Being temporarily based in Minnesota, I thought I'd check out the web page of the Twins baseball team. It really puts .cock to shame (not that that is too difficult).

Anyway, here it is.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Answers

It is absolutely true Screacher that the U.S. teams leave us at the gate when it comes to marketing their teams. Ditto for actually giving the appearance of caring about their fans. Things are changing but very, very slowly. There is simply no excuse for the toon web page and the pitiful internet broadcast performance.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2001

Just back from the 'dome. The Metrodome is nothing special fom the outside - a bit like the Stadium of Sh!te but with a canvas roof. But walk inside, and the ground disappears below you - there's as much seating below the street level than above it. Today, there were just over 44,000 in the all-seater undercover air-conditioned stadium - and it wasn't full. I guess for baseball, they could accommodate about 50,000. But for NFL football games, the roll out a complete side of extra seats (the baseball pitch has only 3 spectator sides) ao I guess the capacity must be well over 60,000 for NFL matches.

It really is a family entertainment, with our seats costing a mere $5 on the day. Not the best view, but comparible with my seat at SJP :-( Alcohol is sold inside the ground but not just at concession stands. No, it's sold in the seating area. What surprised me was when we asked (well, shouted) for 3 Buds, they were passed along the line passing the $20 note going in the other direction. Not long before 5 $1 bills arrived as well. Could you imagine that at SJP? The beer would not be worth drinking (if any arrived back at all) and the money would have been nicked. As I say, a totally different experience.

Outside, before the game, there was a stand where a couple of players were signing autographs. Again, not what you could imagine at a football game back home. Yes, I know it's only rounders, but today's game was between the (currently) two best teams in the country, yet tickets only cost $5. Wow! I reckon they must have been talking to the Mackems who also can't seel all their tickets ;-)

The Twins lost 6-3 to Seattle Mariners. All in all, a canny day out, only spolied by the game. Sound familiar?

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2001

And can you imagine

any

Brit club page having that 'Jump To' dropdown to link you to the home page of another Brit club ?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

I think the site is put together by MLB (Major League Baseball), The other sites are exactly the same set up. Probably the club has to pay MLB a fee/royalty for the website.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

And they lost again yesterday 3-2. This BBS is whizzy fast in the USofA. if only the @ sign was in the right place.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

It is when you bring your own PC @-)

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

Well, I guess you have to decide! Why not support a good team - like the Mariners for instance! Best record in baseball and gave the Twinkies a reet good cuffing! Hee! Hee!.

For the Mariners things have really looked up since they got rid of whinning over-paid "stars" (Johnson, Griffey and particularly Rodrigez who actually wanted the outfield fence shortened so he could hit more home runs! Duh!

As for the web site - I think all Major League baseball sites have the same basic web program. A disadvantage is that you can only listen to web broadcasts of the games if you pay a fee to MLB.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001