Season Ticket Renewals

[joe]

It is amusing to go from page 64 to page 65 of this thread.  From the happiness generated by the notice that the season tickets were on their way to delivery to the depression that this terrible season generated. 

I will not be getting my season tickets again next year.  I was on the fence about it for the past several seasons and almost did not renew last year when the price jumped so much, but after this debacle, I have decided that I am getting too old for this.  Besides, my saint-of-a-wife deserves to go to the theater for a change. 

[tshile]

I can't *know* what any team will do next year, but at this point, I can be pretty confident the Redskins will find a way to lose at least 10 games.  Sure, they'll have the occasional fluke season where they'll actually get hot for a while and maybe even make the playoffs, but then the team will raise prices for the next year, and they'll go back to serious losing.  This team hasn't put together two season in a row over .500 in forever.

Maybe. Enough people obviously feel that way that the list of ticket holders dwindles every year; 2015 may be the lowest # of STH's since the team began selling out.

But no one saw 2012 coming, and for those of us that were there (and have weathered terrible seasons) it was an amazing ride.

I'm done pretending I know the direction the team is headed in. Been wrong too many times. So have majority of redskins fans. We're among the most delusional, over dramatic fan bases in the league.

Edited December 29, 2014 by tshile

[pjfootballer]

My mom has had a few health issues and she'll be 68 next year. She has two tickets in the upper deck. She was in the hospital the week before the Philly game and couldn't go, so other family went. She did manage to go yesterday. But you have to know that she lives outside of Charlotte, NC. So it's a 6 hour trip each time.

I asked her (at the beginning of the season) how much longer will she be doing this and she said one more year after this year. But it wouldn't surprise me if she didn't renew after this year. I wish she wouldn't.

[wpns3/5]

As a season ticket holder you are paying for the guarantee to sit in the same seat every game and that's the only benefit currently IMO.

 

Unless you have the best seats in the house, renewing is a complete waste of $$$. With stubhub, free/discounted tickets when the team sucks, etc. you are losing money from the start unless the team starts winning consistently again...

[airborneskins]

As a season ticket holder you are paying for the guarantee to sit in the same seat every game and that's the only benefit currently IMO.

 

Unless you have the best seats in the house, renewing is a complete waste of $$$. With stubhub, free/discounted tickets when the team sucks, etc. you are losing money from the start unless the team starts winning consistently again...

 

This is my dilemma.  I sit in 142 row 8 and they are absolutely in one of the best places to sit.  I renew only because I know that If I don't, I will never get seats that great again (that are mine).

[wpns3/5]

This is my dilemma.  I sit in 142 row 8 and they are absolutely in one of the best places to sit.  I renew only because I know that If I don't, I will never get seats that great again (that are mine).

 I hear you, kept my 50 yard line UL's even though I could not make every game last two years because I did not want to lose them and assumed I could just sell them. After eating 7 games this year, no more....

[chipwhich]

Don't worry, Dan is currently working on his pixie dust.  By the end of next week there will be posts on this board that everything has been fixed based on Dan's hire du jour.  Most people posting they won't renew will decide to give it one more year.

 

Don't send in your monopoly money yet, this is the time of year when our team thrives.  Viva la Redskins One!  Go get em' Danny.

[LCA77]

For whatever it's worth, I called the ticket office after the Rams game and asked for the email of the person who is the VP of tickets sales, or whatever the title is. I wanted someone of importance to send a letter to so I could let them know I was not renewing  my tickets and why. I obviously know this won't make a difference, but if enough people do this, it can't hurt. They actually transferred me to the Director of Ticket Operations, which surprised me.

 

He answered the phone and I told him I just wanted an email address to send a letter and to give him credit, he told me he would be happy to speak with me right then and there. He started off by saying that he was with the KC Royals prior to this and in 29 years, they raised their ticket prices every year, even with a poor product. Needless to say, this told me that this conversation was going nowhere, and I told him this as well. He then said that he wasn't disagreeing with me and encouraged me to send the letter, but he was saying that the cost of the tickets isn't totally tied into the performance on the field, thus using the Royals as an example!

