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Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
My buddy who sits next to me at the games argued with me about this on Sunday. I noticed a lot of empty seats midway though the 1st quarter and he says, "It's still early". Then whenever SD had a big third down it seemed like most of the crowd was half-assing it. Seems like we get up for games like the Steelers or Cincy and then sit on our hands for teams we don't see often at home.
I have a feeling with a loss Sunday at Miami, the supply of cheap tickets to the JAX game will skyrocket.
I have debated this for the last couple years with my season ticket partners. But we mostly agree that the margin for error is slim and with a couple bad seasons in a row, there could be a big problem filling up the stadium. Look no further than Dan Snyder and the "100,000 + waiting list" he allegedly inherited. Chainsaw Dan can barely give tickets away these days and had to remove 20,000 seats from the Erector Set.
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Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
Dan Snyder didn't tarp anything. The Skins solved their sagging attendance issues by literally ripping thousands of seats right out of the stadium. Right down to the bare metal girders. Makes you wonder why the Raiders don't follow suit and rip out "Mt. Davis". There is a beautifiul view of the northern California mountains out beyond that monstrosity. .
And you have to give Shad Khan (JAX owner) a little credit. He replaced about 10,000 empty seats with gigantic video boards, swimming pools, and bars. He knows his fan base all too well. They like to watch TV and drink a lot.
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12-02-2014, 04:44 PM #39
Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
No offense intended Cap. First of all, I don't know you, I don't know what you do on game days, but I certainly know you are a committed Ravens fan since you spend time here discussing them. Second of all, I absolutely support and will not criticize you for whatever you decide on how you spend your money, or how you spend your Sundays for that matter. And I will stipulate that every fan's level of support rises and falls with the team's success, i.e. is to some extent "fair weather."
But you point out the Billick years like they were difficult. We never had back-to-back losing seasons under Billick. In fact, in the sixteen years since Billick took over, we have had to endure exactly *three* losing seasons, and made the playoffs NINE TIMES, while cashing in with the two Lombardis. It's been really, really, really easy to be a Ravens fan. And now many fans are jumping ship, at least where going to the stadium is concerned.
Individuals can have all sorts of reasons: money, health, other demands on time, etc. But as a collective group, the fans of Baltimore are yawning and walking away, presumably because they are not satisfied enough with the product on the field. They were coming in 2011 and 2012, to the same stadium at virtually the same prices. You couldn't get a ticket, the noise was deafening, the place was electric.
I can tell you on Sunday in a huge game against a playoff team in good weather, it was about as quiet as I've ever heard it. Half the fans had LEFT THE GODDAMN STADIUM before Rivers' final drive. He had no problem with audibles all day.
Take a look at Ticketmaster. There are face value seats available all over the stadium -- seats the Ravens have usually been able to sell to groups. No one wants to go.
We can't sit here and make fun of all the empty seats in DC, and laugh at the tarped-up upper deck in Jacksonville. We haven't had even a small taste of the bad coaching, crappy players, and miserable stadium experience that those poor people are stuck with. And sadly, I think it has only taken us, as a fan base, less than 20 years to become complacent and fair-weather."Chin up, chest out."
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Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
I feel you, but that is the economics of the world. Put it like this, many people have flat out said they wouldn't support the team if Ray Rice was on the roster, I get it. Me, I feel I have a vested interest when I buy tickets. As Money227 pointed out, it is an identity crisis. You mentioned we have no chip on our shoulder.
I was on the verge of buying an Anquan Boldin jersey then, whoop, out from under the rug we give him to the 49ers for a song. Reed gone, Ray gone. I defended Pees, incorrectly for now I see our defense played inspired because of Ray at the end, not because of scheme which used to be our signature.
Joe Flacco barely has a pulse to lead the team. Sure I like what I see from him this year, and going forward the team could be special on offense with West Coast, but it will require receiver catching balls more often and something that resembles a defensive backfield. The shades and ghosts of Antonio Langham and DeRon Jenkins have returned. The Burn Unit Lives!
