Baltimore Orioles Contest Off Limits For Red Sox Fans

August 17th, 2008 | by HG |

The Baltimore Orioles are expected to surpass 50 million in attendance for the 14-year-old Camden Yards on Monday or Tuesday in games against the Boston Red Sox. The O’s plan to celebrate this occasion by awarding the 50 millionth fan to enter the stadium $50,000, season tickets for five years, a VIP package, and a commemorative jersey.

If you’re a fan of the Red Sox that’s planning on attending this game and getting a chance at the money you can forget it. The contest is rigged.

Oriole Park needs just 43,290 more people to cross the 50 million mark. With the last Red Sox-Orioles series drawing more than 45,000 for three out of four games, officials are primed to celebrate the milestone but aware of the concern from some that the 50 millionth person to pass through Camden Yards’ gates could be rooting for the opposing team.

Bader said Orioles staff will place an extra attendant at all the park entrances when the gates open at 5:30 p.m., and staffers will be tracking the attendance count as tickets are scanned for entry. Once the count hits the magic number, they will pinpoint the gate at which they believe the scan occurred and notify the attendant there.

The attendant will select a fan at random who best represents the sentiment behind the promotion, Bader said.

The Red Sox fans can wear an O’s hat and t-shirt just to walk through the gate if they want a shot at the money, but other than that the Nation is outta luck. The promotion isn’t breaking any laws because they’re celebrating the spirit of the contest.