San Antonio Rampage www.sarampage.com
If basketball playoff fever isn’t “cool” enough for you, The AT&T Center is also known to get iced over every winter and invaded by a bunch of Canadians who like to two-step it with a hockey stick. They are better known as our local hockey team, the San Antonio Rampage. Since playing their inaugural season in San Antonio in 2002, Rampage tickets have become some of the hottest tickets on ice. In 2009, the team set a season attendance record with nearly 210,000 attendees, an average of more than 5,000 a game. The Rampage are part of the American Hockey League, which is the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL). The team is affiliated with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, and each year typically sends a number of players to the Coyotes for NHL action. It shares an affiliation with the Spurs and Silver Stars by sporting the same black and silver colors, and the team’s mascot — a snorting bull — is a fan favorite as well as a fun allusion to Texas folklore. Even though the team is growing quickly in popularity, Rampage tickets are still very affordable, ranging from $7 to $35 for seats along the ice. Most games include promotional events, including $1 Drink Night ($1 beer and sodas) and All You Can Eat Weeknights ($20 for a ticket and all the food and soda you can
72
eat). The team plays 80 games; 40 of them at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio Missions www.samissions.com
Our local baseball team, the San Antonio Missions, has a history that seems almost as lengthy as the Spanish missions after which they are named. The team actually traces its roots back to 1888 as a founding member of the Texas League. The Missions won their first title in 1897 and have matched the Spurs success by winning four league titles since 1997. During the past 110-plus years, the Missions have been affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Seattle
In the summer, the Dallas Cowboys spend several weeks of their training camp in the Alamodome. The team typically holds two practices a day, and admission is free to all.
greater san antonio chamber of commerce
Mariners. More than 700 players have played in San Antonio, only to go on to the Major Leagues, including Joe Morgan, Fernando Valenzuela, Mike Piazza and Alex Cora. The team currently is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Missions are one of the city’s most affordable sports attractions. Their “clubhouse” — Wolff Stadium — is easy to access, offers great seating, and is full of fun amenities and promotions. Opened in 1994, this facility can accommodate up to 9,000 fans and has all the trimmings of a big league venue: 14 luxury suites, a large picnic area for groups up to 500, and an all-you-can-eat fiesta deck that can be rented for groups of up to 200.Ticket prices range from $7 to $10, and you’ll find exciting theme nights every week, including Dollar Night ($1 hot dogs, popcorn, beer and soda), Fireworks Nights and a number of free giveaways. The Missions season begins in April and ends in September. The team plays about six games a week, including road games.
Cowboys Training Camp www.dallascowboys.com
The city does have NFL football as well — at least for a few weeks. In the summer the Dallas Cowboys spend several weeks of their training camp in the Alamodome. The team typically holds two practices a day, and admission is free to all.