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Faith Nights. The most popular promotion for the Hagerstown Suns minor league baseball team is not Star Wars Night, Bald Night or Beer Night. It is Faith Night, where religion is the drawing card, reports Reid Cherner in USA Today (7/22/05). "Baseball, faith, and American, it's a perfect fit," says C.J. Johnson, marketing director for the Suns. Hard to argue with him. A recent Faith Night drew 3,785 fans, compared to the team's average of about 2,500. Among the attractions are Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato, the "stars of the VeggieTales, veggietales.com, videos and books that combine Bible tales and cartoons."
"God doesn't want us not to have fun," comments Janet Souders, trustee of one of the many church groups attending a Suns Faith Night. However, the promoters are also careful not to let the religious experience get in the way of those who bought a ticket just to see a game. "They don't shut down beer sales on Faith Night," explains Mike Snider, owner of a Nashville-based sports and entertainment marketing firm that recently launched a division, Third Coast Sports, thirdcoastsports.com, specializing in Faith Nights. Most of the special events actually happen pre-game, "in the parking lot or away from the field. The program is plotted so a fan could attend a game and never know a promotion is going on."
Mike Snider is largely credited with pioneering Faith Night, initially for the Class AAA Nashville Sounds, back in 2001. The idea surfaced simply because "there are about 3,000 churches" in the Nashville area, many of which were already attending games in groups anyway. Mike came up with the idea of adding "Christian musical acts" and now the event sometimes includes very special giveaways -- "bobble-heads of Samson, Noah and Moses." Nearly all of the Faith Nights happen in ballparks below the Mason-Dixon line, although the event has moved West, as well, to San Bernardino and Portland. Plans call for "rolling out three new bobble-head dolls a year," although don't expect a Jesus bobble-head to join the lineup. "Obviously you don't want to take it to an extreme," says Brent High, vp of the Nashville Sounds.
Tim Manners, editor
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