MLB's \"Green\" Red Carpet
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
Major League Baseball rolled out a red carpet yesterday afternoon that stretched from 40th Street to Central Park South (a total of 19 city blocks) and covered more than 95,000 square feet of the Avenue of the Americas. The floor covering was for the All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade presented by Chevy, and over the course of two hours, the members of this year’s All-Star teams and 49 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame (who were transported in the backs of pick-up trucks).
Though red in hue, the carpet was green in design and construction. Created by California-based firm Bentley Prince Street Inc., the parade’s largest production element was made entirely of recycled fibers. Green-e renewable energy certificates and the use of on-site solar power also offset any electricity used during the carpet’s construction.Few of the estimated 1 million fans seemed to care about the thought that went into the carpet though. Most were just thrilled to see the likes of Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra on a cloudless summer afternoon.
But the parade wasn’t all cheers and waving baseball stars. It had its share of troubles. The two-hour long procession was filled with holes between the slow-moving trucks filled with familiar faces. A few boos of frustration were even heard when some Hall of Famers’ vehicles stopped at red lights to allow for cross-town traffic. Fans reserved their loudest boos, however, for the Red Sox.
Midtown workers also lamented the inconvenience of the crowd and the closure of Avenue of the Americas. Many who found themselves returning to work from lunch after the parade’s start were openly confused by how to cross the parade path.
Though red in hue, the carpet was green in design and construction. Created by California-based firm Bentley Prince Street Inc., the parade’s largest production element was made entirely of recycled fibers. Green-e renewable energy certificates and the use of on-site solar power also offset any electricity used during the carpet’s construction.Few of the estimated 1 million fans seemed to care about the thought that went into the carpet though. Most were just thrilled to see the likes of Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra on a cloudless summer afternoon.
But the parade wasn’t all cheers and waving baseball stars. It had its share of troubles. The two-hour long procession was filled with holes between the slow-moving trucks filled with familiar faces. A few boos of frustration were even heard when some Hall of Famers’ vehicles stopped at red lights to allow for cross-town traffic. Fans reserved their loudest boos, however, for the Red Sox.
Midtown workers also lamented the inconvenience of the crowd and the closure of Avenue of the Americas. Many who found themselves returning to work from lunch after the parade’s start were openly confused by how to cross the parade path.
