The Yankee home opener turned into an interesting one with Jon Oliver having a contest in response to the recent ticket policies invoked by the Yankees. I am lucky enough to know the two now famous turtles and decided to ask them a few questions.
How did you react when you were asked to go to the game?
-My immediate reaction was "I can't go, I have work" but once John Welch told me that if I didn't go, he couldn't go, it was a mixture of excitement and nervousness because I didn't know what to expect.
Did you feel uncomfortable with all the attention or were you unbothered by it?
-I was extremely uncomfortable with the attention at first with so many media people taking pictures of us but once that died down and the game started, it didn't bother me much.
Do you feel you were treated any different at the game?
-By the Yankee stadium staff, no, not at all. By other fans, absolutely. We were pretty much celebrities for the day with everyone asking for pictures and screaming out names.
Did you guys take advantage of any of the food the stadium has to offer?
-I got a cheesesteak brought to me by one of the waitresses in the section. It was pretty good. I also got a huge plate of crab legs but that was mostly for prop purposes. They seemed pretty good too.
Are you a TMNT fan?
-No, not really. I couldn't even tell you which one is which.
Were you cold during the game or did the costume help?
-Yes, it was cold as fuck near the end of the game when the sun wasn't on us anymore and the costume did not help.
Did you notice the lack of people in your section and do you agree with what the Yankees are doing regarding ticket policy?
-There were more people in our section then there are normally simply because it was opening day, though it did start to clear out near the end of the game. Something people need to realize with the legends sections is that just because the seats are empty doesn't mean they weren't sold. Tons of people buy those tickets and then stay in the suite/bar section for most of the game, especially when it's cold like it was today.
As for the ticket policy, I'm typically against anything that gives the consumer less options. Discouraging ticket re-sales makes sense for events like concerts where these events will immediately sell out and scalpers will immediately gouge the prices up but with 81 home games a year, it doesn't make much sense. You're only restricting ways in which paying customers, whether it be through second hand sales or not, can get to the game and that's shitty.
In the end what was the biggest takeaway from the whole experience?
-It was cool to be kind of celebrities for the day but I'm glad I don't get that kind of attention everyday.