In Toronto, Ken Fidlin wrote every time the Blue Jays go to Safeco Field for a game against the Mariners, as they did on Monday, it "turns into a home invasion." The Blue Jays and their fans "bust down the front door, collect all the silverware, raid the liquor cabinet and leave the Mariners feeling like they’ve just been violated." For the past several years, at practically every Blue Jays road game, wherever they play, there has been a "groundswell of support for the visitors." Not just a "smattering of applause, but a significant, boisterous, partisan following that always gets under the skin of the home folks." However, nothing anywhere in the world of sports compares to "what happens in Seattle" (TORONTO SUN, 9/21).
GOING GLOBAL: The Mavericks on Tuesday announced that they are "expanding their presence in China." The team said that it will be "offering more coverage of team news and multimedia in the Mandarin language by using Weibo, China's version of Twitter, and other social media platforms." The Mavericks added that they "receive an average of 750,000 weekly impressions and have an audience of 800,000 in China." The team "broadcasted 75 games in China last season" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/21).
FEEDING FRENZY: In San Jose, Curtis Pashelka noted the World Cup of Hockey "got in the way of the Sharks holding a third consecutive Fan Fest this season," but the team is "planning to bring the popular event back next year and make it an annual occurrence." Last season, the Sharks "held Fan Fest the weekend before the start of their main training camp." The event "drew several thousand people at SAP Center." Seven Sharks players have been competing at the World Cup, so if Fan Fest were to have taken place, it would have "happened with a lot less star power" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/17).
