Atlanta Braves are raising monies for charity, but it feels a bit creepy.
The Atlanta Braves are following a trend of many (if not all) clubs this Summer: selling the rights to have a photograph of your smiling self in appropriate team gear blown up to life-size on a cardboard cutout and stashed in an otherwise empty seat.
Ignoring the charitable giving aspect of this, does it feel a bit creepy… or at least somewhat narcissistic?
Let’s start with the basics: ever notice just how often fans can be spotted with a constant smile on their faces? Truly, it’s rare and though it would be nice to promote the sport a bit, the usual expression involves some sort of boredom.
Then there’s the fact that there always seems to be somebody who wants to be “that guy” to spoil the party for everyone else:
White Sox fan Paul Garrett bought 100 cardboard cutouts of himself! He’ll be cheering on the White Sox near the visitors dugout. pic.twitter.com/hj8TJbyhpP
— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) July 22, 2020
I’ll give him this much… he ain’t sitting there with a dumb grin on his face.
At least the Oakland A’s have taken this concept to a new level or two.
Oakland A’s are doing something like that, but it’s with foul balls. If your cut out gets hit, at the end of the season they send you your cutout and the foul ball. Kinda cool idea. https://t.co/1PNkCcC5DZ
— Dohboy (@Dohboy6969) July 22, 2020
Also, the cutouts aren’t necessarily limited to those identifying as “humans”.
.@JackKulp and @CarolynMcArdle talk to #Oakland @Athletics President @DaveKaval about the season and the fan cardboard cutouts! Listen, here... #Athletics #OaklandAs @TonyLaRussa @ARFtweets https://t.co/EoDZpW4ZrF
— 981thebreeze (@981thebreeze) July 23, 2020
Nonetheless, it all seems just too artificial. The fake crowd noise being pumped in that sounds so obviously fake. The fake fans who never move or change expression.
Yeah, I get that they’re trying to make this experience as normal as possible for the players, but… just stop: they know it’s fake, too, and the fact that it’s also different from what they’ve come to expect during their careers might actually end up being a distraction in some form or fashion.
Am I being too sensitive about this? Maybe, but this is also the kind of thing Nick Markakis cited during his own farewell presser while explaining the multiple reasons behind his opt-out decision.
#Braves' Markakis: “I’m at the point in my career where I’m not chasing the money, I’m not chasing any of that. I want to win and have fun. This game is about having fun. To have to go out and play in an environment with no fans? To me, that’s not baseball.”
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 6, 2020
I will be watching this odd brand of baseball here in 2020. The sport will still override the cringe factor of these various fakery add-ons (including Fox Sports’ “virtual fans” concept that will debut this weekend).
Maybe that’s the point here: we all know this is a bad situation requiring that fans be excluded. But it’s still baseball and we don’t need these additives to try and make people believe that it’s more like baseball. These things are simply not going to help. They aren’t necessary.
What’s necessary is seeing the Atlanta Braves on the field again. We’re just over a day away from seeing that happen.