Take me out to the ballgame.

If you have been to a baseball, football, basketball or hockey game recently, then you are well aware of the most expensive part of being in the stands. Sure the ticket prices can be outlandish---tickets for the Blackhawks vs. Flyers Stanley Cup playoffs are topping out over $10,000 per seat---but it's the food that doubles the cost for a family to have a special night out at a “normal” game.

I enjoy going to major league sporting events; my favorite, with little doubt, is the NBA. Especially when I have a really good seat. Unlike most of the fans in the stands, I rarely if ever leave my seat---even during halftime I take photos. But there is something magical about being there, and knowing you are capturing a potential memory that might hang on your wall. For me that's what it’s all about. I think of it as a souvenir that no one else has---and even though I might not print it, I know I was doing something I have a real passion for.

There are a lot of experiences at the ball park that have changed; the vendors, it seems, now only vend the higher priced items--- and unless I have missed something, popcorn, peanuts and Cracker Jack are only available in the refreshment areas. I am not sure where I was, but one stadium has even stopped selling shelled peanuts because of their mess. Turns out shells were ending up in the hinges of the seats.

But for the vendors, it’s really good money. Sure it’s hard work lugging beer and other heavy items around a hot ballpark, but when you add tips, and the ability to sell a completely over-priced product to drunken people, who would want to carry popcorn? That's not where the money is!

One of my brother’s fraternity brothers is a vendor for the Chicago White Sox and Cubs; I am not sure if at age 55 I would want to be doing this, but then again if the money is good, and you enjoy sports, why not?

The photo above was taken at Kauffman Field in Kansas City, MO. I am not sure what’s inside a “Squishy Yard” but I suspect it’s something I would not likely drink. But for those who are looking to add a little color to their time at the ol’ ballpark, and keep the glass, all the while paying a premium price for it, this is the drink for you.

Thanks for stopping by.