Seattle Mariners ready for Canadian invasion and actually selling Blue Jays merch
The Toronto Blue Jays are preparing to invade the States, but the team’s three-game series versus the Seattle Mariners might feel a bit more like a homestand as thousands of Jays fans from Western Canada are expected to cross the border to see their team play at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.
It’s an annual tradition for west coast Jays fans and an annual annoyance for the locals drowned out by their neighbours to the north.
However, the Mariners organization sees things a bit differently, viewing the annual Canadian invasion as a money-making opportunity. Taking advantage of this upcoming influx of Canadians expected to arrive on Friday, the Mariners have converted portions of the in-stadium team store to better cater to Jays fans.
The Mariners Team Store has dedicated an entire rack for Blue Jays gear ahead of this weekendās series. pic.twitter.com/vxssYZbe25
ā Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) July 17, 2023
The Jays merch section in a store dedicated to the Seattle Mariners has the internet talking, including former legendary child actor and Vancouverite Devon Sawa.
The now-44-year-old actor ā who millennials will remember from ’90s hits like Casper,Ā Idle Hands, and Final Destination ā jokingly compared Canadians to skinwalkers, a Navajo legend of shape-shifting witches.
“Angels should’ve done this. Probably the Dodgers, too. You may not know it, America, but there’s usually a Canadian around,” tweeted Sawa, continuing, “They look just like you. They are skinwalkers.”
šØš¦We are everywhere šØš¦
ā Marci Becking (@toopymum) July 18, 2023
Mariners fans are less amused by the merch takeover, already frustrated about having to battle for home-field advantage in their own ballpark, and now seeing another aspect of Mariners fandom usurped by Jays diehards.
Iām a Mariners fan. They are all about the money, thus adding Blue Jays gear at T Mobile Park. š
Wonāt spend money on the team, but this sounds about right. Capitalize off anything and everything.
PS. Jays fans take over our park too. What the hell is with that??ā Jennifer (@JennxGoHawks) July 18, 2023
Others defend the practice, saying it’s just business.
Breaking New: business trying to make money off of rivals. At the end of the day the team is a business and theyāll take advantage of any avenue to make money
ā Prince of Princeton š (Seth Roberts) (@sethroberts861) July 18, 2023
Of course, there have also been flare-ups of anger between Jays and Mariners fans. The Jays’ disastrous Wild Card series last October was brought up more than a couple of times, countered by comments on the Mariners’ own struggles.
How did the 2022 postseason end for the Jays? I donāt recall.
ā RC (@chambosscity) July 18, 2023
The Jays-Mariners series starts on Friday night, with the first pitch scheduled for 10:10 pm ET.
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