He's right. Most people here would prefer to watch the game on TV than spontaneously combust in that stadium during a September game against St. Louis.
Seattle is a metropolitan area where a majority of the fanbase lives in the city or it's surrounding suburbs. Miami is not. Most of the fanbase is from Broward, and putting the stadium in downtown Miami just makes it harder for them to get there, which the MArlins learned this year, even though it shouldn't have been a surprise. The location of the stadium is fine. It's easy to get to with plenty of room for parking and tailgating. The location was fine for 15 of the 25 years the stadium has been open until we started going into the crapper as an organization.
Then you're the kind of fan that won't go to many games anywhere. I've watching from a poolside cabana is more appealing to you than being out in that very same beautiful weather at the stadium, I have to assume you'd rather watch the game from your living room in front of a roaring fire than in 14 degree weather in some northern outdoor stadium.
Well.. moneywise though. I mean, I'd spend around $200 to go to a game, between decent seats, drinks, food and parking. That $200 can do a lot of fun stuff elsewhere.
it's just great to look at that pic, then see who posted the line of butts and see the name "Bumrush"
Well, that's true, but a real fix probably should read - And by fan, specifically local fans. It might not seem like a realistic possibility, but it's always the teams with weakest attendance that are in the discussions for relocation. If numbers this putrid continue, it wouldn't be out of the question.
And this is one of the problems imo, we lose Reggie B we do have Miller from the U, but he's done little to even get on the field. So we lose a star, the yr after losing Marshall, replace them with draft choices, which probably won't be stars, then ask fans to shell out scared money to buy tickets to watch "them develop". Uhm, no. At this point, just objectively, the Bears are whipping our asses in the Marshall for Egnew and a #3 in 2013 trade
For all this talk about Seattle, let's remember that they only have one other professional sports team there, the Mariners, who happen to have sucked balls the past decade.
Yes, thats true. I would rather stay home than go watch a Sunday afternoon game. That is only because I'd rather watch 8 games all at once than one game, then miss the late games driving home. But that isn't my point really. I live in DC now, and every time there is a primetime home game for the Redskins, I go watch it. Going to a Sunday night game is a good deal for me, because I'm not missing any other action. There is nothing to do in DC on a Sunday night. Ask me what there is to do in Miami on a Sunday night, and I can list many things.
I mean sometimes, businesses try to make extra money on the side and the stuff they do actually hurts the main business. Like deciding to maybe create a musical celeb spectacle to try to promote the venue for concerts etc, but instead it making a football team look like it's about glamor and b.s orange carpet stuff. Trying to think of stuff to make the stadium sexier to NON-football fans, and in turn turning off your hardcore football fans. That's cutting off your nose to spite your face. I think you always need to serve your CORE biz and CORE audience first and forement. And only make biz decisions that do not in any negative way affect that. In our case, don't **** with our football. Put it first, second and third. Then worry about other stuff.
That's what happens when you leave a guy partially responsible for the old mess in charge of the rebuilding.
That may be true, but that's a problem with the fans. In most other cities, half the season is played in weather under 50 degrees and about a quarter of the season near or below freezing temperatures. And that is a different argument from the usual "there is so much more to do in South Florida" argument. If you are unwilling to be outside in those temperatures, then you really aren't doing anything that you can't do in any other NFL city (almost all of which have better attendance).
Or when your fanbase believes the lie after lie after lie from the media about coaching and qb searches.
Remains to be seen about the Argos, I seriously doubt that huge stadium has a waiting list, but do think they will be more popular. LA also has USC which is almost like having a good AAA team like Louisville, all of this things means the league is out of LA for a reason.
with Ozzies comments about Castro in the beginning of the season, that team was doomed...I guarantee you, do a comparison in ten years about attendance in Miami for marlins games, they only have to be as good as they've been and the new place will blow away the old place...you must give it a chance to settle into the culture. I love you as a friend, but As far as this subject goes, in relation to business, and investment, and concept, We don't share the same vision on how it could be accomplished.. There is a sure fire way to sell out every game regardless of how much the team is winning... It's called a building, and understanding what makes the great ones, over the cookie cutters.
I've lived in DC. From what I recall, you could do the same things in DC on a sunday night that you might do in South Florida. What are the things you'd do on a Sunday night in Miramar, Pembroke Pines or Hialeah that you can't do in DC?
Go to Miami and party. There are no good parties in DC. Not even on Fri or Sat nights, nevermind Sundays.
I think it's a combination of the two, honestly. And remember, as has been stated, many people that live here aren't from here. So not everyone is accustomed to the tropical temperatures of South Florida like those who live up North are to the cold weather. Besides, this problem isn't exclusive to South Florida. How about Tampa? Ever seen a Rays vs. Yankees on TV that's played in St. Pete? It's Bronx South. People move from cold weather cities to Florida every day. I'm not moving to Seattle or Cleveland or ****ing Boston anytime soon. Are you?
And when the Seahawks haven't been good, their homefield advantage was nothing special. All this mystical BS about a stadium being the attraction is complete nonsense that is borne out by attendance numbers at every enw stadium built over the lastd ecade. There is the intiial uptick that returns to normal levels.
As far as a percentage of capacity, the Dolphins are dead last in the NFL this year and by a wide margin. (74% filled; the next lowest is Tampa at 82%.)
You're 29 and in DC, I highly recommend you do what I did when I was in my 20s and in DC: Bars and Cougars.
DJ, outside of Seattle, what other building has made a difference in your mind? Tampa Bay has a fairly new stadium with close seats, a big pirate ship, etc., yet they have been blacked out every single home game except for one the last two seasons. There is nothing mystical or spiritual about attendance numbers and they have nothing to do with a stadium. The Cubs sell out Wrigley Field consistently and haven't won anything in 100 years. Teams win when they have good players and coaches. Winning and losing has nothing to do with atmosphere or how many fans are in the stands. The Dolphins did quite well in front of that 55,000 Sunday of which I was a part.
I like the implication that Miami is the only city in the NFL with stuff to do on a Sunday night. Seattle is a fabulous city. Great food, music, arts. Beautiful scenery. Not everyone wants to be sweating their balls off on a beach 24/7.
LA *had* USC. That run is done. and maybe that will increase the appetite for a pro team here, actually. USC did teach this town to love fooseball again.
Come on Deej, I agree with you on the impact of a venue being VASTLY underrated... but we can;t say that the market, the demographics, other sports, and the win-loss stuff doesn;t also affect attendance.
Totally right. I'm ONLY a Miami fan BECAUSE my Toronto family came to Florida every year. I was torn between Tampa and Miami until I saw Dan the Man. The truth is, I had not football team allegiance, being from Canada (Argo's no countee). But if I were a New yorker, Boston guy, Cleveland guy etc wintering in Florida, I doubt I adopt the dolphins with 100% of my loyalty like I did.
