Ric Bucher on B.S. Report: Insight on Sarver

[da_suns_fan]

Dallas mavericks:

Section: 217
Row: 13
Seats: 1
https://www.ticketmaster.com/checko...-ngF4uMWLWDYIu7QFvkJJTPkK7vdgvWlaTLNKkJM0pLOA

 

[Bufalay]

Does Shaq increase ticket sales? No, all the games were already sell outs. He may increase the price of a scalped ticket, but that doesn't help the Suns?

Actually, I have an unreliable source that would disagree. According to him, Sarver has been seen outside of the arena wearing a fake mustache scalping tickets in bulk.

 

[da_suns_fan]

Here's a LOWER LEVEL ticket available for the Rockets game if anyone's interested:

https://www.ticketmaster.com/checko...TJEDppXuftDCkDrzeTLniSP2PJcfAGuLMMMGaE8ZvXPbg

Edit: In fact, its a floor seat.

 

[Cheesewater]

LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I checked those games too...found tickets for every single one.

I followed the link you provided. The official Suns link to Ticketmaster. No two tickets together available for any home game except the Kings game. I actually went through the process of requesting tickets. I did not look to re-sellers as that indicates the tickets are already sold. Hence SOLD OUT.

 

[da_suns_fan]

Im not gonna query every game for the rest of the season...my point is that tickets are definately still available (see links).

 

[da_suns_fan]

I followed the link you provided. The official Suns link to Ticketmaster. No two tickets together available for any home game except the Kings game. I actually went through the process of requesting tickets. I did not look to re-sellers as that indicates the tickets are already sold. Hence SOLD OUT.

Are you saying I can't buy a ticket to any Suns game for the rest of the season?

In fact, are you saying I can't buy a ticket to any game I want for the rest of the season via ticketmaster?

I didn't think so.

Edit: But the most important part is the season-tickets. Thats what I get called about.

You think those are "sold out" as well? That article points out that they have a very aggressive 90% renewal rate.

The article explains it all.....you just believe what you want to believe.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Here's a LOWER LEVEL ticket available for the Rockets game if anyone's interested:

https://www.ticketmaster.com/checko...TJEDppXuftDCkDrzeTLniSP2PJcfAGuLMMMGaE8ZvXPbg

Edit: In fact, its a floor seat.

You do realize that ticketmaster will buy tickets from anyone who sells them, (like buy them off of Craigslist) so that they can turn around and resell them, right?

Ticketmaster is pretty shady.

Besides, are you trying to prove that you can find one ticket available at the game, that it doesn't mean that they aren't sellouts? The Suns could just as easy sell only to season ticket holders. They sell single ticket games ON PURPOSE.

This is silly.

 

[Cheesewater]

Are you saying I can't buy a ticket to any Suns game for the rest of the season?

In fact, are you saying I can't buy a ticket to any game I want for the rest of the season via ticketmaster?

I didn't think so.

Don't get sillier. You indicated that US Airways was hounding you to buy tickets. I doubt they are cold calling to sell the remaining 20-25 individual seats still available for home games. Being able to buy a single seat in the rafters for $44 or an odd floor seat for hundreds hardly supports your assertion that the Suns ticket sales were dismal before O'Neal.

 

[da_suns_fan]

Don't get sillier. You indicated that US Airways was hounding you to buy tickets. I doubt they are cold calling to sell the remaining 20-25 individual seats still available for home games. Being able to buy a single seat in the rafters for $44 or an odd floor seat for hundreds hardly supports your assertion that the Suns ticket sales were dismal before O'Neal.

I never said that they were dismal. The point is that the Suns are going for that 90% season ticket renewal rate as stated in that article. To say that this move wasn't made for financial/marketing reasons is 100% disingenuous.

btw- They are calling to see if I want to buy tickets for this year, pre-order playoff tickets or sign up for season tickets for next year. And they keep calling.

Anyone else experience this. I think I still have the number in my cell phone.

 

[Chaplin]

Are you talking about then or now?

Are you trying to make my point? Youre exactly right...whether the Suns win or not, a season ticket package with Shaq on it rather than Marion will be MUCH easier to sell...especially considering how there's no chance they can make anymore moves.

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

Except the season ticket thing is for NEXT SEASON. You keep harping on stuff from this season.

 

[Chaplin]

I never said that they were dismal. The point is that the Suns are going for that 90% season ticket renewal rate as stated in that article. To say that this move wasn't made for financial/marketing reasons is 100% disingenuous.

Again, you are ignoring pretty much everything except the financial thing. Sure, financially it meant something--after all, the Suns weren't going to win the title this year--which also means more revenue.

So yes, revenue obviously plays a part, but it's not the ONLY THING. I don't understand how you can't see that. Especially after the past 2 games. And definitely after the past 3 years.

 

[da_suns_fan]

Except the season ticket thing is for NEXT SEASON. You keep harping on stuff from this season.

Its all spelled out for you guys right here....you just choose to ignore it.

