Future National Locations - Same Old Story

[maniac_73]

Originally Posted by BobC

Why, because there was nothing else right around the IX Center in Cleveland to draw your attention and money, so you had to spend all your time and money at the show? I would actually think that is exactly what most all the dealers at the National would want.

There is the Rock and Roll HOF and Museum, the League Park field/museum where the Naps used to play and is the site of the first ever (unofficial) all-star game held as a benefit for Addie Joss' widow and family, the Canton Football HOF is only about an hour's drive away as well. Along with an actual national park only about a 15 minute drive away. The Indians/Guardians play in the city (as do the Browns and Cavaliers), and there are several minor league teams that play in the area as well. Casino gambling and other downtown Cleveland sites and amenities, such as restaurants and some gorgeous historic architecture, can be easily reached by taking the rapid transit from the airport. And that includes the Playhouse Square theatre district, which just happens to be the largest performing arts center in the US, outside of New York city. And of course, the airport is literally right next to the IX Center, which logistically is super accessible, and also another point favoring Cleveland for visitors.

Case in point, when I went to the very first Cleveland National back in the 90's, I was getting a lot of baseballs autographed. Was standing in front of Sandy Koufax to get two baseballs signed, and to make small talk, asked him how he liked coming to Cleveland. He actually stopped signing, and looked up at me for a moment with a reflective look on his face, and then said he didn't really know. He continued that a car picked him up at the airport and drove him right over to the show, and when his signing session was done, a car would take him right back to the airport so he'd board his flight back home. Kind of shrugged his shoulders and said he really wasn't going to see anything of the city to tell. I told him that's funny, because that's basically exactly what Bill Mazeroski had said. To which he got an excited look on his face and blurted out, "Maz is here?". I told him yeah, he was on the other side of the autograph pavilion. So, with a happy smile on his face he thanked me, and said he had to be sure to go find him before he left to say hi. He said no one told him who all was going to be there signing at the show. Finished signing for me, and gave me a big smile and a resounding handshake.

So there actually may be an awful lot more to see and do in Cleveland than you can imagine, you just have to get off your duff and go do something. And the ease and convenience of getting celebrity guests in and out of the show, along with accessibility to dealers and "reasonable" costs for setting up, are likely important contributing factors as well. Calling Cleveland and Atlantic City "cheap" seems a tad inappropriate, especially when you're comparing them to other big cities that may have a tendency to be way overpriced. Never forget the National is a business venture, first and foremost, so operating costs for the show and dealers will always be a primary concern. But a lot of naysayers are happy to complain about the venues, because the effort and work, along with the direct costs of setting up and paying for everything, aren't really their concern, are they? It is real easy to complain about something you're not responsible for.

This post convinced me to take the 4 hour drive from Toronto to visit Cleveland this summer.