 

We talked for about 15 minutes and he repeatedly said that he encouraged me sending the letter and that they wanted more of this type of things to see where fans stand. I told him that it was offensive to raise the ticket prices AND PARKING after one halfway decent year and that everyone who has tickets fully expects another price increase if and when we have another winning season. He said he understood that but once again referred back to the KC Royals.

 

In the end, he was professional and cordial and he seemed to legitimately listen to me and my concerns. Of course, it will be for nothing but it made me feel better to have someone of authority to voice my displeasure with the organization that I grew up with as one of the most successful in sports. I told him not to even bother sending me a renewal notice unless they could offer me an major incentive to renew (of course there is no such incentive) such as optional/reduced price pre-season games, etc. We will see what happens.

 

I won't post it here, but if anyone wants his email address, send me a message and I will gladly share it with you. If they get enough of these and we actually follow through with it, it can't hurt. It may not help, but who knows! At a minimum, it made me feel better that I could vent my frustrations to someone of importance there, not just a TO rep.

Edited December 30, 2014 by LCA77

[hail2skins]

 

 

He answered the phone and I told him I just wanted an email address to send a letter and to give him credit, he told me he would be happy to speak with me right then and there. He started off by saying that he was with the KC Royals prior to this and in 29 years, they raised their ticket prices every year, even with a poor product. Needless to say, this told me that this conversation was going nowhere, and I told him this as well. He then said that he wasn't disagreeing with me and encouraged me to send the letter, but he was saying that the cost of the tickets isn't totally tied into the performance on the field, thus using the Royals as an example!

 

 

 

Love to know if the dude's claim about the Royals raising their ticket prices 29 straight seasons can be verified.

[FedEx Nosebleed]

Love to know if the dude's claim about the Royals raising their ticket prices 29 straight seasons can be verified.

 

Unclear when he left the Royals, but in 2007 they raised prices after not doing so in two years: http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/18390/ 

 

And in the years prior to that, any increases they must have had were small, as their tickets were consistently described as being lowest / or bottom three or four within MLB in average cost.  

 

It's one thing to make small increases to your cheapest-in-the-league tickets to stay abreast of inflation, and another to squeeze more blood from a rock when you're up near the top of the league in highest average gate price (7th for 2014 per this survey):  http://www.therichest.com/sports/football-sports/most-expensive-average-ticket-prices-in-the-nfl-for-2014/?view=all

[LCA77]

Unclear when he left the Royals, but in 2007 they raised prices after not doing so in two years: http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/18390/

 

And in the years prior to that, any increases they must have had were small, as their tickets were consistently described as being lowest / or bottom three or four within MLB in average cost.  

 

It's one thing to make small increases to your cheapest-in-the-league tickets to stay abreast of inflation, and another to squeeze more blood from a rock when you're up near the top of the league in highest average gate price (7th for 2014 per this survey):  http://www.therichest.com/sports/football-sports/most-expensive-average-ticket-prices-in-the-nfl-for-2014/?view=all

That's a very fair comparison because as well all know, our season ticket prices are "among the cheapest in the NFC East." Just check your renewal notice from last year. haha. Yeah, dude is definitely comparing apples to oranges, which of course I told him. These people are just unbelievable. They should all be politicians with the ridiculous spin they can put on things. I think they are convinced that the liquid we feel falling on us from them is rain, not them actually peeing on us!

[Mursilis]

Unclear when he left the Royals, but in 2007 they raised prices after not doing so in two years: http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/18390/

 

And in the years prior to that, any increases they must have had were small, as their tickets were consistently described as being lowest / or bottom three or four within MLB in average cost.  

