DDP: Approx 8 sections of seating removed in upper deck endzone - more removed as of 2012 DDP, LL Endzone in 2013

[hail2skins]

The front office would never admit if ticket sales were down so much that they were forced to remove seats from the stadium.

Last summer a Skins official (Lon Rosenburg) basically admitted as such on the radio, saying (in regard to the upper level end zone sections), "Nobody is buying those seats."

I think there are ways for owners to get around the blackout rule, and anyone who goes to games on a regular basis was able to see that the Redskins have had trouble seliing those upper end zone and corner seats for a while. I just think it was a matter of the degree of the problem, and it got to a point where Snyder felt the way that made the most sense was to remove the seats.

[chipwhich]

With all due respect, DC9. This thread was started over a year ago, and it has over 1300 posts, so pardon me if I missed something. I didn't have a chance to look over but so many of them.

Your question is basically the theme of the entire thread.

[SonnyandSam]

First, the blackout rule is only affected by the sale of general admission seats. That excludes all premium seats such as dream seats, club seats, loge seats and suite seats. Owners can buy up all unsold GA seats for 34 cents on the dollar to avoid a blackout. The 34 cents represents the visiting team share of ticket revenue. Snyder has likely been buying up unsold GA seats based on the number of empty seats. The removal of GA seats will lower the likelihood Snyder has to buy up unsold GA tickets.

Also, ticket sales are audited by a CPA firm as required by the NFL. The NFL does not just take the word of the owner or ticket office.

[RFKFedEx]

But remember, every game (including preseason) has been sold out since 1966. The Redskins Post Game Notes reminds us each week, it must be true.

[SonnyandSam]

But remember, every game (including preseason) has been sold out since 1966. The Redskins Post Game Notes reminds us each week, it must be true.

So if Danny is buying up unsold tickets then "someone" has bought them and the game is sold out....which keeps his streak alive.....

Let's hope with fewer seats and a more competitive team, we get "real" sellouts with loud fans.

[Crazy Levi]

The only idea I can think of to prevent this, is instead of printing individual tickets, that you get a season pass, kind of like at six flags. Then at the gate, you just swipe your card every week. You wouldn't be able to transfer it and you would be forced to go, or lose your money. If the whole stadium is sold out to season tickets holders like they say, this would work. I would definitely be down for this idea. Maybe they could make like the 4 corner sections in the upper deck general admission that you could actually buy tickets for, and then of course the standing room only you could buy individual tickets for, but as far as the rest of the stadium goes, it would be 100% Redskins season ticket holders.

This is a terrible idea. We got a team struggling to sell season tickets - let's burden buyers with a ridiculous "paperless ticket" they cannot sell or give away. This would result in a fan revolt that would make the Zorn era look like a love-in.

[ComManDersFan57]

The only idea I can think of to prevent this, is instead of printing individual tickets, that you get a season pass, kind of like at six flags. Then at the gate, you just swipe your card every week. You wouldn't be able to transfer it and you would be forced to go, or lose your money.

If they did this I'd close my season ticket account.

Although I hated games like the Steeler invasion, having a few opposing fans makes for a better game experience as long as the interactions don't get out of hand. I'm looking forward to less traffic this year and shorter lines.

[balki1867]

This is a terrible idea. We got a team struggling to sell season tickets - let's burden buyers with a ridiculous "paperless ticket" they cannot sell or give away. This would result in a fan revolt that would make the Zorn era look like a love-in.

I'm not a fan of this idea per se, but it would be nice to have a system where fans who use their season tickets get rewarded for going (e.g.: quicker seats upgrades for STHes). It would keep the REAL/actual Redskins fans in the best seats. Maybe something like a "check in" app like MLB has. (I got a free Orioles T-shirt last year for being one of the first 50 people to check in at OPACY using the MLB iPhone app).

[tshile]

i think the ticket office has plenty of other things to fix before they start worrying about that

like getting all the brokers out of the lower level

a price cut that reflects the economy and terrible team would also be nice (lol)

[worstSeat]

That excludes all premium seats such as dream seats, club seats, loge seats and suite seats.

