Millennials attending a minor league baseball game in Alabama saw themselves in the mirror… and didn’t like who they saw staring back.
The Double-A Montgomery Biscuits hosted a Millennial Night–featuring stereotypical millennial delights, like avocado toast, selfie stations, a napping area, and even participation ribbons.
The team, which is affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays, announced the promotion last week on Twitter, writing: “Want free things without doing much work? Well you’re in luck! Riverwalk Stadium will be millennial friendly on Saturday, July 21, with a participation ribbon giveaway just for showing up, napping and selfie stations, along with lots of avocados.”
The tweet quickly went viral–causing a large number of millennials to go after the baseball team, claiming they were “offended” by the stereotypes.
The team management was, apparently, caught off-guard by sensitive millennials.
“80 percent of the people in our front office are millennials, myself included, and we’re just having fun with some of the clichés that people point out about millennials,” said Mike Murphy, vice president of fan engagement, adding that it’s just one of 70 promotions the Biscuits are rolling out this year.
Murphy apologized for offending anybody, but added that the team is still going full steam ahead with Saturday’s Millennial Night regardless of criticism.
He also added that the whole hubbub could ultimately be good for business, noting how brand recognition of the Montgomery Biscuits has skyrocketed in recent days: “So many people have said, ‘Oh my gosh, I never knew there was a team named the Biscuits!’”