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Hello, you guys don't know me, I'm just a long time observer of these forums, and a student of the haunted house game. I don’t usually post, but to me, this warrants opening my mouth.
I’ve just happened upon what I personally believe to be catastrophic news for many in the haunted attraction industry. Many of you may have seen this already, and some of you might even think that this isn’t a big deal.
As a matter of fact, to some of you this isn’t a big deal. But to any haunt in a large baseball market, this could be a nightmare. Haunted houses like the Darkness, or Dreamreapers, I’m talking about you.
This past week Major League Baseball announced it’s new postseason schedule. Here it is:
2007 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL POSTSEASON SCHEDULE
Series Date Network
NLDS A Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
NLDS B Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
ALDS B Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
NLDS A Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
NLDS B Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
ALDS A Game 1 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
ALDS A Game 2 Fri., Oct. 5 TBS
ALDS B Game 2 Fri., Oct. 5 TBS
NLDS A Game 3 Sat., Oct. 6 TBS
NLDS B Game 3 Sat., Oct. 6 TBS
ALDS A Game 3 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
ALDS B Game 3 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
NLDS A Game 4 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
NLDS B Game 4 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
ALDS A Game 4 Mon., Oct. 8 TBS
ALDS B Game 4 Mon., Oct. 8 TBS
NLDS A Game 5 Tues., Oct. 9 TBS
NLDS B Game 5 Tues., Oct. 9 TBS
ALDS A Game 5 Wed., Oct. 10 TBS
ALDS B Game 5 Wed., Oct. 10 TBS
NLCS Game 1 Thurs., Oct. 11 TBS
NLCS Game 2 Fri., Oct. 12 TBS
ALCS Game 1 Fri., Oct. 12 FOX
ALCS Game 2 Sat., Oct. 13 FOX
NLCS Game 3 Sun., Oct. 14 TBS
ALCS Game 3 Mon., Oct. 15 FOX
NLCS Game 4 Mon., Oct. 15 TBS
ALCS Game 4 Tues., Oct. 16 FOX
NLCS Game 5 Wed., Oct. 17 TBS
ALCS Game 5 Thurs., Oct. 18 FOX
NLCS Game 6 Fri., Oct. 19 TBS
ALCS Game 6 Sat., Oct. 20 FOX
NLCS Game 7 Sat., Oct. 20 TBS
ALCS Game 7 Sun., Oct. 21 FOX
WS Game 1 Wed., Oct. 24 FOX
WS Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 25 FOX
WS Game 3 Sat., Oct. 27 FOX
WS Game 4 Sun., Oct. 28 FOX
WS Game 5 Mon., Oct. 29 FOX
WS Game 6 Wed., Oct. 31 FOX
WS Game 7 Thurs., Nov. 1 FOX
Italics indicate "if necessary."
Now not to be an alarmist, but if you look at those dates, you’ll notice something. MLB has, for the first time, officially scheduled a baseball game on Halloween. This is not just any baseball game, this is game 6 of the world series. Potentially, this is the biggest baseball game of the year.
On Halloween.
You’ll also notice that, except for Friday, Oct. 26, every major date that a haunted attraction needs to draw customers has a major playoff game scheduled. For the entire month. This has never happened before, but MLB plans to do it this way from now on.
I repeat, this is not a one-year thing. MLB has cracked November, and it is their intention to do so from now on. If this doesn’t worry you, think for a second about what this means:
Last year Larry Kirchner reported here on Hauntworld suffering some major attendance loss because the Cardinals were in the World Series. Last year, the World Series was over by Oct. 27th. This gave The Darkness several days to spare, time to rebound and still capitalize off Halloween.
In 2003 when the Cubs almost made the World Series, it’s been reported from numerous sources that Chicago haunted attractions lost thousands and thousands of customers. Had the Cubs made the World Series, there are Chicago area haunted houses that would’ve very likely “lost their shirts.”
