What Could’ve Been Will Be

There is a no time for me to compose an overly clever, intensely self-aware introductory paragraph for this post. No, none at all. So let’s cut to the chase and take a look at one of the more intriguing promotions that was announced in the past week:

For many of us, “What Could’ve Been Night” is a regular occurrence. I know it is for me, as I paw through the tear-streaked pages of my high school yearbook on a nightly basis.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods are focused full-speed ahead on the future, but they nonetheless understand this tendency to dwell on the past. On June 8, the first-year club will stage “What Could’ve Been Night”, in which they will attempt to bring to life the various realities that could have resulted from last fall’s “Name the Team” contest.

For a refresher course on this contest, click here. The gist of it was that fans could vote for

one of seven possible names. Hot Rods, obviously, was the moniker that ultimately emerged triumphant.

The Hot Rods have thus far remained mum on the specific details of “What Could’ve Been Night”, but they have revealed this much — the first 1000 fans will receive a Cave Shrimp t-shirt! Cave Shrimp, as the Hot Rods explain, was a “polarizing yet unsuccessful finalist” in the “Name the Team” contest. I would have used the word “awesome” instead of “polarizing”, but maybe that’s just me.

Hey! Other teams! May I suggest that you stage your own “What Could’ve Been” nights? Obviously, it works for any franchise that has recently staged a “Name the Team” contest, but that represents the tip of the proverbial iceberg. In order to show fans just how different the gameday experience could be, clubs could also unveil rejected mascots, concession stand items, uniforms, p.a. announcers, and myriad other aspects of the ballpark experience that for one reason or another never came to pass.

The more ambitious of these clubs could go the extra mile (literally), and stage the evening’s game in locations that were once considered for a new stadium. That probably wouldn’t go over well with city bureaucrats and other such killjoys, but sometimes you’ve got to throw caution to the wind and just go for it.

But, regardless, kudos to the Hot Rods for coming up with this idea first. To the victor go the spoils, and all that. And additional kudos to the Hot Rods for the following segue, which occurred in the same press release that announced “What Could’ve Been”:

[T]he Hot Rods will use the “honor system” to grant free admission to
pregnant women on Labor Day (September 7). Fans who aren’t expecting
may enjoy the Hot Rods’ new season-long Thirsty Thursdays promotion.

For the record, “the honor system” is definitely the way to go when it comes to determining if a woman is pregnant or not. Sure, it might result in cash-strapped men dressing in drag and stuffing a pillow under their shirt in order to gain free admission, but that’s just the price you’ve got to pay.