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Dolphins Ticket Sales Worst in 28 Years

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Darrelle Revis, Sep 4, 2011.

  1. Darrelle Revis

    Darrelle Revis I BELIEVE!

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  2. BlameItOnTheHenne

    BlameItOnTheHenne Taking a poop

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    Whether it's in front of a sell out crowd or a crowd of 10 people, the Phins will still kick your ***.
     
  3. Larryfinfan

    Larryfinfan 17-0...Priceless Club Member

    Nothing a few wins won't cure...but with the asinine antics of this FO this past year, is the fact that ticket sales are down ??
     
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  4. MikeHoncho

    MikeHoncho -=| Censored |=-

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    Drop the prices. Duh.
     
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  5. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    The Miami Heat are THE game in town....
     
  6. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

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    I doubt that would make much of a difference unless it was something insane like 50%. Then of course everybody who already got tickets would be pissed, refunds would follow and they would end up making less overall.
     
  7. Phyl

    Phyl New Member

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    Bad economy + team that won 1 home game + no splashy big time free agent signings

    Not surprising. If the team comes out of the gate strong and wins a few home games, ticket sales will pick up.
     
  8. Gunner

    Gunner Rock Hunter

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    Nothing like a Jet fan being right on top of the obvious ... JESTs.jpg
     
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  9. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I think dropping the prices and holding well advertised sales would make a difference, absolutely. I hadn't really planned on buying season tickets or anything but I know at one point they had a one-day sale of season tickets and the price was low enough that even I was like...damn, I might do that. They allotted a special number of tickets for that one-day sale and sold out of them immediately. Holding sales and specials would absolutely make a difference IMO.

    You really have a confluence of factors leading to this:

    1. The effect of the lockout is very real and the NFL under-estimated it. They were very lax in their handling of the timeline and only got serious with each other at the very last, last, last possible minute. Stephen Ross can't blame his fellow owners because he showed at various points with his statements that he was among the most hardline of the owners in their stance against players, and some of his statements may have influenced the negotiations negatively.

    2. Fan enthusiasm for the Dolphins in particular is bad right now, like it or not. They ended the year with a second straight late-season swoon, including the worst performance I've seen the Dolphins put on since the 62-7 playoff showing, and their answer seems to be "more of the same". More Chad Henne. More Tony Sparano. Only two new coaches on the offense (Nixon and Daboll). Taking a guy that's never been a featured back even in college, has a dubious record of carrying the ball, and making him your featured back. No "future" guy to groom at the QB position. Just more of the same. Whether it's right or wrong, they had to know the fans wouldn't like it.

    3. This is a terrible economy right now, especially in Florida. People are pinching pennies all over the place and a lot are unemployed, and let's face it going to a football game as opposed to watching it on television is increasingly becoming a luxury item. Every year ticket prices and expenses combine with the increasing quality of the home experience (bigger, cheaper, higher quality televisions; better television broadcasts) to make attending football games out of reach for the small folk, only to be attended by the wealthy.

    4. I think the Miami Heat really are legitimately having an effect. Maybe some disagree but I think they are.
     
  10. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

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    Season tickets are a luxury item. If people are pinching pennies and/or unemployed, a $100 drop isn't going to make them splurge or change their enthusiasm for the team. The only thing that would change the sales is winning or bringing in some name that would get people excited.
     
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  11. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I disagree. People are pinching pennies out of fear because this is an uncertain economy, and unemployment is so high that if the worst were to happen to them and they lose their job, they're not confident they could find another one in a timely fashion. That doesn't mean these people don't have a pot to piss in. The effect of sales and price cutting especially in this venue is very real and effective. My guess is the Dolphins don't want to do it because they may have to give refunds to season ticket holders that already paid for the same exact season tickets that would now be cheaper. It's a big pill to swallow for the Dolphins, but it would be an effective one.
     
