Larry Brown #43 Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a couple of club seat tickets for the season finale against Dallas, and it was GREAT (I was in tears during Darrell's farewell speech). But something really bothers me about FedEx Field (actually a lot of things about FedEx Field bother me, but one thing in particular really irks me). In the club section, they have indoor seating areas where the privileged club seat holders can sit and watch the game on big screen televisions far away from their bright yellow stadium seats. I absolutely couldn't believe it when I walked through the club section at one point to get back to my seat when I noticed hordes of people watching the game indoors on the big screens. This makes no sense on so many levels. First of all, that indoor seating area should only be available when the weather is so bad that nobody in their right mind would want to sit in their assigned seats. Ever wonder why FedEx looks half empty every Sunday? Half the club seat holders are sitting indoors watching the game on a big screen. Nice way to build a home field advantage -- have your fans sitting inside watching the game on TV. :doh: But the part that really blows my mind is, if you can afford the club seats, and you are willing to deal with the maddening traffic situation of FedEx Field, why in the hell would you sit inside and watch the game on TV? Lots of sports bars have big screens where you can watch the game, and you don't even have to pay $6.50 for a cup of beer or deal with the horrific FedEx parking lot. I really believe that a crowd can make a huge difference at a football game, and we won't have much of a home field advantage as long as this goes on. I realize there have to be some perks to the club section in order to sell the seats, but this one is a bad idea. Unless you're a fan of the opposing team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins57 Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I have heard this many times and I agree 100 percent. This sucks. Sell the outdoor yellow seat for a lesser price and let the people watch them on TV at the club seat price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeCarl Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 The club must somehow be making money on having fans sitting inside watching t.v. or they wouldn't do it, would they? That sounds bizzare to me. Any other NFL venues do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70Chip Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I think most of the new stadiums have a similar setup on the club level. In spirit I agree with y'all 100%, and I sit in the "cheap" seats. But having said that, the truth is that if you pay the outrageous amount for a club seat you can sit wherever you da*n well please whenever you da*n well please. And the fact of the matter is that the club actually probably *does* make money from having folks sitting inside the Club drinking $6 beers 'til their heart's content. I have no way of knowing for sure, but most of the people in the club are probably on tickets owned by their employers or others they do business with. (There are folks here who are an exception to that.) The purpose of going to the game, then, is not so much to be a rabid Skins fan, but instead for folks to spread a little goodwill. With that goodwill, your first priority is usually to be comfortable before it is to watch the game. It was cold, so people went where it was warm. Does it represent well? No. Is it for diehard fans? No. But, it is a *major* revenue source for the Redskins and other teams, so there's not much chance we won't have the club in its current form anytime in the near future. Heck -- my logic is the opposite. There's absolutely no reason to buy club seats (unless you can't get tickets otherwise) because 1) they're *really* expensive, especially if you think about it on a per-game average; and 2) if you're a *real* fan you won't use any of the amenities you're paying extra for because you should be watching the da*n game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoCalMike Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I dunno if it would be possible to due space limitations, but why don't they just make the indoor seating with the big screens a whole seperate entity. I mean it would make the Redskins more money. You could pay for a ticket to watch the game, but at least you are "at the stadium" I know it sounds kind dumb, but hell is the Redskins were a playoff-calibur team, the tickets would still sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Brown #43 Posted January 5, 2003 Author Share Posted January 5, 2003 Originally posted by 70Chip I think most of the new stadiums have a similar setup on the club level. In spirit I agree with y'all 100%, and I sit in the "cheap" seats. But having said that, the truth is that if you pay the outrageous amount for a club seat you can sit wherever you da*n well please whenever you da*n well please. And the fact of the matter is that the club actually probably *does* make money from having folks sitting inside the Club drinking $6 beers 'til their heart's content. I have no way of knowing for sure, but most of the people in the club are probably on tickets owned by their employers or others they do business with. (There are folks here who are an exception to that.) The purpose of going to the game, then, is not so much to be a rabid Skins fan, but instead for folks to spread a little goodwill. With that goodwill, your first priority is usually to be comfortable before it is to watch the game. It was cold, so people went where it was warm. Does it represent well? No. Is it for diehard fans? No. But, it is a *major* revenue source for the Redskins and other teams, so there's not much chance we won't have the club in its current form anytime in the near future. Heck -- my logic is the opposite. There's absolutely no reason to buy club seats (unless you can't get tickets otherwise) because 1) they're *really* expensive, especially if you think about it on a per-game average; and 2) if you're a *real* fan you won't use any of the amenities you're paying extra for because you should be