Definitely less fun this year than years past due to the insane crowd.  And I'd rather be in line with "creepy" or "geeky" adults than giggling, annoying young girls who make it seem like all female baseball fans are only fans because the players are "hot."

 

Get used to it, the casual fan just realized there was another team in Chicago.

Soxfest this year had better energy, not as great of people. The only good time was in the bar at night.

As has been mentioned here, yes it was entirely too packed at SoxFest. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic. I was all about celebrating with everyone else, but I thought it was a lot of wasting time sitting or standing around. I don't think I'm ever going to go back to SoxFest, either. This was my first time going in many years and I can see why. This event is more for people who like to collect autographs and get their collectibles signed - not something I've ever been much into.

 

I do have one simple question to ask, however. I go to a Beatles convention every year, as well as other music or sports team events every year. Can someone please tell me WHY the HELL people feel the need to bring infant babies and children who are still in diapers who won't remember a frickin' thing about being there? Seriously, people - at an event this large and attended by so many people, is it really a need to be pushing a stroller around just so your little Mikey or Marie can get their picture taken with a baseball player who could frankly give two hoots about your kids, no offense. This baffles me to no end.

 

I'm not a parent and frankly I don't ever plan on being one. That being said I cannot possibly relate to someone who has kids and wants to bring them to SoxFest. At the same time, I can't tell you how many people I saw there pushing strollers with sleeping babies in them and parents holding/carrying sleeping babies on their shoulders. Seriously - for what? They couldn't get a babysitter or something? Fine - that happens. But when I saw the number of handicapped Sox fans who require wheelchairs - their time at Soxfest would have been a little easier for them to get around had there not been so many damn strollers taking up space. Unless your little Mikey or Marie is 5 years old or older and will remember this event themsleves - leave your infants and toddlers at HOME. That was beyond ridiculous. :headshake

I.Hate.Kids

As has been mentioned here, yes it was entirely too packed at SoxFest.  Good thing I'm not claustrophobic.  I was all about celebrating with everyone else, but I thought it was a lot of wasting time sitting or standing around.  I don't think I'm ever going to go back to SoxFest, either.  This was my first time going in many years and I can see why.  This event is more for people who like to collect autographs and get their collectibles signed - not something I've ever been much into. 

 

I do have one simple question to ask, however.  I go to a Beatles convention every year, as well as other music or sports team events every year.  Can someone please tell me WHY the HELL people feel the need to bring infant babies and children who are still in diapers who won't remember a frickin' thing about being there?  Seriously, people - at an event this large and attended by so many people, is it really a need to be pushing a stroller around just so your little Mikey or Marie can get their picture taken with a baseball player who could frankly give two hoots about your kids, no offense.  This baffles me to no end.

 

I'm not a parent and frankly I don't ever plan on being one.  That being said I cannot possibly relate to someone who has kids and wants to bring them to SoxFest.  At the same time, I can't tell you how many people I saw there pushing strollers with sleeping babies in them and parents holding/carrying sleeping babies on their shoulders.  Seriously - for what?  They couldn't get a babysitter or something?  Fine - that happens.  But when I saw the number of handicapped Sox fans who require wheelchairs - their time at Soxfest would have been a little easier for them to get around had there not been so many damn strollers taking up space.  Unless your little Mikey or Marie is 5 years old or older and will remember this event themsleves - leave your infants and toddlers at HOME.  That was beyond ridiculous.  :headshake

I don't have kids either, but give them a break. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons parents bring infants. Finding babysitters sometimes isn't the easiest thing to do. If they have the hotel package are they supposed to leave their little ones home alone? Baby strollers was not the reason this event wasn't as comfortable than in the past. There were way too many people for the Hyatt to handle. They knew in advance the number of people attending would be higher, and they did nothing to accomodate that increase. I went to the seminars and had a seat, so I was fine. I took one stroll downstairs to check what the vendors had, and quickly realized I really didn't want to be there. If I need anything from Grandstand, I'll just go there.

Tell them how you cheated me out of all my money.

My full house > your full house

 

(Enter Keith's dance in here)

Ha, well what really happened was we were just walking around down there and all the sudden we get by the autograph lines and people just start cheering so of course we knew it was for us   but it turned out that Crede was right behind us.

