Buccaneers winning, but fans lose as low attendance blacks out games

[The Anti-Java]

Whether they’re winning or losing, the Bills have had difficulty selling out home games in December since Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was leading the team to four consecutive AFC titles in the early 1990s.

Buffalo sold out only about 55 percent of its games in the 1990s. And the figures haven’t been much better since. That was indicative last year, when the Bills final three homes games — all in December — were blacked out on local television because they failed to sell out.

The bitter cold and harsh conditions have been blamed for the poor turnouts.

It’s a concern that’s led the Bills and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer to question why the NFL would continue scheduling so many games in Buffalo this late in the season.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/bills-reach-home-stretch-of-schedule-wondering-if-fans-will-show-up-to-support-losing-team/2012/11/13/3ee3ce58-2df5-11e2-b631-2aad9d9c73ac_story.html

Seahawks sell out every game and they not exactly in the Super Bowl every year.

[The Anti-Java]

Goodell says HD is to blame.





Goodell concerned that HD is so good, there’s no need to buy tickets

 Posted by Michael David Smith on November 13, 2012, 4:32 PM EST


 PFT


For tens of millions of Americans, there’s nothing better than spending 12 hours or so every Sunday sitting at home watching NFL games on TV. That’s great for the NFL’s bottom line.
 
But the ideal situation for the NFL is for those home viewers to be watching games played in sold-out stadiums. And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he’s concerned that so many people enjoy the TV experience — especially as more and more people buy high-definition televisions — that fewer fans are willing to buy tickets to watch the games in person.
 
“One of our biggest challenges in the league is the experience at home,” Goodell said. “HD is only going to get better.”
 
Goodell made his comments before a group of Falcons fans in Atlanta, where the team and the league are asking for the city’s help in building a new stadium to replace the Georgia Dome. Goodell said that a good facility is the key to keeping the fans coming, but his statement raises an obvious follow-up question: If the fans are already perfectly happy to watch at home, and HD TV is only going to keep improving and keep making the at-home experience better, why should the fans support the use of taxpayer money to build a stadium?
 
As it is, many fans see no reason to spend their tax dollars or their disposable income to support watching games from the stands because they’re perfectly happy watching games from their couches.

[Bayfisher]

This guy has had enough. 

http://sportsfans.org/2012/10/guest-post-how-much-money-is-too-much-for-tampa-bay-bucs-ownership/

[Morgan]

It's a cash cow for the Glazers and players like Freeman earn $5 mil/season while dumbasses here lay a guilt trip on fans who decide not to subsidize the million/billionaires.

[Bayfisher]

Sales for the game were well behind last week’s pace and was not within range of an extension. It is the second straight time the Bengals have hosted a defending Super Bowl champ and the game has not sold out. The other case was against New Orleans in 2010.

The Bengals had declared sellouts for five straight games dating back to last season. Up until that point 10 of 11 had been blacked out. Through the first four home games of this season, they are averaging 95.9 percent of capacity (62,808). Last year at this point it was 76.3 percent of capacity or 49,959 fans per game.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2012/11/08/sundays-game-against-giants-is-blacked-out/

Looking this up for ten minutes shows numerous teams with ticket sale issues.  The real question is how many teams are quietly buying up the tickets.

[The Anti-Java]

Texans, Broncos. Cardinals all sell out on a regular basis.  And all of them have had some lean years.

[olafberserker]

I hear a lot of excuses, but see little fan passion when it comes to attending games.

My seats are $30 each, I pay on amonthly payment, and I NEVER, NEVER sit in my seat. So I guess I should thank the fans who'd rather watch a choppy interent feed than attend games so I can sit in the 200 section and stretch out.

did that most of last year and opening day this year.  as for the choppy internet feed, people keep saying that but I've watched multiple sporting events online with little to no problem.

[tripblood]

I understand your point Anti-J but if the Bucs put out a couple winning seasons back to back they will probably get back to selling out.

[ufojoe]

Why do so many of you get so angry that the stadium doesn't fill up and sell out? Who cares.

Fans of the team should care.

Sell out the stadium with screaming Bucs fans and we have a home field advantage that can (and has) affect the game in our favor. Whether it's causing a false start or causing the away team to buckle under the pressure of the sound, it matters. Why
would any of you not want this or not care about it?

Everybody on here should be hoping for a sellout each week. Really not that tough to understand why so many of us want
that. For me, that's the only reason. I live out of town so I don't have an issue with not being able to watch on TV.

[ufojoe]

Also, the Eagles are only an hour away as well.  So, while while there could 25-30 million people in the area, you'd have to allow that they are evenly split among the 3 teams.  So at most, you're talking about 10 million per team.

Philly is 2 hours from NYC. There is not an equal split of Jets, Giants and Eagles fans in the NY area. It's almost all Jets and Giants.

[jerseybucsfan]

Mercer County is the dividing line for Jets, Eagles and Giants fans. Philly is very provincial, not because they are good fans but because no one wants to transplant there. Giants fans extend all the way up to Central Conn. So all 3 teams are always well supported.

[ufojoe]

I guess I didn't spend enough time "down south." I never encountered Philly fans in Long Island or the boroughs of NYC. Didn't spend much time in Jersey so I guess that's where they are.

[olafberserker]

Mercer County is the dividing line for Jets, Eagles and Giants fans. Philly is very provincial, not because they are good fans but because no one wants to transplant there. Giants fans extend all the way up to Central Conn. So all 3 teams are always well supported.

bingo!

[Stratobuc]

Check the unemployment rate in Hillsborough / Pinellas lately? Things aren't looking up down here, thanks Mr. President. When this team is a playoff contender - people will fill the stands, just like they did 15 years ago.

[BucBalla85]

I think they will come back too. Jersey makes a good point about the local media. They were awful to this team for years. Dont know what their problem was. Also the Glazers pissed off some fans and that will take a little time. I think if the team continues down the road it is right now, the fans will come back. Why wouldnt they? This team is fun to watch and only getting better.