Brad Davis was tired of rooting for a team that did not seem to care about him. That is no longer a problem for Davis, who recently became a loyal member of River Bandits nation thanks to the team's proactive efforts to win him over.A lifelong Pittsburgh Pirates fan, the 39-year-old recently put his team allegiance up for grabs on eBay. Citing 17 consecutive losing seasons and claiming he can no longer root for an organization that lacks the effort to succeed, Davis was looking for a change - and the River Bandits offered just that. The organization added their newest fan for a mere $14.99, in the process showing the world that no amount of money is more important than a River Bandits fan.
"Our fans are the most important people in the world to us, and we're not afraid to do what it takes to make sure they're proud to be River Bandits fans," said team owner Dave Heller. "We spend money on fireworks, bobblehead dolls, the best entertainment acts in the country, ballpark improvements and fantastic in-game and post-game promotions like last weekend's Mega-Candy Drop to grow our fan base and keep our guests coming back for more. We offer the best family entertainment possible at affordable prices to ensure that River Bandits baseball remains the best value in town, and we'll do anything to build our fan base."
In winning the bidding for Davis's loyalty the Bandits beat out several other bidders, including the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the high Class-A Carolina League. When the bidding was over last Friday evening, Davis officially became a River Bandits fan. In doing so, he pledged 100 percent loyalty and the intention of proudly wearing the team's colors and logos.
"I am greatly looking forward to becoming a beloved River Bandits fan," said Davis. "It's quite an honor for me to be a fan of one of the finest organizations in all of professional sports. I will spend the coming days and weeks learning the past and current history of the franchise and its players. My goal is to be the River Bandits No. 1 fan."
"Not only will we never turn our back on a potential River Bandits fan, but we will stop at nothing to add new ones into the fold," said Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman. "We can't wait to have Brad out to the ballpark for the first time so that we can introduce him to the unparalleled customer service and premium entertainment that we provide for every guest that enters Modern Woodmen Park."
UP NEXT: The River Bandits head to South Bend for a 6:00 p.m. CT game to start a six-game road trip on Tuesday night, but will return to the Quad Cities on Monday, August 3, for a four-game series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels that starts with Klement's Dollar Dog Night at Modern Woodmen Park!
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The Quad Cities River Bandits drew more than 103,000 fans in the first half of the season for only the third time in team history. Ticket sales, concessions, merchandise sales, sponsorships and even Kids' Zone revenues are all up over last season, which was one of the team's best in history! Banditwear, mini-plans, and individual game tickets are on sale for the 2009 season by calling (563) 3-BANDIT or heading to www.RiverBandits.com. But hurry - good seats are going fast!
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