1B4IDie Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 (edited) That is because buffalo have a high % of season ticket holders. I think it was something like 2,000 tix per game to the general public. Much of these ticket sales happened before the season. Hockey reports tickets sales--not gate counts. That's not why. Hockey is better to watch in the arena. You see more. Football is better to watch at home. You see less in the stadium. Edited November 3, 2013 by Why So Serious? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDH Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Earth to MDH. Earth to MDH. Come in MDH. Guess I veered a little off topic there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Hockey reports tickets sales--not gate counts. It is actually a combination: paid tickets + comp tickets in attendance. There are over 1,000 comp tickets each game. There are certain teams that exceed 5,000 comps per game in the NHL!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Number 76 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 (edited) every stadium will look like that on game day if the blackout rules go away My first thought as well...maybe not every stadium..but I bet half of em I agree, and it will continue that way until the game day experience is improved. Sitting through consecutive two-minute TV timeouts is brutal. Notice that the continuous action sports (basketball, hockey) have TV timeouts at predetermined intervals to prevent this nonsense. The other stop-action sport in the US (baseball) only goes to commercial at the end of a half-inning or when a pitcher is changed. There's no TD, XP, 2 minutes of commercial, kickoff, 2 minutes of commercial, replay, sponsor's message, first down. That's an awful lot to sit through at the game. Edited November 3, 2013 by Offsides Number 76 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonkey Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I agree, and it will continue that way until the game day experience is improved. Sitting through consecutive two-minute TV timeouts is brutal. Notice that the continuous action sports (basketball, hockey) have TV timeouts at predetermined intervals to prevent this nonsense. The other stop-action sport in the US (baseball) only goes to commercial at the end of a half-inning or when a pitcher is changed. There's no TD, XP, 2 minutes of commercial, kickoff, 2 minutes of commercial, replay, sponsor's message, first down. That's an awful lot to sit through at the game. I agree completely about the game day experience and the TV timeouts. But how do they get rid of the majority of TV timeouts yet still get the ungodly amount of money they get from the TV contracts? The NFL cannot survive in it's current state with it's current pay scale without the TV money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Number 76 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I agree completely about the game day experience and the TV timeouts. But how do they get rid of the majority of TV timeouts yet still get the ungodly amount of money they get from the TV contracts? The NFL cannot survive in it's current state with it's current pay scale without the TV money. That's true. And if the league wants to maximize the TV money, it shouldn't be using blackouts. I don't really know the solution, but I sure know the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobillsinytown Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Supposedly the NFL is in the process of developing this type of technology. WiFi in all stadiums, apps for replay, apps for fantasy football stats, etc. But since the goal is to roll this technology in all stadiums at once, it's going to take 2-3 years before it's available. Being that this is the NFL, I would guess most of it won't be free. Football Stadiums need a second screen experience in a hurry. The home experience is soo superior in football. The same can't be said for Hockey or Basketball. For example in New Orleans the have 2 tiny mini-Trons and the av crew appeared to forget they were there most if the game. Replays were basically non existent. It was like watching a football game in 1972. If I had an app on my phone and could choose to select different replays in stadium it would make the experience better. I know the apps and companies exist. The NFL really has to focus on making the game watching experience better in the stadium. Now you don't go to a NFL game to watch a game you go for the whole day experience. That doesn't mean you have such a disparate game watching experience as compared to watching from home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I gotta agree with you. Sabres are off to one of the worst starts in history and they are still selling out games (even though they don't have the blackout rule). Those tickets were sold before the season as season tickets. Take a look at stubhub - there is no demand whatsoever for those tickets. If they had a season ticket base like the Bills - 60% or whatever of capacity, you'd seeing 12k at the games. Just like it was before '06. I totally agree with Alan Pergmament. Be careful what you wish for, Buffalo and other small markets (and the Dolphins pathetic orange colored fans looking like seats is a prime example): http://blogs.buffalonews.com/talkintv/2013/11/blackout-change-could-pose-risk-to-buffalo-and-small-markets.html?ref=brp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICanSleepWhenI'mDead Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 who cares as the NFL gets most of their money from big tv deals. No way, no how is 5000 unsold tickets @ $100 each breaking NFL owners. If $50 grand is making or breaking NFL owners then I guess they are financially hurting more than they let on. The black out rule is BS. Multiply much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonkey Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 who cares as the NFL gets most of their money from big tv deals. No way, no how is 5000 unsold tickets @ $100 each breaking NFL owners. If $50 grand is making or breaking NFL owners then I guess they are financially hurting more than they let on. The black out rule is BS. Multiply much? I see this as an indictment of the American education system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsBytheBay Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Ticket prices. If it didn't cost so much to attend games, people would go. Why buy an expensive ticket for the worst view, and uncomfortable seating. I can spend that money on Sunday ticket, and turn my house into a sports