 

It's one thing to make small increases to your cheapest-in-the-league tickets to stay abreast of inflation, and another to squeeze more blood from a rock when you're up near the top of the league in highest average gate price (7th for 2014 per this survey):  http://www.therichest.com/sports/football-sports/most-expensive-average-ticket-prices-in-the-nfl-for-2014/?view=all

 

If fans keep buying the tickets, the tickets are obviously not overpriced.  Sports tickets are not a necessity, like food and shelter.  If thousands of people willingly pay the stated price, the price must be fair and reasonable. 

[skinsnut1823]

Ladies and Gents,

Remember this feeling. As we prepare for a loooong off season the players, some of the coaches, and ownership, will be taking vacations and counting their bankrolls. While we, the fans, contemplate the teams direction and 21 or so years of mediocrity and below average finishes. Rest assured that most personnel will never feel the way we do because they get paid for their awful performances and all we are left with is each other.

I wouldn't pay for season tickets if they we free. Because "paying" for them is more than out of pocket expenses its an emotional expense as well.

[DC9]

These people are just unbelievable. They should all be politicians with the ridiculous spin they can put on things. I think they are convinced that the liquid we feel falling on us from them is rain, not them actually peeing on us!

 

This is not a football team anymore, it's a business. 

 

I can't do it anymore either.  No tickets this year.

 

Especially when they are offering better seats to new STH than they were offering me.  My brother got offered the seats that I've been after for two years - they were not an option for me and I've had tickets since 2007 and was only in the DC area to go to the games for three of those years.  Now that I'm out of the area again and the product is so poor that I can even get half of my investment back on the secondary market, I can't justify that anymore.  Especially with two young kids.

[Mark The Homer]

If fans keep buying the tickets, the tickets are obviously not overpriced.  Sports tickets are not a necessity, like food and shelter.  If thousands of people willingly pay the stated price, the price must be fair and reasonable. 

 

I disagree.

 

Ever hear of Tulip Mania?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania

 

We have the same kind of thing here.  People are buying with the assumption that they will have a good time or with the presumption that if they choose to sell, they will be able to sell at something close to what they paid. 

 

This idea was carefully and successfully groomed by JKC.  People would do anything for Redskins tickets.

 

Snyder has taken advantage of the euphoric desire to obtain season tickets by offering tickets at inflated bubble prices.  But the product is not worth the cost. 

 

So far it has worked because there are still enough people out there who believe that season tickets are a reasonable value.  But I think we will be witnessing the burst of the bubble during this coming year and the next year. 

[MattFancy]

Agreed MTH. There really is no value for a STH when you can find tickets to the game for MUCH cheaper than what STH holders pay. For my seats in 453, I pay $84/set plus tax so $92/seat. I don't think there was 1 game this season where I could have sold my tickets on StubHub for face value. Every time I checked, I found tickets in my section for anywhere from $100-$10. Why would I buy season tickets when I could go to all the games for the price of one game?

 

Sure, season tickets are useful if this team becomes good again and is consistently in the playoffs, but that hasn't been in a VERY long time and I don't see that trend changing over the next few seasons. So what is the incentive then to the fans to keep buying season tickets?

[LEED3D]

I really have no idea why anyone would renew season tickets as this point. What has this organization done to be worthy of your hard earned dollars? My friends and I only go to one game a season, which is the home opener. It's become a tradition for us to tailgate and get really good tickets for that first home game. We enjoy the tailgating experience and the excitement of the season kick-off. That's about it.. the stadium experience and exorbitant food and beverage costs aren't enough to bring me back out there for more than a game. This year I will most likely be breaking that tradition unless two conditions are met: 1.) Jim Haslett is fired 2.) Snyder hires an actual football guy as GM and gives him complete authority over the roster and direction of this team. So, in other words, I'll be watching the home opener from my couch next season.

 

Save your money folks, Snyder doesn't deserve your cash or your loyalty.

[Mursilis]

I disagree.

 

Ever hear of Tulip Mania?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania

 

We have the same kind of thing here.  People are buying with the assumption that they will have a good time or with the presumption that if they choose to sell, they will be able to sell at something close to what they paid. 

