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Posted: Monday September 11, 2006 8:44PM; Updated: Tuesday September 12, 2006 12:19PM
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Cincinnati Reds
Great American Ball Park
Cincinnati, Ohio :: Opened: 2003 :: Capacity: 42,271
Jonathan Daniel
Average Ticket Price: $17.90
Average Cost of Concessions and Souvenirs: $85.00
How expensive is stadium parking?
• FREE: 6%
• $5-$10: 60%
• $10-$15: 24%
• $15-$20: 6%
• More than $20: 2%

Is public transportation a viable option?
• Never: 41%
• Worth it if you have a lot of time and patience: 26%
• A good option to avoid rush hour: 9%
• Pretty easy if you know the system well: 21%
• The only way to go: 2%

How would you rate traffic getting to and from the game?
To the game:
• A slow-moving parking lot: 2%
• Slow, but usually steady: 13%
• Moves well outside of rush hour: 39%
• Aside from the occasional bottleneck, it's good: 32%
• A smooth ride at all times: 14%

From the game:
• A slow-moving parking lot: 2%
• Slow, but usually steady: 28%
• Moves well outside of rush hour: 26%
• Aside from the occasional bottleneck, it's good: 36%
• A smooth ride at all times: 7%
How would you rate the number of restrooms for men and women?
• Bring a map: 1%
It depends on the section: 3%
• Never more than a short walk away: 21%
• A satisfactory amount: 29%
• Plenty: 36%

How long is the wait to use a bathroom?
• Always available: 60%
• 1-5 minutes: 37%
• 5-10 minutes: 1%
• More than 10 minutes: 0%

How would you rate the variety of food/beer concession options?
• Limp hot dogs, bland peanuts, even blander beer: 2%
• Nothing fancy, but the staple foods are tasty: 6%
• A little variety of food and drinks available at specific locations: 31%
• A nice variety but locations are spread out: 37%
• You name it, they have it around almost every corner: 23%

How much will a meal at the ballpark cost you?
• $5-$10: 22%
• $10-$20: 65%
• $20-$30: 9%
• $30-$40: 1%
• More than $40: 1%

How would you rate the entertainment options aside from the game?
• Nonexistent: 2%
• So many games/promotions and scoreboard highlights that the game is lost in the background: 3%
• Typical mascot antics/scoreboard quizzes and fun music: 42%
• Some unique promotions/antics, but it sometimes distracts from the game: 14%
• A nice balance that draws your attention when the game is stopped but doesn't distract from the action on the field: 37%
This place seems to try just a bit too hard. The two power stacks in the outfield try to evoke Cincinnati's "long history with steamboats." The architecture of the stadium down the first base line is "reminiscent of Riverfront" while "down the third base line is architecture similar to that of Crosley Field." All those attempts at tying the Reds into their history and yet it still seems so ... "corporate." Perhaps it's the fact that the steam stacks are sponsored by Pepsi. Or that the excess of "too much exposed concrete is a bit hard on the eye." Or the "generic" rock music played between innings. A team Hall of Fame in the park adds a sense of authentic nostalgia to the stadium, and "great" views of Cincinnati and the Ohio River, whose banks buttress the park, are unique. Eating at the park also offers a genuine Cincinnati experience, courtesy of a number of local places. "Skyline Chili is the best." "Love that Montgomery Inn BBQ." "LaRosa's pizza is great." "They need more healthy options." (That last comment obviously does not come from a true Midwesterner.) Reds fans are "knowledgeable but cranky," which is likely "due to the stubbornness of team failure in recent years."
Unlike the surprising Reds this season, the city has "really dropped the ball in making this an entertainment hub." Located next to Paul Brown Stadium, the GABP has little to offer fans directly outside its front door. "If you're looking for entertainment, go across the river to Newport on the Levee in northern Kentucky. It's a short walk or drive across the bridge over the Ohio River." Among the many family-friendly places to get a drink or a meal, visit the Hofbrauhaus, where "they serve beers the size of your head and have a live German band before and after all games. There's dancing on the tables and sing-a-longs -- what could be better?
2006 record: 71-72 (all statistics through Sept. 10)
Players worth the price of admission: Adam Dunn (40 HRs, 91 RBIs, 94 runs), Bronson Arroyo (13-9, 3.29 ERA, 165 Ks), Aaron Harang (13-10, 3.83 ERA, 189 Ks)
Why do teams such as the Reds and the Tigers feel they need to sell the game to their fans? These are both traditional baseball towns that thirst only for a competitive club for which to root; there's no need for gimmicky steamboat stacks or an overabundance of activities that have nothing to do with baseball. That isn't to say a beautiful view of the Ohio River or spacious seats aren't worth the effort, but there's so much else going on that the watching the game becomes little more than just another entertainment option at the park. And while that provides for a fun day out, it does little to build a lasting relationship between fan and team.

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