymore for those free sodas.  They put a new location on the promenade level near the stairwell leading to the Lefty O'Doul gate, but it's manned only on a few days and you'd miss it if you weren't looking carefully.

A List of Bad Manners by Giants Fans

I personally love going to Giants games.  It's a time for me to unwind at a night game after a tough day at work, or spend time with my dad at Sunday afternoon games.

Because of the way the ticketing system works, I don't get a choice in what row to sit in; I sometimes get the choice of what specific section.  One of the more annoying seats I get assigned to is the first row in the upper reserved section.  About half of the time I get assigned the first row, I always get some kind of obstructed view and as you see in the photo, I get a clear view of home plate, but have to view the outfield through the plexiglass while seated.

I'll tell you, there's a lot of fans at AT&T Park that needs a lesson in proper manners.  Here's my list of the most annoying things fans do:

Standing for way too long:  Unless if you are in the very last row in the super nosebleed seats, don't stand-up for too long when there's a spectacular defensive play or a great offensive play like a home run.  Standing-up and cheering at sports games is a tradition, but do it for too long and you become a thorn for fans sitting behind you.  When I stand-up and cheer at an important moment of the game and I know I've been standing longer than I should, I turn around and check the fans behind me; if they are standing and cheering too, I'm okay to continue doing so, but if nearly all of them are sitting, it's time for me to sit.  I haven't noticed this in a few years, but in some cases, if you stand too long or stick out like a thorn too often, I've seen the cops escort the person out because they are too drunk.

Not making room when going through the row:  I hate those moments when you are trying to get to your seat located in the middle of the row and you have to get through about a dozen people.  There's always those people who refuse to stand-up and sometimes will just scoot their legs one way so you don't trip and fall.  Reality check folks, be nice and just please stand-up and shove your calves into the seat as far as you can so you can help your fellow fan get to their seat as quickly as possible.

Using a seat as a step to the next row:  I don't see it that often anymore; there's those fans who puts their feet on a seat to get into the next row.  As I like to say to those who likes to put their feet on seats, "I don't want your foot on my ass, get your feet off the seat!"  The floor is a nasty place, and all I don't want is a nasty beer soaked shoeprint on the rear end of my pants.

Drinking way too much: Stadiums makes handfuls of money selling overpriced little cups of beer, but when people drink way too much, they get on my nerves.  To the fans who drink, beer is treated as liquid gold, and to me, I'll stick to my 75 cent bottled sodas I bought at the grocery store.  When some fans drink too much, they can become belligerent and I've seen my share of fans being arrested for acting like jackasses.

Can #SFGiants fans learn to STAY IN THEIR SEATS until the inning is over? Stop blocking my view!
— Akit (@AgentAkit) July 1, 2012

Those who leave their seats in the middle of the inning: Sitting in the first row has its perks and weaknesses.  I don't understand why people have to leave their seats right in the middle of an inning, especially when the batter is in the box or the ball is still in play.  Is it that important to grab a hot dog or go to the bathroom at that moment during the game?  Why can't you at least wait until the inning is over to leave your seat and go handle your business?  Sometimes it's okay to leave your seat after an out, but only if a fan is sitting close to the aisle, and can make it to the bottom of the steps before the next pitch.  But if you can't make it, then just wait.

While I'm talking about people who leave their seats at the middle of an inning, I'm going to talk about the most annoying fans EVER.

Those who block the views of the front row people:  Yeah, I know you fans, the ones who tries to go to their seats during the middle of a game.  The ushers can only do so much to tell fans to wait until the play is completed to return to your seats.  As I said before, sitting in the front row has its disadvantages and this is one of them.  I'm sitting there watching pitch-by-pitch and you have those fools who walks right into the my view in the middle of a pitch, and sometimes I miss a key play.  I've even had to tell people starting to walk up the stairs to: "please wait, as you are blocking my view of the game."  Sometimes that technique works, other times, they are totally oblivious and just going up the stairs or gives a rude "excuse me."  Other times, there's the fans that goes up the stairs and instead of keep walking, they stand at the step totally blocking my view, while the fan thinks they have a totally unobstructed view of the game.  I usually give them the hand waiving motion to get the hell out of the way, otherwise I start to get verbal.  Here's my tip on when it's the right time to return to your seats: Wait until the inning is over.  Unless if you can run up the stairs and get into your seat from the time the out is declared and the next pitch, JUST WAIT UNTIL THE INNING ENDS.