 

This idea was carefully and successfully groomed by JKC.  People would do anything for Redskins tickets.

 

Snyder has taken advantage of the euphoric desire to obtain season tickets by offering tickets at inflated bubble prices.  But the product is not worth the cost. 

 

So far it has worked because there are still enough people out there who believe that season tickets are a reasonable value.  But I think we will be witnessing the burst of the bubble during this coming year and the next year. 

 

I'm old enough to remember the days when 'skins tickets were like a family heirloom, passed down from one generation to the next, and if you bought on the secondary market, you paid much more than face.  If a friend or a co-worker couldn't go and were willing to sell them to you at face value, they were doing you a HUGE favor.  I attended multiple games at RFK - I remember those days. 

 

But those days are LONG past, and if people are making decisions based on those long-dead presumptions, they're just ignoring reality.  The last game I attended in person was late in the 2010 season, and those tickets were GIVEN to me by someone who could literally not give away 4-upper level seats and a parking pass.  Who wanted to sit in a cold rain and witness another 10+ loss season?  That's how far this team has fallen.  Yet fans still continue to show up and buy season tickets.  Clearly, some see value in it still, even knowing the team is probably going to lose far more than they win.  You're probably right that the bubble has burst or will burst next year, but plenty of people will still return too.  Will it be enough to make up for those who leaving?  Only time will tell. 

[DC9]

Part of the problem with secondary ticket market being so cheap is that we went from a stadium that seated in the 50k's to a stadium that at one time sat over 90k.

[skinfan2k]

Part of the problem with secondary ticket market being so cheap is that we went from a stadium that seated in the 50k's to a stadium that at one time sat over 90k.

 

Wrong.  If this team is good, this market can handle a stadium this big. 

[chipwhich]

Wrong.  If this team is good, this market can handle a stadium this big. 

 

I have often said Danny has NO CLUE how much money he would be rolling in if this team was good.  Consistent playoff appearances, he would be fatter and happier than he is now.  And by a lot.

[DC9]

Wrong.  If this team is good, this market can handle a stadium this big. 

 

But the team isn't good.  So part of the problem is that the market is flooded with unsold seats and STH's looking to break even.

[FedEx Nosebleed]

Part of the problem with secondary ticket market being so cheap is that we went from a stadium that seated in the 50k's to a stadium that at one time sat over 90k.

 

The problem wasn't the move to 90k seats in my view.  The problem was the addition of the standing room sections.  Even though the stadium capacity came down to about 79k fans at the same time general admission standing room was introduced, ticket prices on the secondary market didn't move up due to scarcity, as a large pool of face value full-view tickets valued at $29 each were added into the mix.  I have to believe there are hundreds, if not thousands, of non-season ticket holders who just want to go to the game and don't care about sitting down as they're going to stand and yell anyway.   The moment they could get a season for $290, a lot of them jumped, and stopped paying twice that for the cheapest non-obstructed view seats nearby.  The atmospheric of seeing dozens of entries on stubhub for under $30 before you get to the first non-obstructed view seat is significant, and I believe (but cannot demonstrate) serves to erode the price of the more expensive seats that otherwise would have been the floor for entry to even a bad game.

[tshile]

I remember when the redskins used to give out christmass tree ornaments the game before/after christmas every year. i have a bunch of them on my tree.

when's the last time the team gave the ticket holders anything other than a stupid kitchen towel to rip off another team's 'thing'?

almost all of the problems relating to this organization are easily fixable. snyder's just too stupid to see it.

[RFKFedEx]

I don't believe the team has sold all that many SRO ST packages since those decks opened. I say this bc of the abundance of SROs on Stubhub for the lower anticipated match ups like Tenn and Tampa this year. The uniform pricing patterns where you'll see dozens of $6 SRO tix together tells me they are coming right from the TO. If demand was really there for those STs, we'd read of more people trying to sell them on the secondary market, and complaints when those STHs couldn't recover their costs.