Comments on: Jaguars recognizing that Colts sellout might not come

By: SF Saints Fan

SF Saints Fan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:24:12 +0000

I believe the point Florio is making is that the Jaguars are having problems selling out the stadium even when they are 7-5, in a playoff run and are playing an undefeated division rival.
Even given all of the above legitimate facts, I just checked out the Jaguars season ticket and single game ticket prices, and I have to say, they are pretty damned high. Their “good” sideline seats are way more expensive that the Redskins, Niners and even a bit more than the Saints. The Jaguars “cheap” seats are also fairly expensive. Maybe the Jaguars should drop their prices to be more in line with some of the poorer cities in the NFL instead of charging more than some of the richer cities, or even New Orleans for that matter.

By: Adept

Adept — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:04:51 +0000

Bob Nelson: When was the last Vikings home game blackout?

By: kosmokenny

kosmokenny — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:47:51 +0000

North FL belongs to the Gators and the Noles. Having an NFL team there is almost as bad of an idea as putting one in Alabama.

By: Route36West

Route36West — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:43:33 +0000

Well imagine that you live in West Virginia and the Steelers have been your favorite team all your life then a football team comes to town called the West Virginia Sister Lovers. Why would you want to go watch the WV team play when your a Steelers fan.
I think thats what happened in Jacksonville they were all Bucaneers, Dolphins, or even Falcon fans so why would they spend their money to go see a team they dont even like. When you know you will miss your favorite teams game on tv if you go see the Jaguars.
If I moved away from philly to say California I wouldnt go to a Chargers game just b/c its their. I would stay home and watch the Eagles.

By: Jags in GA

Jags in GA — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:05:57 +0000

Using the money and buying tickets would solve nothing. It would do the opposite. People her have gotten used to the idea of football on TV, from their beloved Gators to the Jags they have not had to buy a ticket to see the games. In order to sell tickets we need to change the mindset. Hopefully the blackouts will. Otherwise, I will lose my local NFL team and have to revert to watching NFL on tv.

By: Jag4Life

Jag4Life — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:59:53 +0000

All the people and Florio continuing to bash Jax go right ahead. Most of you are just mad your team is 4-8 or worse. I know most of you are GM’s or owned a team in your former life and know everything. All of you are just victims of the times and follow whatever the big bad bully(Florio) tells you to follow. Instead of beating someone down why don’t you help them get up.
Florio, why don’t you personnally offer advice to fix this problem for the next upcoming season and seasons to come instead of bashing since you talk like you’re well connected in the league. But you know that’s what your followers want to hear so they can feel better about thier lives. Kick the little man while he’s down. That’s cool, keep on kicking cause just like most of the teams in the league that have had the same issue, the Jags will fix the problem and the people will come like they always have.

By: jj jones

jj jones — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:54:01 +0000

The game will be on TV. There are less than 400 tickets left to sell to get it on TV.

By: duffsbeer

duffsbeer — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:47:40 +0000

This isn’t about fan support, rather it’s about the egomaniacs that run professional sports. They hate to be proven wrong. The NFL forced franchises into places that aren’t supportive and now do not want to admit they are wrong. The same with the NHL and the idiocy of hockey in phoenix. If jacksonville with 1.8 million won’t support an n fl team then how does KC, St. Louis, Cinncinati, and New Orleans manage to support their teams with smaller populations. Some places just aren’t into that sport. The Phoenix coyotes have a fantastic arena, huge population area and tickets are only $25 for prime seats. Try to find a seat to a hockey game in Detroit, Boston, NY, for twice that price and you won’t. Teams have to move if there is no support or they will drag down the entire league. Move Jacksonville to Toronto or San Antonio or Las Vegas or Charlotte.

By: K-RoQ Smash

K-RoQ Smash — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:34:56 +0000

Bring them here to T.O. and THEN see if there’s excitement in the stands, rooting for our own team instead of two teams from other cities.
—————-
Sorry, T.O., but you’ve got dibs on Buffalo already.
Where else could the Jags move to? Salt Lake City? Portland? Oklahoma?

By: uncommonjohn

uncommonjohn — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:21:53 +0000

Now remember folks, any thought of moving out of Jacksonville would have to go through Tim Tebow first, then the governor would need to get in on the act, and maybe even Bobby Bowden.

