Comments on: U.S. Senator from Ohio calls for end to “failed” blackout policy

By: returnofjags

returnofjags — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:01:24 +0000

It’s Bush’s fault….just joking. Stadiums should sell out. Fans shouldnt expect a handout. Thats the problem with this country right now.
I’m a season ticket holder for the Jaguars yet I live in Virginia. It is an expensive passion that I have but I’ve had to just work much harder to be able to afford to support my team to the fullest.

By: wolfpacka42

wolfpacka42 — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 03:25:15 +0000

Senator Brown needs to worry about keeping the country from going broke. I LOVE the Blackout Rule. As a Jet Fan I will not pay $25,000 for a Personal Seat License and $700 per game tickets. If the games were affordable I would be there. Also if you can’t put out a competitive team like Buffalo, Jacksonville, Bengals (exclude this year), Cleveland etc then you deserve to be blacked out. In fact I want the Blackout Rule Strengthened. Simple if the home game is not sold out then it needs to be blacked out in the home TV market. The owners of the teams blacked out lose major advertising dollars which is more than the PSL’s. There should be no rule getting around blackouts by owners buying the remaining seats. I could care less about a stadium that I spend 3-4 hours in. Simple No Sellout then Home TV Market Blackout.

By: raiders757

raiders757 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:13:49 +0000

The rent is too damn high!!

By: guypatsfan

guypatsfan — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:34:32 +0000

On the other hand, a good number of games were blacked out back in 1990 when the Patriots were 1-15, which wasn’t a bad thing, since the team sucked so bad when they were on the road that nobody wanted to go to that excuse for a stadium (the original Foxboro). Get a better team and a nicer stadium, and the fans will come back.

By: philtration

philtration — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 06:05:55 +0000

Having worked at Soldier Field for 4 years, I have been to many NFL games and saw them from different vantage points around the stadium and I can tell you that watching the game is much so better on T.V.
It just is.
Better views, instant replay, no lines to relieve yourself, cold beer for a fraction of the price, better food, no parking required, no drunken jerks to deal with, comfortable seating, perfect conditions in your home no matter what month it is…

If the fans do not want to support the team in Cincinnati then they can have tractor pulls at their new stadium while the Bengals move to Columbus.
Start running the league like it is a business instead of an inheritance.

By: buzzbissinger

buzzbissinger — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:42:35 +0000

Botton Line: In order to sell their “product”, the NFL needs YOU, more than YOU need the NFL.

Amen brother, it’s a shame that I can ONLY give you one thumbs up.

By: demoderbydoug

demoderbydoug — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:32:13 +0000

First let me say that the NFL must employ no one in marketing or else they would see they are ruining their brand and standing with fans with the high ticket prices after a lockout and strictly enforcing the blackout rules in a bad economy.

Second one thing really stood out to me in the story above:

and ensuring that we can continue to keep our games on free TV,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement to USA Today.

REALLY!!! Is that why games are broadcast on the NFL network that is part of a premium package for most cable providers? And the NFL plans to add more Thursday night games where the average fan who is lucky enough to have a job and can afford tickets can’t go. NFL needs to hire some marketing and PR professionals very soon.

By: pressmephilly

pressmephilly — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:20:39 +0000

Sherrod Brown get a real job, loser…..

By: fourthand20

fourthand20 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:37:36 +0000

Don’t all states have two senators?

By: kevinofili9

kevinofili9 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:26:44 +0000

Jacksonville doesn’t blackout (fact). Hence move the LA relocation talks to the Ohio teams…people move out of that state anyways (another fact)

By: skinsfantom

skinsfantom — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:04:03 +0000

firemarshalldouche or whatever your name is, YOU SIR ARE A DOUCHE

By: gmen1987

gmen1987 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:41:29 +0000

derekjetersmansion says: Dec 23, 2011 8:14 PM

NFL tickets are 95% bought before hand (NBA is not even at 80%, I don’t think). If the team sucks for a long period, no one will go, regardless of how nice the owner is. Donald Sterling will get sellouts the whole year but he’s a despicable scumbag.

This is a Cincinnati issue.

Winning sells tickets most of the time.

Well-run winning organizations will always sell more tickets than bad organizations.

Owning a sports team is a semi-public service, and not just a business venture. Some owners understand this, some don’t.
==================================
Last time I checked, the Bengals were a playoff contending team. No excuse for Bengal “fans” not to support their team.

By: brownsfantildeath

brownsfantildeath — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:41:06 +0000

Cincinnati shouldn’t even have an NFL franchise. Their fans should be lucky that they are getting to watch the Browns every week instead. We might suck, but at least are fans are loyal enough to sell out the stadium every week. Cincy can’t even sell out when they are in the middle of a wild card hunt. Pathetic!!!

By: gmen1987

gmen1987 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:39:25 +0000

This Senator is an idiot. I guess players should pay in virtially empty stadiums. If the local populace can’t support and NFL team, then it’s time for that team to move when it’s lease is up,

By: briang123

briang123 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:30:56 +0000

The blackout rule, which is not an issue in Philly, is a relic of the past. As a guy that has seen 150+ Eagles home and away games in person, I am now getting to the point where I am not as motivated to go to the games anymore, because. The experience at home is just too good, especially with the Red Zone Channel. Plus, I was diagnosed with cancer last year and I am not in the same health I used to be. I feel bad for the old sickly person that has loved the Bengals for years and now can’t go and can’t watch. I would be fine with a one year experiment where the NFL says we’ll waive the blackout rule but if attendance suffers we will put in back in.