By season's end, the Phoenix Suns will have a streak of 120 straight sell outs. The Suns would have sold those games out regardless of whether or not Shaq was traded to the Suns. But the most important factor about this trade that is not being discussed is that the Suns, like many NBA teams, are sending out letters to their season ticket holders this week asking these customers to plunk down thousands of dollars to reserve tickets for next season. The Suns goal is to renew at least 90% of their season ticket holders.

Its no secret that the economy has declined sharply in recent months and Phoenix has been hit very hard because of the decline of the real estate market. So people are watching their disposable income as close as ever.

But now the Suns will send out their season ticket renewal packets with one of the most recognizable faces in sports inviting customers to renew.

"Money money money money money money money money!"

- Sarver

 

[da_suns_fan]

Again, you are ignoring pretty much everything except the financial thing. Sure, financially it meant something--after all, the Suns weren't going to win the title this year--which also means more revenue.

So yes, revenue obviously plays a part, but it's not the ONLY THING. I don't understand how you can't see that. Especially after the past 2 games. And definitely after the past 3 years.

I see...so youre with the "why not roll the dice" crowd?

I'll tell you "why not". Because it strips the Suns of any flexibility they have for the next two years.

With Marion, they had options. They could trade him or let him walk away.

Shaq is officially BURIED here. There's no chance we're gonna find someone to bail us out the way we just bailed out Miami.

 

[Cheesewater]

I see...so youre with the "why not roll the dice" crowd?

I'll tell you "why not". Because it strips the Suns of any flexibility they have for the next two years.

With Marion, they had options. They could trade him or let him walk away.

Shaq is officially BURIED here. There's no chance we're gonna find someone to bail us out the way we just bailed out Miami.

As a fan of Suns basketball, I'd rather have a chance at an NBA championship than "flexibility".

 

[Chaplin]

I see...so youre with the "why not roll the dice" crowd?

I'll tell you "why not". Because it strips the Suns of any flexibility they have for the next two years.

With Marion, they had options. They could trade him or let him walk away.

Shaq is officially BURIED here. There's no chance we're gonna find someone to bail us out the way we just bailed out Miami.

Well, I'm sure Miami could use you, da_heat_fan. If you have so much hatred for the team, why are you here?

 

[da_suns_fan]

Well, I'm sure Miami could use you, da_heat_fan. If you have so much hatred for the team, why are you here?

Whoa....don't get me wrong. Im hoping it all works out for the best. No one DESERVES it more that we do. I truly believe that.

But it bothers me when its compeltely obvious why Sarver made this trade and people get upset when someone like Bucher says it.

We know why they did it. Lets just deal with it instead of denying it.

 

[HooverDam]

Whoa....don't get me wrong. Im hoping it all works out for the best. No one DESERVES it more that we do. I truly believe that.

But it bothers me when its compeltely obvious why Sarver made this trade and people get upset when someone like Bucher says it.

We know why they did it. Lets just deal with it instead of denying it.

Every 'point' you've made has been disprove though. The games this year are sold out. Sure you can find a lone ticket here or there, but thats a de facto sell out. You don't make a HUGE trade to sell 13 more tickets per game. Though seats most likely (almost assuredly) would've gotten sold if Marion was still on the team.

With Marion the Suns would've made the playoffs and probably a nice run (heck, they could've gone all the way. I'm not in the 'no way we could've won with Marion' camp), you think they would've had trouble getting season ticket renewals? This is, and always has been a Suns town, and they've been so good of late, there would've been no problem selling out next years allotment of season tickets either.

You point to the fact that the Suns really promoted Shaq when they traded him to hold up your house of cards conspiracy theory. Do you remember the initial reaction to the trade? It was largely negative Valley wide. The Suns new they had to get Shaq, and his great personality, out in front of people to try to change the tide of opinion. He's one of the biggest names in basketball of all time, of course they are going to promote him and try to get fans to buy Shaq crap. But I assure you, selling Shaq jersey's isn't the difference between Robert Sarver being able to buy a Ferrari and a Honda. Like I said, jersey sales are divvied up through out the league, so any effect Shaq had on the Suns bottom line in that regard was minimal.

Once again, dont be so naive. Sarver doesn't know jack about basketball (read 07 seconds or less). He asked D'Antoni if it was plausible to send in a Sun to take out one of the Lakers during the 2006 playoffs.

How does anything in this paragraph invalidate my point? I said Sarver, D'Antoni and Kerr think the trade makes the team better. What does that have to do with Sarvers basketball acumen? If Kerr and D'Antoni (who I'd assume Sarver trusts) say "Hey Robert, we've got this trade, oh, its for one of the top 50 players of all time, it'll put us over the top!" why would Sarver disbelieve them? So my point still stands, Sarver approved the trade because he believed it made the team better.

 

[S_Nash]

That's got to be one of the first arguments in years that didn't end up with name calling, childish innuendo or someone calling in the 'Mod Squad' ((Time for an avatar change Chris and Gaddabout))

I was beginning to believe that those days on this board were long gone.

