All-Star Game Giveaway

We're trying something new today. You know that normally, your reward for visiting this site is getting to read the brilliant stuff we have to say about baseball. Today, though, we'd actually like to reward you in a more material sense with a cool giveaway, where you'll receive actual stuff, not just intellectual stimulation. Holiday Inn, the Official Partner of MLB Road Trips, is doing a pair of contests related to next week's Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, and to spread the word, they're providing us with a $75 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods to give away, along with some All-Star Game-related merchandise.

(True story, I am not making this up: I, Bill, am writing this right now from a room at a Holiday Inn. Not in any way part of the deal, I just happen to be here in semi-rural Minnesota for a totally unrelated reason. It's spacious and comfortable and still has those Nintendo 64 games you can rent for $7.00 an hour.)

First, here are the details on the Holiday Inn giveaways, the prizes for which include a weekend getaway to the city of your choice and two tickets to see your favorite MLB team play:

• For the Home Run Derby (July 11), you can guess the distance of the longest home run that will be hit that night; and
• For the All-Star Game itself (July 12), texting in either "AL" or "NL," you can guess which team will end up with the most hits.

If I get more details on the contest (the short-code to text in to, for example), I'll certainly update this post wth those details, but I'm sure they'll be readily available on the dates of the events themselves -- just be sure to keep an eye out. [Edit: text your guesses in to 88222.] 

Now here are the details for this giveaway: we want to see poetry. Namely, a haiku that has to do, at least tangentially, with the 2011 baseball season. I'm hoping we get a bunch of entries, in which case TCM and I will pick the ten best (funniest, most beautiful, most full of whimsy, whatever), and ask you to vote on them over the weekend. But it being a summer weekend and all, it's possible that we won't be able to get that many of you to bite, and we'll have to adjust how the winner is chosen. In any case, there will be a bit of subjectivity (to make you put at least a little effort in it) and then a transparent popular vote (so that you know that we're not playing favorites).  All entries must be emailed to The Common Man or Bill (our address are on the right-hand sidebar) by 5:00 Pacific time today (Friday, July 8), and the voting will commence tomorrow morning.

So I hope you'll take a minute, write a funny little poem about baseball, and take a shot at winning $75 in sporting goods or some other cool stuff. Have fun and good luck! 

Disclosure:  Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts has supplied The Platoon Advantage with reader giveaways in exchange for this post. The Platoon Advantage did not receive any compensation for this post. Opinions expressed are our own and are in no way influenced by Holiday Inn.