Minor League Promotion Leaves Bad Taste with Local Community
June 10, 2007 - Pioneer League (PL)
Casper Ghosts News Release
CASPER, WY - The Casper Rockies are pleased to announce their Have a 'ball' at the ballpark night is a smashing success. All this despite the fact the promotion never really existed.
Have a 'ball' at the ballpark night was the Casper Rockies plan to raise awareness about testicular cancer. Along with a number of public address announcements, Rockies players were to wear yellow jerseys during their August 18th game against the Billings Mustangs.
The yellow jerseys would symbolize testicular cancer awareness in the same way pink bats were used in Major League Baseball games played this past mother's day.
All was going well... too well.
No one was talking about the promotion. That's when Rockies Director of Fun Matt Warneke decided to up the ante. Warneke announced plans to serve fried Rocky Mountain Oysters (Bull Testicles) at the game.
"We are talking about a disease that gets next to no national attention. So we tried to do something to change that and guess what? No one cared," said Warneke.
Warneke's ploy worked.
A number of people throughout the community voiced their displeasure. Most believed the inclusion of oysters was "in bad taste." But there were also a number of people supporting the idea. When national media outlets began calling the Rockies office, Warneke knew he'd accomplished his goal. People were talking.
"It is our intention to continue to beat the drum on an issue that should be of great importance to all of us," said Warneke. "Our intent was not to offend but to inform. If our tongue-in-cheek announcement has resulted in a heightened awareness of the subject, then any criticism we may have received is a small price to pay for the end result that was intended," said Warneke.
According to the American Cancer Society, there will be about 7,920 new cases of testicular cancer in the United States in 2007. This cancer is not common. About 380 men will die of the disease in 2007. Testicular cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer if caught early enough.
The American Cancer Society's website is located at www.cancer.org.
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Pioneer League Stories from June 10, 2007
- Minor League Promotion Leaves Bad Taste with Local Community - Casper Ghosts
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