Values, beliefs and experiences shape our approach to life. For example, when an email arrived offering me 2 free tickets to a Minnesota Twins home game last April, I grabbed the opportunity. Raising three children alone made me a bargain hunting, coupon-clipping fanatic. Family members with financial means were genuinely confused by my meal planning around sales helps. My spouse shared the same challenging money management experience. So, we both appreciated the chance to head north to Target Field in Minneapolis on Easter morning, envisioning catching a foul ball as it popped out to our seats along left field
The free tickets being offered by the Twins organization was a strategy to win back fans after a disastrous 2025 season. The Pohlad family wanted to sell the Twins, but with roughly $500 million in debt, no one was biting to buy the team. The family decided to have a fire sale at the 2025 July trade deadline. They traded away around 25% of the 40-man roster, including key veterans carrying high salaries and pretty much desecrating the once admired bullpen. Fans were livid. The Pohlads decided not to sell the team, but instead sold 20% of the franchise to three minority partnership groups. But the damage to the fan base during this process was devasting, hence the free tickets approach. But were the people who turned their back on the Twins truly fans?
My father was a lifelong fan of both the Twins and the Minnesota Vikings. A yellowed Homer Hanky from the 1987 playoff race was amongst his prized possessions. He always carried a positive attitude, cheering when they won and stating, “we’ll get ‘em next time,” when they lost. My love of the game is for players that keep fighting to the end, never giving up, no matter how bleak the outcome may seem. That’s what fans do, they stick with their teams through both winning and losing seasons.
My 8-month-old grandson is now potentially the fourth-generation fan, sporting an extensive Twins’ and Vikings’ wardrobe. We are watching baseball games together and he grins from ear-to-ear when he hears the team’s fight song. But recently I realized that the values for Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL) are morphing into something unhealthy and potentially dangerous.
After my free game, I was asked to fill out a survey about the experience: Was I aware of the food value section? Did I purchase a jersey or visit the stadium fan shop? Did I purchase any food? How was my overall experience? My response was we had a wonderful time. We didn’t buy any food. The two bottles of water we bought was over $12, since there was no visible drinking fountain. The only down-side was drunken fans, who got louder and more obnoxious as the game progressed and their alcohol consumption increased. A few days later, the Twins promoted how fans can now enjoy $2 beers from the time the gates open, until the game begins. Binge drinking doesn’t fit into my idea of a great time at the ballpark. Staying home and watching games from the comfort of my living room was much more appealing. I do understand the marketing plan. People who drink excessively are more likely to buy food, more drinks and purchase merchandise from the shop. If you plaster them with enough alcohol, they won’t even remember what they bought.
The NFL is actively promoting gambling as a means to attract a new “fan” base. The pregame show on Fox used to end with the panel picking which team would win. Now they pick odds for specific players and statistics. DraftKings and FanDuel actively advertise. Fantasy leagues are a billion-dollar business that continues to grow. Streaming services are showing interest as viewership is up due to gambling increases. Love of the revenue has replaced love for the game.
The dream of my grandson growing up to love baseball and football is fading. By the time he is old enough to show commitment to a particular team, fan loyalty may vanish, being replaced by following the statistics of a certain player. The focus of the future will be betting on the numbers produced by favorite professionals; the opportunity for drunks to yell profanities from the stands; and the greed of franchise owners seeking not to improve the game for compensations sake, but for the hope that inebriated bettors will spend excessively to fatten their already bloated coffers.
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