Steve Burns & Joelle Fredman
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) While the Washington Nationals may have been firing on all cylinders on Opening Day, stadium operations apparently were not.
Fans were furious with having to wait in long lines at concession stands around the park.
If I could sum up #OpeningDay at @Nationals park in one word what would it be? Lines.
Lines. Lines. Lines. Lines. Lines. Lines.
— Martin Matishak (@martinmatishak) April 3, 2017
Don’t blame the #Nats fans one bit, they were not ready on #OpeningDay. Lines were so long. F- on game day experience but game was great.
— Chase Cates (@Chase_Cates) April 4, 2017
Worst @nationals opening day ever. Long food lines. Terrible service. No one is ready for the crowd.
— julie (@Julie_Clark21) April 3, 2017
A Nationals spokesperson told WMAL, “”We pride ourselves on offering a first class fan experience. Yesterday we fell short. We encountered technical problems resulting in long lines and frustration at concession stands around the ballpark. We are working to identify the issues and implement solutions before our game on Wednesday.”
Other fans weren’t happy about the logistics of getting their Magic 8 ball giveaway – instead of getting it on the way in, they were given it on the way out, which resulted in a chaotic mess.
The spokesperson said that MLB guidelines require that certain giveaways be distributed as fans leave the stadium.
The spokesperson told WMAL, “We apologize that this caused confusion in Center Field Plaza after the game and will ensure that we communicate the process more clearly in the future. We appreciate our fans attending Opening Day and sharing their passion for baseball. We are constantly working to improve the fan experience and look forward to an exciting season.”
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (photo: Steve Burns)
