It seems that just this week that Padres fans are being picked on for weak attendance numbers. The Union-Tribune seems to be leading the charge and other sites and fans of other teams have picked up the ball and are running with it.
The Union Tribune may not be directly criticizing the fans but they seem to take their shots when they can. Their own paper isn't helping or fostering fans by employing perpetual Foul Weather Fans like Nick Canepa, who never misses a chance to criticize the Padres.
Sez Me: Today could be the key to the entire Padres season. If Latos can't beat Arizona, the free fall may have begun.
Sez Me: Hooray for Jon Garland. Finally, a Padre with a spine.
Canepa didn't think Heath Bell showed some spine when predicting the Padres would be in first place and on their way to a World Series before the season started when everyone thought they'd be in dead last? Of course not because that was a positive message.
I'm convinced that Canepa hates the team and would like nothing more than to see them fail so that he can be there waiting to say "I told you so."
Even Heath Bell is calling us out on his new twitter account:
I wanted to know where are the padre fans????????? Not at the park
I like Heath Bell and I'm thrilled that he can talk directly to fans through his twitter. I think it's a great idea, I just think in this case he's not helping attendance with this particular message.
As a fan, does a player trying to shame you into attending increase your likelihood of buying a ticket? To me it's a total turn off. It's tacky and it sounds desperate.
If you're a San Diegan that doesn't attend games why would you go and be lumped into a negative stereotype of uninterested fans? You'd be mocked for jumping onto the bandwagon late instead of welcomed on board. It'd be easier just to distance yourself from the team and consider it someone else's problem. Guilt trips don't sell tickets.
I'd be all for a message from a player saying they need our support through this tough stretch, but only if it was a more welcoming message with less question marks.