Page 166 - Introduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce

Sport, Media and Visual Culture • 155

logos, decors, displays and products. Part of the Yawkey Way side of the stadium was

cordoned off and accessible only to ticket-holders. The official team store, a statue
of Ted Williams and banners representing stars of the past were key points of interest
outside the stadium. The walk to the ballpark, therefore, became part of the experi-
ence of game day at Fenway Park. The overload of Red Sox images and information
combined to form part of the dominance of space surrounding the stadium and the
overwhelming visibility and presence of the enterprise.

Not all of the sights, sounds and products, however, were official Red Sox creations,
as a range of people can access the primary routes to the ballpark and appropriate
these spaces to their own ends. Religious evangelists, ticket ‘scalpers’, rest au rateurs,
panhandlers, newsagents and shopkeepers may have their own ways of profi ting from
the events of game day.
Strategies for manoeuvring the 38,000 plus crowd on game day included the use

of multiple entry points. Tickets indicated which of the five entrances should be used
to enter the stadium, thus dividing the crowd. A sign advertised a separate private
entrance:

Nation’s Way: Exclusive 2006 Red Sox Nation Member Entrance redsox
nation.com.

The members club served as a further admittance point for a select group. Tickets
provided information about the location of the holder’s assigned seat designated by
section, box, row, and seat. The tickets were also imprinted with details of teams,
time and place as well as outlining key rules, including no smoking, no reentry and
no large bags. The back of the ticket was covered in small print with further detail
about rules and the rain check and refund policies. The 4th of July ticket had a nos-
talgic photograph of two former players and was bordered by the dates when Boston
was the World or American League champion. At the gate, bags were checked and
tagged by security staff and tickets were scanned before entry through the turnstile.
The crowd was, therefore, controlled and monitored through a combination of secu-

rity checks, filtering techniques, rules and regulations. These strategies were generally
accepted by the crowd, who were encouraged to behave in particular ways that main-
tain order, allowing the franchise to reassure fans that they are attempting to promote
a particular type of atmosphere and experience.
Through Gate C, there was a concourse filled with people patronising the many

stalls selling food, beer, souvenirs and memorabilia. There were numerous markers
of tradition throughout the historic ballpark. The font used in signage from beer
sales to restrooms was evocative of the early part of the twentieth century, when the
park was built, as were the black and white photographs, beer sold from barrels, the
pastoral green of the decor and the lack of modernisation. The historic elements of
the ballpark form part of the Red Sox brand as one of America’s oldest and ‘most
beloved’ parks. The Red Sox brand is also linked to the food. For example, ‘Fenway