How Did The Section148 Tailgate Party Go This Past Saturday?

Well here's a little bit of play-by-play for those who couldn't make it... But first, the Section148 Team would like to thank everyone who helped out, contributed their efforts and all the A's fans for stopping by, hanging out at our Fan Appreciation Tailgate Party, making our hard work all worth it. We are By Fan, For Fans, after all!

As the smell of our delicious catered Mexican taco bar permeated through the air - equally as tasty, the Tailgate Party playlist bumpin' in the background, sharing in the chatter and laughter from all our great friends, fantastic new fans we met AND a dramatic win over the Angels, it really was an epic Saturday out at the Coliseum!

Our brand new, custom corn hole game gave many lucky A's fans the opportunity to win our sweet new "#B3F" shirts and our "#BeatLAA" rally towels. Our fancy game boards will definitely be back for our future events, as fans of all ages had tons of fun playing and winning! Were you one of our awesome winners? Send us your selfie or group pic and you just may see yourself in the spotlight! (Shoot us an email at info@Section148.com or via our Twitter/IG/FB!)

Of course we couldn't forget.... we had to call out the winner of our Jose Canseco autographed baseball raffle, too!! And that was won by Kenny N., who you can see, was really fired up when he found out.

The game alone was a tremendous baseball game won by the Green and Gold, as the A's continued their dominance against the Angels. We all watched the Disney/Pixar fireworks surrounded by friends and new fans, and it was the best way to end this epic day! Share your experiences with us on Twitter, FB, IG! We'd love to hear from all our Section148 and Oakland Athletics fans, alike!  Let's Go Oakland!

-- Wes

Get your Champion Gear at www.Section148.com

Are You Ready for Our New Shirt and a Tailgate Party?!

The team at Section148 has been hard at work getting ready for our next event, a Free Tailgating Party before the Oakland A's game on Saturday, August 23, 2014 at the Oakland Coliseum. But, first things first, we are excited to tell you about the latest t-shirt we have added to our line-up! Dubbed "B3F" this limited edition design celebrates YOU, fellow A's fans with the battle cry, “By Fans. For Fans”.

The men’s shirt is an asphalt gray that will stand out at the ballpark and around town.  It also makes the statement that only you, the fan can make.

 

We also have a ladies v-neck version for a comfortable fit in a darker charcoal gray.

We have officially launched the pre-sale for this one-of-a-kind fan shirt and with that, it becomes a special opportunity for all who pre-order! What, you ask?  

We met Mr. 40/40, Jose Canseco, a few weeks back and got an autographed baseball from him.  We want to pass on this awesome collectors' item to you. Pre-order either version of the "B3F" shirt and one lucky fan will also get the signed ball!
  

To be entered to win this signed ball, order the shirt by Tailgate Saturday at 3:45PM and you’re automatically entered in the raffle, which will be announced at 4:00PM at our Tailgate. You don't have to be present at the Tailgate Party to win. 

Tailgate Party, you say? You heard right! We’re hosting a special Tailgate Party in Lot B (the Hegenberger side of the Coliseum) before the Fireworks game against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, the 23rd. We’ll be out there when the parking gates open (likely around 2:00PM), so get there early, as we’ll have free food, drinks, music, Cornhole games and plenty of special prizes! We'll be reppin' our newest t-shirts.  Don't be shy, we encourage ALL OF YOU to come out and hang with us because it’s gonna be a lot of fun at this family-friendly event!

 

And that’s not all, folks! The first 25 people to come out to the tailgate event wearing ANY of our Section148.com t-shirts will get a FREE original Special Edition Rally Towel! That's right, totally free!  We came up with the design below a few weeks back, and decided that it would make for an awesome giveaway for the AL Western Division showdown! The rally towel is inspired by the design and shows off our mascot taking it to the Angels’ famous “Rally Monkey”! To borrow a phrase from the A's announcer Duane Kuiper, "That monkey is outta here...". 

So make sure you get there early and receive your own timeless souvenir!

*Now just a few more notes when ordering your new shirt!   

If you'd like to pre-order your new "B3F" shirt and pick it up at the Tailgate Party, please use the code: PICKUP during checkout and we will have it ready for you then! (Sorry no seat delivery that day!) Bring an ID to receive an order at the tailgate.  

As you can all see, there’s plenty going on and lots to remember... So last but not least, we encourage you all to find a way to get you and your friends tickets to the Athletics vs. Angels game on August 23rd, so you can be there to enjoy it with us!  We'll see you there!

-- Wes

Get your Champion Gear at www.Section148.com

Oakland Athletics Monday Trend Meter

As the team began their game tonight, we decided to create our own weekly recap of the latest happenings with Oakland Athletics' fan culture.  So if you find yourself asking, "Who or what are the A's fans talking about this week?" Stop by on Mondays and look for it here!
 