Doesn't that also exclude seats behind posts? Seems like I've read here that OV doesn't count.

Owners can buy up all unsold GA seats for 34 cents on the dollar to avoid a blackout. The 34 cents represents the visiting team share of ticket revenue.

Didn't realize that. It all makes a lot more sense now. Where did you find that info?

[SonnyandSam]

Doesn't that also exclude seats behind posts? Seems like I've read here that OV doesn't count.

Didn't realize that. It all makes a lot more sense now. Where did you find that info?

Well, that's a good question. OV seats are not premium seats. They may actually count as General Admission seats. Not sure how obstructed view seats are counted. Owners get all revenue from premium seats. That is why owners want lots of suites and expensive premium seats in their new stadiums. They get to keep all of the associated revenue.

Gosh...the visitor share and payment to avoid blackout was first reported in one of the Florida papers...maybe a Jacksonville paper? I think it was two years ago now. I remember reading it online. Florio over at ProFootball Talk likes to reference it every chance he gets when talking about possible blackouts for games. I'm sure if you Google it you would find it. It is true.

[balki1867]

Well, that's a good question. OV seats are not premium seats. They may actually count as General Admission seats. Not sure how obstructed view seats are counted. Owners get all revenue from premium seats. That is why owners want lots of suites and expensive premium seats in their new stadiums. They get to keep all of the associated revenue.

Gosh...the visitor share and payment to avoid blackout was first reported in one of the Florida papers...maybe a Jacksonville paper? I think it was two years ago now. I remember reading it online. Florio over at ProFootball Talk likes to reference it every chance he gets when talking about possible blackouts for games. I'm sure if you Google it you would find it. It is true.

OV seats don't need to sell out from what I've been told. I was a student at Illinois when the Bears played there while Soldier Field was being renovated. Because of the obstructed views in the stadium, the official sellout capacity was actually pretty small.

[josh35b]

This is a terrible idea. We got a team struggling to sell season tickets - let's burden buyers with a ridiculous "paperless ticket" they cannot sell or give away. This would result in a fan revolt that would make the Zorn era look like a love-in.

I'm not sure it would work, but there is a chance that season ticket sales would go up, because if you want decent seats, you would have to buy season tickets. You couldn't just go on stubhub and buy lower level seats for the individual games you want. I wonder if this has been attempted in any other sport or team? It could work well, but it could go really wrong too. Maybe they could try it for specific sections such as the sections closest to the Redskins bench and see how it goes over. I too like the reward system where if you actually use your tickets personally you get upgraded sooner like balki mentioned.

[hail2skins]

I would think the only way the "paperless ticket" idea would even have a prayer of working would be to remove the requirement that STHs purchase preseason games. Folks that have a pair down in the lowers are already down $440 before the regular season even starts.

[MarkB452]

Well, that's a good question. OV seats are not premium seats. They may actually count as General Admission seats. Not sure how obstructed view seats are counted. Owners get all revenue from premium seats. That is why owners want lots of suites and expensive premium seats in their new stadiums. They get to keep all of the associated revenue.

Gosh...the visitor share and payment to avoid blackout was first reported in one of the Florida papers...maybe a Jacksonville paper? I think it was two years ago now. I remember reading it online. Florio over at ProFootball Talk likes to reference it every chance he gets when talking about possible blackouts for games. I'm sure if you Google it you would find it. It is true.

>> Found several articles mentioning the 34 cents on the dollar rule:

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-minnesota-legislature-add-no-blackout-clause-to-stadium-proposal

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/09/jaguars-lift-blackout-but-game-is-not-sold-out/

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11339542/1/nfl-blackout-san-diego-uncertainty-jolts-chargers.html

Interesting....I wonder if this is how they get the tickets for the Red Cross blood drives. I imagine they still need to pay the PG county Entertainment tax.

[SonnyandSam]

The following things are *NOT* real: Easter Bunny, Great Pumpkin, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Good Government, honest politicians, the Boogeyman, and the Redskins Season Ticket Wait List.

