When John Middleton went after high profile free agents he used the term “stupid money” to describe how much he would spend. Now, Middleton and the Phillies are taking that same stupid money only in a different sense. Just as its namesake was synonymous with the Phillies, Harry The K’s was an original part of Citizens Bank Park. The eatery in left field served as an eating and meeting place for fans and a tribute to the longtime Phillies broadcaster. Now, after 22 seasons, Harry The K’s has been replaced by a corporate energy drink company as part of the yearly retooling of the fan experience at The Bank.
It has retooled the fan experience, alright. Fans took to social media to decry the move and blast the Phillies for what many say is “selling out.” Fans decried the corporate takeover of every space of Citizens Bank Park, saying it’s killing the atmosphere of the place. Some fans took to social media declaring that this will be their last season with season tickets because the Phillies have hurt the fan experience with things like this and other moves, along with prices going higher.
Stepping back for a better view
Here’s the thing; and it’s unfortunate. I also blame myself for doing this at times, so I’m not just throwing stones. The odds say that this will blow over. The season will start and there will be issues coming up along the way, but eventually, it will be a thing of the past. Many of those fans will find a reason to renew their season tickets. Perhaps one reason will be that if they don’t, someone else will just buy them anyway; they’re right.
While this is bad PR for Ghost, as my mom always said: “this too, shall pass.” Besides, the fans of an energy drink have very little overlap with the fans who remember Harry Kalas. My guess is that younger fans are less enraged about this than older fans like me.
My first thought as a huge Harry Kalas fan was ‘I’ll never buy a Ghost Energy Drink.’ No, I won’t. I’m 61 with a history of cardiac and neurologic issues. Then, I ran across something in the Inquirer.
The team said they had struck a naming agreement with Ghost, a lifestyle brand cofounded in 2016 by West Chester native Ryan Hughes and acquired in late 2024 by Keurig Dr Pepper in a deal worth over $1 billion.
There it is. Dare I say, the corporate ghost behind Ghost. I have and love my Keurig. Just the other day I thought that it is so old I will probably have to buy another one pretty soon. Well, I will buy a replacement, but it won’t be a Keurig. There are lots of other brands out there, which I never really thought about. I will also do it sooner than I have to and when I do, I will be letting Keurig know about it and why I made the decision.
It’s a small thing, but I’ll feel better about it. I remember when my mom, who was an avid Snapple drinker stopped drinking Snapple. She went on a one woman boycott because they advertised on Howard Stern. The woman never did drink another Snapple, God bless her! Somehow, Snapple survived. I’m sure Keurig will, too.
As for the Phillies? I won’t stop being a fan. I will still go to a game now and then. I’ll still buy the shirts and hats. But just as with my mom, who admitted the heinous act of throwing out my baseball cards — or as she called them “junk” — I’ll still love them, but I won’t forget that they chose money over honoring a great man.
One more thing. When we decry the corporatization of Citizens Bank Park – which in itself is a weird dichotomy – we need to think about things like player payroll and luxury taxes. For everyone that says “it’s not my money,” it kind of is. Even if you don’t go to games, when you buy those hats or shirts, it’s your money. And if you go to a game, it is definitely your money. Stupid Money.
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