I could have gone to the game, no sweat. Had I been there, I'd be horse, not to mention I am getting over a bad cold. But in my mind, the Ravens have failed on the side of the office and coaching. Believing they can lose players, jettison some, and then coach the game as if two of the greatest to ever play were still there. It is nuts.
I mean, the only way Elam is going to scare anyone on the opposing team is if they put a 20 "Reed" jersey on him.
So, in the end, it isn't complacency, it is a business decision, just as the front office picks and chooses to let this player walk or draft whomever, and keep coordinator X who clearly can't exploit a weakness, thus I will choose to take my 150$, save about 110$ of it and enjoy the disappointment at home.
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12-02-2014, 05:25 PM #41Legendary RSR Poster
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Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
Have to see it to believe, the nfl losing fans and becoming obsolete. Love football and really don't care for many other sports. McDonalds losing money to Chipolte and could close down, what's the world coming to. It could be a change many did not see coming, but I'll have to see it to believe it first. SMH
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12-02-2014, 06:10 PM #42
Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
I don't see this as a problem. Ticket prices are a very simple supply and demand issue, and frankly, the NFL does not need a dime from stadium revenue in order to play. TV contracts have grown so big that they could support a healthy league on their own. If attendance starts to collapse, teams will just run more promotions and fill those seats.
I make a decent salary and could afford season tickets, but for the most part, attending a game doesn't cross my mind. I prefer watching from home, where I can rewind, skip commercials, see everything... it's more enjoyable to the way I watch football. Now, if tickets were cheap, I'd probably take the time to attend a game more often. But knowing it'll run me $100 a person or more to take my family to the game, that means it's reserved for special occasions... not a regular thing.
If enough people start to think that way, well, ticket costs will have to drop.
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12-02-2014, 06:25 PM #43Regular 1st Stringer
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Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
I believe that the NFL is becoming he NRL (National Referee League). With 20 or more penalties a game we see more of the head ref then the players and even the announcers (Dan Fouts last week) are becoming very critical of all the penalties. If Goodall wants guaranteed player safety then he should develop a flag football league. Wonder how many fans would come out for those games?
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12-02-2014, 06:40 PM #44
Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
I guess I'm in the minority but I prefer going to the games over watching at home, and have no intention of reducing my fandom, regardless of how we fare the rest of the season. I stuck with the o's through the crap years, no way am I becoming a fair weather ravens fan!
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12-02-2014, 07:08 PM #45Hall Of Fame Poster
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Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
I always enjoy going to games with the family and being part of the event. My issue is you don't know what kind of game will be called that day. You get games where the refs are quiet and let the game play. Then Sunday you get a flag happy group that makes the game drag on. It may reach a point when the cost out weighs the experience. For a sold out crowd there are lots of empty seats. No one sat in the 2 seats the whole game next to me in 509. I know a business owner has those tickets and usually gives them to employees. Guess no one wanted to go.
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Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
Really for the Ravens it boils down to defense. People went to the games to scream and cheer on Ray and Ed and that dominating defense and just destroying other teams "high powered" offenses and to wreck teams. THAT is what fans used to scream for. With Pees and this group it's just not there. Even last year when I was at games the "excitement" wasn't there.
Get the defense back and M&T will have it's same vice. The vibe that carried on from the Colts insane asylum and had us at the top of the loudest stadiums. Sorry but a high powered offense and pathetic defense isn't gonna bring the fans around here. It's just not. I'd rather have a offense that can only score 20 points a game but only allows 10. Against anyone! That's what we want. And that's what OZ and Harbs and the Biscuit need to realize and give us. We don't give a shit about anything else. We want a exciting game where our D controls it and hurts people. That's what we want. Give us what we want and the crowd will get loud again. Right now on 3rd down there's nothing to cheer about. Why waste your voice? The pathetic D will just give up the first. That's what people in the stands think.
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12-02-2014, 07:17 PM #47
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12-02-2014, 07:23 PM #48Legendary RSR Poster
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Re: A Developing Concern for The NFL...
According to ESPN, the Ravens haven been at 100% attendance through the first 6 home games.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance/_/sort/homePct
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