Attendance 2019

[fansince1988]

1 hour ago, atomic said:

Even when they were winning a lot of games in Landover the games were mostly filled with opposing fans.  One game I went to was full of Islanders fans.  I didn't understand it as Islanders weren't selling tickets at their home arena.

Attendance didn't take off until Bruce Bodreau became coach and they ditched the trap and played run and gun hockey.  Plus they had the Rock the Red thing.  The attendance has stuck since then even with a losing season and boring team's under Hunter and Oates.  

Note, Ovechkin did not turn the team attendance around. It was a new style of play, combined, with lights and loud music and winning. 

I'm not sure I agree with this. Ovechkin's rookie year, and every year prior to that the Caps played in the MCI/Verizon Center the upper level was completely empty. The Caps popularity and attendance spike had everything to do with playing well in the regular season, and being competitive. I remember attending a game his rookie year, and I literally payed $50 for two tickets in the front row, on the glass, and there wasn't a single fan in the upper deck. Once they started winning, the place was packed.

[DrungoHazewood]

1 hour ago, atomic said:

Yeah I don't think any of those things will happen.  They might draw fans to the game or they might not. I would like to see someone win 30 games but how do guys even get 20 games in a season?  

 

They just need to change the win rule to give credit to whomever the official scorer deemed to have pitched the best for the winning team.  If Means goes seven innings, one run, and his team doesn't win until the 11th he can still get the win.  The current rule kind of made sense in 1910, not nearly so much in the last 40-50 years.

That version of the rule, combined with short outings, could lead to single pitchers racking up win totals not seen since the 1960s.

[DrungoHazewood]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

You asked how guys even get to 20.

I agree 30 isn't happening until someone has the guts to reinvent the pitching staff.

Combine openers and winners.  The Winner is the pitcher who comes in to pitch 2-3 innings whenever the opener leaves with a tie or a lead.  Opener can't get the win by rule, so it naturally goes to the next guy who's eligible.  He could throw 2-3 innings a game, 2-3 times a week.  On a good team he could win 40.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, DrungoHazewood said:

Combine openers and winners.  The Winner is the pitcher who comes in to pitch 2-3 innings whenever the opener leaves with a tie or a lead.  Opener can't get the win by rule, so it naturally goes to the next guy who's eligible.  He could throw 2-3 innings a game, 2-3 times a week.  On a good team he could win 40.

I just replied with nearly the same comment.

 

[atomic]

3 hours ago, fansince1988 said:

I'm not sure I agree with this. Ovechkin's rookie year, and every year prior to that the Caps played in the MCI/Verizon Center the upper level was completely empty. The Caps popularity and attendance spike had everything to do with playing well in the regular season, and being competitive. I remember attending a game his rookie year, and I literally payed $50 for two tickets in the front row, on the glass, and there wasn't a single fan in the upper deck. Once they started winning, the place was packed.

No they played well in the past and didnt have big crowds.  It was winning combined with exciting team and marketing.  I went to many half empty arenas in seasons that they were winning.

[GuidoSarducci]

15 hours ago, atomic said:

No they played well in the past and didnt have big crowds.  It was winning combined with exciting team and marketing.  I went to many half empty arenas in seasons that they were winning.

It was mostly about winning, although I suspect it was also who was on the team and fans expectations.  

http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph.php?tmi=8871

Attendance was pretty dismal in the 70s.  When the start winning in the 80s, you can see it pick up.  The Caps first playoff appearance was in 1983, they drew 12k that year.  The following year they only draw 11k, but continue to make the playoffs every year and attendance starts increasing reaching a peak of 17251 in 89-90.  They actually made the Conference Finals that year.  Then Abe Pollin won't pay Scott Stevens so he leaves for St. Louis.  The Caps make the playoffs next year, but atteandance is down slight to 16608.  It continues to decline in the early to mid 90s, reaching a low of 14k in '94-'95, despite the Caps making the playoffs every year. But they never get far, always losing in he 1st or 2nd round.   It may have been that fans became a bit fatigued of simply making the playoffs with a  first or second round exit.  Or it may have been the lack of a legit superstar or poor marketing.

