Facing the reality of empty stadiums, last month the Kansas City Royals came up with an unusual plan: Fans of the team could become KC Royals "Fanbassadors" by paying $40 for a life-size, printed plastic cutout* of their likeness to be placed in the stands.

*(Where cardboard cutouts once ruled, today the cutout material of choice for outdoor applications is CoroPlast, i.e. corrugated plastic, which is typically extruded in sheets.)

In addition to making the stands look somewhat populated on video, 50% of the proceeds go to a Royals-backed charity that focuses on COVID-based food insecurity in the Kansas City area. Thus far the Royals have sold 700 cutouts, raising $28,000; of that money, $14,000 went to the charity, and the other $14,000 went to the folks that make the cutouts. The team "didn't keep a penny," according to Kansas City's Fox 4 News.

Not every Fanbassador has paid to have their own likeness printed up. This month sharp-eyed fans spotted famously-dead '80s movie character Bernie, of Weekend at Bernie's, in the stands.

Lastly, I've gotta say: $350 to make a single printed cutout? That sounds like a pretty darned good business.