  12. jw3102

    jw3102 season ticket holder

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    When I wrote on here several months ago that I would not be renewing the four season tickets I have been purchasing for the last 30 years. There were several individuals on this forum who told me that it didn't matter, because there were plenty of Dolphin fans who would buy these tickets. I also stated at that time there were several season ticket holders I knew who also were not going to be renewing their season tickets. I always figured that the Dolphins were going to have a very difficult time selling season tickets this year and I warned that several of the Dolphin games would likely be blacked out.
    I don't know about many of the former season tickets and whether or not it was a financial reason they did not renew their tickets. I do know that the cost of going to the games had nothing to do with my decision not to renew my tickets. My decision was based totally on how Ross has managed the team and the organization since he purchased the team. He seems to care far more about bringing in celebrity minority owners than he does about putting a winning team on the field. I don't think Ireland and Sparano are up to the task of turning this team around and becoming a serious playoff contender. While I will miss attending games and seeing many of the fans I have befriended over the many years I have been a season ticket holder. I just did not feel that I could justify continuing to spend thousands of dollars a year on season tickets, when I no longer have faith that the Dolphins are really interested in providing season ticket holders a product which we can be proud of. If Ross actually does the right thing and brings in a new GM and Head Coach next year and shows he is really committed to returning the Dolphins to the organization it was during the Shula years. I will gladly purchase season tickets for the 2012 season. As for this season, I will watch the Dolphins when their games are on TV and when they are blacked out, I will go play 18 holes and find out the score when I get home from the golf course.
     
  13. Phyl

    Phyl New Member

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    There's also the fact that the NFL is a sport that's as good, if not better, on TV than it is in real life. When I'm at home, I don't have to pay $8 for a beer unless it's a Chimay or a 12 pack of Yuengling. I don't have to pay $9 for dried out chicken tenders and soggy fries. Not to mention, for the early games in the season, I can sit at home at 74 degrees with plenty of room to stretch my legs instead of being crammed into a 18"x18" seat with 70,000 people in 95 degree weather and 90% humidity. Also, there's freedom to move around the dial when the game you want to watch is on commercial break.
     
  14. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Prior to waiver awards today, the Dolphins now have 13 new members of the team. There are the six draft picks Mike Pouncey, Daniel Thomas, Clyde Gates, Charles Clay, Jimmy Wilson and Frank Kearse, plus Reggie Bush, Jason Taylor, Jason Trusnik, Marc Colombo, Kevin Burnett, Marvin Mitchell and Matt Moore.

    I think that's a strong "we were always on the right track" statement from the team...and if the public is putting a tighter hold on their wallets, part of it is because they disagree.
     
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  15. FinsAreLife

    FinsAreLife Well-Known Member

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    If we dont win this year it'll only get worse.
     
  16. finserg

    finserg Well-Known Member

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    Very well said,Im pretty sure next year will find another a new coach.I dont think we will replace the GM as they are good friends with the owner
     
  17. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Not necessarily. If we don't win this year the regime will be ousted and Stephen Ross I think we all know is kind of a name guy, so he'd go out and get some hot name (not a Cam Cameron, in other words), and then people would show up to games because of their enthusiasm for the new coach.
     
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  18. GridIronKing34

    GridIronKing34 Silently Judging You

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    Well, we will either win and ticket sales will go up. Or we will lose and Ross will likely hire a flashy coach and ticket sales will go up. Just IMO.
     
  19. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    More than that. New WR coaches (Steve Bush, Ike Hilliard). New TE coach (Dan Campbell). Dorell moved to a new coaching spot, which counts as a new QB coach. And the defense also has a few new coaches, like Bryan Cox teaching pass rush.

    Whatever good this new coaching staff may have done is largely negated by the lockout.

    This goes without saying. Pat Riley is a regional deity right now. His hobby is jabbing Jeff Ireland in the *** with lightning bolts.
     
  20. jw3102

    jw3102 season ticket holder

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    For me to purchase season tickets again. Either the Dolphins need to have a complete turn around this season and make a serious run in the playoffs. If not and the Dolphins are once again a mediocre team. Both Ireland and Sparano must go before I would even consider buying tickets to another Dolphins game.
     
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  21. PHINZ4LIFE

    PHINZ4LIFE New Member

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    Start out 2-0 and sales willl climb! Letz do this PHINZ! Shock the world.
     
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  22. Makados10

    Makados10 Active Member

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    Not a surprise.

    Usually when I heard about some Dolphins' headline, it was something negative. They did some nice things, signing Bush / Burnett and having high player organized workouts, but this is the public perception of a disorganized franchise:

    Ross flying across the county to interview coach, Sparano extended!