 

[jbeecham]

Once again, dont be so naive. Sarver doesn't know jack about basketball (read 07 seconds or less). He asked D'Antoni if it was plausible to send in a Sun to take out one of the Lakers during the 2006 playoffs.

So something Sarver said 2 years ago during a brutal playoff series where we were cheap-shotted by Luke Walton & Kwame Brown proves that Sarver doesn't know anything about basketball? The guy is pretty smart and I'm sure he's learned a lot in 2 years......besides his thinking was along the same lines as a lot of fans during that series. It actually sounds pretty similar to what the Spurs did with Horry checking Nash into the boards to help them beat us last year.

 

[da_suns_fan]

Every 'point' you've made has been disprove though. The games this year are sold out. Sure you can find a lone ticket here or there, but thats a de facto sell out. You don't make a HUGE trade to sell 13 more tickets per game. Though seats most likely (almost assuredly) would've gotten sold if Marion was still on the team.

Except nothing was proven wrong. The Suns made this trade to help them re-new season tickets, sell playoff tickets and generate interest in a market being hit hard by the recession.

With Marion the Suns would've made the playoffs and probably a nice run (heck, they could've gone all the way. I'm not in the 'no way we could've won with Marion' camp), you think they would've had trouble getting season ticket renewals? This is, and always has been a Suns town, and they've been so good of late, there would've been no problem selling out next years allotment of season tickets either.

This is one of the biggest fair-weather towns in the Nation. This has been well documented.

You point to the fact that the Suns really promoted Shaq when they traded him to hold up your house of cards conspiracy theory. Do you remember the initial reaction to the trade? It was largely negative Valley wide. The Suns new they had to get Shaq, and his great personality, out in front of people to try to change the tide of opinion. He's one of the biggest names in basketball of all time, of course they are going to promote him and try to get fans to buy Shaq crap. But I assure you, selling Shaq jersey's isn't the difference between Robert Sarver being able to buy a Ferrari and a Honda. Like I said, jersey sales are divvied up through out the league, so any effect Shaq had on the Suns bottom line in that regard was minimal.

Did you seriously even read that article? It appears you did not. Read it, its a grabber:
http://www.sportsbusinessradio.com/node/1555

How does anything in this paragraph invalidate my point? I said Sarver, D'Antoni and Kerr think the trade makes the team better. What does that have to do with Sarvers basketball acumen? If Kerr and D'Antoni (who I'd assume Sarver trusts) say "Hey Robert, we've got this trade, oh, its for one of the top 50 players of all time, it'll put us over the top!" why would Sarver disbelieve them? So my point still stands, Sarver approved the trade because he believed it made the team better.

Once again, youve got it COMPLETELY BACKWARDS.

Kerr and D'Antoni DID NOT approach Sarver!!!!!!

Miami's owner called Sarver. Sarver approached Kerr and Mike!!!! This has been PROVEN already!!!

Im done with this. Its like talking to a wall.

 

[jbeecham]

Once again, youve got it COMPLETELY BACKWARDS.

Kerr and D'Antoni DID NOT approach Sarver!!!!!!

Miami's owner called Sarver. Sarver approached Kerr and Mike!!!! This has been PROVEN already!!!

Im done with this. Its like talking to a wall.

So you think Sarver was contacted, decided to do the trade and then told Kerr & D'Antoni to deal with it? That's silly. Sarver was approached and then went to his coach & GM and asked them to evaluate it. It was reported that D'Antoni & Kerr evaluated it for 3 days and still had to see his physcial results before agreeing to the trade. If it was done just for financial reasons then they wouldn't even have given him a physical and the deal would've been done on day 1.

 

[Chaplin]

So you think Sarver was contacted, decided to do the trade and then told Kerr & D'Antoni to deal with it? That's silly. Sarver was approached and then went to his coach & GM and asked them to evaluate it. It was reported that D'Antoni & Kerr evaluated it for 3 days and still had to see his physcial results before agreeing to the trade. If it was done just for financial reasons then they wouldn't even have given him a physical and the deal would've been done on day 1.

Exactly.

What he's not realizing is that a majority of us agree that SOME of the reasoning behind the deal is financial--it's like that on every deal, no matter what it is.

However, I believe that it was done more for basketball reasons than marketing reasons, and Kerr and DA seem to be of that mind as well.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Exactly.

What he's not realizing is that a majority of us agree that SOME of the reasoning behind the deal is financial--it's like that on every deal, no matter what it is.

However, I believe that it was done more for basketball reasons than marketing reasons, and Kerr and DA seem to be of that mind as well.

curse you for not seeing things in black and white.... lol

 

[D-Dogg]

Sarver doesn't know jack about basketball (read 07 seconds or less). He asked D'Antoni if it was plausible to send in a Sun to take out one of the Lakers during the 2006 playoffs.

Huh? Really?

 

[Cheesewater]

Huh? Really?

What? That's a completely reasonable basketball question.