Chargers and Raiders Blacked Out...

[82CardsGrad]

Wow... both teams coudn't sell out their home openers.... sad.

 

[LVCARDFREAK]

Wow... both teams coudn't sell out their home openers.... sad.

I dont know if I would walk to the living room to see a Rams @ Raiders game, much less go to the game in person.

 

[Fitz Rulz]

More than 12,000 tickets – both general and Club tickets – remain available for the Chargers’ next home game versus the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Oct. 3.

http://www.chargers.com/news/articl...L-policy/6adacc56-1091-4084-abc0-b2d0887e0ff0

 

[WarnerHOF]

The Chargers have been one of the more successful teams for the last 5 years. How do they struggle to sell tickets so much?

 

[aznando]

San Diego just seems to be having a hard time selling tickets in general this year. Chargers have been doing really well and they can't sell out. Big series for the Padres last weekend against the Giants when they have been in first place the whole year and the crowds were awful. I don't know if its just the economy or what, but people aren't going to games.

Aznando

 

[ajcardfan]

It's not that hard to understand people. It's just too damn expensive for most people. The NFL has found the upper limit on what prices can be tolerated. If they continue to push prices upward, it will continue to get worse. When you hear Giants players complaining about empty seats in the regular season opener for their brand new stadium, you know this is not a problem isolated to weaker markets or teams with less die hard fans.

As hard core of a Cardinals fan as I am, my ticket bill has really given me pause the past couple of years. It's getting harder for me to justify as time goes on. And, I thought there would never be a doubt that I would get season tickets until I die unless I had to move.

 

[82CardsGrad]

As hard core of a Cardinals fan as I am, my ticket bill has really given me pause the past couple of years. It's getting harder for me to justify as time goes on. And, I thought there would never be a doubt that I would get season tickets until I die unless I had to move.

Ditto... came very close to coughing up my seats this year. Still can't believe I ponied up the coin once again. But to your point, each year it's getting more and more difficult to justify this expense.

 

[joeshmo]

It will more and more become the norm. 9 blackouts in 2008, 22 last year, and already 3 so far by week 2 this year.

Lots of reasons why.

1. Take a look at the ratings, they are sky rocketing even with fewer people going to games. Some people would just prefer go with the home game watching experiance and it isnt just because of a money issue. With the technology of TV's these days the home watching experience gets more and more enjoyable each year of advancements. Add in the fact that you can sit down and watch almost every game now and it only adds to the experiance.

2. Economy.

3. Some stadiums have bad amenities. Overpriced food, bad parking, horrible fans that are to drunk and just plain old annoying making it harder and harder to take your kids or family to the games these days(not all but some), more stringent tail gating policies every year, average to below average product on the field. Lets go back to #1 - watching a game on a 60 inch 3D TV with surround sound on a comfy lazy boy with the whole family with a 6 pack of beer at the cost of 1 beer at the stadium no parking hassles good food, good clean bathroom, pause and rewind the game as you want, go to another game during commercials, and all at a fraction of the cost of going to the game. Your house just has better amenities at a fraction of the cost. Sure you will lose some of the atmosphere but that isn't as important to more then half of the fans out there.

We are going to see more and more blackouts then ever before this year and in future years unless the NFL teams start to adapt to the more technology advanced fans that would prefer to stay home. A company has started a program of handing out hand held personal WIFI screens to the fans at stadiums to make the experience more enjoyable. You can look up instant replays at will, look up stats of not just the game you are watching but for all of the games for the fantasy nerds, you can look at the different camera angles and so all at the tough of a button. This company was willing to hand out these devises for free to all of the NFL teams until they caught on, only 8 out of 32 teams took them up on that offer(Cards were one of them by the way). Again teams have to adapt and I am surprised the whole NFL didn't take this company up on their free offer. The NFL has increasingly become to high on themselves, they think they are untouchable and for the most part they are, but they are stuck in the 90's right now and are refusing to change because they don't think they need to.

There is a lot more to this story but enough of the novel.

 

[splitsecond]

for people saying their tickets are getting less justifiable, is it the price or the economy? we have some of the cheapest season tickets in the nfl, so I am curious if this is a "the team is charging to much" thing, or "the economic sucks and my cost of living keeps going up" thing.

 

[splitsecond]

It will more and more become the norm. 9 blackouts in 2008, 22 last year, and already 3 so far by week 2 this year.

Lots of reasons why.

1. Take a look at the ratings, they are sky rocketing even with fewer people going to games. Some people would just prefer go with the home game watching experiance and it isnt just because of a money issue. With the technology of TV's these days the home watching experience gets more and more enjoyable each year of advancements. Add in the fact that you can sit down and watch almost every game now and it only adds to the experiance.

2. Economy.

3. Some stadiums have bad amenities. Overpriced food, bad parking, horrible fans that are to drunk and just plain old annoying making it harder and harder to take your kids or family to the games these days(not all but some), more stringent tail gating policies every year, average to below average product on the field. Lets go back to #1 - watching a game on a 60 inch 3D TV with surround sound on a comfy lazy boy with the whole family with a 6 pack of beer at the cost of 1 beer at the stadium no parking hassles good food, good clean bathroom, pause and rewind the game as you want, go to another game during commercials, and all at a fraction of the cost of going to the game. Your house just has better amenities at a fraction of the cost. Sure you will lose some of the atmosphere but that isn't as important to more then half of the fans out there.

