Apparently, in San Diego, puffer vests are a highly sought-after item. How else would one explain why fans lost their minds on Wednesday when the Padres were giving them away at their game?
Viral videos show chaos amid fans scrambling for limited sizes of San Diego Padres puffer vests during the giveaway at Petco Park. One of the videos shows an elderly fan getting into a heated, somewhat physical argument with another person.
“The cause for the long lines appears to be the fact that the Padres ran out of sizes. People refused to leave the gate until they got their puffer vest, which created the log jam around the entire ballpark,” Chase Izidoro of KUSI News reported.
Another video posted to Instagram asked, “How did the Padres puffer vest giveaway go? Well, here’s how it went. 45 min to get in, kids getting trampled and staff crying, fun!”
A third video showed lines of people waiting to get their free Padres puffer vest trailing around the block at Petco Park. And it was already in the third inning!
San Diego Padres puffer vests quickly appeared on eBay
A quick trip over to eBay and, yep, numerous San Diego Padres puffer vests were for sale. One listing on the auction site had a “pre-sale” of them. The price? $69.99.
The listing showed that this person had already sold 15 of them and still had 6 available. That means this person somehow snagged at least 21 San Diego Padres puffer vests during the giveaway. How they managed to get that many when fans were supposed to get just one each is a mystery.
“The product is a San Diego Padres puffer vest in size XL, officially licensed by Major League Baseball,” the listing read. “It features the team’s colors, brown, and is designed as a jacket. The vest is a part of a limited presale event and is a perfect addition for fans of the San Diego Padres to show their support during the regular season games. Made in China, this baseball-themed item is a must-have for any die-hard fan looking to stay warm and stylish while representing their favorite team.”
Why is a San Diego Padres puffer vest even a thing?
The reason for the team even having puffer vests in the first place all stems from the team’s new manager, Craig Stammen, being photographed wearing one during Spring Training.