By: 1JagFan

1JagFan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:57:02 +0000

@ BigBlue Fan
“The Bucks and Fish sell out”
You know the reason the Bucs sellout? Because of the same reason Florio suggested, some large corporate sponsor or community organization has stepped in to buy unsold tickets. This has also happended in Jax in the past, and obvioulsy this DOES NOT WORK LONG-TERM!
All this does is to create a habit of those fair weather fans not worrying about buying a ticket because they know someone will swoop in and buy the necessary remaining tickets so they can stay at home and watch it on tv.

By: James_D

James_D — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:32:14 +0000

This story is out of context at it’s finest. Here is a tweet from touchdownjax responding to a concerned fan about the game.
@ac_ec It was an early goal to lift the blackout for the Colts, which is looking positive, long-term is to Revive the Pride!
and another RT from urbanjax concerning ticket sales
urbanjax RT @FSBA: @urbanjax Heard the Colts game is around 1,500 for a sellout
Do believe everything Flrio says boys and girls. He likes to assume which ends up making as ass out of you & him.

By: Bigbluefan

Bigbluefan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:26:26 +0000

If its the fault of lack of money thats one thing but is that really the issue
Or is it a lack of support for the team
Times are tough all over not just in Jacksonville
The Bucks and Fish sell out
So its the lack of fan base if you dont have the fans find a city that wants a team
Dallas needs one
Virgina
Bet Orlando could support it
What ever you do dont go to LA they have had 2 chances already and lost both

By: raiderrob21

raiderrob21 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:14:45 +0000

Hey Gloryhole….
Move the team because the fans wont buy tix to sell it out?
I applaud them. I gave up my season tix for the Raiders, love em to death.
BUT>>>> I refuse to pay $80 per tix (4seats $320 plus fees)
$25 to park, $12 for a watered down 10oz cup of beer, $6 for a hot dog, or $5 for a 12 oz Pepsi. Wont do it anymore. Im glad to see fans around the league stand up to the NFL. Prices are out of control.
You can pay $400 to get the Sunday ticket from directv And watch EVERY game even Blacked out games in local markets! $400 is better than $3,200 in my book not including all the overpriced food! No thanks NFL I’ll spend my money elsewhere.

By: danlinker

danlinker — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:10:38 +0000

Well, negative press won’t help. You like to kick ‘em when they’re down right Florio? I believe the blackout issues are one of your favorite things to write about. If you like the Jaguars (if you REALLY do), get off their backs. Write some real football news instead of trying to fulfill your own personal agenda.

By: midwest

midwest — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:09:29 +0000

Oh…and you Colts fans who talk crap…Don’t forget that you wouldn’t support your team just two years before Manning showed up. Blackout after blackout after blackout. The RCA dome was half empty every Sunday, and that seated only 58k. I know, as I live in Indy. They used to put stickers on the non-sold seats so that if you wanted to you could move to that “empty” before the game started. Then Manning came along and built you a new stadium that is waaaaaay to big for your market.
Don’t think for a minute that after Manning retires and you come back down to earth with a loud thump, that you will consistently sell out Lucas Oil stadium.

By: Bob Nelson

Bob Nelson — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:06:39 +0000

The Jaguars have never done that much financially since Mark Brunell was QB.
The Vikings were always in trouble selling tickets until they begged Brett Favre out of retirement.
There was talk of moving the Saints before Drew Brees made them so popular.
The Raiders have had trouble selling tickets with Jamarcus Russell as the QB.
Until a team has a likeable QB that is a competent pocket passer with leadership skills, sales will suffer.
No other position affects sales so much.
You can’t tell me that even in this Obama depression there are not 70, 000 people in Jacksonville able to afford tickets. They just don’t want to buy tickets.
If they had Brett Favre they would sell tickets.

By: bgrubb7

bgrubb7 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:01:32 +0000

It would be ironic if Jacksonville moves to LA, considering that Jacksonville beat out St. Louis for an expansion team, thus allowing the Rams to move to STL…
Living close to the STL area, we were all shocked when Jacksonville got the team. IIRC, St. Louis Stallions shirts and hats had already been made, just waiting to hit store shelves.

