Felger & Mazz: Red Sox' Sellout Streak A Bogus, Deceitful Myth
The Boston Red Sox boast a consecutive games sellout streak of more than 700 games, the longest such streak in MLB history and second longest in the history of professional sports. But is it legitimate?
It sure doesn't look that way this week, with online ticketing sites selling many seats for the A's series this week for as low as $5 or less. With a large number of tickets still available from the official team website, RedSox.com (including 10 seats together for Friday night's game against the Orioles), Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti questioned just how "real" this sellout streak is on Thursday's Felger & Mazz.
"It's obvious why they do it, but at this point, has it [become] a charade?" Felger said. "When you can go on and get them for $3.75, it's like, and this is what I think, you play a little game for business purposes, I understand it. But at some point, are you a truthful organization or are you not? Are you in the business of at least brushing up against the truth, at least? Or is it all the sale? I mean, what are you doing?"
Felger said that a little bit of deception would be acceptable, but this "sellout streak" has crossed over the line.
"The point is that it is over-the-top deceitful, and it has reached a point now this week where you've had bad weather and there should be only 10,000 people in the stands," Felger said. "Who the hell wants to sit through that weather to watch that product? So it makes sense, I'm not blaming them for not selling these games out. You shouldn't be [selling out]. But to continue on with the charade, boy, that is so over the top.
"Do you think we're idiots? Or you are just so blatantly selling everything and it's all about your sale that you don't even care how it looks."
Mazz said the answer is obvious.
"What was the thing they did to [Terry Francona]? Wasn't that over the top and more about them than him?" Mazz asked. "Everything they have done has been over the top and bottom-line oriented. The whole thing has been about that. So if we're adding this to the pile? Hell yeah, there's no question about it. It is just another perpetuation of the myth that is going on over there."
Felger and Mazz also examined the state of the Red Sox and whether 2012 can already be dubbed a "bridge year."
