So yours truly and the wife are planning a Labor Day weekend trip to Chicago for the one-year anniversary. The wife knows that she can plan essentially the entire trip but the one thing on my agenda is to make it to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Any red-blooded male understands the need to go to Wrigley Field. Let alone for a sunny afternoon game on Labor Day Monday.
Tickets are obviously sold out. They've probably been sold out since five minutes after tickets went on sale. It's a good game against the Astros. And, of course, because it's Labor Day, it's an excuse for the Cubs to charge "premium pricing" for their tickets (i.e. double the normal cost). What is any buyer's recourse for a sold out event aside from dealing with scalpers? Hit Stubhub. On Stubhub, I tracked down sixth row upper deck seats which at Wrigley are ridiculously low, just behind first base, for $65/ticket. This is only ten dollars above the face value of the ticket of $55. Of course, after shipping and Stubhub's commission, this comes out to about $75/ticket.
Really? I have to give THIS experience up??
Well now it appears as if I have to resell the tickets because $75/ticket. This is not a final decision by any means. It is an ongoing "dispute" shall we say. My contention is that it is Wrigley Field, it's good seats, it's not a bad price given the sold out nature of the game, it's one of the true meccas for sports fans, I would be a whining, annoying wreck if we went to Wrigleyville the day of the game for the atmosphere and I couldn't go into the game, that on an anniversary trip I'm not going to abandon the wife for one afternoon and do my own thing, and that this is simply an opportunity that I, as a sports fan who has only ever been in Chicago one other time in November and won't foreseeably be there in baseball season anytime soon, can't pass up. The wife's contention is that $75 is a ridiculous amount to pay for baseball tickets, let alone upper deck tickets, and that it's money that could be better spent elsewhere on our trip.
Gentlemen, I don't write this because I need validation of my viewpoint. I know that I am correct. I am writing this to vent. It's Wrigley Field. It's Labor Day. It's one of the all-time best environments for a major league ballgame. I'm there. I may need a divorce attorney, but I'm there.
EDIT TEN MINUTES AFTER POST - There has been some resolution. I still win. However, our attendance will be part of my birthday present. I'm an awesome negotiator.
18 Responses:
That's like $10/inning.
More like $20/inning, since he has to get 2 tickets and they'll probably eat while they're there. Just think how much better his seat would be if he just left her at home and spent the extra $$ on his own ticket.
Jeremy, not all wives are like this. My wife is encouraging me to go to Preakness, even though I'll miss dinner with her family and a potential in-law and I'll probably be significantly poorer afterward. Also, she loves going to ballparks we've never been to and is disappointed when we go to new cities and the home team's not in town.
However, I'm not sure I'll ever forgive the other gender for the day I almost saw the Red Sox vs. Braves at Fenway for $25. I've still never seen a game there. I'm sure Brien remembers that day. A story for another day...
Jeremy, I'm still not grasping how getting to do something you guys should have done together anyway and having it cost as part of your birthday present is a negotiating win at all? I'm thinking of the Canada on Strike South Park right now.
I'll be in Chicago for July 4th weekend for a friend's wedding, but I'm not going to Wrigley or U.S. Cellular because of time constraints and needing to be in Indiana. My ladyfriend would definitely go if I obtained the tickets and we had time.
Welcome to the Jeremy school of negotiating.
Step 1) Make your demand - "Woman, I demand that you let me spend my own money on two baseball tickets."
Step 2) Wait for counteroffer - "No. I will decide how to spend your money because we are married."
Step 3) Whine to media/on blog
Step 4) Accept first sign other party is willing to make the slightest concession - "Ok, you can spend your own money, but this also absolves me from having to spend any of my own money on you when your birthday comes around in a few months."
Step 5) Declare victory.
fuck.
you.
all.
If Jeremy and his wife consider this a good compromise, then it is.
hey, hey, hey, thou shalt not generalize women. (The 11th commandment)I for one recently spent 65 dollars on a ticket to attend the Grizzlies (yes I'm ashamed that they are my adopted hometown team) to see the Mavericks (my adopted hometown twice removed). And I would kill to go to a game at Wrigley field...well any ballpark, stadium, or arena to see a team I haven't yet seen in person.
(PS. I had awesome seats)
This is Jeremy's wife. Actually, Jason, last time I checked, I made significantly more money than my husband, Jeremy. We combine all of our funds into one big pot. Thus, I believe he is not spending his own money for 75/bucks/ticket for a baseball game, I repeat, a baseball game. He is spending MY money on 75/bucks/ticket for a baseball game, a sport that I believe is the most boring in all the land. So I do believe that his birthday present is very generous indeed.
Small off topic question. Are you guys into lacrosse?
Cuz it's NCAA tourney time...
Nic, we're more into lacrosse when Maryland isn't sucking ass like this year. It sucks to cover Duke, Navy, Hopkins, etc.
Emily, I didn't realize there was that much disparity in income. In that case, Jeremy should have framed his argument better from the start. Something along the lines of "It's our money sweetie, and this is what I really want to do. I'll forgo (insert whatever crap Jeremy wastes money on here, Bon Jovi lunchpails?) to make up for it." I was also under the impression that you were generally amenable to attending baseball games.
I agree with you that baseball is very boring. Unfortunately though, it would kill Jeremy to be in Chicago and not go to Wrigley. Contact me next time before you select your anniversary destination and I'll warn you of the places Jeremy will want to go and will whine on the blog if you don't let him.
Yeah, I like lacrosse. MD beat Denver, and even more exciting, Navy upset UNC! I hate Carolina in all sports. I would have done a post about the start of the tournament, but I've been out of town.
I actually agree with your wife. Mostly because it's National League baseball, which isn't actually like baseball at all, and even if it were, baseball is like the 11th best sport anyway. If it's not an O's game, it ain't worth watching. Yeah, I wrote it.
Cheers for actually getting to go to the game, even if you had to put up with an irrational woman to get there. I had the privilege of going to a Cubs game there in 2006. A family friend was able to finagle some seats from his work, and we sat 10th row on the third base side for a 65 degree Tuesday afternoon game in April. Walking through Wrigleyville on my way to the game, it had the atmosphere of a college football tailgate. Its an amazing experience...so savor every minute of it!
How very interesting.
I have just returned from a trip to Minneapolis (wedding obligation). Pulled into town Friday night, Twins happened to be hosting the Red Sox.
We tried to get the cheap seats for $7. But, oops, it's the RED SOX!!!!!!! So they charged $12 a ticket.
Anyway, due to "sarah's" lack of interest after she filled out the All-Star ballot and ate her dip 'n dots, we pulled a Jeremy and left after the 6th inning.
I missed an exciting finish as the Twins scored 3 runs off Papplebon in the 9th to win. I'm a little bitter. But it was just the Twins, so whatever.
And the Metrodome is a pretty crappy ballpark.
Jeremy,
If you want to relocate your anniversary trip to Detroit I can sell you Labor Day Tigers-Yankees tickets for cheap.
Hmm... Detroit is appealing. I've flown into Northwest's "World Gateway" twice and seen the "water feature" both times. And I've had the pleasure of riding the monorail up along the ceiling from end-to-end of the terminal to kill time before a flight. Unfortunately, I think that would probably be the best thing about a trip to Detroit. I've seen Ann Arbor, East Lansing, and Saugatuck. If you thought the wife was angry about $150 for two baseball tickets, if I switched the trip to Detroit, you'd suddenly see a mysterious absence of posts by me very quickly.
I am a woman.
I would buy those tickets.
I've spent more for worse seats for the Jets, Yankees and Devils.
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