By: dachozen1

dachozen1 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:12:03 +0000

I hear the anti government sentiment on this website but everyone sure loves the dictator of football Goodell.

By: hockeyfan1701

hockeyfan1701 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:05:29 +0000

They should look at MLB’s before they look at the NFL’s. You can live 300 miles from a city with a team and be blackout of every game….

By: buzzbissinger

buzzbissinger — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:03:15 +0000

I guess that’s what you call, ‘having your cake and eating it too’ the way the teams/NFL basically blackmail the comminity into funding the stadium, then the blackmail them again by not broadcasting games becuase they don’t sell all of the tickets…pretty smarmy.

The main reason I refuse to cater to their needs by spending ZERO on merchandise or tickets…screw ‘em.

By: kingkornkahn

kingkornkahn — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:46:56 +0000

I don’t understand what the complaint is. People voted on building Mike Brown a stadium long after both the blackout policy was established and the Bengals sucked. There is/was no special right to watch a football game in Cinci. And owning a sports team is not a public service. It is a for profit endeavor for both the collective league and the individual owner. They do work deals with the cities. Sometimes the owners shake down cities (see Cinci) and sometimes they move for a straight cash deal(see Cleveland). Sure, they do some community work when there are cameras around, but don’t confuse them for the cops or fire service. In any case, people might go to a football game if they had some disposable income from their awesome job in a thriving, well run state Mr. Senator.

By: dlmcc1010

dlmcc1010 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:40:46 +0000

I think the policy is ridiculous too. It deprives the die hards of watching the games just because their team didnt sell out the game. Thats not fair in this economy to expect fans to come to the stadium or else.

That being said, this country is a complete mess. I would rather this incompetent government find better use of their time than worrying about what the NFL is doing

By: glink123

glink123 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:31:26 +0000

“ensuring that we can continue to keep our games on free TV,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

Free TV? Really? Huh. And here I thought the NFL earned $9 billion dollars in broadcasting rights fees. Seems like the TV networks who PAY the NFL that $9 billion dollars would WANT those local markets to be able to earn advertising revenue during the broadcast of those NFL games. Talk about a double whammy. Pay the $9 billion, and can’t even broadcast the game.

By: the1849ers

the1849ers — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:25:12 +0000

It’s owners punishing fans for not spending money. Maybe im bias’d after the niner raider pre season game that nearly took our lives, but hd with rewind vs idiot crowds and overpriced everthing is an easy pick.

By: Dewsweeper

Dewsweeper — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:22:29 +0000

There are two statements in the USA Today
article that you morons are completely overlooking.

The NFL admits that “keeping our game attractive as television programming ” needs LARGE CROWDS,
The NFL admits that “playing in FULL stadiums with THOUSANDS OF FANS is an important
part of what makes NFL Football.

Botton Line: In order to sell their “product”, the NFL needs YOU, more than YOU need the NFL.

Effective immediately, we will no longer spend our hard-earned money to buy tickets to NFL Games. Rather we will demand that the NFL provide a box lunch and free beer to all games we the FANS attend.

By: northstars1991

northstars1991 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:03:07 +0000

What have politicians done to protect the 100,000,000 fans in this country from the 120 billionaire pro-sports owners? Answer: NOTHING. People throughout the country unanimously do NOT want to subsidized pro sports stadiums and yet politicians are the ones who make it happen.

By: mattolikesthevikes

mattolikesthevikes — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:51:05 +0000

Shut up and fix the economy

By: thetobygrizwold

thetobygrizwold — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:33:54 +0000

If you’re like me, you give a thumbs down to off-topic posts. So give me a thumbs down.

By: bspurloc

bspurloc — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:24:12 +0000

all the nfl cars about is $$$$ they do not care about safety or any of that…..
soon we will have games tuesday too so players CANT rest and are at an even higher risk of injury PLUS only on the nfl network where u can only watch them if u pay blood money….

By: rarson

rarson — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:16:22 +0000

@nuclearwarfare

“I can imagine, back in 1999 or 2000, when Microsoft was being broken apart for anti-trust violations, BY THE GOVERNMENT”

Sure, except you conveniently forgot to mention that the whole reason Microsoft could sustain a monopoly in the first place is because of the government. Government is the reason that big business continues to be big business.

By: derekjetersmansion

derekjetersmansion — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:14:35 +0000

This is a Cincinnati issue.

Winning sells tickets most of the time.

Well-run winning organizations will always sell more tickets than bad organizations.

Owning a sports team is a semi-public service, and not just a business venture. Some owners understand this, some don’t.

By: rarson

rarson — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:12:33 +0000

If you want more people to go to the games, then don’t make it so damn expensive. But since this is all about greed anyway, that’ll never happen.

The problem is, the NFL doesn’t seem to understand that blacking out home games makes people less likely to follow their team, which means FEWER tickets sold, not more.

It might’ve worked a couple decades ago, but it doesn’t anymore, especially since all the games can be found on the internet anyway.