St. Louis Cardinals utilize passenger rail. Why not other teams?
Thank you to NPR for this story and interview -- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106939004&sc=emaf
On July 24th, the St. Louis Cardinals took three privatized Amtrak cars, from Washington, D.C., where they were playing the Nationals, to Philadelphia for a series against the Phillies.
Professional sports teams taking trains to road games opens up an exciting can of marketing and publicity worms for passenger rail. During the playoffs, or before rivalry games on the road, pro teams could have, for lack of a better word, pep rallies at their city's train station where the media could interview players and coaches, while fans seek autographs and wish their team well on the road. Sure it sounds a little corny, but it has to be better than always leaving to and from some private air strip where only the Travel Secretary knows that you're there, or in the case of the Yankees, Assistant to the Traveling Secretary, George Costanza.
Fans would get to meet the players, passenger trains and stations would receive much need publicity and it would be a new and innovative way for teams to market themselves. With better funding for faster and more reliable trains throughout the Midwest, and the country for that matter, I imagine it would be more enjoyable for professional athletes (on road trips of 500 miles or less), who often times happen to be a little bigger than the rest of us, to travel by rail where they can stretch their legs walking from car to car, recline their chair without hitting the knees behind them and arrive in the middle of the city they're playing in and likely much closer to the hotel and stadium than the airport would be.
On July 24th, the St. Louis Cardinals took three privatized Amtrak cars, from Washington, D.C., where they were playing the Nationals, to Philadelphia for a series against the Phillies.
Professional sports teams taking trains to road games opens up an exciting can of marketing and publicity worms for passenger rail. During the playoffs, or before rivalry games on the road, pro teams could have, for lack of a better word, pep rallies at their city's train station where the media could interview players and coaches, while fans seek autographs and wish their team well on the road. Sure it sounds a little corny, but it has to be better than always leaving to and from some private air strip where only the Travel Secretary knows that you're there, or in the case of the Yankees, Assistant to the Traveling Secretary, George Costanza.
Fans would get to meet the players, passenger trains and stations would receive much need publicity and it would be a new and innovative way for teams to market themselves. With better funding for faster and more reliable trains throughout the Midwest, and the country for that matter, I imagine it would be more enjoyable for professional athletes (on road trips of 500 miles or less), who often times happen to be a little bigger than the rest of us, to travel by rail where they can stretch their legs walking from car to car, recline their chair without hitting the knees behind them and arrive in the middle of the city they're playing in and likely much closer to the hotel and stadium than the airport would be.
Labels: amtrak, Philadelphia, st. louis, Washington DC
posted by Peter Gariepy at 4:31 PM
2 Comments:
I agree!
Hah! I think more Major League teams should follow the St. Louis Cardinals, and travel by rail. Although I'm not sure the players would want it turned into a publicity event.
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