Opening Day has long been one of my favorite days of the year. It ushers in hope, a new season and serves as a reminder that the epic days of summer are just around the corner.
The Boys are back in town!
For years, along with several buddies, we made a complete day and night out of Opening Day. An early morning tee time was followed by a great lunch and a few beers down in the area of Camden Yards. Then of course there was the game.
Weather was always a hit or miss. There have been perfect spring days and there was even one blistering Opening Day with temps in the low 90’s – I know hard to believe after this winter, right? And then of course there have been openers that were played in snow.
That’s Baltimore!
Adding to the day and extending into the night was the postgame celebration. I don’t have the numbers in front of me but it just feels like the Orioles, even during that long 14-year stretch of losing, always seemed to do pretty well on Opening Day.
Following the postgame libations we would make our way closer to home and choose a place where we would have some dinner followed of course the NCAA Men’s Championship basketball game (until they went and screwed that up).
What a day it was!
What a day it still is!
I’ve always been rather fortunate (and admittedly a privilege often taken for granted) that my job has afforded me the luxury of enjoying Opening Day. I didn’t use a vacation day. I didn’t have to ask permission to take the day off. I never had to compete with co-workers to fight for that day away from the office so as not to leave the boss holding down the fort all alone.
But I’m sure this is a dilemma that has impacted some of you.
“I can’t get off!”
And really it isn’t fair. EVERYONE should have Opening Day off!
You’ve heard it said before, a happy wife is a happy home. Doesn’t it stand to reason that a happy employee is a more productive employee and therefore a more profitable company?
Why force someone into the office for appearance’s sake only to find them listening to the broadcast online; checking score updates on their smartphones; refreshing the MLB.com live update page on their computer?
Is that productivity?
C’mon man! Business owners – just give your employees the day off! It will come back to you in spades.
And those in the hospitality business, cha-ching! Today is going to be a boondoggle for you!
Recently Greg Abel, president of Baltimore-based PR firm Abel Communications, was featured as a guest columnist in the Baltimore Business Journal campaigning for Opening Day to become a Baltimore Holiday.
In his article Abel suggests the following email to employers, even from the boss who gives Ebenezer Scrooge a run for his money:
Attention employees: It has come to our attention that holidays like Columbus Day and Presidents Day are bogus excuses for actual holidays. You are hereby given Orioles Opening Day off, which is Monday, March 31. Please reply to indicate if you plan to work on Columbus Day or President’s Day, because this ain’t no charity I’m running here but we do believe in the restorative power of baseball. And spring. You’re welcome.
I’m with you Greg.
“[The people will] have reserved seats somewhere along the baselines where they sat when they were children. And cheer their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as they’d dipped themselves in magic waters. ~ Terence Mann, played by James Earl Jones in The Field of Dreams.
Orioles Magic – Feel it Happen!
[youtube]http://youtu.be/7SB16il97yw[/youtube]
