Our long national nightmare is finally over ; after 4 years of strained pseudo stand-up and season-long attempts to glue “Survivor” to “SportsCenter” within the confines of the old Tower Records building on 4th and Broadway, Major League Baseball has mercifully pulled the plug the House Of Stupid otherwise known as the MLB Fan Cave. Sports Business Daily’s Eric Fisher provides the autopsy :
The move, led by Bob Bowman, president of business and media, is an attempt to consolidate all of baseball’s social media activities under MLB Advanced Media and the MLB Network. MLBAM had its own active social media agenda separate from the Fan Cave, often creating confusion on matters such as who would take a lead role in promoting coming MLB events.
“We’re trying to be more coordinated in all of our social media efforts,” Bowman said. “This change in structure is helping all of us focus on the same goals, and by putting all of the social media together, we hope to have a more consistent and effective message.”
Several Fan Cave components are likely to live on, including its concert series featuring up-and-coming acts and the creation of viral content with players outside the ballpark. But the original Fan Cave premise of having a group of selected fans watch every game of a season will cease.
Bowman said the decision to shift away from the Fan Cave does not represent a repudiation of the idea (“it would be a shame if that’s the conclusion people come to,” Bowman said).
Sorry, Bob. You’re not gonna spoil this moment for me. I’m gonna conclude we’re living in Repudiation City and you’re the goddamn Mayor.