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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, April 8, 2002: While the hot dog (a beef sausage in a bread roll, not a cooked canine) remains the overwhelming favorite at American ballparks (where baseball and American football games are played), fans are increasingly snacking on broiled tofu, boiled soybeans and other vegetarian fare. So big is the trend that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recently ranked America’s top-10 vegetarian-friendly ballparks. Oakland’s Network Associates Coliseum placed fourth. PETA’s Dan Shannon admits the survey was unscientific but says it shows sports arenas have learned that America’s 17 million vegetarians who gain 1 million converts annually — are a cash cow. “This is a trend you’re going to see increase,” he said. “Not only is it common sense, it’s financial sense. These things sell.” Until recently, baseball’s vegetarian fans had to snack on junk food or go hungry through the game. Ballparks have long offered quasi-vegetarian snacks like cheese pizza, nachos and fries. But only in the past few years have they offered truly vegetarian fare like veggie dogs, veggie burgers and veggie stir-fries.

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