capcrunch98

Honest question: is there any chance Chris Davis just retires? He's already got more money than he could spend in several lifetimes. At what point is the extra cash not worth it to him anymore to haul his lost ass out there and embarrass himself in front of his family, teammates, and fans? He's batting .000 this year with nothing to indicate a turnaround. And 3 more seasons after this! He's still capable of flashing a decent glove at first base, but that doesn't come close to compensating for the fact that he's as close to a guaranteed out as you'll find in MLB.

This might be the only time in the next 2-3 years we'll be able to say this, so here goes: ORIOLES WITH A WINNING RECORD AND AHEAD OF BOSTON, YANKEES, AND BLOW JAYS IN THE STANDINGS!!! 😍

The good news is that we're all expecting this by now so the disappointment should be minimal. We're picking first in the draft this June and likely again next June, and hopefully we'll continue to stockpile prospects. This year will be brutal, we should see some good improvement in 2020 and definitely 2021, and hopefully we'll be legitimately competing in 2022. Gonna be a long road, but rebuilds always are.

Trust me, any time there's a conflict and the Black Israelites are involved, it's safe to assume they're "the most badly behaving group". I'm not absolving Phillips and the teens, as they both could've handled things differently, but the Black Israelites are as hateful, provoking, and trashy as any group you'll ever see. I had the pleasure of passing by them on a regular basis when I worked in Chinatown and they would always set up shop on the sidewalk to spew their garbage, single out pedestrians who fit onto their very long list of people they despise, and openly muse about raping white and asian women and killing their babies. Below is an image of one of many "thought-provoking" signs they display. If I didn't know any better I'd say these a-holes are on Putin's payroll to stoke the flames of America's racial divide.

Well said. I remember the first year I got season tickets - 2004. I bought them on eBay. They were upper level handicapped seats (1 wheelchair seat and 1 companion seat). I got them because I was the only one who bid, probably because nobody else knew that you could take these tickets to Guest Services on gameday and exchange them for regular seats. So I paid face value for a pair of upper level tickets (including preseason), with the location changing each game, and the requirement that I miss half the first quarter dealing with Guest Services to get me regular seats in the last 10 rows of the stadium. And I got a blue parking pass - which was at the church a mile away from the stadium. I got to see Mark Brunnell, Lavernues Coles, and LaVar Arrington lead us to a 6-10 record. And I felt like I won the lottery getting this deal. Then over the next couple years things changed. Large screen HD plasma TVs became the norm in each household. The Skins overreached by raising ticket prices 40% after a wildcard berth in 2005. Fans hopes were sky-high after that 2005 season and subsequent free agent shopping spree, only to be completely let down in 2006. With the exception of a lucky late season run in 2007 that netted us another wildcard, the losing continued. Stories about fan experiences being ruined by drunks and traffic congestion were regular topics in the papers and message boards. Zorn happened. By 2009 I got "the call" that my name was up on the wait list. And not only that, but I got to pick my seats. They put me in the 4th row upper deck. I called later in mid-summer and got someone to put me in the 2nd row upper deck. I tried again a week later and a rep almost moved me to the lower level end zone until I made the mistake of telling him later in the conversation that I just came off the wait list, and he said he couldn't move me to the lower level if I just came off the list. I was that close to being in the lower level my first year as a STH. I called again the next day, hoping to find another mark who would blindly accommodate me. I couldn't get moved to the lower level, but I was moved from 2nd row corner to 2nd row sideline (goal line). It was a complete buyers market, a total 180 from what we were all used to growing up as Skins fans. And it's been that way ever since (with the exception of the brief RGIII honeymoon; which the front office help water down with - you guessed it - another big ticket price increase). And now the team concedes there is no wait list, and the sales staff will practically wash your car and do your laundry if you buy tickets. Times have definitely changed.

Yes you can, because Capitals season ticket holders don't pay face value. They pay significantly less; it's one of the biggest perks of committing to 41 games, and the Caps sales rep is an idiot if he didn't advertise that to you. I've been making money on my tickets all season, including weeknight games against "non-prime" opponents.