And this was before the World Series was scheduled on Halloween. So let’s continue to use Chicago as our example. Now picture what it would be like if say, the Cubs, and their hundred years of futility, went to the World Series.
In Chicago, if the Cubs make the playoffs, it consumes the city. It’s all anyone cares about, even non-baseball fans. People who wouldn’t be caught dead watching baseball during the regular season become obsessed. Flags, billboards, bar specials… everything belongs to the Cubs. If the Cubs reach the World Series, well then Haunted Houses will pay and pay big.
Because if the Cubs win or lose the Series in six or seven games, that means that, through the entire month of October, October 26th will probably be the only night most people will have free to attend a haunted house. And their Cubs fever would be so high, they probably wouldn’t even think to attend a haunted house anyway.
Let’s say the Cubs new ownership decides to spend big money on their team, like the Red Sox or Yankees do. This could certainly turn the Cubs into a perennial contender. If the Cubs were to make back-to-back postseason appearances,(unlikely, but certainly possible) with the schedule as it is above, most of the haunted houses in Chicago could easily go out of business, no questions asked.
It’s not just Chicago. Other major Haunt markets, like Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri… These are places where haunted houses don’t need to compete with one of the World’s biggest sporting events. MLB needs to be stopped, their season was already far too long, and I’m saying that as a baseball fan. Although thinking about it, that goal seems nearly impossible. Seems like money will always have the last say.
Halloween has long had the benefit of being alone. No competition, a time when there’s no major sports, no other attractions. On Halloween, you either celebrated Halloween, or you did nothing.
Now Halloween is a major sporting event. If your haunt is in a major baseball market, chances are you'll feel the effects. Maybe not this year, maybe not five years from now. But if someone doesn’t come up with a plan, IAHA or anyone else, if something isn’t done, someone probably will lose there shirt/haunted house over this.
Thank you for reading, and please feel free to comment. I can’t think of any answers and I’d love to hear what anyone thinks.
Thanks
I’ve just happened upon what I personally believe to be catastrophic news for many in the haunted attraction industry. Many of you may have seen this already, and some of you might even think that this isn’t a big deal.
As a matter of fact, to some of you this isn’t a big deal. But to any haunt in a large baseball market, this could be a nightmare. Haunted houses like the Darkness, or Dreamreapers, I’m talking about you.
This past week Major League Baseball announced it’s new postseason schedule. Here it is:
2007 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL POSTSEASON SCHEDULE
Series Date Network
NLDS A Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
NLDS B Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
ALDS B Game 1 Wed., Oct. 3 TBS
NLDS A Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
NLDS B Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
ALDS A Game 1 Thurs., Oct. 4 TBS
ALDS A Game 2 Fri., Oct. 5 TBS
ALDS B Game 2 Fri., Oct. 5 TBS
NLDS A Game 3 Sat., Oct. 6 TBS
NLDS B Game 3 Sat., Oct. 6 TBS
ALDS A Game 3 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
ALDS B Game 3 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
NLDS A Game 4 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
NLDS B Game 4 Sun., Oct. 7 TBS/TNT
ALDS A Game 4 Mon., Oct. 8 TBS
ALDS B Game 4 Mon., Oct. 8 TBS
NLDS A Game 5 Tues., Oct. 9 TBS
NLDS B Game 5 Tues., Oct. 9 TBS
ALDS A Game 5 Wed., Oct. 10 TBS
ALDS B Game 5 Wed., Oct. 10 TBS
NLCS Game 1 Thurs., Oct. 11 TBS
NLCS Game 2 Fri., Oct. 12 TBS
ALCS Game 1 Fri., Oct. 12 FOX
ALCS Game 2 Sat., Oct. 13 FOX
NLCS Game 3 Sun., Oct. 14 TBS
ALCS Game 3 Mon., Oct. 15 FOX
NLCS Game 4 Mon., Oct. 15 TBS
ALCS Game 4 Tues., Oct. 16 FOX
NLCS Game 5 Wed., Oct. 17 TBS
ALCS Game 5 Thurs., Oct. 18 FOX
NLCS Game 6 Fri., Oct. 19 TBS
ALCS Game 6 Sat., Oct. 20 FOX
NLCS Game 7 Sat., Oct. 20 TBS
ALCS Game 7 Sun., Oct. 21 FOX
WS Game 1 Wed., Oct. 24 FOX
WS Game 2 Thurs., Oct. 25 FOX
WS Game 3 Sat., Oct. 27 FOX
WS Game 4 Sun., Oct. 28 FOX
WS Game 5 Mon., Oct. 29 FOX
WS Game 6 Wed., Oct. 31 FOX
WS Game 7 Thurs., Nov. 1 FOX
Italics indicate "if necessary."
