My last report on Knights Stadium, home of the Charlotte Knights, was based on an aggregate of many trips. Having attended the July 4 game this year, I think it’s time for a bit of aun update to that original post.
First, kudos to the Knights for turning July 4th into a major marketing vehicle for themselves. The Knights were partnered with WBT Radio, the local AM behemoth for the region’s best fireworks display, SkyShow. The Knights are last in the International League in attendance, but were absolutely sold out, including the general admission grass berms.
We arrived more than an hour before game time to find hundreds of cars who had been tailgating, from as early as 5 hours pre-game. It’s quite likely that there was an overflow in the parking lot with no intention of attending the game, just partying until the fireworks went off. The radio station and sponsors had games and contests outside the stadium as well, building on the party atmosphere.
Once inside, it’s amazing how a park is transformed by the people attending. I haven’t seen a packed house like this since the Indians came to play their affiliate and brought stars like Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez back to Charlotte. When the home team erupted for 8 runs in the 2nd inning, I’d never heard that kind of energy in this park before. A great crowd, and a great performance by the home team can camouflage the austere concrete facade.
On to the usual review pieces… I have to stick it to the Knights here. there are 3 ATM machines in building, and they had lines 20-25 people deep throughout the contest. Is Knights Stadium the last ballpark in the country that doesn’t take credit/debit cards at the concession stands. Time to get with it.
Went to the Ballpark Grill, down the Left field line for the main meal. Cheeseburgers, dogs and a nice sausage, all freshly grilled. It’s also one of the few spots in the park where you can get a bottled soda, instead of the usual fountain drinks.
Ordered a chili dog for my son, and they said they don’t have them. They have Chili Cheese Fries, but they won’t put anything on the dog. To the vendor’s credit, they gave us a small cup of chili to make our own, but this seems again like some missed opportunity on their part. The chili was nothing to write home about though… suitable only for a child’s palate.
It’s clear, despite the amount of extra employees who were on hand, that the Knights were struggling to manage the large crowd. Concession stands were routinely running out of staples, like popcorn, and ice cream vendors were buried behind huge lines.
The Knights have rebuilt their Team Store, and done a nice job with it. While the old store felt cramped all the time, it now has a much more open feel, created by repositioning the cash register. They even managed to work the remodel into a Lumber Liquidators sponsorship (for the hardwood flooring), and featured it as an “Extreme Team Store Makeover” in the program.
One last lowlight to mention – one that has always been the bane of the Knights stadium egress. I know it’s a big crowd, but they make it near impossible to get people out of this stadium efficiently. We sat in our car for nearly 40 minutes after the fireworks, just trying to get into the flow of traffic. And, despite an usher at the end of every row, trying to get folks to understand that there is a new 2nd ext to the facility, parking was completely SNAFU’d, while they tried to u-turn everyone who insisted on going the wrong way.
Talks continue to replace the ballpark with a new downtown Charlotte, NC stadium. While I think that’s a good idea still, it’s amazing how a great event can hide the blemishes of a venue. The crowd was there for a good time, and the Knights and WBT delivered that. While the last few paragraphs feel like major grousing, it was still a great time.
