Sad observation

[Stallion]

I was sitting with my buddy in the corner of the upper deck and he said that section is filled with the other team's fans every game. There was another area a couple sections over packed with Chiefs fans too.

Even if they aren't brokers, it's clear a lot of people bought season tickets with sole intent of selling them every week, and the fans of the visitors are the ones buying them.

 

[pinnacle]

Stallion: I think the corners on upper level are where the $10 seats are....not exactly sure...I bet the ticket brokers love buying and reselling those seats....I would speculate that next year the $10 seats are goners..they will raise the price...

 

[DeAnna]

Then they were idiots. You could get those Pre-season tickets for relatively cheap on ebay. So for 2 tickets at the 25.00 price they were paying 500.00 to see a meaningless pre-season game. When they could have spent about 100.00 total to see it instead.

Not if they could re-sell the rest of their tickets and make a tidy profit.

 

[DeAnna]

Even if they aren't brokers, it's clear a lot of people bought season tickets with sole intent of selling them every week, and the fans of the visitors are the ones buying them.

Cards mgmt. set themselves up for that then by allowing 'season tix holders' to buy extra seats after the 1st round; obviously to re-sell them.

 

[cards 24-7-365]

I sadly got the following email from the Cardinals the other day:

Can't Make It To A Game?

Make the most of your season ticket investment
by selling tickets using...

Cardinals TeamExchange

Introducing a New and Convenient Feature
to My Arizona Cardinals Account, Your Personal Online
Season Ticket Management Resource.

The Arizona Cardinals are excited to announce the addition of a new service designed exclusively for season ticket holders. Cardinals TeamExchange, available through www.azcardinals.com, is designed to help you maintain value in each of your tickets by offering a platform for tickets you cannot use to be resold.

Through the use of My Arizona Cardinals Account, you can enjoy the following convenient features:

Edit Your Profile: Keep your account profile up-to-date to ensure you receive valuable offers and information from the team.
Make Payments: View invoices, make payments, and even renew your
season package online.
Forward or Sell Your Tickets: If you can't attend a game, simply email your tickets using Ticket Forwarding, or sell them through the new Cardinals TeamExchange. Either way, you'll get the most of your season tickets!
To access My Arizona Cardinals Account and take advantage of these exclusive features, visit www.azcardinals.com and click on the My Arizona Cardinals Account button to log in with your account ID and password.

 

[Duckjake]

Reading the posts here would lead you to believe that as many as 25% or more of the season tickets sold at SDS were to ticket brokers. (Remember that in 2003 or 2004 there were only 17,500 season tickets sold. Yet by the time the people who bought in 2004 had appts to select seats all the lower level sideline seats on both sides were gone.)

They must have been packaging the tickets with air/hotel to Phoenix. Anyone from another city ever see any offers like that?

Otherwise I'm sticking with my theory that those prime seats were sold to companies who advertise or have other business dealings with the Cardinals and those companies furnish the tix to the fans of the week.

We should do an informal poll Monday and ask Bear's fans how/where they got their tickets.

 

[Duckjake]

As of today there were about 300 tickets for sale on stubhub for the Bears game. Most of them were in the corners and high terrace levels. Which would indicate that most of those tix are being sold by people who bought cheap seats with the intent of selling them later.

A lot of the same seats are also for sale for Dallas.

Seats for Detroit are buy one get two free.

 

[DeAnna]

We should do an informal poll Monday and ask Bear's fans how/where they got their tickets.

Our neighbors had already told us they 'gave' their tix to friends of theirs who are Bear fans.

 

[Duckjake]

Our neighbors had already told us they 'gave' their tix to friends of theirs who are Bear fans.

 

[kerouac9]

Another point on this is what's the deal with seating on the East Side lower bowl end zone? Are they some kind of promotional area? The two games that I've been to (Rams and Chiefs), that section was basically empty. Maybe two-dozen people occupying seemingly 200 seats. This looks really, really, really bad on TV. One entire section of a sold-out stadium being empty so close to the field!

TMQ even mentioned that the section was empty when Rackers honked his field goal try. Bad news, man. What are the Cardinals thinking?

On the bright side, my dad and I complained about the horrible classical music they were playing outside the stadium pre-game for the Rams, and last week they corrected it to some NFL-films sounding music. I don't know why they thought that soothing music would be a good thing to pump up the fans before kickoff. My dad commented that the choice made him almost want to root against the Cards.

Then again, it seemed like management closed entrances for this game that were open for the Rams. What's the friggin' deal here? We had to walk past two closed gates in order to get patted down. I thought that fan comfort and convenience was the number one concern.

 

[njlawrence]

There are many ways to be a fan that do not include spending almost 12 hours of a day watching a poorly coached football team. I have made an investment in season tickets and I am willing to schlepp from the East Valley to deal with the : 1) Inane parking lot people who don't have a clue; 2) a system for ferrying the handicapped that is impossible to deciper (e.g. no benches or anywhere for them to sit while awaiting said mercurial golf cart; 3) a barely working sound system (e.g. national anthem at the Ram game); a main scoreboard that is 75% advertisements and no down and yardage info; and finally, a team that always finds a way to lose, not just a team that loses to superior talent, but one that loses ugly to inferior talent or barely wins as was the case with SF.