By: joe.attaboy

joe.attaboy — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:59:24 +0000

As a Jaguars season ticket owner since the beginning, I’m getting a little tired of the writers and comments here telling me about where I live and what this city will and won’t support.
Let me make this clear: the city does support the team. The city has supported the team since the beginning. The problem isn’t this thing you all call “the city.”
I can think of a number of reason why the team is struggling to sell tickets. I can also think of the excuses people give. The differences is that there’s a reality in the struggles and myth in the excuses.
The people who use the excuses to not attend games WON’T ATTEND A GAME, NO MATTER WHAT. Here’s their mythical reasoning:
1. The team loses too much.
2. Yeah, they win, but it’s too hot.
3. Oh, the weather is nice today, but it’s too hard to get to the stadium.
4. I got there OK, but the beer was seven bucks.
5. I drank beer at the tailgate, but some people in front of me stood up and made noise.
6. The military fly-over was too loud.
7. The cheerleaders aren’t good looking enough.
8. I hate the mascot.
9. The team’s plays are too predictable.
10. I don’t like Jack Del Rio.
11. I don’t like David Garrard. They should draft Tebow.
12. Well, yeah, they drafted Tebow, but he’s playing linebacker. Or tight end.
13. Well, they made him a backup QB, but all he does is stand there with a clipboard.
You get the picture. None of this has anything to do with the Gators, or the other colleges, or Tim Tebow, or who the quarterback or the coach is. These people will NEVER buy season tickets. Hell, they’ll rarely buy single game tickets. Stop listening to these people.
Here are the realities:
1. This team came into existence long after the blackout rule was changed. Most don’t realize that, no matter how “unfair” the blackout rules appear to be, the team is not required to give away their product. Playing in an empty house to every TV in the city isn’t going to keep them in town, either, because they’ll go broke. People here don’t realize that at one time, local games were ALWAYS blacked out.
2. The steady, “cultural” fan base has been slow to build…just like every other NFL team in their early years. The people here crowing about this team need to remember that 15 years isn’t a long time in the history of most of the league, and the other franchises with solid fan bases have been here longer, and with much larger markets. The people who were kids when this team arrived and made it their team are only now getting out in the world. Maybe buying their own season tickets needs to take a back seat to eating and rent, especially in this economy (I know this first hand; I have one of those kids in my house).
3. No matter how you look at it, the economy in this part of Florida stinks right now. The majority of fan base is not made up of people with lots of disposable income. Those folks are sitting the club seats (which don’t count towards blackout numbers). No matter how you cut it, no matter how much the team lowers prices or helps with payment arrangements, season tickets for an NFL team are not cheap. And, with a 14% unemployment rate in the region, and a lot of people being very careful with the money they have, sometimes you have to give something up, and for a lot of people, it’s those season tickets.
4. Let’s have a look at the game in the story. The Colts are coming in one week before Christmas. This is exactly the same time we played them last season, Thursday night and everything. This is a perfect storm of economic issues for a lot of people. If they expect to have Christmas the week after, for a lot of folks, spending $40 or $50, or $100 on one or more tickets to a football game isn’t feasible at this time of year. This is a shame, it’s sad for the team and the city, but it is what it is. I’m not trying to use this as an excuse, but it’s a perfectly valid reason…if this game were any other time of the season, there’s would be no legitimate reason for it not to be sold out.
Let me give full disclosure here: my home is near Jacksonville, but for the past four seasons, I’ve worked away from home as an IT contractor. Two seasons in the Florida Keys (not a fun trip to the other end of the state) and the past two in D.C. I travel down for most home games. If we play on a Sunday or Monday, I’m nearly always there. But because of travel and work requirements, I’m going to miss this game on Thursday…but my wife and someone else will be in those seats.
I’m fortunate. I have the financial ability not only to own the tickets, but to make travel arrangements to be there from a distance. If I didn’t work where I am, making a higher income than I would back in Jacksonville, I might not be able to afford the tickets, either. It would be a struggle, at least.
That’s economic. It’s hit a lot of people hard and there isn’t much we can do about it until this cycle is over. The problem isn’t that people don’t care about the team…they just need things to get a little better in their own lives. There are ways to fix that, too, but that’s not a subject I wish to address here.
There has never been a case, since the merger, of a team leaving a city because of poor ticket sales. The issue is ALWAYS a stadium (you know, like in L.A.). We have a great facility here. JMS is NOT empty on Sundays. Things need to improve just a little, and the team and the people who love it are doing whatever they can to make that happen.
And, no, buying up the remaining tickets and giving them to charity isn’t the answer, either. That’s been done before, but the owner and by local companies like Winn Dixie. Now, people expect this to happen…they want a ticket savior who will do what they’re not willing to do so they can sit in their living rooms and enjoy the game. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. Yes, blackouts suck, but the Jaguars didn’t make up the rule, and you can’t expect the league to bend over for one without doing it for all. Besides, the team already gives away lots of tickets, to school programs and military folks. NFL teams are still businesses.
So, how about leaving us alone and let us enjoy our football?

