Let's do the Time Warp Again!

[KittyDuran]

If it was such a big deal to offer the fourth cup, it should have been scheduled for last year. It was as simple as putting it on a calendar. Otherwise the response to issuing last year's cup now should have been, "That's all well and good, but it's 2004 and I think we have to assume people know that."

M2 - they don't advertise in the calendar because they are available during the all the games - you can ask for a collector cup or not (the collector cups are usually larger and more expensive). I wasn't aware that there were different cups each year.

Right now I'm looking at the 3 cups that I have - 1 from last year (that says Collector Series #1 or 4 and another with Austin Kearns (2 of those and from 2002) that says Collector Series #5 or 5. What's so funny is that I've never notice the #'s before. I usually get them at the end of the game (along with lots of other fans) and wash them out, then soak them in dishwashing liquid overnight. And that's only if I like them...

[KittyDuran]

the rest of 'em could probably care less

Very true, the many that some fans pick up, there are still thousands that get thrown in the trash...

[KittyDuran]

Hey I found some more cups!!! :mhcky21:

2 small UDF BRM 15th Anniversary (2000)
1 of Junior (2000) (1 of 3)
3 of the Coca Cola ones (1999) Why didn't I get the 4th??? I love Sprite!!!

[M2]

tr, the simple response from anyone with a professional bone in their body to the scenario you laid out should have been, "That's all well and good, but it's 2004 and I think we have to assume people know that."

It makes it look like the team's doing things on the cheap, probably because it is. You've seen in this thread that cutting corners on something like this makes people wonder about the freshness of the food at the concessions and whether other money-saving measures might not lead to funky restrooms.

The team botched a ballpark project -- lowest first season attendance of any new park, payroll immediately falls back to pre-2003 levels. On top of that, the team botches the basics of pubic relations, marketing and customer care on a regular basis. Fans booed the team owner yesterday with the Vice President sitting next to him and we're not talking about Philadelphians here. If the Reds were a public company, would you sink your hard-earned money into them and expect any kind of return?

Even if you look past the "whatever" attitude toward details, if the team can't get a simple cup promotion right what hope is there that they'll score a significantly better television contract or launch a successful market expansion?

Kitty, my point is that if they had four collector's cups to issue in 2003, then certainly by September they should have swapped out models 1-3 for model #4 if they thought it was important to get them into the hands of their fans.

[BigRed75]

I've seen some ridiculous threads on this forum but this one takes the cake. Some of you probably complained that the sun was to bright at Opening Day. I swear, you guys are only happy when you're complaining. I can't blame guernsey one bit for not wanting to come back here...sometimes I wonder why I stick around. I guess it's because I remember the old days of great baseball posts from Red Storm, Spitball and Rem (just to name a few) and hope to see that kind of discussion but instead I come to read a topic about cups.

[Chip R]

OK, I just checked my cupboard and I have 3 of the 4 cups from last year. The one I saw yesterday was #3 in a series of 4. I was wondering late last year why I kept seeing that 3rd one.

M2 is right. Bonkowski's reply was just saying that they had a contract to have those cups printed and they were going to use them. Attendence fell off (Blame the fans) and so they decided to hold off printing #4 probably to save a few bucks. But since they had a contract to print those cups, they darn well are going to use them. I don't think I would have been as irritated if they had used them later in the year. Of course by then attendence might go south again and then they would have to wait till 2005 to use them. But get something new for Opening Day, for crying out loud. I would think the Reds would want the fans to forget 2003. Maybe Rumpke should own the Reds. The Reds sure like to recycle stuff. They recycled Fox Sport Ohio's TV commercial last year as their own for this year so why not recycle the cups from last year as this year's cups.

traderumor, I know you don't think this is a big deal, and that's fine. I don't think a $45M payroll is that big of a deal but others do and they feel their concern is legitimate. But obviously some people do think this cup deal is a big deal because it's typical of the way the Reds market their product - or should I say anti-market their product. Some people like to have these little souveniers from the park otherwise they wouldn't make them. If a team decides not to do that, that's fine. But if you are going to do it, do it right.

[M2]

I don't know BR75, seems to me if the Reds were a better run business maybe that would help them put a better product in the field.