I will probably attend the remainder of the home games mostly to see Leinart develop, but the Cardinals organization cannot expect to win the hearts of this community unless they can consistently produce a quality product. We are continually reminded that this is a business. Folks do not continue to go to restaurants that have cases of food-poisoning. This team has lived off a revenue stream of opponents' fan money and will continue to do so until they can produce meals for the locals, without food-poisoning.

So, the question is what does constitute jumping off the bandwagon or put another way, joining up with the Kool-Aid equivalent of AA? I think that would be people who stop caring about them at all. I guess the first class seats on the bandwagon are for those who have suffered for decades. Understood. You guys are used to this heartbreak. Some of us got on later and we're on the running board holding on.

 

[Bada0Bing]

There are many ways to be a fan that do not include spending almost 12 hours of a day watching a poorly coached football team. I have made an investment in season tickets and I am willing to schlepp from the East Valley to deal with the : 1) Inane parking lot people who don't have a clue; 2) a system for ferrying the handicapped that is impossible to deciper (e.g. no benches or anywhere for them to sit while awaiting said mercurial golf cart; 3) a barely working sound system (e.g. national anthem at the Ram game); a main scoreboard that is 75% advertisements and no down and yardage info; and finally, a team that always finds a way to lose, not just a team that loses to superior talent, but one that loses ugly to inferior talent or barely wins as was the case with SF.

I will probably attend the remainder of the home games mostly to see Leinart develop, but the Cardinals organization cannot expect to win the hearts of this community unless they can consistently produce a quality product. We are continually reminded that this is a business. Folks do not continue to go to restaurants that have cases of food-poisoning. This team has lived off a revenue stream of opponents' fan money and will continue to do so until they can produce meals for the locals, without food-poisoning.

So, the question is what does constitute jumping off the bandwagon or put another way, joining up with the Kool-Aid equivalent of AA? I think that would be people who stop caring about them at all. I guess the first class seats on the bandwagon are for those who have suffered for decades. Understood. You guys are used to this heartbreak. Some of us got on later and we're on the running board holding on.

It’s pretty simple to me. If you have fun, continue to cheer for your team and have fun coming to the games. If it’s not fun, stop buying tickets and stop watching.

There are a lot of good games each Sunday if you’re a football fan, so I guess you just need to make a choice.

 

[az jam]

I enjoy pro football and am a Cardinal fan. Bought season tickets when I retired here in 2003. I also became a Card fan at that time as I love to support my local team. Many of you have been long time fans and I certainly respect your thoughts and opinions. IMO its really a great fun day goiing out to this wonderful stadium and cheering for the Cards. I sure want them to win and get frustrated when they don't. I really think with Leinart they have a franchise qb and its only a matter of time!!

 

[Scott MS]

This board is filled with diehard fans. Not everybody is a diehard fan. The last couple of games have been painful. Even I have left wondering why I put up with the misery.

30,000 new season ticket holders joined the ranks this year due to the new stadium. I sat in SDS for 7 years looking at totally empty sections. It doesn't surprise me people are selling tickets. The performance this season has been horrible to say the least, and opposing fans are only going to get larger in numbers.

The Cards had their chance and they blew it. The 49ers game was all Cardinals fans.

 

[Scott MS]

What amazes me about the Cardinals is that we saw Michael Bidwill over and over again on TV and at the stadium when the new building was unveiled. A huge success. Now that the team is faltering, where is he? Why doesn't he come out and say that his family is committed to winning and fix things or get on Green's butt?

Maybe he has his revenue stream and he's fine.

 

[AZ Shocker]

Why doesn't he come out and say that his family is committed to winning and fix things

Because their not. I'm about 99% sure of that...

 

[TigToad]

fans

Many of the season ticket holders around us sold their tickets to Chief's fans this past game.

I will also say that this was the first game where the opposing team fans didn't get upset when we stood when the Cardinals made a big play. The first game we didn't have complaints to the ushers about our cheering. Thats cuz they were standing, too.

I hate fair weather fans in either context.

 

[john h]

CB:

Everyone knew that the new stadium only bought the Cardinals a window of opportunity in the Phoenix market. It's not surprising that some new season-ticket holders are cashing in their chips--or at least hedging their investment by selling their tickets to more-desirable games--with the Cards at 1-4.

I don't disagree with Skkorp that it's a sad result, though. The 49ers game gave a glimpse of what could've been.

WC

What grade would you give the Cards (Bidwills,Graves,Green) in putting the best product on the field they could to start this season. It seems the only thing we did of significance was sign Edge IMHO. I give them no better than a C or C-. Considering we have a new sold out stadium they failed to address the OL problem which we all knew was there. We had problems at DB which were not addressed. We left money in the bank to supposedly extend some of our current players (Who and when?). The chickens have come home to roost and this sold out stadium will not remain so for more than two years IMHO unless we do something that works.

