TORONTO, ON
Blue Jays staff have been working overtime getting Rogers Centre in tip top shape for their opening day tilt against the Baltimore Orioles. Most pressing for the staff was cleaning up the hundreds of thousands of friendship bracelets leftover from last fall’s Taylor Swift concerts.
“They’re wedged between the seats, in the cup holders, we even found a bunch scattered along on the third base line,” said Blue Jays worker Brayden Cladwell. “They’re meant to promote friendship and love, but these bracelets have been more than a hassle for the cleanup crew, let me tell you.”
The problem is so great, that they’ve even enlisted some of the players to take part.
“I’ve been up since 5 am gathering these bracelets,” said Vlad Guerrero Jr., his arms lined with tokens from the concerts. “They’ve all got strange messages on them, too. You Need to Calm Down, Shake It off, The Unger Review, whatever that is. I appreciate the sentiment, Swifties, but it’s a little much.”
Blue Jays are hoping the bracelets will not interfere with this afternoon’s game, although they are not confident that all the bracelets have been located.
“It’s safe to say they’re endemic now,” said Cladwell. “We remove five bracelets and six more pop up. It’s a losing battle, like trying to bail out a sinking boat with a tablespoon.”
Fans are encouraged to report any friendship bracelets they find to nearby staff, while announcements on the PA system have warned patrons not to leave any friendship bracelets unattended.