watching the da*n game! What I don't understand is why someone would want to deal with the FedEx parking lot (it really is a nightmare) and the crowds of people, only to watch the game on a friggin' TV. Sure it's comfortable, but so is watching the game at home on your couch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70Chip Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I totally hear you. I think it's people who like to *say* that they were there but don't want to be bothered with the discomfort or inconvenience of watching the game. It's even worse in baseball -- half the people in the *regular* seats aren't watching the game there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hail2skins Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I have club-level seats.......the amenities come in handy when the Skins play a 4:00 game and if you show up at the stadium you can get comfortable and watch the early games. Otherwise, I'm out in the seating bowl during the game and rarely leave my seat during the season, unless nature calls in a big way. During the Saints game I had to scamper down to the club concourse and there was Joe Horn's (Saints WR) mother and friend watching the game within the creature comforts. I think 70Chip hit the nail on the head in regard to a lot of people who get club tickets are those that just come for a game or two per year and are there more just to say they were there than the game itself. These people spend more time getting up and interrupting people to get more food and drinks than they do watching the game itself. There are very few regulars that are consistently at every game in my section. This is a trend I don't care for, and unfortunately I don't think its just confined to the club level. Many times I'll look at the upper deck at kickoff and there'll be plenty of empty seats at the start. I say if you're going to go to the game, be prepared for it to be a day-long event, be in your seat to cheer during player intros, and stay in your seat for the game!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimReaper21 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I had club seats once for the skins bucs game, where deion sanders won the game with his punt return. And I can't see why if u pay all that money u would want to watch on tv rather than Live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thito_da_skins_fan Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 i was at the Skins/Cowboys game tickets were given to me by a fellow Redskins fan and it was my first time in the club level here's my experience: the people in the row directly in front of me left their seats within the first 5 minutes of the game -- they did not return (this was not bad, however, because i got to pound on the seats) the drunk *jackasses* 2 rows directly in front of me left their seats every 5-10 minutes -- and everytime came back with more beer... not sure if the timing was planned or not, but everytime they came back, it was in the middle of a play... 2 old people sitting behind me tapped on my shoulder and told me to sit down because they couldn't see... my response: "this is a football game, not a movie" another ancient old (nothing against old people, but they were old) lady was sitting next to me directly to the left... not sure the reason she had tickets because she complained of the cold and left before the game even started... as the game continued, i looked around the "yellow" section and the seats got emptier and emptier... it's an effin disgrace... i went to bathroom at halftime and found the indoors *packed*... i know it was halftime, but they looked too comfortable (and drunk) to have any intentions of returning outside... i actually enjoyed the seats in the club level... very nice and a great view of the field... but the people are a joke... not everyone, but definitely the majority... i like the idea of selling indoor and outdoor seats... you make more money and you increase the noise of the stadium... great idea and it should be taken into consideration... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hail2skins Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Sorry to hear about your experience, THiTo. My worst experience up there was not at a Skins game but at the Rolling Stones. It was like Grand Central Station with the people constantly getting up to get beers. It was like they were oblivious that there was a concert (a good one at that) going on! Also, while we're talking about club levels, I remember watching the recent Jets-Patriots Sunday night game at Gillette Field. I couldn't help noticing that, in the seond half at least, the club level seats there were virtually empty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thito_da_skins_fan Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Originally posted by hail2skins Sorry to hear about your experience, THiTo. don't be we beat the Cowboys, ended the streak, and closed the season on a GREAT note... there's ZERO chance i let those idiots stop me from enjoying myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsfan44 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I am a Club seat holder(section 328) and one of the reasons I got them so when the wife comes to a game,(or my mom, she's a big Redskins fan like myself) if she is cold(or hot) she can go inside while I stay in my seat and don't have to listen to her b!tch about the weather. Also, you can get assorted drinks( many differant kinds of beer, mixed drinks, bloody marys) and the food is better then the rest of the stadium. Also, you can drink all the way to the end of the game, not like the rest of the stadium, which stops beer sales after the end of the 3rd quarter. When I go in at halftime to get something to eat and drink, most of the time I don't get back to my seat until about 10 min are left in the 3rd quarter. So, while I am seating there eating the rest of my food, I will watch the game on the TV's until I go back to my seat. So, not all Club seat holders just seat in the Club just watching the game, 70Chip. Now for the parking. If you don't like to deal with all the traffic leaving the stadium after the game, do what I do