Yes, the Capitals have been steadily raising prices over the past 7 years, and as a STH I'm not happy about it. But a couple points to consider: *The Caps are in the middle of a record-setting season, and as most people around here are aware they have a good chance of winning the Cup this year. Since they don't have the luxury of waiting until after the season to announce next years prices (like the Skins do), they have to make assumptions of how well they might do this Spring. *You friends seats, which went up almost 30%, are in the lower level center, best seats in the house. Most other sections didn't see that much of a bump. I am in the 3rd row of the uppers, and my seats went from $40 to $42. *The NHL still relies on gate receipts for most of it's revenue, as opposed to NFL with their monster TV and sponsorship deals. *The huge price breaks STHs get on playoff tickets is in itself a reason to have season tickets. *The Caps offer great perks to STHs, from awesome planholder gifts, meet the team party, skate sessions at Verizon, and concession credits. The Skins can't offer these things because of the size of their planholder base. *This season, a Caps planholder can expect a profit (sometimes a big one) on about 80% of all games. So from a purely economic standpoint, the market is justifying a price bump. For most Skins games, you're lucky to break even. Even the coveted Dallas game, which for years was a golden ticket for Skins STHs looking to make a buck and recoup costs, can be had for close to face value on gameday.

Maybe when they're old enough to vote. My daughters are 4 and 5. I've been taking them to Capitals games since before they could walk, and they love it. They can follow the game easily, you can usually see everything (even in the cheap seats), the in-game entertainment (music and videos on the jumbotron) is fun, most of the fans are almost always civil and relatively well-behaved, security is usually on the ball when there are problems with unruly fans, Verizon Center is indoors so you never have to worry about weather, very easy commute (whether you drive or Metro), there are plenty of things to do in Verizon Center for kids (kids club table and cheerleader table both with giveaways, ability to meet the team mascot, guest services stations always have giveaways for kids, sometime there are spirit stations with face painting and tattoos, it's an easy arena to walk around if the kids need to stretch their legs). I couldn't claim a single one of these things for Skins games and FedEx Field. I don't think my girls would have fun at all, and it wouldn't be worth the hassle of taking them.

I agree that the Skins are headed down the right path, and giving up my tickets in no way means that I'm giving up as a fan. Season tickets just don't work for me right now (based on schedule and finances). I accept that Skins tickets may once again become a very hot item (I saw this firsthand with the Capitals).

Two seats opened up in 446, Row 1. Just got a call from the TO confirming I wasn't renewing. After a 9 year wait, I came off the list 3 years ago and started in 413 Row 2 (good seats for a first year STH; I took advantage of the Ticket Office Circus that summer and got the "right person" on the phone). The next summer I was offered the chance to move to the LL end zone (which would have meant LL seats in my second year, which may have broken a record for General Admission account holders). I declined because I don't like LL end zone seating. Moved to 446 Row 1 last year. Good seats, but I didn't like paying sideline prices for what was definitely an end zone view. I told the rep I would be willing to renew if they could move me closer to midfield, or even downgrade me to the cheaper UL end zone seats (provided I stayed in Row 1 or 2). All he could do was say it would be noted on my account, but they couldn't promise anything. I give the TO credit for sticking to their policies. A couple years ago, I would have probably been given a choice of seating, and maybe even a jersey or free tickets. This year, nothing. Times have definitely changed. Sad to part with the tickets, but in the end they were more trouble than they were worth. For the next few years I will only be able to make a few games per year (work and family commitments), and the secondary market for upper level seats is just dead.

As long as you accept that you might lose some money for the next couple seasons, go for it. You will be able to resell 400 level seats for NFC East games and maybe other primo opponents, but don't count on making much profit (if any). I couldn't go to the Dallas game this year, and I posted my tickets (Section 446 Row 1, with a green parking pass) for sale about a week before the game. I got like 3 inquiries from people and sold them at face value. If you can't go to every game and you're looking to tread water financially, you'll probably have to sell the good games and go to the lousy games, which sorta defeats the purpose of having season tickets, IMO. Try to sell your tickets as early as possible to get the bets return. You can donate your preseason tickets to charity (MostValuableKids is a good one) and get a tax write off worth about $20 - $40, depending on your bracket. This doesn't recoup your costs, but it's better than nothing.

I too am very surprised that the Skins aren't offering any type of concessions to entice fans to renew. For some people (myself included), it DOES make a difference.

I didn't mean to attack you Mayor, but I found your initial post a little arrogant and off-base. People have their own reasons for not renewing. For me personally, it is tough because I have loved this team my whole life (and still do), but financial and time constraints may force me to give up my tickets. And for what it's worth, every year there are a bunch of people on this board saying they are on the fence about renewing and might have to bow out, and then most of them end up renewing when the deadline rolls around in February and March.