Number One: The Rally Possum

It's grammatically correct to say "opossum" but since the account has named itself "@RallyPossum" that is going to dictate what I call those things from now on. Sorry, grammar police! Our furry friend once again made an appearance during last Friday night's game, but this time it showed up farther down the left field line by the foul pole. Our Sean Doolittle even seemed mesmerized by the wildlife phenomenon that seems like it's here to stay. I will say for scientific purposes that it looks as though this particular opossum looked like a baby while the one from last Monday looked like a full-sized adult but that doesn't matter. It's shown up two times, and both those times the Athletics have won so even the green and gold fans who are creeped out by these creatures will be happy to be in their presence. This became evident to me by the few stuffed opossums that were seen around the Coliseum this past week. I myself am curious how long this particular phenomenon will last but I think the end of the season is far from a stretch. As you read from my last post, and I'm definitely onboard the Rally Possum bandwagon but all good things will have to come to an end at some point, unfortunately. 

Number Two: Stephen Vogt's NBA Referee Impersonation

If you haven't seen this VIDEO, I suggest you stop what you're doing right now and enjoy this hilarious display of showmanship. During an episode of MLB Network's "Intentional Talk," our own Jonny Gomes was the guest and he decided to bring along Stephen Vogt, who decided to bust out his NBA referee impersonation that was so hilarious that one cannot simply put it into words. Basketball referee symbols are so exaggerated and ridiculous it's hard to believe that Stephen was the first to real take a stab at this. Stephen Vogt has become an increasingly popular player since his return to Oakland a few months ago and he's certainly become my favorite player. As a guy who was once labeled a career minor leaguer, you have to love Stephen Vogt. He's enjoying every moment he can in the big leagues and with all the divas and entitled characters that are flooded across the league, Stephen Vogt is that breath of fresh air. 

 

Number Three: Jon Lester

Not the most exciting trend from a pure pop culture standpoint, but it's still worth noting how great Jon Lester has been since being traded to Oakland to don the white cleats. It's been so far, so good for this cancer survivor, as he's had one game where he wasn't at his best but still got the job done and the other, on Thursday night, was a masterpiece. A complete game, shutout against the Twins where he blazed 8 strikeouts was just the statement he needed in order to show the Athletics fans what he's capable of doing. Things won't get any easier for Jon Lester, he'll need to put in these performances in the postseason in order to repay the Oakland fans but he knows that and he's the right man for the job based on his track record. Jon Lester may not seem like a guy who'd wear anything other than a plain t-shirt, but there is a beauty to that approach because he's all business. 

Will these trends still be standing by the beginning of next week? Check back here next Monday to find out! 

-- Wes

Get your Champion Gear at www.Section148.com

Section148 Welcomes Olmedo, the Rally Opossum

Have you ever wondered how such a spontaneous symbol could represent a team so well? Well, unless you've either been off social media/Athletics broadcasts or under a rock for the past week, then chances are you've heard about the furry friend who made himself known on a cold Monday night at the Coliseum.

The greatness that is Olmedo the Opossum has captured, not just local coverage and media, but national attention, too! During a tightly contested game, the Athletics were tied 2-2 against the Tampa Bay Rays when suddenly the CSN California camera crew came across the critter who scurried behind the advertising boards and was never seen again through the night.

Oakland fans who saw the opossum blurted out many reactionary tweets: some were freaked out, some were amused, and others found it hilarious. Suddenly, a new hashtag was created "#RallyPossum" which became the theme for the rest of the night, and with Derek Norris' walk-off single to bring the good guys home happy the phenomenon became timeless. A twitter account "@RallyPossum" was created and a few fans named him "Olmedo" after former A's player (and Giants killer) Olmedo Saenz.

Then Jeff Samardzija was asked about our good friend, Olmedo, and he told the media that he comes around during warmups and we need to get him in a green and gold jersey. Certainly, there can be a way to arrange that, right? Opossum size jersey/t-shirt FTW!

Couldn't agree more with Shark.

Some are a bit turned off with a furry friend becoming a battle cry for the Athletics, mostly because of our noisy neighbors across the Bay with their own zoo of mascots but I have a different take.

An animal like an opossum is a perfect symbol for the Oakland Athletics and their current stadium situation. The O.co Coliseum has well documented issues with sewage, and just being flat out old. An opossum gives us a chance to laugh at ourselves and have fun with what has become a sore spot for many fans like myself who love the Coliseum and its quirkiness. And as 95.7's Damon Bruce said, "The A's need to take advantage of every social media trend that slaps them in the face." Couldn't agree more.

Embrace the awesome possum, because he can kick that Rally Monkey's a*s and then sleep for hours and hours after he's done.

-- Wes
Get your Champion Gear at www.Section148.com