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Thursday, May 15, 2008

 

Twins fans chow Down on a New promotion...

Andrea Larson would like to see plenty of fans sitting in Sections 232 and 233 at the Metrodome next Monday and Tuesday.

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She also is hoping that Takeru Kobayashi isn’t one of them.

That’s because the Minnesota Twins are trying something new: “All-You-Can-Eat” Nights, at which patrons who buy tickets in the chosen sections can eat for free ... and eat ... and eat ... and eat ...

“I think it’s a great idea. It could be really fun,” said Larson, the Twins’ corporate communications manager. “I thought of college kids: If it’s all-you-can-eat, you can save a little money.

“I hope that people don’t just (gorge) because it’s free.”

Here’s the (ahem) skinny: The Twins will sell up to 1,000 tickets in the all-you-can-eat sections on Monday and Tuesday. It’s usually a $21 ticket; on those two nights, it’s $33.

And for the extra $12, you theoretically could eat until you explode — all the hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, pretzels and soda you can consume in 71/2 innings (the gluttony ends after the top of the eighth).

“It’s something that has been done in quite a few other ballparks (14 others in the major leagues), and it’s something that has been successful elsewhere,” Larson said. “There’s other parks that have all-you-can-eat pavilions.”

The only notable menu limitation is beer, which history has shown is probably a pretty good idea. We’re nearing the 34th anniversary of the Cleveland Indians’ famous Ten-Cent Beer Night (June 4, 1974), which ended up with drunken mayhem, fans spilling onto the field to brawl with players and a forfeited game.

You can’t get free ice cream, either. But pretty much everything else is fair game. And if you have a group of 25 or more (your Hippopotamus Club meeting could be held there), tickets are $29, which brings the gorging bill down to $8.

There are potential pitfalls, of course, not the least of which is that ushers might have to ...

“Carry ‘em all out?” Larson asked.

Yeah, or worse. What happens if they held a ballgame and a competitive eating contest broke out?

“Oh my gosh,” Larson said. “I hope that doesn’t happen.”

You don’t have to look like Chris Farley to do a lot of damage at the concession stand: Kobayashi, the Japanese competitive eating champion who for six years held the world hot dog eating record (his personal best: 63 in 12 minutes), is listed on his official Web site as 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds.

“Kobayashi? He’s tiny,” Larson said. “I don’t know how he does it. I don’t want to know, either.”

There’s also the danger of what competitors on the Major League Eating tour call a “reversal of fortune,” which is a nice way of saying that they toss their cookies (or hot dogs, or whatever).

There isn’t going to be any official consumption contest on Monday or Tuesday, although you can be sure that some of the all-you-can-eat patrons will keep score.

And there should be quite a few of them.

“(Response) has been good: They’ve sold I believe 300-400 tickets for each game so far,” Larson said. “They’re weeknight games, and school’s not out yet.”

Translation: With an unattractive opponent (Texas) and dates, those normally would be empty seats.

So, the Twins have already come out ahead — assuming that the carnage at the concession stand isn’t too horrendous.

“We’re certainly not excluding anybody,” said Larson, who insists that the Twins won’t be doing any screening out 500-pound patrons.

“It’s really kind of for anybody, but I think that it’s sort of a natural for college kids and families.

“I’ll definitely see how it’s going, and who’s coming to it.”

Larson won’t do much damage herself; she can’t eat that many hot dogs.

“Me? One. Two, maybe,” she said.

“I maybe could do more, but I wouldn’t feel so good after.”

Kobayashi usually doesn’t either, but that doesn’t stop him.

Hopefully, he won’t be there.

This is the opinion of Times sports editor Dave DeLand. Contact him at 255-8771 or by e-mail at ddeland@stcloudtimes.com.

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