    Dolphins hire new offensive coordinator Daboll, the OC of the only team ranked lower than the Dolphins in scoring

    Dolphins cut personnel salaries during lockout, lot of teams do this but only becomes a national story when the Dolphins did it

    Ross/Ireland/Sparano we have to find a better QB all offseason, Henne is ranked a bottom 5 QB in most opinion polls

    Dolphins are going to draft Ingram & Mallet, Dolphins draft Pouncey and Thomas

    Marshall stabbed by GF, last remnant of a diva receiver era

    Dolphins don't offer to resign Ricky or Ronnie, they sign with Baltimore and Eagles

    Dolphins sign arguably the worst rated RT in the league, Dolphins are the Cowboy's castoff practice squad

    Dolphins to honor Tebow at home game, pissed off Hurricanes

    Dolphins bring in woman beater Larry Johnson, cut him a week later after he performs decently
     
  23. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Every one of those coaches you named was already here in 2010. I don't count them as "new coaches". The only outside influences they brought in were Jeff Nixon and Brian Daboll.
     
  24. Muck

    Muck Throwback Uniform Crusader Retired Administrator

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    In speaking towards how Ross run the organization, I've heard that he is a micro-manager.

    That some of his decisions had resulted in an overall lowering of morale inside the building (non-football people) and of others that simply didn't make sense, and were proven as such.
     
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  25. siciliansith

    siciliansith Resident Deviant

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    IMO the economy plays the biggest part in this. With internet/social media available there's less urgency these days on getting to the game. You can pretty much watch it live in real time with all your buds. My buddy and me get together on Skype and watch games all the time, I watch him drink beer, pick his nose and talk smack. Without 8 dollar beers lol. All from my seat in NY and his in Tampa.

    Don't get me wrong winning one game at home hurts and is a large factor but cost are up everywhere and we are all tightening the belts to be safe. JMO

    Lower costs people will come, and win games.

    EDIT: Also you starting this topic up makes me think you are trolling a bit! My advice get new bait.
     
  26. muscle979

    muscle979 Season Ticket Holder

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    Put a good Dolphins team on the field and the Heat won't matter in regards to Dolphins ticket sales. A competitive football team would never be hurt by basketball. Unless south Florida is a poorer football market than I realize. I am a north Floridian so I could be missing something here. I currently live near Baltimore. The 90s Chicago Bulls could jump into a fountain of youth, reunite, and come to Baltimore and they wouldn't outdraw or take away from the Ravens. There's no way. I don't see what the Heat have to do with the Miami Dolphins.
     
  27. NaboCane

    NaboCane Banned

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    7-9 and 7-9.

    Mediocrity is much worse than losing a lot.
     
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  28. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    Bryan Cox and Ike Hilliard absolutely were not here in 2010. Cox was in Cleveland coaching their defensive line, for example. (I know you're talking about the offensive side of the ball, I'm just giving an example.)

    I get where you're coming from, but we'll have to agree to disagree about the organizational chart. Just as an example, Tim Cook may not be new to Apple, but he's still their new CEO.
     
  29. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    I really dont care if I ever go to another NFL game. It's just costs too damn much. I'd rather stay at home and watch it on tv with my friends. I have 5 tv's going every Sunday and that is more fun. I don't have to deal with the traffic, high priced food/drinks.
    In 2008 when the Dolphins came out here to Denver, I had no intentions of going to the game, but I got free club level tickets, so I went. If I had to pay for those tickets, face value of $350 each, no way I would have gone.
    It just costs too much to go to a game anymore. To top it off, the NFL is not about football anymore, it's about money. The league is very pussified now.
     
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  30. muscle979

    muscle979 Season Ticket Holder

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    I agree. I went to my first NFL game two years ago, the Falcons/Dolphins opener and I couldn't believe the prices. I paid close to 70 bucks a ticket to sit way up in the upper deck. This isn't even counting what I have to pay to park and for concessions. For that ticket price I can go to a baseball game and sit close enough to heckle players and umpires. Money and an expectation of losing was unfortunately the reason I didn't bother going to the Dolphins/Ravens game last November. If I went to a Braves game down in Georgia and they lost, big deal, I didn't have to spend much at all. To put out football game type money I need to believe they can win.
     
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  31. Dolphins1Beatles

    Dolphins1Beatles Ziggy Stardust

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    I looked up tickets for when the Dolphins are here against the Jets and Giants. Prices have skyrocketed here because of the PSL people have to pay to buy season tickets. Can't find a ticket for below $100...and that's for the upper deck. It's even worse for the Giants because all their tickets are sold through season tickets, the Jets have some individual tickets that go on sale up there, but they're still expensive. Would rather watch on TV.