By: FLPackerBacker

FLPackerBacker — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:58:23 +0000

To clarify, I think it’s horrible but unsurprising that the Jags are not selling out because of economic circumstances, population density issues and the fact that college football is way more important than pro football to that area of the state.
That said, how do you move this team? Where do they go?
And why should the NFL care if Weaver isn’t bitching? It’s HIS team, not the NFL’s, so if he’s not losing money despite the blackouts, or if he’s OK with losing money, why should the NFL step in? Now we all know he was trying to sell the team for years, but he’s stuck with the squad the last two years and backed off that rhetoric immensely despite the blackouts.
There are other teams that are failing to sell out right now (Detroit, KC) and with worse stadium situations (Oakland). I know Detroit and KC are awful, but they have a much longer tradition than the Jags. And Oakland has been around for half a century and are still getting some blackouts. That didn’t happen when GB when 4-12.
So I think this talk of moving the team needs to chill. Jacksonville has to figure out how to support this team, yes, but one season of blackouts isn’t reason for the NFL to step in and tell Weaver he has to move his franchise. And besides, I do believe that selling out was very, very tough to do for many teams in the 1980s including those with long traditions. Why wasn’t every team moved then?

By: chris

chris — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:58:16 +0000

Cover the entire upper deck, that will help!

By: midwest

midwest — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:50:19 +0000

Fire, ready, aim.
In the same article…
“Jaguars spokesman Dan Edwards said the team is pleased with sales for the Colts game.”
Would they be pleased if sales were bad for this game?
All you have to do is go to the jaguars website and try to buy two tickets together. the only ones remaining are club seats for $260 a piece. What does that tell you?
Also, why would the team not say whether or not the blackout would be lifted for this game? All year, they have said in advance whether or not the game will be blacked out, but not for this one.
Finally, of course the city is not going to say you accomplished its goal if you want more people to come out.
Florio, you are a tool. This website is complete garbage. All you do is take a story and interpret/spin it to drum up any kind of controversy you can.
You are a stupid, backwoods jerkoff!

By: Bill Cowher's Chin

Bill Cowher's Chin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:47:02 +0000

What?!?! They cant leave! How is every other team going to step aside and allow Jax to hand pick their first round draft pick (Tebow, right?) if they move…….. LMFAO

By: ThePatriotsCheated

ThePatriotsCheated — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:47:00 +0000

Why don’t all florida football teams just play in the center of the state and combine into one team.
Even with the best players from all 3 teams that florida team would still suk

By: samh

samh — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:41:17 +0000

I’m going to keep beating this drum until Florio quits beating his. Drum, I mean.
You keep saying the city “can’t or won’t” support the team as though it’s been 15 years of blackouts. Until this year, there were only a handful of games blacked out and even the blacked out games were only a few thousand tickets shy. this is the first truly bad year, and the reason is in part because this team was absolutely AWFUL last year and in part because every time the team is on the damned television they seem to be getting pasted by a crappy team.
Wayne Weaver’s not moving the team and I don’t know anybody wanting to shell out $800 Million for a team right now who will then ahve to shell out $800 million more for a new stadium.