They're trying to sell the 2004 season yet they're handing out 2003 cups. How long you think Bonkowski would last in front of Donald Trump before he got a "You're fired" for that one?

[KittyDuran]

Hmmm... I think I'll email this thread to Zach. I did thank him for his prompt responses.

[alloverjr]

I think it's an absolute shame what this organization has become. Would I care what cup I got at the stadium? No. But the underlying tone set forth by this move shows that they can't find their rears with both hands. They have certainly turned me off from this club, or at least the season. As a former season ticket holder for ten years and a listerner of every game of every year - location permitting, this organization has managed to do what I never thought possible. Yesterday, not only did I turn down free tickets multiple times, it was the first time I can remember not even turning the game on the radio to listen. I know, no one cares. It's just strange feeling so apathetic towards something I used to work my days around.

Off topic. So you thought John Allen was watching every dime going out the door, huh? Well...the Reds bought $305 worth of product from my company and paid the invoice by check - on time I might add. And who took the time to sign my $337 check? Mr. Allen himself. Not a stamp. Shouldn't he be going to PR classes instead of taking the time to sign checks of that level? Maybe not. Oh, and yes, he overpaid the invoice by $32. Thanks John. I am going to send the difference back to him with the caveat that the money must be put into the 2004 souvenier cup fund.

[BigRed75]

I don't know BR75, seems to me if the Reds were a better run business maybe that would help them put a better product in the field.

They're trying to sell the 2004 season yet they're handing out 2003 cups. How long you think Bonkowski would last in front of Donald Trump before he got a "You're fired" for that one?

We're talking about a cup right? A mother @#!$*&% cup!!!!!!!!!!! You people have to be kidding me? This is just getting stupid now. I too like to collect the cups when I go to a game but I'll be damned if I'll analyze how a baseball team is being operated based on a frickin' cup and then go pontificate on a baseball forum.

[M2]

Yeah, better to complain about people who'd like to see a bad organization run better.

Put this another way. Say you get on an airplane tomorrow and you reach into the pouch in front of you to check out the airline's house magazine. Say the magazine you grab carries an August, 2003 date stamp.

Some people might not give it a second thought (then again they may not have a first thought to give it either). Yet others will wonder why in the heck months of cleaning crews didn't manage to get the older magazine out of there. Or perhaps the airline discontinued the magazine, which might make you wonder if the parent company is going through a rough patch financially. Is the airline's attention to safety better than its internal cleaning procedures? Is the seat you're in all that sanitary? Exactly which employees in the company are being paid well enough to care about their jobs?

Sure, it's just a detail. Of course in the service industry DETAILS MATTER. An airline doesn't wasn't some stray unchecked detail to undermine the confidence of its customers and a baseball team doesn't want some stray unchecked detail to undermine the confidence of the ticket buying public that it's committed to giving them the best team/ballpark experience it can.

[Chip R]

We're talking about a cup right? A mother @#!$*&% cup!!!!!!!!!!! You people have to be kidding me? This is just getting stupid now. I too like to collect the cups when I go to a game but I'll be damned if I'll analyze how a baseball team is being operated based on a frickin' cup and then go pontificate on a baseball forum.

People complain on here almost every day that the Reds aren't winning and/or they are a terrible organization because the payroll is too low. What I'm saying is that this cup situation is just an example of why the Reds are a terrible organization. One has as much to do with it as the other. It has been proven time and again that just because you have a large payroll doesn't mean you are a good organization or will be a winner.

For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the battle was lost. For want of a battle the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

[REDREAD]

Kitty, my point is that if they had four collector's cups to issue in 2003, then certainly by September they should have swapped out models 1-3 for model #4 if they thought it was important to get them into the hands of their fans.

My thoughts exactly.. If they ordered too many cups that year, and were already commited to printing cup #4 anyhow,
why not have a spontaneous give away night.. first 20k fans or whatever get cup #4.. Or on fan appreciation night,
you can buy a surplus cup with soda in it at a special low price (low enough to ensure they're all gone).. It appears the cups were a sunk cost anyhow. A smart
business would've created some goodwill out of it in 2003, as opposed to the half-reared way the Reds did it..

[REDREAD]

Is the seat you're in all that sanitary? .

Not in the GAB, Allen was too cheap to put seat liners in

Sorry, I know I'm but I couldn't resist