and go to the 5th Quarter party(Club level only). You can drink, listen to the live band, and see some of the Redskinetts. From the deck( where the party is) you can watch the traffic. When it dies down, you go out to your car and drive away with no traffic problems. Yes, the Club seats are expensive( I pay $4600.00 for 2 seats and stadium parking permit) but that is the price I will pay to see my Redskins because I am a DIEHARD fan. I am not rich(I am a dumb ol' truck driver) but to me, I will do extra runs to pay for it. 70Chip, I use the amenities of the Club, before, during and after the game. Except for halftime, you don't have to wait in line to take a pi$$. You have waiter service in the Club seats(the ones outside) so you don't have to leave you seats. And yes, the Club is for DIEHARD fans like myself. Just some people don't use the Club the way I do. I also agree that there are some people who use the Club as a place to be seen, and not to really watch the game. Those are the people that should be bared from the Club and we should have only DIEHARD fans that want to see the game. All the Club does is make going to the game much more fun for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeSkin Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I echo everybody's sentiments. My brother landed club level seats for the Bears game last year, and I was stunned at the number of people who were literally SLEEPING in those gigantic armchairs. Although I must say, compared with the nosebleeds I had for the Chiefs game, the club level was pretty nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70Chip Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 skinsfan -- I wasn't criticizing anybody; sure I'd like to see the seats full like everyone else, but like I said if you pay that much you ought to be able to do whatever you want. Another interesting thing I noticed at the Patriots new stadium -- they have a dedicated ROAD out of the Club parking lot there so you don't have to deal with traffic. I'm surprised we haven't seen that here, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowboykiller Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Although I must say, compared with the nosebleeds I had for the Chiefs game, the club level was pretty nice. I have season tickets in the last row of the stadium, literally. Row 29 of section 442. Upper deck. I wouldn't trade my seats for the world. I have a perfect view of the game, and I'm with the other PG County bums who can only afford those tickets. I love it. No one tells me to sit down like they do in the lower bowl. I can't believe those traitors. They can go to hell. I love my last row seats and I am thinking about not progressing on the season ticket chart ever. It's tooooooo cold for you? They made these wonderful inventions called jackets and hats and gloves. You can get all of them with Redskins on them. The club level is wiggity whack, but I know Skinsfan44 keeps it real in the yellows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thito_da_skins_fan Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 i was thinking about the idea of selling indoor and outdoor seats... don't think it would work -- too many fire code violations... it was busy enough as it is, but if you almost doubled the amount of people on that level, you'd have to be breaking some kind of law... cowboykiller: man, i know what you mean about the last row... i have been given tickets by the same person a couple of different times in the last row on the lower level (under the overhang)... it's great -- you can stand the whole game and never hear any b!tching... i'd take those seats anyday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuji869 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 The two Redskins Home Games I have been to in the new Stadium I had to spend big bucks to get tickets through a ticket resaler. If I had Club Level Seats the hell if I am going to watch the game inside a sports bar @ the stadium. I am going outside with my fellow Redskin Fans cheering them on. That is unfortunate that Redskin Home Games have turned to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsfan44 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 70Chip, thats cool. All I was doing was pointing out the fact that no all Club seat holders are like what you were talking about. I sometimes wonder why these people even show up if all they are going to do is sit inside the whole time. I have gone into the Humidor, and seen people that were in there the whole game. What's the point in coming to the game then. I work hard for my money, and when I go to the games, I am into it 110%. But to me, it is worth every penny. Ask the Dead Tree Crew how wild I get at the tailgate partys. I am a 43 year old dude that can still hang with the young bucks. I just wish more people that come to the games would be more into it like it use to be at RFK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldog Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 the coming of the mega-stadiums has stratified going to games so that the mingling that used to go on at RFK is dead and buried. the richies get to sit with their corporate buddies and chat up the price of yacht insurance while they talk about where in the Bahamas they are going to take their next vacations. the games are a means of bringing people together for purposes other than just watching football. it may be a fact of life we cannot ignore but it doesn't mean we all have to like it either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mayor of Fed Ex Field Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 "Ask the Dead Tree Crew how wild I get at the tailgate partys. I am a 43 year old dude that can still hang with the young bucks." Indeed he does. Skinsfan44 beats us to the stadium sometimes. Nothing makes me madder that waking up at 4:30 in the morning to be the first one at the stadium, and get there and Skinsfan44 has been there for a half hour. FedEx Filed has its plus and minuses. It is however the only place our Redskins will call home for a while, so deal with it. SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.