    Dolphins may be hurt also by a lack of individual sales to the many fans who live outside of Miami. There are tons who've flown down to Miami and went to the Dolphins game and it was like a vacation. I'm assuming that number has dropped a lot. They should just lower prices for the upper deck, or work out promotions with grocery stores or something where you spend a certain amount you get cheap tickets. Dolphins are bad with their promotions, never heard of them doing anything like that. When the team starts winning again you can raise prices back to normal and people will go.

    I'm actually surprised they sold 61,000 season tickets in 2005 after that awful 2004 season. Have a 10-6 season or better and people will show. Look at 2009, those primetime games were the loudest that stadium was since Ricky's first year.

    They've also gotten lots of negative press and fans see the FO as stubborn, which is true.
     
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  32. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    What's next for the owners is to put in pay to piss in the bathrooms. I also saw the new 2011 Rebok hat was selling for $36 phucking dollars? I know this is the last year for Rebok, but Phuc that. I'm cool with 18-20 bucks for a hat or tee, but 36.....they can kiss my a$$.
     
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  33. Section126

    Section126 We are better than you. Luxury Box

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    They are in the same market and are competing with each other for the sports entertainment dollar.

    One has sold out season tickets for the next 4 years and has a waiting list while charging individuals $250 just to be on a list to have the privilege of buying season tickets.

    The other is the Miami Dolphins.

    To put it in perspective:

    The Heat has sold 18k season tickets for 4 years. That is the equivalent of the Dolphins selling 72k season tickets in one year, or the Dolphins locking in sellouts for the next 4 years.

    And to top it off...the average ticket prices are HIGHER for the Heat.

    In short..it has EVERYTHING to do with the Heat.

    and the simple facts are that the Miami Heat treats their customers much much better. The Dolphins treat you like a nuisance.
     
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  34. CitizenSnips

    CitizenSnips hmm.

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    especially since the NBA is in a worse lockout and isn't going to end this year.

    You could argue the fact that fans won't get to see the Heat this year should help the dolphins sell tix.
     
  35. NaboCane

    NaboCane Banned

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    That's a good point, and it should help the Phins...and yet, here we are, facing 4 blackouts and struggling with season ticket sales.
     
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  36. TiP54

    TiP54 Bad Reputation

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    Really? YOU of all people posting this? Mr. buy a jersey get two free tickets to a game? GTFO.
     
  37. finsincebirth

    finsincebirth Well-Known Member

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    This.

    https://www.teammarketing.com/public/files/2010_NFL_FCI.pdf

    The Above URL will lead you to a chart that shows the FCI, or essentially what costs an average family of four to attend football games. The FCI includes Two adult tickets, Two child tickets, Four small soft drinks, Two beers, Four Hotdogs, Two Progams, parking, and Two adult hats. You'll see that the average FCI is $420.54, and the dolphins are in the lower tier at $386.16. The Cowboys are the highest at $617.80. Now even though we are below average, it is still hard for some people to swallow. Now this is one of the reasons that I am opposed to the building of a new stadium. If a new stadium is built you will see prices increase drastically, especially due to PSL's like other posters have mentioned.

    Now Stephen Ross and his crazy ideas aren't always the best, and they don't go over very well. However I understand why he is doing the things, because like the poster above many people are turning to staying home since it is cheaper, cooler and you generally get better quality video.
     
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  38. firedan

    firedan Well-Known Member

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    I hate to admit it but there is nothing like a black out to get my azz to drive down to a game.Mabey more people in the seats would be a good thing.
     
  39. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

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    So if the Dolphins announced that tickets would be $100 cheaper, would that have changed your choice? My guess based on what you said is "no, it wouldn't". It sounds to me like there are two primary classes of people who aren't renewing tickets. One is doing it for economic reasons. Most of those people had to make cuts and wouldn't come back for a little lower price. And with all the refunds they'd have to give there's probably a net loss to the organization. The other class did it b/c they lost faith. They aren't coming back for a lower price at all.
     
  40. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Im not really into what it costs a average family for one team compared to another, but the bottom line is how much is it going to cost me. Even though I got those tickets for free, I still paid like 19 bucks (ish) for fricking nachos. I have family that live very close to Mile High, so parking cost is not a issue. Watching a game on tv (for me) is better because you get replays and you usually get good video. At the game, you miss so much.
    Bottem line is, I'm not going to pay that much to support any team.
     

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