bar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonkey Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 (edited) Ticket prices. If it didn't cost so much to attend games, people would go. Why buy an expensive ticket for the worst view, and uncomfortable seating. I can spend that money on Sunday ticket, and turn my house into a sports bar! Not for me. They could give me seasons and I would rarely go (excluding club seats). I want to be able to see the game. Being comfortable and not having to deal with traffic and a-holes is also a huge plus. But you also have to remember that some absolutely LOVE the atmosphere, the tailgating, and the feeling that they are somehow helping their team as the 12th man by screaming themselves hoarse and beating on those cold aluminum benches. They can always DVR the game and see what really happens later And I have to admit that since I started recording the games and watching commercial free, I enjoy the games a LOT more. However it does make watching any tackle football game live painful. Sabres games are a different situation for me. There are only a few areas in FNC arena where you don't get a decent view of the entire game and the TV timeouts are not overboard.. Edited November 5, 2013 by CodeMonkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Not for me. They could give me seasons and I would rarely go (excluding club seats). I want to be able to see the game. Being comfortable and not having to deal with traffic and a-holes is also a huge plus. But you also have to remember that some absolutely LOVE the atmosphere, the tailgating, and the feeling that they are somehow helping their team as the 12th man by screaming themselves hoarse and beating on those cold aluminum benches. They can always DVR the game and see what really happens later And I have to admit that since I started recording the games and watching commercial free, I enjoy the games a LOT more. However it does make watching any tackle football game live painful. Sabres games are a different situation for me. There are only a few areas in FNC arena where you don't get a decent view of the entire game and the TV timeouts are not overboard.. There really is not a bad seat @ the Ralph either. The stadium is outdated but the sight lines I got to imagine are second to none. At least @ the stadiums I have been to, which is about half of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Ticket prices. If it didn't cost so much to attend games, people would go. Why buy an expensive ticket for the worst view, and uncomfortable seating. I can spend that money on Sunday ticket, and turn my house into a sports bar! I don't buy this argument as they have like $250 season tickets. You can be in the stadium for $25!! You do not need much disposable income throughout the year to budget that in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonkey Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 There really is not a bad seat @ the Ralph either. The stadium is outdated but the sight lines I got to imagine are second to none. At least @ the stadiums I have been to, which is about half of them. ???? If you sit anywhere near either endzone in the lower bowl you end up watching half the game on the scoreboard. I call that a bad seat. YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Doug Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 (edited) I don't buy this argument as they have like $250 season tickets. You can be in the stadium for $25!! You do not need much disposable income throughout the year to budget that in. $35 plus food and parking. And that's assuming you go alone. Edited November 6, 2013 by kas23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 every stadium will look like that on game day if the blackout rules go away Then maybe the teams would learn not to take public money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Then maybe the teams would learn not to take public money. As Pergament points out in the article (that apparently nobody read) a lot of companies get public money. Do you get to go into their store or factory and just take some product? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 $35 plus food and parking. And that's assuming you go alone. If you have someone else that you go with you could go for $250 (unless the prices have risen to $350) and that is for 10 games. I have been to hundreds of games at the Ralph and you can still park for anywhere from $10-$15. You could attend every game all-in for $400. That's why there are numerous season ticket holders on social security. I buy the cost of the tickets argument for lots of teams (including the Sabres) but not for the Bills. That can be budgeted for with preparation on pretty much anyone's income. If someone likes the experience better on tv, etc.., that's one thing but too many people just assume that's its too expensive because people never look at the numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonkey Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 (edited) If you have someone else that you go with you could go for $250 (unless the prices have risen to $350) and that is for 10 games. I have been to hundreds of games at the Ralph and you can still park for anywhere from $10-$15. You could attend every game all-in for $400. That's why there are numerous season ticket holders on social security. I buy the cost of the tickets argument for lots of teams (including the Sabres) but not for the Bills. That can be budgeted for with preparation on pretty much anyone's income. If someone likes the experience better on tv, etc.., that's one thing but too many people just assume that's its too expensive because people never look at the numbers. Yeah if you don't want to see the game, and are single or leave the family home. . This year Bills ticket prices range from $225 to $720 in regular seating areas and from $1278 to $2790 in club seat areas. So if you take the average of just the regular seats, that's $472.50 per seat. There are 5 members in my family that I prefer watching games with, so that makes my cost $2362.50. Call it $100 for parking and ignore incidentals like gas (I live in Rochester) and food/drink I am at $2462.50. Could I budget for that, sure. But when I analyze the situation, I can't for the life of me come up with many reasons why I would. And I can always find good uses for that kind of money elsewhere. The numbers don't look so bad when you take the cheapest ticket and assume you are only buying one. Not everyone is in that situation. Edited November 6, 2013 by CodeMonkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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