Unfortunately I think you're going to have to pay your dues in the end zone and the corners for a long time. LL sideline is the one single zone in FedEx Field where demand still exceeds supply, and Skins management is well aware of this. They are not likely to give those seats away unless they are tied to some bloated package involving Club Seats or Tailgate Club or something like that. Very few people on this board have reported being moved to the LL sideline, and those who have been moved have either been very longterm planholders or they made a deal with the ticket office involving the purchase of Club Seats for X number of years.

To be fair, some of the people who drop their tickets aren't "quitters", but rather folks who have other financial and time commitments and can't necessarily spend several Sundays doing the all-day FedEx Field routine and scream on a megaphone and drink half a bottle of scotch. Between family life and a tight budget, I don't have the freedom I once did, and I now have to really consider whether STs work for me. For the most part, it comes down to money and time. But yes, I admit that the team's play has a little bit to do with it. Like any other rational consumer, I measure the satisfaction I get out of a product before I buy, and the Skins haven't provided much over the past several years. Not to mention the fact that I can barely give away the tickets I cannot use. I am not a semi-fan, I'm just a guy who is trying to do the best I can for my household.

Evidently they are not doing that this year. Last summer I was really on the fence about renewing, and free tickets to Manchester United made a big difference in my decision to re-up.

I used to think that, but now I'm not so sure. True, the Caps couldn't sell out a high school rink 5 years ago when they were awful, and now they're the hottest ticket in town. But their arena is also 1/4 the capacity of FedEx Field, the in-game experience is a lot better and more family friendly (they can do more entertainment and games that wouldn't be practical in a huge football stadium, plus fewer drunks because people don't tailgate), and it doesn't take all day to attend a Caps game. Even when the Redskins start winning again, there will still be a large segment of the fanbase that simply will prefer to watch most games in their 75 degree home or at the neighborhood bar, where the beer is cheaper, the food is better, you don't have to pay $35 to park and fight traffic, and you can watch every play on a 60 inch HD screen. If the Skins ever put a run together like the Pats or Green Bay, I think the best you'll see is a secondary market that sets most games at face value for the uppers and slightly higher for lowers (with price bumps for the premium games). Of course the minute demand picks up, I could see Danny raising ticket prices, which the secondary market would probably not be willing to cover.

Yeah, I didn't have much to cheer about on Sunday but $4 Harp drafts definitely helped. This was the first time I had been to the Tailgate Club this year, so I don't know if they have this special every game. The Tailgate Club has always promised "discounted" beer in the past, but from what I remember a couple years ago it was like $2 off stadium prices. As with most everything else at FedEx Field (General Admission, Club Level, Loge, etc.), the Redskins are probably having a hard time attracting and retaining Tailgate Club memberships. So I wouldn't be surprised if this great deal is a response to that. I, for one, will definitely be searching the secondary market for more TG passes for the rest of the season.

Went to the AAA Tailgate Club on Sunday and beer was $4 for both 16 oz. drafts (import and domestic) and 16 oz. aluminum bottles. The club re-opens at halftime, and the bar stayed open until the end of the 3rd quarter. Personally I thought it was a pretty sweet deal.

In years past season ticket packages were mailed at the end of July. I hope things get delayed a bit this year and they cancel at least one worthless home preseason game.

I'm guessing he is lamenting the fact that he didn't get moved down within his price range?

Congrats, I think those are great seats for your first year off the waitlist.

Agreed. I think it's convenient timing that this "service to the fans" was implemented at the same time as one of the biggest price hikes in franchise history. It was done to make it appear to casual observers that lower level Skins tickets were increased by $20, not the $30 they were actually raised. The fact that people are still arguing about this 5 years after the fact shows that to some extent, it worked.

Geez how I wish it were still that way. For me, having to pay full price for 2 meaningless games (which most of the time I can barely give away) is the single biggest drawback to owning season tickets.

Based on the timing of this, it's pretty clear to me that the Skins broke out the taxes to try to soften the blow of what was upwards of a 40% price hike. I gladly pay for my tickets each year and I am not "whining" about anything, but I think there was more to this than simply the Skins extending a courtesy to Joe Fan, who "likes to see what they're paying for" according to the PR guy quoted in the article.