It’s rare when my personal and professional lives collide but I’ve been doing quite a bit of reporting on the world of sports marketing for my job lately, including taking up an invitation to visit with the Mets at Citi Field March 31 to sample the new food and new features on the way to the park this year. Jacob Pickles’ fried-chicken-sandwich-on-a-biscuit-with-honey was quite good but a challenging dish to eat in the park. Pig Beach BBQ , Murray’s Mac & Cheese, Lobster Shack nachos– all good stuff. The first three options will be available in the Promenade Club; Lobster Shack behind section 104 on the field level.

Inside the park they’ve replaced nearly all static ad signage with high-definition ribbon boards as a first step toward revamping the big scoreboards behind similar technology next season.

I also caught up with Andy Goldberg, who was recently named EVP and chief marketing officer for the club, and we discussed his plan to better build the Mets as a brand. Though a little light on specifics, he mentioned a desire to better sell Mets games as an entertainment option for adults–particularly night games–which was good to hear after the we-get-it-it’s-important but overbearing emphasis on family entertainment of his predecessor. We also discussed the forthcoming uniform sponsor patches, the possibility of engaging creative agencies, and a vision for taking the Mets brand worldwide. Listen below or on your favorite podcast streamer.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a full season preview and hopefully update the Big roster with guys like Joely Rodriguez. LGM!