"See The Birds" promotion shutdown

[ChaosLex]

I'm sure the Orioles have aleady made donations to Nick's charity this year.

Oh, I have no doubt.

But it'd look good if they were to make a statement that they're not going to "play Nestor's game" and then give twice the amount WNST was trying to raise ($2000) to Nick's charity.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Douchebags, as always. "Hey, let's try to get the team to do something they don't do and when they say they don't do it act like they sprayed water on our collective Tommy Bahama shirts!"

Just another reason I've given up on the station completely for months. Even Haney isn't bringing me back like he used to be able to.

If I were with the Orioles, I would have donation boxes at the sections with the $1 seats (or even better, all over the park), with the proceeds being split among each player to go to their charity-of-choice. I bet I know who gets more money, and which media outlet would attack it because they didn't get the benefit.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Oh, I have no doubt.

But it'd look good if they were to make a statement that they're not going to "play Nestor's game" and then give twice the amount WNST was trying to raise ($2000) to Nick's charity.

No, it wouldn't "look good". Those embarrassments-to-their-city would not let it look good.

[SilentJames]

I know they do.

But who are we kidding? There would be enough empty seats to easily make this possible, and it wouldn't have done anything, but been good.

My point is that they are asking the Orioles to do something that NO professional organization would do. And then when they don;t do it, are blaming them.

These tickets are not intended to be sold to groups - its that simple. And all this crap about "We aren't going to pay the charge!"

Please, that's kind of like walking into best buy and demanding to pay wholesale on your iPod.

And its $.50 per ticket.

PS - I can't agree or disagree with anything in this pole, because the Orioles were asked to do something that I have not heard of any professional franchise doing. I mean do the Orioles even have the authority to do this? Doesn't the MLB have the contract with ticketmaster?

This smacks of NST self-aggrandizement.

[dslats715]

Whatever the O's front office would have chosen to do would have been a catch 22.

If they refuse, they're viewed by the NST faithful as completely heartless.

If they capitulate and sell NST the tickets, then Nestor is appeased, and he boasts about the influence they have on the organization.

Unstoppable force, immovable object. That whole thing.

Its a radio station that produces a signal that struggles to reach Carroll County. Hardly a Catch-22.

Even if they tooted their own horn, so there would be some cheering and some donating. It wouldn't harm anything.

[dslats715]

My point is that they are asking the Orioles to do something that NO professional organization would do. And then when they don;t do it, are blaming them.

These tickets are not intended to be sold to groups - its that simple. And all this crap about "We aren't going to pay the charge!"

Please, that's kind of like walking into best buy and demanding to pay wholesale on your iPod.

And its $.50 per ticket.

I don't disagree with what you said really. I just find it disappointing the best we can do is 1$ tickets and bickering over .50 cents. Its disheartening.

[Miller192]

I've supported NST when I thought it was appropriate.

However, who are they kidding? I have zero doubt that Drew and Nestor heard the promotion and decided they could do something that they could paint the Orioles in a bad light. Nestor has been buying group tickets for years, give me a break.

The charity bit just adds to it.

These guys are clowns.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Its a radio station that produces a signal that struggles to reach Carroll County. Hardly a Catch-22.

Even if they tooted their own horn, so there would be some cheering and some donating. It wouldn't harm anything.

Then why should the Orioles make an exception for such an irrelevant organization?

[crowmst3k!]

Its not even that. NST KNOWS what will happen. They should know that only 500 dollar tickets are available, and they are ONLY AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUAL SALE ONLINE, as is clearly pointed out on the website.

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal/ticketing/masn.jsp

Now, NST could attempt to purchase a couple hundred tickets for the game in advance, Nestor could do it - he could get some nameless-faceless inter at the studio to do it, give him the money and that would be the end of it.

But, at the end of the day, they should know that this promotion is not intended to be used by groups, that what group ticket pricing is for.

Now, if they want to get a bunch of people together to try and sit in the same section, like they did last time - they could easily do that. But to me it seems that NST is purposefully exploiting a flaw in the system to make the Orioles look bad.

Exactly. I was having a discussion with a WBALer about this at length today, and clearly it's just fuel for the proverbial fire. Nestor, knowing those rules, set himself up for a Kobayashi-Maru scenario, because his "promotion" was outside of the boundaries of the dollar ticket terms and conditions.

The WBALer thought that The Orioles may just quietly sell the tickets to avoid the whole PR mess, but then he reminded me, in concrete radio ratings terms, how incredibly small and meaningless NST's audience really is, and therefore the Orioles would have nearly nothing to lose by refusing.

I'm glad it played out this way, just a quick swat of the mosquito that is Aparicio.

[SilentJames]

I don't disagree with what you said really. I just find it disappointing the best we can do is 1$ tickets and bickering over .50 cents. Its disheartening.

Exactly. SNT could have easily pulled this off, but now they are angry about a .50 service charge - seriously. That is ridiculous.

[dslats715]

Then why should the Orioles make an exception for such an irrelevant organization?

I don't know? Show an openness? Fill some of the empty 30+ thousand seats on Tuesday?

[dslats715]

Exactly. SNT could have easily pulled this off, but now they are angry about a .50 service charge - seriously. That is ridiculous.

Yea its just ridiculous all around I guess.

Disappointing.

[BaltimoreTerp]

how incredibly small and meaningless NST's audience really is

And alienating formerly loyal listeners doesn't help any of their causes, valid or not.

[Why Not?]

Its a radio station that produces a signal that struggles to reach Carroll County. Hardly a Catch-22.

Even if they tooted their own horn, so there would be some cheering and some donating. It wouldn't harm anything.

But what if I want MY group to be able to buy $1 tickets? After you set up the rules of a promotion, you can't really decide to change those rules. Everybody who has bought a $1 seat (and paid whatever charges) would have a pretty good gripe.

I think the thing that bothers me the most about this particular bit of stupidity is that WNST attaches themselves to the charity....like that's what this is all about. If the station wanted to donate, they could just, ummm, do it. If they want to encourage their listeners to donate, even better. But they won't. Because this isn't about giving to charity. Not even a little bit.

[SilentJames]

I don't know? Show an openness? Fill some of the empty 30+ thousand seats on Tuesday?

Dude, I mean what else do the Orioles need to do here? I mean they are already offering dollar tickets. Every other night is some sort of bargain night. There are still pretty damn good promotions coming down the pipe.

NST has been a continued antagonist to the org for years. Why should the Orioles do anything for them. Especially something they really CAN'T do.