By: hiddentrack

hiddentrack — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:37:13 +0000

Moving a team based on one season of non-sellouts is a bit of a rash decision, especially when, as many people have noted, the team would be moved to a city where its fan support may be even more uncertain.
A move would also create one major problem when you have teams like the 49ers, Raiders, Chargers, and Vikings trying to secure public money for their stadiums: Any move would be a statement from the NFL (and all 32 teams) that they are willing to give up on a city, no matter what the circumstances are, and no matter what agreement is in place between the team and the city (or state). What city or state is going to be willing to front upwards of hundreds of millions dollars to a team that may decide to bolt town at any point in time?
As far as the Jaguars’ ability to move, the lease the team renewed back in 2002 doesn’t expire until 2030, and while there are provisions that would allow the lease to be broken, they would be very difficult for the Jaguars to meet. It’s also my understanding that the NFL does not allow teams to break their stadium lease in order to move their team. Only a team without an active stadium lease is able to move.
But that’s not even the issue here. The Jacksonville market hasn’t yet learned how to react to what’s happening. They haven’t yet had the time to build the tradition that’s needed. Every other NFL team that has been through similar situations was able to weather the storm without the unnecessary attention and unrealistic expectations you and others are placing on the team and the city. Give it a rest. Give the city and the team the time it needs to correct what’s happened here. It can be done.
(And before anyone uses the Carolina Panthers to dispute the “not enough time argument”, they’ve been able to lock in their ticket sales through PSLs that generate a longer season ticket commitment, and a larger number of Fortune 500 companies in their market that can foot the bill for a large number of tickets.)
Local fans have been spoiled over the last several years as they were (almost) always able to turn on the TV and see the Jaguars play at home. It takes time to change this bad behavior, and the only mistake the organization made was not taking this tough love approach sooner. Ticket sales will improve next year, but the issue won’t be resolved. It may take another year or two. But every indication is that Wayne Weaver has some patience left in him, and since he’s the one who decides what happens to this team, why don’t we let all this speculation go?

By: FLPackerBacker

FLPackerBacker — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:33:11 +0000

Where could you move the team? Los Angeles has no real interest in having a team. They couldn’t keep the Rams who were there for decades and they couldn’t keep the Raiders when everyone was jumping on the LA bandwagon.
Look, as a non-Jaguars fan who lived a decade in Jacksonville, I’m not a homer for the team. And I think it’s ridiculous that the city has had a problem supporting the team ever since the “glory days” ended in 2000. ras611 is spot on; Winn-Dixie has been propping up the team for years, but that company has way too many problems of its own right now to keep buying tickets just so Jags quasi-fans can see the game on television.
Ponte Vedra supports The Players Championship own its own and, while being much more wealthy, is far smaller than Duval County. TPC has just as many people in attendance over a four day period as a Jags game, and a weekly ground pass is about $150. Hell, a one day pass is actually more than the price of a Jags non-premium seat!
The reality is that north Florida is an overgrown extension of the semi-rural south. Jacksonville is not a real “metropolis” and its population is spread over a massive area; it’s the largest city land-wise in the country meaning it has a low population density and people have to drive upwards of an hour to get to the downtown area. That’s like calling Waukegan part of Chicago; it’s not. And furthermore, the people have a passion for football there, but for college football. J’ville has had no problem getting people to drive hours to watch Florida-Georgia, come to the Gator Bowl or watch the ACC Championship before it moved to Tampa.
People just don’t care enough about pro football in Jacksonville and it sucks because the Jags have a solid squad and the city NEEDS that team to survive. All it has otherwise is Maxwell House and CSX and that’s not going to cut it.
As for me, sometimes I wish I was a Jags fan just so it had another supporter. But I spent my early childhood in Wisconsin so my blood is green and gold. My wife, however, is going to be very sad when the Jags leave. At least she can take comfort in knowing there’s no place to put this team for awhile.

By: evilboy128

evilboy128 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:32:37 +0000

I think Florio is one of the investors of the new LA stadium, otherwise he wouldn’t spend so much personal time rallying to get them out of Jacksonville. AND NO, FLORIO, your personal attacks and move the team talk show you DON’T like even the littlest bit. You know losing the Jaguars would kill this city and rise the crime rate here to near Flint, Michigan levels. You could care less for the unemployment that moving the team would cause and the worsening of the local economy. So, From all of Jacksonville to All of you anti-Jacksonville Florio nuthuggers, MERRY CHRISTMAS and F*** You VERY MUCH.

By: Bwa Ha Ha

Bwa Ha Ha — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:32:23 +0000

I say bite the bullet and bring ‘em to Vegas.
You could sell out to visiting teams whose fans might plan vacation around a game
The NFL is pretty much about gambling anyhow, why ignore reality?

By: Jax at least were not oakland

Jax at least were not oakland — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:32:07 +0000

Everything that I’m hearing in Jax is this game will not be blacked out because they will sell all their non premium seats, but it will not sell out because there will be club seats left. Go to ticketmaster and try to get a cheap seat…… you can’t.