Attendance rebounds a bit back up to 15k the next two years ( '95-'96, '96'97), Caps continue to at least make the playoffs, but lose in the first round.    In 1997 MCI Center opens, but attendance doesn't appear to be affected much and actually declines to 15275 from 15761 the year prior.  That year they make the Stanley Cup Final but get swept by Detroit. 

In 98-99, the year after the Cup run, they drew 17k compared to 15k the year prior.  After they miss the playoffs that year, attendance drops down to 14k the following year, they get the playoffs but lose in the fist round two years straight, attendance is between 14-15k.   They sign Jaromir Jagr in 2001, attendance picks up to 17k, despite missing the playoffs.  Next year attendance dips to 15k, they make the playoffs but have a first round exit.  '03-'04 turns into a disaster, Jagr is traded, they miss the playoffs, attendance declins to 14720.   '04'-05 players are locked out and season is cancelled. 

After resuming play in '05-'06, Ovechkin's fist year, attendance reaches a low of 13905.  Next year it pretty much holds steady at 13929.  In '07-'08, Caps finally make the playoffs and draw 15472, the following year its up to 18k and hasn't been below that number ever since.

While winning alone may not draw crowds, it is very hard to draw crowds if you don't win. 

 

 

 

 

[atomic]

13 minutes ago, GuidoSarducci said:

It was mostly about winning, although I suspect it was also who was on the team and fans expectations.  

http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph.php?tmi=8871

Attendance was pretty dismal in the 70s.  When the start winning in the 80s, you can see it pick up.  The Caps first playoff appearance was in 1983, they drew 12k that year.  The following year they only draw 11k, but continue to make the playoffs every year and attendance starts increasing reaching a peak of 17251 in 89-90.  They actually made the Conference Finals that year.  Then Abe Pollin won't pay Scott Stevens so he leaves for St. Louis.  The Caps make the playoffs next year, but atteandance is down slight to 16608.  It continues to decline in the early to mid 90s, reaching a low of 14k in '94-'95, despite the Caps making the playoffs every year. But they never get far, always losing in he 1st or 2nd round.   It may have been that fans became a bit fatigued of simply making the playoffs with a  first or second round exit.  Or it may have been the lack of a legit superstar or poor marketing.

Attendance rebounds a bit back up to 15k the next two years ( '95-'96, '96'97), Caps continue to at least make the playoffs, but lose in the first round.    In 1997 MCI Center opens, but attendance doesn't appear to be affected much and actually declines to 15275 from 15761 the year prior.  That year they make the Stanley Cup Final but get swept by Detroit. 

In 98-99, the year after the Cup run, they drew 17k compared to 15k the year prior.  After they miss the playoffs that year, attendance drops down to 14k the following year, they get the playoffs but lose in the fist round two years straight, attendance is between 14-15k.   They sign Jaromir Jagr in 2001, attendance picks up to 17k, despite missing the playoffs.  Next year attendance dips to 15k, they make the playoffs but have a first round exit.  '03-'04 turns into a disaster, Jagr is traded, they miss the playoffs, attendance declins to 14720.   '04'-05 players are locked out and season is cancelled. 

After resuming play in '05-'06, Ovechkin's fist year, attendance reaches a low of 13905.  Next year it pretty much holds steady at 13929.  In '07-'08, Caps finally make the playoffs and draw 15472, the following year its up to 18k and hasn't been below that number ever since.

While winning alone may not draw crowds, it is very hard to draw crowds if you don't win. 

 

 

 

 

They never had consistent sell outs until the current era.  

