We've all heard the idiom "too much of a good thing", and while competitive hot dog eater Joey Chestnut may have mixed feelings on it, one Major League Baseball team is siding with the concept and doing away with its popular $1 Hot Dog Night promotion after things got out of hand -- literally -- last season.
The beloved Philadelphia Phillies food promo went off the rails last season and turned into an all-out food fight inside Citizens Bank Park, resulting in hot dogs being thrown onto the field and some fans getting tossed from the stadium.
"It wasn't just the throwing -- the concourse, the crowds of everybody being at the same X amount of stands," John Weber, senior VP of Phillies ticket operations and projects told ESPN. "But obviously, you know, the throwing was a little bit of a tipping point."
@espn The dollar hot dog days are over 😔 (📹 @Ericka McDermott) #mlb #baseball #phillies #hotdog ♬ original sound - ESPN
This season, in a shift away from the 27-year-old promo that began as a way to boost ticket sales and attendance, the Phillies have announced Hatfield Phillies Franks BOGO Nights instead.
Fans will have two chances to enjoy discounted dogs on April 2, when the Phillies take on the Cincinnati Reds, and April 16 against the Colorado Rockies.
We’ve added some promotional giveaways and events to our 2024 schedule!
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 29, 2024
Highlights include: Hatfield Phillies Franks BOGO Nights, Coca-Cola Photo Day, London Series-inspired giveaways presented by SEI, and more.
During those games, fans can purchase two hot dogs for the price of one, or $5 at concession stands throughout the ballpark.
"The idea originally was much more family-orientated -- four, five, six people and having a discounted concession item," Weber told ESPN. "As it's morphed over time, it's gone more to a younger demographic, which is great as well, especially in the April, May time frame."
So far, Phillies fans have shown a range of emotions over the new era of promotions on social media, reacting with hot dog emojis to celebrate the stadium food that's been ubiquitous at ballparks since the 1880s.
As ESPN first reported, one apparel shop has already created a T-shirt that reads, "RIP dollar dog night. Pork Flew. Heads Rolled."
