Christian night is post-game only
A friend of mine saw that the Royals are having Christian Family Night at Kauffman later this month and wondered if they were going to also have a night for Jews, Muslims, Hindus or people of other faiths.
The other question is whether non-Christians would feel comfortable at Kauffman on Christian night, which is Aug. 23.
Logical questions and they have come up in other years when the Royals had Christian nights, said Toby Cook, vice president of community affairs and publicity.
Christian Family Night will feature a concert 30 minutes after the game, at no extra cost to people who paid to see the game, Cook said. General Manager Dayton Moore, Manager Trey Hillman and pitcher Brian Bannister will speak before the concert about their Christian faith, Cook said.
There will be no public prayers or other Christian-based activities during the game, he said. “A person would not be made to feel uncomfortable,” Cook said.
Cook said there is a group ticket sales market for Christian Family Night that there is not for a night that would appeal to Jews, Muslims or fans of other faiths. Numerous teams have Christian nights and some on the coasts have Jewish nights, Cook said.
Marvin Szneler, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee in the Kansas City area, said he has not heard complaints about Christian Family Night in recent years.
“Obviously, (the Royals) risk alienating non-Christians,” Szneler said. “But we would not be fighting against it.” He said having the concert and Christian testimonials delayed until after the game negates his concerns.
Mustafa Hussein, office manager of the Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City, said having a post-game Christian night is not objectionable and he understands why the Royals do it. “It’s a marketing tool,” he said.
The Royals are offering a $2 discount on some lower level seats that night. Information on Christian Family Night and other promotions at Kauffman can be found on kcroyals.com.
• • •
Catching one of those hotdogs that Slugerrr launches from an air gun is one thing, getting the package open is quite another.
A colleague says someone behind him at Monday’s game got a dog that Sluggerrr launched from the deck above. But the fan spent what seemed like half an inning peeling off the wrapper that included bubble wrap to protect the dog. This is quite a switch. Earlier in the year packages sometimes came apart in mid-flight and the wieners and bun would go in different directions.
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.