And Scott Stevens leaving to do with money. It was gang rape of a 17 year old in the limo.  All the players involved were let go. Courtnall, Sheehy and Stevens gone before the next season started. Ciceralli gone the year after. Traded for a nothing player. 

[Satyr3206]

Attendance will pick up when the Fans see some light at the end of the tunnel. That means more wins. It's always been that way. Better Marketing, Promotions, and Customer Relations can help a little but it will take winning to make a big jump.

[Tony-OH]

Please stay on the subject of Orioles attendance in 2019. 

[Redskins Rick]

2 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Please stay on the subject of Orioles attendance in 2019. 

My apologies

[Beetlejuice]

On 9/25/2019 at 3:08 PM, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

The way I understand PSL's, it is a one time fee you pay up front. And if you sell your season tickets then you list your PSL's on the secondary market. From what I have read,  a lot of fans have trouble selling their PSL's and often have to sell them for less than what was initially paid upfront. 

I recall that a lot of Ravens STL made a crap ton (legitimate metric) selling their PSL they initially bought from the Ravens.  The problem with selling that PSL now is that the life of the PSL is only as good as the life of the stadium.

I can’t imagine the Raven’s would have the balls to ask the citizens of Baltimore to pay for a new stadium.  Even assuming they could build one in an adjacent parking lot.  If I were a citizen in a jurisdiction where a pro team wanted a new stadium, I’d raise hell with local government.  One demand I would give is that under no circumstances is TicketMaster be allowed to issue tickets.  Their monopoly is bad for consumers.  Why pay for a new stadium and then be forced to pay higher ticket prices because of a monopoly.  F em.

[Beetlejuice]

On 9/25/2019 at 8:39 PM, atomic said:

No they played well in the past and didnt have big crowds.  It was winning combined with exciting team and marketing.  I went to many half empty arenas in seasons that they were winning.

Oh God, please don’t.  If the marketing people sees this they will only double down their efforts at playing crappy music, stupid contests, and NOISE.  No matter the pro sporting event, they fill every non game event second with noises.  All to create “energy” so that kids bug their parents to come back to games.  God forbid there are a few minutes of quiet and you can actually talk to the person next to you.  It’s simultaneously frustrating and infuriating.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Beetlejuice

[atomic]

57 minutes ago, Beetlejuice said:

Oh God, please don’t.  If the marketing people sees this they will only double down their efforts at playing crappy music, stupid contests, and NOISE.  No matter the pro sporting event, they fill every non game event second with noises.  All to create “energy” so that kids bug their parents to come back to games.  God forbid there are a few minutes of quiet and you can actually talk to the person next to you.  It’s simultaneously frustrating and infuriating.

This article is for you.  

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/sports/baseball/baseball-knitting.html?action=click&module=Editors Picks&pgtype=Homepage

[Natty]

https://i.redd.it/k9fi7hod18o31.jpg

This pretty much sums it up.

[TonySoprano]

Quote

 Major League Baseball’s average attendance dropped 1.7% this year for its fourth straight decline, and five of the six biggest drops were by teams with losing records.

Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco and Detroit combined for more than 1.8 million fewer tickets, and a 259-388 won-lost record.

The 30 teams averaged 28,339, according to the commissioner’s office, down from 28,830 last year _ the first time the average was below 30,000 since 2003. Total attendance of 68.5 million was down more than 5 million from 2015.

Quote

Toronto had the biggest home attendance drop, falling 575,137 in a season in which the Blue Jays went 67-95 for their third straight losing season and most losses since 1980.

Quote

Baltimore dropped 256,385 while going 54-108, and the Orioles’ 1.3 million fans at home were their fewest in a non-shortened season since 1978 at old Memorial Stadium.

In all, home attendance dropped for 14 of the 30 teams, although three of those teams fell by less than 100,000, Miami rose by 198 people to 811,302 while going 57-105 in Derek Jeter’s second season as chief executive.

https://www.apnews.com/2a14acf3f2194d65b90e74f23d9d9ab3