Nine innings, nine dogs, and we all know what follows. It was a fun night that so many people loved but, sadly, it’s over.
It is the end of an era as the beloved “Dollar Dog Night” got taken away from Citizens Bank Park. The fan-favorite promotion has been a staple in packing the stadium, but after some crazy Phillies fans decided to throw hot dogs at others, we will no longer see it on the schedule. Instead, the “Dollar Dog Night” will now be a BOGO (Buy One, Get One) night.
Some fans started petitions to get it back, and thousands of fans signed them, but that did not overturn the decision. In the meantime, the Flyers have started a dollar dog night, and Juana Tamale, a South Philly restaurant, started selling dollar dogs in protest and will be selling them during all Phillies home games.
“Dollar Dog Night was the night we looked out for,” said Joe Saxton, Neumann University alumni and current Sales Associate with the Philadelphia Phillies, “but it was hard to even get a hot dog because the lines were so long.”
Like the Saxton family, these were the nights the fans looked forward to, and there are mixed feelings about it being taken away.
“I liked it, and it was a good tradition that should stay,” said Ryan Burke, a freshman at Neumann University, “I understand why it is gone but I just want it to stay.”
Cole Betham, another Neumann student, agrees.
“It was something I looked forward to each year,” he said. “It just sucks that it’s over.”
Although it is a shame that the popular promotion is going away, it was something that had to be done. When I interned for the Phillies Entertainment Staff throughout the 2022 season (where I am sure I ate at least ten hot dogs on some dollar dog nights), we had a motto, and it was to ensure that everyone who walks through those CBP doors should have a “world-class experience.”
I never witnessed anyone throw a hot dog at someone else, but there is video evidence online that it happened. I did see the lines get exceptionally long with fans waiting a while just to get a hot dog because it was a dollar. They would miss the game and when the crowd roared, they would not be able to see what happened since they were not in their seats.
Saxton worked in Platinum Services before moving to ticket sales, and with those passionate Phillies fans being the way they are known to be, he saw this coming, but, surprisingly, has not gotten much backlash.
He has phone calls every day from fans looking to purchase ticket packages, and they all understand why Dollar Dog Nights had to go.
“However just because it’s gone, doesn’t mean they won’t come back,” he said.
In the meantime, mark your calendars for April 16, the Hatfield Phillies Franks BOGO Night, when fans can buy one hot dog at regular price and get their second one for free at any concession stand throughout the ballpark.