Getty ImagesWhen the NFL relaxed its policy regarding the minimum ticket sales needed to allow games to be televised in the home team’s local market, the initial focus fell on Florida’s Bermuda Triangle of blackouts, from Jacksonville to Miami back to Tampa.
But the Jags surprisingly opted, unlike the Bucs and Dolphins, not to take advantage of the new twist that allows teams to drop their threshold from 100 percent down to 85.
Yes, the Jaguars haven’t had any blackouts since 2009. But that’s because owner Wayne Weaver periodically (or more often) was buying up the unsold non-premium tickets at 34 cents on the dollar.
The string of Jags home games televised in Jacksonville continues tonight, with the first preseason game played under owner Shahid Khan, against the Super Bowl champion Giants.
There’s been no public announcement one way or the other, which is a little odd. Selling out EverBank Field for a meaningless game should be cause for celebration — or at a minimum some restrained crowing.
In fact, there’s no mention of it anywhere on the Internet. We know that the game won’t be blacked out locally only because I interrupted Mike Dempsey of 1010XL in Jacksonville during a Thursday appearance on his radio show and asked him.
As a result, there will be some suspicion that Khan wrote a check for the unsold seats at 34 cents on the dollar in order to ensure that the first non-game game of his tenure would be televised in Jacksonville.
It’ll definitely become a bigger issue once the regular season begins, especially since the Jags are the only team in Florida that opted to stick with the 100-percent minimum.
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Smart money.
When does Hard Knocks start??
at least the jags bother to make sure their games are shown locally thats more than the bucs have done for us since 09
Why are we the only one to stick with that 100%
How many other teams stuck with it
Kahn I hope it works out but I think 85% would have been safer but if it works kahns the man
I would like to know how many teams stuck with 100%
Go jags with or without you Drew
Quietly the Jags are going to kick the collective butts of all the loud mouthed haters. Storybook fashion.
Who cares? The Jags will be 0 -16 this season anyway.
Its offical through un-named sources Coach Mike Mularkey has distanced himself from the Jaguar players. The games will only be televised because owner Khan has purchased the tickets and finally the team will be moving next year to San Diego……. Whats new from the local media…
Is it an issue if it really isn’t an issue? The times have changed in Jax.
Kahn could just give MJG the contract he deserves and give the people of Jacksonville a reason to show up and have some sort of hope.
It’s ridiculous that they expect the teams to sell out a stadium for practice…
I’m starting to think you have a crush on us.
I believe that some large tarps purchased thousands of “view” seats for zero cents on the dollar.
I heard that each tarp counts as 10,000 people. Can’t do the wave but, anyway… SOLD OUT!
I honestly don’t understand the negativity from the national media. I know it sounds cliche but there really is a buzz here in Jacksonville about the Jaguars that hasn’t been here since the Tom Coughlin era.
Haters!
Kahn job!
Move over people. I got a feeling the Jaguar bandwagon is gonna get crowded this year.