November 13, 2008

Seven Yanks suites remain unsold

Here's another sign that the economy really is affecting sports ticket sales: The New York Yankees still have seven unsold luxury suites at their new stadium; priced at a mere $600,000 apiece, they've been on the market with no takers since August. Team COO Lonn Trost told reporters this week: "There's no getting away from the fact that the world is different than it was, so traffic slows. So you don't have 10 people banging on the door. You may only have two people." Trost said the team is "entertaining proposals from different folks," which sounds suspiciously close to "make us an offer and we'll listen." Maybe the Treasury Department can get involved.

Meanwhile, the demolition (or maybe "pre-demolition") of Yankee and Shea Stadiums continues, with the center-field monuments being relocated to the new Yankees stadium, while at Shea the scoreboard and seats are all gone. It seems likely that most of the heavy work at both stadiums will take place next summer (New York law prohibits big dramatic explosions), which should be lots of fun for fans on their way to ballgames.