We are going to see more and more blackouts then ever before this year and in future years unless the NFL teams start to adapt to the more technology advanced fans that would prefer to stay home. A company has started a program of handing out hand held personal WIFI screens to the fans at stadiums to make the experience more enjoyable. You can look up instant replays at will, look up stats of not just the game you are watching but for all of the games for the fantasy nerds, you can look at the different camera angles and so all at the tough of a button. This company was willing to hand out these devises for free to all of the NFL teams until they caught on, only 8 out of 32 teams took them up on that offer(Cards were one of them by the way). Again teams have to adapt and I am surprised the whole NFL didn't take this company up on their free offer. The NFL has increasingly become to high on themselves, they think they are untouchable and for the most part they are, but they are stuck in the 90's right now and are refusing to change because they don't think they need to.

There is a lot more to this story but enough of the novel.

I agree, as far as game watching, as in literally watching, home is better, or being at a bar is better to an extent. Personally I love to go for the experience. You can have the greatest TV ever created, gifted to you buy god and blessed by the pope, but none of those would have made watching Karlos' Dansby's OT touchdown last year, or beating the eagles, or demolishing the vikings, a better experience than being in the stadium.

I hadn't heard about this tv thing, thats a great idea. Probably can all be paid for through advertising dollars and sales of the personal TV's that the fans will undoubtedly want after they use them at a game.

 

[joeshmo]

I hadn't heard about this tv thing, thats a great idea. Probably can all be paid for through advertising dollars and sales of the personal TV's that the fans will undoubtedly want after they use them at a game.

Actually I haven't heard how the Cards are using them but one team is giving them out for free. You have to give them a credit card for possible damages but if its brought back damage free you don't pay a cent. I heard they are pretty Durable though.

 

[splitsecond]

Actually I haven't heard how the Cards are using them but one team is giving them out for free. You have to give them a credit card for possible damages but if its brought back damage free you don't pay a cent. I heard they are pretty Durable though.

Being in the upper level, and constantly checking scores and stats on my blackberry, I would totally do this.

 

[joeshmo]

Being in the upper level, and constantly checking scores and stats on my blackberry, I would totally do this.

Especially if you can look at replays, pause and rewind like you are at your own DVR at home, heck yeah.

 

[freebyrd]

california economy is the worst i have ever seen right now

 

[Chris_Sanders]

More than 12,000 tickets – both general and Club tickets – remain available for the Chargers’ next home game versus the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Oct. 3.

http://www.chargers.com/news/articl...L-policy/6adacc56-1091-4084-abc0-b2d0887e0ff0

Wow anyone driving out that would be willing to have a tag along?

 

[Solar7]

Wow anyone driving out that would be willing to have a tag along?

I'll be out there, but I'm leaving from Vegas. I'd be willing to meet up or sit with some ASFN'ers, but my friend plays for San Diego, so I'm going to be out with him after the game.

I do have to admit though, the ticket prices are pretty hard to stomach these days, and I have to consider that I come in from Vegas for every game. It's getting difficult to afford, especially since I renewed my club seats for the Super Bowl. I'd be willing to sit in a different section, as much as I love mine, but I'm stuck in a three year contract for the tickets. When I first signed up, I lived in Phoenix, and it wasn't mind-boggling to have the two. But it ended up getting bumped up to three, and I'm not making as much as I used to.

Still, I really doubt I'm going to stop going to the games. I'd rather attend and watch the team in person than have the extra three grand, to be honest.

Edit: 500 posts. Took me long enough.

 

[82CardsGrad]

for people saying their tickets are getting less justifiable, is it the price or the economy? we have some of the cheapest season tickets in the nfl, so I am curious if this is a "the team is charging to much" thing, or "the economic sucks and my cost of living keeps going up" thing.

It's the economy. The ticket price is reasonable for sure. However, I have taken a pounding as a result of this economy. I also have 3 kids, one of whom is a junior in high school and will therefore be hitting college in 2 years. I need to be putting more $$ aside for her college expenses, and peeing the $$ away on Cards tickets, while my income as steadily eroded, is making it very unjustifiable...

 

[slanidrac16]

Hmmm. Here's an idea.........how about the owners reducing ticket prices?

Of coarse, maybe they want to prove a point so they can justify a lock out.

It is supply and demand. The demand isn't there, the supply is up and it should drive the price down.

Maybe ALL parties involved should start thinking about the fans a bit and realize they are pricing themselves out of the market. That goes for owners, players, bee companies, all the way down to the nacho's and hot dogs. Fans haven't stopped going because the product isn't good, but we just don't have the expendable cash that we once had.

 

[desertdawg]

I can't roll like I used too. But if the game isn't being shown I am going to have to come up with something. If it was just the tickets, (considering we just got a new state of the art stadium and our stubs are still reasonable) I might be able to bring the family. When I factor in all the expenses that come with game day, I have to make tuff choices.

I spoke about it with the better half, she is on board with my indy budget plan. So I might see you guys around. I really hope there isn't any black outs, like others, I really need to keep tabs. Bright side is I have tons of stuff I previously had no reason to get rid of, might be able to see some games with out touching the piggy bank.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

This will be ther first time in 7 years I have missed the home opener, but I just cant swing 120 per tix for good seats for my son and I, the 100 in gas it will take to drive there and back, the 100 for a hotel room, 25 for hat or shirt for the boy, and 50 on food and drink for game day this year.

That is about 500 bones for a day and half trip.