The St. Louis Blues organization
embraced for the first time Faith Night. The St. Louis
Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams already host similar
events for fans to enjoy uplifting messages and family oriented activities. I
have attended events from all three professional sports teams and as an
ordained minister I have thoroughly enjoyed each one. I have brought various
friends and colleagues with me when I attend these events. Their level of
delight has varied depending on the event.
The most enjoyable time I have experienced was during a
Faith and Family Night hosted by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinal
organization goes all out for their Faith and Family Night. They advertise
extensively and offer fans the unique experience of interacting with players,
coaches and executives in the organization. Fans are able to listen to how
faith has impacted these individuals and where they are in their walk with the
Lord.
The St. Louis Rams also offer a
similar experience. Although not being a football fan, I only attended one game
that was geared towards faith and family. Following the game fans were able to
hear from players past and present. The players shared their experiences and
offered uplifting messages. The Rams also advertised this event extensively and
offered discounted tickets as well as fan packs.
 |
| Image from Country Primitive Gatherings |
The Blues made a valiant effort in hosting their first ever
Faith Night. I admit to being surprised that the Blues organization actually
followed through and offered this event. I had written an informative letter to
the Blues organization prior to the start of the 2013-2014 season detailing my
experiences with other professional sports’ organizations hosting this type of
event. I had not heard anything from the Blues organization and to be honest, I
did not expect a response. The Blues organization is notorious for less than
stellar communication skills. Their number one concern is not excellent
customer service; it is milking fans for every penny they can as ticket prices
keep soaring as do concession prices and gift shop prices. I found out about
this event simply from browsing the Blues’ website.
I was excited to learn that about Faith Night with the
Blues, hosted on April 1st. It was certain to be an amazing game
since the Blues were hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. The Blues offered an
incentive to purchase tickets in the form of a free hot dog and soda per
ticket. Wow, what a deal! For those who
do not know me, this is a sarcastic remark aimed at the Blues organization.
Fans had the opportunity to hear a message from first Chris Mizel of Child of
God Luthern Church and then Troy Merseal of SunRise United Methodist Church.
Interspersed before, between and after the speakers were trivia questions about
the Blues and some pertaining to current Christian artists. While the speakers
delivered excellent messages and I was riveted to my seat as I listened, I was
actually disappointed in the preparations that had been made. This was indeed a
unique experience for me. Maybe the St. Louis Blues
organization does not have players, coaches or executives who wanted to
participate in such an event, but the organization as a whole could have
offered a little more to the fans that supported their first attempt at Faith
Night.
The Blues organization has a long way to go before catching
up with the Cardinals and Rams in the fan experience during Faith Night. I am
happy to see them taking strides toward incorporating this into their
promotional schedule and wish them the best of luck in future seasons hosting
this event.
No comments:
Post a Comment