Now not to be an alarmist, but if you look at those dates, you’ll notice something. MLB has, for the first time, officially scheduled a baseball game on Halloween. This is not just any baseball game, this is game 6 of the world series. Potentially, this is the biggest baseball game of the year.
On Halloween.
You’ll also notice that, except for Friday, Oct. 26, every major date that a haunted attraction needs to draw customers has a major playoff game scheduled. For the entire month. This has never happened before, but MLB plans to do it this way from now on.
I repeat, this is not a one-year thing. MLB has cracked November, and it is their intention to do so from now on. If this doesn’t worry you, think for a second about what this means:
Last year Larry Kirchner reported here on Hauntworld suffering some major attendance loss because the Cardinals were in the World Series. Last year, the World Series was over by Oct. 27th. This gave The Darkness several days to spare, time to rebound and still capitalize off Halloween.
In 2003 when the Cubs almost made the World Series, it’s been reported from numerous sources that Chicago haunted attractions lost thousands and thousands of customers. Had the Cubs made the World Series, there are Chicago area haunted houses that would’ve very likely “lost their shirts.”
And this was before the World Series was scheduled on Halloween. So let’s continue to use Chicago as our example. Now picture what it would be like if say, the Cubs, and their hundred years of futility, went to the World Series.
In Chicago, if the Cubs make the playoffs, it consumes the city. It’s all anyone cares about, even non-baseball fans. People who wouldn’t be caught dead watching baseball during the regular season become obsessed. Flags, billboards, bar specials… everything belongs to the Cubs. If the Cubs reach the World Series, well then Haunted Houses will pay and pay big.
Because if the Cubs win or lose the Series in six or seven games, that means that, through the entire month of October, October 26th will probably be the only night most people will have free to attend a haunted house. And their Cubs fever would be so high, they probably wouldn’t even think to attend a haunted house anyway.
Let’s say the Cubs new ownership decides to spend big money on their team, like the Red Sox or Yankees do. This could certainly turn the Cubs into a perennial contender. If the Cubs were to make back-to-back postseason appearances,(unlikely, but certainly possible) with the schedule as it is above, most of the haunted houses in Chicago could easily go out of business, no questions asked.
It’s not just Chicago. Other major Haunt markets, like Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri… These are places where haunted houses don’t need to compete with one of the World’s biggest sporting events. MLB needs to be stopped, their season was already far too long, and I’m saying that as a baseball fan. Although thinking about it, that goal seems nearly impossible. Seems like money will always have the last say.
Halloween has long had the benefit of being alone. No competition, a time when there’s no major sports, no other attractions. On Halloween, you either celebrated Halloween, or you did nothing.
Now Halloween is a major sporting event. If your haunt is in a major baseball market, chances are you'll feel the effects. Maybe not this year, maybe not five years from now. But if someone doesn’t come up with a plan, IAHA or anyone else, if something isn’t done, someone probably will lose there shirt/haunted house over this.
Thank you for reading, and please feel free to comment. I can’t think of any answers and I’d love to hear what anyone thinks.
Thanks
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