Other: It looks like there is a strong probability that the Tribune may sell the Cubs. They are going to divest themselves of non core businesses due to falling revenues and angry stockholders. They have not openly said this but have people as we speak working on what to sell. I would think there would be a long line of buyers for the Cubs as they consistently sell out win or lose and are a money making machine. Just hope it is some crazy guy like a George Steinbrenner or Snyder the ower of the Skins (a possibility) who care more about winning than making money. The new President has been called the Intrim President but apparently is filling the job (strange). Looking like Lou Pinella more and more for the new Manager's job. I never thought I would see the day the Tribune would sell the Cubs and I feel the same way about the Bidwills but the day may come in a decade or so.

 

[CardLogic]

Another point on this is what's the deal with seating on the East Side lower bowl end zone? Are they some kind of promotional area? The two games that I've been to (Rams and Chiefs), that section was basically empty. Maybe two-dozen people occupying seemingly 200 seats. This looks really, really, really bad on TV. One entire section of a sold-out stadium being empty so close to the field!

TMQ even mentioned that the section was empty when Rackers honked his field goal try. Bad news, man. What are the Cardinals thinking?

The end zone seating on the south (open) end of the stadium is a promotional seating area as you correctly assumed. I think, but have not confirmed that in addition to guest seating that area is available to patrons of the "Big Red Rage Tailgate Party".

Since I have not seen a home game on TV I hadn't thought about Your point regarding the appearance, particularly on TV, of a sparsely populated endzone. (Of course this is still way better than a sparsely populated stadium!) Maybe next season they'll come up with a better plan to utilize the seating in that end zone.

 

[Wild Card]

What grade would you give the Cards (Bidwills,Graves,Green) in putting the best product on the field they could to start this season. It seems the only thing we did of significance was sign Edge IMHO. I give them no better than a C or C-.

John:

C or C- sounds about right, if not a little generous. The Cardinals had money left to spend and problems left to solve. This is not a team that was hit by devastating injuries, and they lost no one of note in free agency. It's hard not to place the primary blame for the team's performance to-date on coaching and management.

WC

 

[kerouac9]

The end zone seating on the south (open) end of the stadium is a promotional seating area as you correctly assumed. I think, but have not confirmed that in addition to guest seating that area is available to patrons of the "Big Red Rage Tailgate Party".

Since I have not seen a home game on TV I hadn't thought about Your point regarding the appearance, particularly on TV, of a sparsely populated endzone. (Of course this is still way better than a sparsely populated stadium!) Maybe next season they'll come up with a better plan to utilize the seating in that end zone.

Yeah, and the fact that there's nothing above it makes it look like the stadium is totally empty. I don't know why the Cardinals thought that 500 people would spend extra money to camp out inside the stadium. It seems like a bad idea, and it turned out to be one. Who would have thunk it?

 

[Derm]

There are many ways to be a fan that do not include spending almost 12 hours of a day watching a poorly coached football team. I have made an investment in season tickets and I am willing to schlepp from the East Valley to deal with the : 1) Inane parking lot people who don't have a clue; 2) a system for ferrying the handicapped that is impossible to deciper (e.g. no benches or anywhere for them to sit while awaiting said mercurial golf cart; 3) a barely working sound system (e.g. national anthem at the Ram game); a main scoreboard that is 75% advertisements and no down and yardage info; and finally, a team that always finds a way to lose, not just a team that loses to superior talent, but one that loses ugly to inferior talent or barely wins as was the case with SF.

I will probably attend the remainder of the home games mostly to see Leinart develop, but the Cardinals organization cannot expect to win the hearts of this community unless they can consistently produce a quality product. We are continually reminded that this is a business. Folks do not continue to go to restaurants that have cases of food-poisoning. This team has lived off a revenue stream of opponents' fan money and will continue to do so until they can produce meals for the locals, without food-poisoning.

So, the question is what does constitute jumping off the bandwagon or put another way, joining up with the Kool-Aid equivalent of AA? I think that would be people who stop caring about them at all. I guess the first class seats on the bandwagon are for those who have suffered for decades. Understood. You guys are used to this heartbreak. Some of us got on later and we're on the running board holding on.

So, I guess you're saying that you are not a football fan.....?

 

[jefftheshark]

If we win the game (and I understand it is a very big "if"), I hope it is in front of 20,000 diehard Bears fans. The look on their collective faces will be worth every penny I spent on season tickets.

If we lose? Well luckily I have had a lot of practice in how to ignore opposing fans as I leave the stadium.

The Shark

 

[ajcardfan]

If we win the game (and I understand it is a very big "if"), I hope it is in front of 20,000 diehard Bears fans. The look on their collective faces will be worth every penny I spent on season tickets.

If we lose? Well luckily I have had a lot of practice in how to ignore opposing fans as I leave the stadium.

The Shark

Yeah, a victory would be SWEET!