Yeah, he couldn't have been more than 10 feet behind us, he almost ran into some of us when we stopped to see what was going on

I thought the weekend was great overall, and I could understand where people were coming from with the organization of the Fest, but these psycho parents need to realize that much of the blame should be directed towards the Hyatt and not the White Sox. Adults swearing at Sox personel in front of little kids because they couldnt get into a Neal Cotts line is very sad and not at all what this Fest is supposed to be about, unfortantely there were some clowns that made the experience just that much more difficult to fully enjoy. Fans are gonna want to meet there favorite players right after a championship, understandably so...the lines were competitive, only because the Hyatt sold so many extra tickets, this left many people clueless as to what was going on and where, once they did finally get in. Getting in was the biggest problem of the fest because the hyatt staff had no control whatsoever taking people through a wild scavenger musical chair hunt going in and out of ballrooms like you were waiting for the newest ride at Disney World. Once one got into the fest, it was all up to how dedicated and determined you were to get wristbands for autos or get into the seminars. Now granted, nobody could have ever imagined that there would be people camping out in line from 4am and earlier, and so is the effect of winning a championship. My buddy and I made out real well, got in for Thome and AJ on Friday, met BAnderson, BMac, Baines, Kittle and AJ again at the hotels bars afterwards. Saturday was an absolute zoo, by far the most crowded day.... getting to the hotel at 7:30am was not gonna guarentee an auto from the early sesssions, but I somehow managed a miracle to get into Ozzie's line, also got Crede, Anderson, Singleton and Minnie on Saturday. Sunday's line to get into the fest was the worst of the 3, but finished real well with getting Cotts and Konerko before almost passing out due to the 110 degree temperature that the Hyatt had the thermo at. Not a shabby haul for not staying at the hotel. Between all the waiting in lines and going back and forth for beer runs, I really have no complaints whatsoever toward the White Sox, the Hyatt on the other hand is a dump and it is very clear as to why they lost the contract for this event. By Sunday, the place looked like a Hurricane Katrina refuge. Time will tell if Palmer House will be better, even though it is smaller. Until then... OPENING DAY, I've never been so ready in my life.

Call me crazy but I actually had a great time at this year's Fest. I've been to the last three, travelling in from Boulder, Colorado, and I've enjoyed all three. Because we were celebrating this year, I thought this was the best. The price of success is crowds. I thought that the White Sox organization did their best to accomodate the increased crowd.

 

Now, I have not stood in one autograph line in three years. I have no interest in collecting signatures. I attend almost all of the seminars and training academy discussions that interest me. I love Greg Walker's hitting intruction. I also love to see Ozzie and Kenny perform.

 

There were a couple seminars that were hard to get into but for the most part if you really wanted to be in one you could do so.

 

I did not get to sleep before 3am on either night as I was hanging out at the Big Bar with friends. The place was just nuts with the new dance club there.

Edited January 31, 200620 yr by thomsonmi

Why not eliminate the hotels, cut out their take, and have it at the ball park?

 

There are large meeting rooms, the patio, bullpen bar and the big restaurant in right field.

 

The team could cash in on parking, food, and invite souvenier vendors in to sell and charge them too.

 

It can be done.-They could sell more tickets too.

Why not eliminate the hotels, cut out their take, and have it at the ball park?

 

There are large meeting rooms, the patio, bullpen bar and the big restaurant in right field.

 

The team could cash in on parking, food, and invite souvenier vendors in to sell and charge them too.

 

It can be done.-They could sell more tickets too.

It's kind of in the middle of winter.

It's kind of in the middle of winter.

 

Plus, you gotta have those hotel rooms. You know, for those, games...

Plus, you gotta have those hotel rooms.  You know, for those, games... 

You are way to little to be posting in this thread.

You are way to little to be posting in this thread. 

I wonder if he's sobered up by now

I wonder if he's sobered up by now 

 

Ha. Ha.

 

BTW, the Dunkin Donuts sobered me up.

Ha.  Ha.

 

BTW, the Dunkin Donuts sobered me up. 

you're so ridiculous

Rowand44=Napolean Dynamite

Rowand44=Napolean Dynamite 

 

Actually, it's more like Andy Kauffman + Rob Reiner.

 

+ = Rowand 44

Edited February 1, 200620 yr by Flash Tizzle

He looks like a major stoner. Sort of like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo.

Ha, look what you started brian. And yes I need a haircut but I'm probably not going to get one just cause it annoys others.

Either Rowand44 is really tall or Snb, Krush, and Addy are short....which is it?

i called him a communist hippy the entire weekend if that makes anyone feel better.

Either Rowand44 is really tall or Snb, Krush, and Addy are short....which is it?

yes, all of us + dan patrick are under 4 feet tall.

yes, all of us + dan patrick are under 4 feet tall.

Makes sense.