The Usual Dash Of Dollar Dog Night Bacchanalia

Wednesday night at the Philadelphia Phillies Citizens Bank Park marked opening night and its first official "Dollar Dog NIght" promotion, which culminated in a Phillies 1-0 loss and, as usual, another mesmerizing display of shit-faced chaos courtesy of the revved-up monkeys. Ever since the Phillies started using this promotion to attract college kids, it always seems to end in anarchy. Dollar hot dogs, for whatever reason, seem to bring out the more aggressive side of a fanbase. Perhaps it's the nitrates.

(Photo courtesy of Stksave27)

Last year, the Phillies, marred by a few incidents of overconsumption, trash-throwing, azzzz-hole-ing and fisticuffs promised to do their part to control the Axe-body spray covered mobs. This year, Phillies promotions director John Brazer says that the Philles are aware of some of the ('isolated") incidents that happen during Dollar Dog Nights, but they are not in jeopardy of ending. "We can't let a few people spoil a great promotion for every one else," he told me today.

On Wednesday night, the 300 level at the CBP once again turned into a zoo once the beers and hot dogs fully digested. And in the 8th inning, a full-on hot dog-tossing battle ensued between at least four sections. The end of the game? Trash on the field, drunk kids in the parking lot peeing on each other, and it's off to another rollicking start of the 2008 season at CBP. Brazer did say that the Phillies will continue to beef up security on those nights and have stopped discounting tickets to college kids, but he says Wednesday night's madness was a combination of many different factors: it was cold, the Phillies lost, everybody was fired up for opening night...

What about the hot dogs? Do the hot dogs having anything to do with it?

"I don't think the hot dogs are having a direct impact on the behavior problems, no," he says.

The next Dollar Dog night is scheduled for April 15 (tax day!), which should once again prove to be an entertainment spectacle like no other. If it happens again, the Phillies have to rethink this promotion a little bit — don't they? It'd be a shame if it stops. Everybody loves those dollar hot dogs and if the game does suck, at least you know you have some other activities to look forward to in the stands. There are seven more dollar dog nights scheduled at CBP this year.

Do other MLB teams have these types of problems with their cheap hot dog night promotions?

Phillies College Night Gets Wild [The 700 Level] Phillies Fans Cope With Being 1-Hit by The Nats In Less Than Sanitary Fashion [The 700 Level]