American 'game food'

I know ranting in blogs is a bit of a cliche, but it happens anyways. I am well aware of the fact that I am a food snob. I love good food. I do not mind paying for it. Going to restaurant week today as a matter a fact and will not blink an eye dishing out 40$ for an amazing meal. That being said, I do not comprehend when people throw out their money when the food quality does not merit the cost.

[photo credit to Burger entry in wikipedia]

I have never quite understood the food that is served at American sport arenas. Granted, I have not attended arenas in other countries, but I know that the US 'game food' leaves me wondering every time I see people buy it.

My fraternity, APO, works concessions at various games at school for fundraising. We serve up food and sell it and get part of the profits. Sometimes its pizza, sometimes its nachos, sometimes its burgers. Really depends. Yesterday it was our joy to cook up burgers. The things have been frozen for great lengths of time, and are grilled up to 160 degrees on a grill that we barely clean between cooking. Even before making a veggie-burger it is only sprayed with oil. That's it. Yet then they are wrapped out and sold for I believe at least 6/7 dollars? How? Why? And people buy them and buy them.

I think the problem with food at games is that there physically is not a single dish that is healthy. Nothing fresh. Nothing unfried. Why does one have to eat fried food while seeing a game? Doesn't that give you less energy to cheer for your team as you feel more lethargic? Yes they are bought because there is little else to buy: I even at a burger because I was really hungry and thats all there was to eat, and felt horrible physically afterwards.

I am not saying that the invention of burgers is horrible: I have had several people prove to me that homemade burgers, or those at speciality burger places can be quite delicious, even if they still leave you feeling rather heavy as a consequence.

To make up for that horrible of a lunch, I came home to my parents making chocolate and cheese fondue. Extreme unhealthyness, but amazing quality and taste. Now that is a meal worth paying for.