In summary:

1. Respect others
2. Give courtesy to your fellow fans
3. And have some patience!

I'm probably missing a few items on the list of bad manners.  What's your list of your peeves while at the ballgame?  Leave your comments.

Response from SF Giants - The Sippy Cups poor performance

Here's the reply from Giants Guest Services about my comments on The Sippy Cups' REALLY BAD performance at a recent San Francisco Giants baseball game I attended:

RE: sf - Other - AT&T Park Questions -Poor Reaction towards "Sippy Cups" on 4/7 game

Thank you for writing and sharing your thoughts with us. I don't believe that the Sippy Cups will be making another appearance.

Best Regards,
Giants Guest Services

-----Original Message-----
From: NOSPAM@NOSPAM.org
Sent: Sat 4/7/2007 11:04 PM
To: Customer Service
Subject: sf - Other - AT&T Park Questions -Poor Reaction towards "Sippy Cups" on 4/7 game

Hello, I wanted to comment that the Sippy Cups has to be one of the poorest and worst performances I've ever seen at this ballpark. I am also embarrassed of their very poor rendition of our National Anthem. I do not want to sound too negative, but I was also one of the thousands of booing attendees that gave them a boo when they were introduced for the 7th inning stretch. I hope that this park's management consider that the negative fan reaction should be a consideration to blacklisting them from ever performing here ever again. On a lighter note, kudos to the field club concession area for NOT playing their music during the pre-game over the PA system.

Giants vs. Dodgers with Larry King and Lou Seal

I'm probably the luckiest man right now, I was able to get tickets on a Friday morning at 1AM for near front row tickets at the Giants game. Sure, it was $110 for just myself, but the experience and the great photographs was well worth it. The ticket said row "A" but it was not the super luxury tickets that get you right next to the field behind home plate, my seat was one section left of home plate in the front row, behind the luxury "field club" pit.

Here's proof:


But it was so close to the action that I was able to get some great action photographs, but I won't post them here because of the large file size.

Also, I could not believe that Larry King was in the park too! Ya know, that talk show host on CNN was sitting in a nearby section, and he was purchasing some cotton candy and chatting with the vendor. I was able to get this great shot of him. I was joking with my fellow fans next to me and that I would give the photo to the Enquirer.



Lastly, here's one of Lou Seal:


Let's summarize my rants:
Other than the ticket being quite expensive, nothing else to complain about!

Big boos from the fans to the Sippy Cups at Pac Bell Park

Today, I was at the Giants game with some great front seats and I learn that there is this music group performing for the first "Kids day" at the ball park. This was some group that nobody knew.

This group is called "The Sippy Cups" which was some kind of music group that plays a children's version of rock and roll.

When they started playing, it was the most annoying shit (and I really mean shit) I've ever heard in my life. The lead singer was fucking tone deaf, and it was so annoying that I went down to the field club vendors area where happily the park management decided to not play the stuff in the indoor area. But, when I had to go to the restroom, they were playing their crap in the speakers.

Then, the Giants park management let them sing the national anthem which nobody booed at them because you just don't boo at people who even does a really poor rendition of it.

But we got our revenge at the 7th inning stretch! Renel introduced the group to the crowd that they were to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and everyone in the stadium booed at the group (and I really mean a very decent booing) similar to giving a really great "fuck off" booing at Ashlee Simpson.

One of the members reacted to the booing by looking into the crowd on the jumbotron and they just sung along.

Let's summarize my rants:
The Sippy Cups SHOULD BE BANNED FROM AT&T PARK FROM EVER PERFORMING AGAIN
You are just as bad as Lori & RJ (pure hell duet kids song group on KTVU in the old days)