@DCGoldPants Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/29/AR2005122901345.html Need a Ticket? Eagles Fans (Lots) Have a Deal for YouBy Joe Holley Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 30, 2005; B01 It must have been a game-day Sunday like the one coming up that inspired Philly native William Claude Dukenfield to remark: "I once spent a year in Philadelphia. I think it was on a Sunday." Like Dukenfield, the 1930s-era comedian better known as W.C. Fields, Philadelphians apparently are having a bad case of ennui. They're just not as enthusiastic about seeing the Redskins-Eagles game now that their team doesn't have a shot at the playoffs, so it looks as if they're dumping tickets. And with Redskins fever building with their four-game winning streak, Washington fans are snatching up the castoffs. While the Redskins will earn a playoff berth with a win, the Eagles are going nowhere, and neither are their fans, according to several independent ticket brokerage Web sites. Many have given up on a team that tumbled from Super Bowl euphoria a year ago to a tumultuous and disappointing 6-9 season going into Sunday's 4:15 p.m. game. "Skins fans are clamoring to see Sunday's game in Philadelphia," said Sean Pate, a spokesman for StubHub, a Web site where users buy and sell tickets. Eagles fans "are making their tickets available in large numbers on StubHub.com." In fact, he added, StubHub is selling more tickets for Sunday's Redskins game than for any other Eagles game this season. The marketplace determines the prices, which toward the end of the week were ranging from $58 for a second-level seat to $450 on the 35-yard line. The most expensive ticket sold on StubHub through Wednesday went for $600 for a prime 50-yard-line seat. "We are selling a lot of Eagles tickets," said Robert Stein, director of search marketing for Ticket Network Direct. "Redskins fans are buying them," said Kenneth Dotson, chief marketing officer for TicketsNow.com, which buys and sells tickets. "There's not a tremendous amount left." Jason Randall, chief executive of Coast to Coast Tickets, said: "The prices that brokers are asking don't show a dramatic drop-off. Hope springs eternal, I guess." Randall suspected that Eagles fans were getting rid of tickets, though he couldn't quantify it. "So what would you expect?" said Lou DeMaise, manager of Chicky and Pete's, a sports bar in South Philly near the stadium. "It's just been an awful year for us here in Philadelphia. Fans that come in here gave up hope three or four weeks ago. They're talking about next year, what's going to happen with McNabb," referring to whether Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb will return to the team. In Washington, the year's far from over. A Redskins official, who asked not to be named, said that Coach Joe Gibbs, like many NFL coaches, was superstitious and didn't want the team to announce the sale of playoff tickets before the team had qualified. The official said there was concern among the coaching staff that announcing a sale would motivate the New York Giants, who must lose to the Oakland Raiders on Saturday night for the Redskins to get to play at home during the first round of the playoffs. "The rumor is that the Redskins aren't sending out tickets until next week, which could mean most people won't have tickets in their hand until Wednesday or Thursday," said Jeff Greenberg of ascticket.com, a Washington area ticket brokerage. "If the game is Saturday, there's not much we can do. They could have a disaster on their hands if they have 90,000 people lined up at the will-call window on game day." No such problem in Philly, though it's not as if a latter-day Dukenfield doesn't have Sunday choices. In addition to New Year's Day brunches and parties, or the crab claws at Chicky and Pete's, there's the traditional Mummers parade, with floats and bands and marchers making their way up Broad Street from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Anthony Cortese, general manager of Melrose Diner, a Philadelphia landmark near the stadium, and a self-described die-hard fan, conceded that many of his fellow Eagles fans will be at the parade -- or somewhere else other than the game. But Cortese, a season ticket holder, will be in the stands Sunday. "Sure, it's been a bad year," he said, "but come September, we're all 0-0 again." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSJHWT Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 Nice post, but might want to do only one or two lines as per the new rules, good answer for us season ticket holders trying to find out where our playoff invoices are: In Washington, the year's far from over. A Redskins official, who asked not to be named, said that Coach Joe Gibbs, like many NFL coaches, was superstitious and didn't want the team to announce the sale of playoff tickets before the team had qualified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakinandpeakin Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 The interesting thing is WHY the Eagles stink this year. The past five seasons for the Eagles have gone: 2005: 6-9 (0-5 in the division) 6-4 outside division (1 division game remaining) 2004: 13-3 (6-0 in the division) 7-3 outside the division 2003: 12-4 (5-1 in the division) 7-3 outside the division 2002: 12-4 (5-1 in the division) 7-3 outside the division 2001: 11-5 (5-1 in the division)* 6-4 outside the division *Arizona was part of the NFC East in 2001, the Eagles went 1-1 against them, they are counted as outside the division above. The big difference for the team? Division record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70Chip Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 Great story. As has already been said in many ways this week, it's time to give the Eagles a taste of their own medicine and *fill* the place with Redskins fans. Here's hoping for a *really* humiliating Sunday for Philly fans, in many ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mania Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 The interesting thing is WHY the Eagles stink this year. The past five seasons for the Eagles have gone:2005: 6-9 (0-5 in the division) 6-4 outside division (1 division game remaining) 2004: 13-3 (6-0 in the division) 7-3 outside the division 2003: 12-4 (5-1 in the division) 7-3 outside the division 2002: 12-4 (5-1 in the division) 7-3 outside the division 2001: 11-5 (5-1 in the division)* 6-4 outside the division *Arizona was part of the NFC East in 2001, the Eagles went 1-1 against them, they are counted as outside the division above. The big difference for the team? Division record. Nice post, next year they will do better than this year, but they will not be as good as the 2002-2004 seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC4 Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 "It's just been an awful year for us here in Philadelphia. Fans that come in here gave up hope three or four weeks ago. They're talking about next year, what's going to happen with McNabb," referring to whether Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb will return to the team. Huh? :whoknows: That's the first I have heard about that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McMetal Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 How refreshing to read a full article on here in its entirety. I really miss that. That was a good read...I'll be curious to see how the crowd sounds come Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief skin Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 HAHAHAHAHAH, they consider themselves the best fans in the NFL HAHAHAHAH looks like to me THE BEST FAIRWEATHERED FANS IN THE NFL is more like it, bunch of losers and sore losers at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PF Chang Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 Philly fans have always been fair weather. It's no surprise that nobody in PA cares about the Eagles right now...it's all about Penn State. If PSU was terrible, it would be the Flyers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinklein Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 And if the Flyers were terrible they'd be outside Pat's or Geno's cheering on the cheesesteak makers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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