.

Sorry....but Santa Claus is real. You just never see him because you must have been a naughty boy for a very looooonnnggg time. :evilg:

[RFKFedEx]

>> Found several articles mentioning the 34 cents on the dollar rule:.

Glad to see the blackout rule will be abolished in Minny.

[Crazy Levi]

I'm not sure it would work, but there is a chance that season ticket sales would go up, because if you want decent seats, you would have to buy season tickets. You couldn't just go on stubhub and buy lower level seats for the individual games you want. I wonder if this has been attempted in any other sport or team? It could work well, but it could go really wrong too. Maybe they could try it for specific sections such as the sections closest to the Redskins bench and see how it goes over. I too like the reward system where if you actually use your tickets personally you get upgraded sooner like balki mentioned.

The ticket office...Snyder...Skins...they simply do not CARE who is in the stadium, as long as seats are filled. I don't know why anybody thinks any of these ideas would ever gain any traction. Why would Snyder incentivize not scalping? The Redskins are OFFICIAL PARTNERS with Stubhub, and have been dumping tickets to brokers/ the aftermarket for years!!!! You really think they want the secondary market to go away?!

As far as paperless...

Paperless tickets are AWFUL and have nothing to do with "consumer protection." Ticketmaster has embraced this recently...it is designed to cut out Stubhub, craigslist, ebay etc. and allow Ticketmaster to corner the market on scalping its own tickets. In this case, being a Redskins season ticket holder has less value than it has in the last 40 years or so - going "paperless" would be the last straw for most, and would just be another cash grab by the Redskins. Now, the only way to sell tickets would be through "ticketexchange" or some other "official" nonsense, and STH's couldn't even GIVE away their worthless preseason tickets.

And in the end, it wouldn't do anything to keep opposing fans out of Fed Ex. I'm not gonna go into it, cause I doubt anybody here cares or will listen, but the scalpers are always 2 steps ahead and have already figured out ways around "paperless" systems.

I know you guys have your hearts in the right place and dream of a day when 80,000 solidly pro-Redskins crowds pack Fed Ex every Sunday, but there are a ton of reasons why it ain't like that now, and the lack of a "paperless" system ain't one of them.

The Skins need to not suck, for a siginificant stretch of time. That's the BEST way to "fix" this problem. Period.

[hail2skins]

Anyone going to the soccer match at FedEx later this week? If so, would be interesting to get any reports on how the party decks are progressing.

[MarkB452]

Anyone going to the soccer match at FedEx later this week? If so, would be interesting to get any reports on how the party decks are progressing.

If so, be sure to take a camera....don't trust your memory. I would be surprised if they have done much in the last month to the upper deck. Don't forget to check the loge as well.

[HTTR F Dallas]

http://sonofwashington.com/redskins-upper-level-party-decks-installed/

You can see part of what they've done in the one picutre.... its hardly impressive...

[Crazy Levi]

http://sonofwashington.com/redskins-upper-level-party-decks-installed/

You can see part of what they've done in the one picutre.... its hardly impressive...

Well, they look exactly like the club level party decks. I guess I was expecting more of a "general admission" area with a bar or something, but it is what it is. Certainly nothing to get excited about.

I'm more interested in what is happening on the Loge level, and if there will be any Loge seats next year or if it's just becoming more luxury suites or a luxury suite "lounge" area.

[Joe_328]

I may be wrong, but I think you can buy "Upper Level SRO" tickets for the soccer game on ticketmaster.

If anyone uses the tix, I suppose you can get some pretty good pics of the decks

[heyholetsgogrant]

http://sonofwashington.com/redskins-upper-level-party-decks-installed/

You can see part of what they've done in the one picutre.... its hardly impressive...

eww they still left of the skeleton of the iron...

[HOF44]

eww they still left of the skeleton of the iron...

I'm right with you on that. They need to lose the iron skeleton. Makes the stadium look bush league.

Or at least announce a partial roof going up to reflect noise. Then I could be patient.