What is the point of the cardboard cutouts at games?

[DarnSteph]

It’s weird looking. Is it for the players? If so, what does it do? Is it for those watching on tv? If so, what does it do? Having 3 or 4 rows of cardboard cutout fans only accentuates the emptiness of the stadium.

Reminds me on a Twilight Zone episode where some astronauts landed on a planet that looked like earth but all around town people were like mannequins.

 

[paladin181]

Same thing as the piped in crowd noise.

 

[DarnSteph]

Same thing as the piped in crowd noise.

The crowd noise is terrible. Does not follow the flow of the game.

 

[Tyrannosaurus cox]

What is the point of baseball?

I decided that the cardboard is better than nothing. But it is super sad and maybe you're right that the stadium should just be empty.

The Chipper and Shea Jones cardboard at Shea was hilarous though. As was Bernie (from Weekend at Bernie's)

It’s weird looking. Is it for the players? If so, what does it do? Is it for those watching on tv? If so, what does it do? Having 3 or 4 rows of cardboard cutout fans only accentuates the emptiness of the stadium.

Reminds me on a Twilight Zone episode where some astronauts landed on a planet that looked like earth but all around town people were like mannequins.

 

[gamecox4982]

the first time I ever saw this was when Clemson played in the Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.

 

[importcock]

It’s weird looking. Is it for the players? If so, what does it do? Is it for those watching on tv? If so, what does it do? Having 3 or 4 rows of cardboard cutout fans only accentuates the emptiness of the stadium.

Reminds me on a Twilight Zone episode where some astronauts landed on a planet that looked like earth but all around town people were like mannequins.

I remember that episode. Kinda creepy. But then, it was supposed to be.

 

[Cocky_Corleone]

I find it dystopian and an allegory for social media networks. Fake, hiveminded crowds, driving narratives written by few to control, or influence, the minds of the many. Smoke and mirrors to cover up truths.

Just give me the truth. Dont give me a bunch of illusions and deceptions to present a fable of what you want me to believe things to be.

When lies become so common that they errode public trust in social institutions, the fabric of the American experience is diminished to the point where nobody knows what to believe.

But

Whatever

 

[redrogers]

Hitler was front row a few weeks ago.... The Sgt. Pepper’s album cover started the idea originally imho. If I had money to blow, I’d have The Patriot( Del Wilkes) cutout behind home plate. Maybe Diamond Dave.

 

[b3golf]

If the marketing teams were smart they would be having a field day with this. Have contests to Put cut outs of real fans faces, kissing cutouts for the kiss cam, have cutouts stand for the 7th inning stretch, heck even have fans leave if they team is getting killed. The cardboard cutouts could be marketing and social media gold if they wanted them to.

 

[titaniumspur]

Seems like they could computer simulate a crowd and make it look real. Not saying I would like it, but I would like to see it tried once.

 

[Cybercock]

Seems like they could computer simulate a crowd and make it look real. Not saying I would like it, but I would like to see it tried once.

I saw a story where they were thinking if doing that

 

[Conway Gamecock]

Well, this explains things for me. I have been thinking that the crowd response of late was kinda flat......

 

[Sending an SOS]

I assumed it was intended on giving both pitchers and hitters something normal in their line of sight. Baseball has always been sort of a finicky game, but I could see where empty seats might be a distraction for a pitcher or a hitter...

 

[SmokinStokesBBQ]

I dont get it either. I think nothing sums up America more than creating fake crowds and crowd noise for people who know there is not a real crowd there but apparently like to pretend that there is.

We get asked to pretend about a lot of things so why not that. I also read that it "comforts people" to have crowd noise with baseball because "many people have baseball games on in the background of their lives" . Maybe that is why I have never cared about baseball I dont know.

 

[houstongamecock]

The Texas Rangers cutouts are called DoppleRangers. They are $50 (I think) and the money goes to their charitable foundation.