Great - more scripted obnoxious noise at games coming...

[QuantumMechanic]

I know, I know -- "Kids! Lawn! Vacate!". But this really annoys me. It's bad enough that from the second the ball is blown dead to the next snap they play music so loud you can barely talk to the person right next to you, and now there'll be even more crap...

The NFL says it has "liberalized" its restraints on crowd noise. Stadiums will now be free to rile up crowds with video displays, and public-address announcers will no longer be restrained from inciting racket when the opposing offense faces a crucial third down.

Though the article also notes:

Team owners have passed a resolution that starting this season will allow for local broadcasts of NFL games even when as few as 85% of tickets are sold. Under the new rule, each team has more flexibility to establish its own seat-sales benchmark as long as it is 85% or higher. To discourage teams from setting easy benchmarks, teams will be forced to share more of the revenue when they exceed it.

The article is here: Game Changer: NFL Scrambles to Sell More Tickets - WSJ.com

(You may need to type the article headline into google and click on it from there in order to see the whole article.)

 

[Sciz]

Another gem in there:

The Indianapolis Colts, who in 2010 had a 16,000-seat waiting list for season tickets, now have 1,900 season tickets available for their first season without star quarterback Peyton Manning.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Don't be too snarky -- the Pats' reported 50,000-person waiting list will melt quickly away once Brady retires.

 

[Sciz]

Don't be too snarky -- the Pats' reported 50,000-person waiting list will melt quickly away once Brady retires.

Brady was 17 years old the last time you could buy season tickets immediately, so I'm not too worried about his retirement getting 50,000+ people to give up their spots. Pats fans are way better than Indy fans anyway.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Brady was 17 years old the last time you could buy season tickets immediately, so I'm not too worried about his retirement getting 50,000+ people to give up their spots. Pats fans are way better than Indy fans anyway.

The Patriots have sold out every postseason, regular season, and even preseason game at Gillette Stadium since Robert Kraft bought the team.

 

[Off The Grid]

Don't be too snarky --

the Pats' reported 50,000-person waiting list will melt quickly away once Brady retires.

WRONG.

The BackLog in Season Tickets dates to about 12 seconds after Bill Parcels got hired...and will remain a BackLog as long as Robert Kraft or someone'f'is caliber is running things.

You've obviously got New EngLand fans mixed up with those'f Orlando, or wherever you're from.

As long as the team's Leadership isn't an embarrassment to us ~ which it had been for the entire 33 years before Robert Kraft saved the Franchise for us, shortly after Parcels was hired ~ we're the most devoted, loyal, discerning, and knowledgeable fans in the World, thank you very much.

 

[1960Pats]

WRONG.

The BackLog in Season Tickets dates to about 12 seconds after Bill Parcels got hired...and will remain a BackLog as long as Robert Kraft or someone'f'is caliber is running things.

You've obviously got New EngLand fans mixed up with those'f Orlando, or wherever you're from.

As long as the team's Leadership isn't an embarrassment to us ~ which it had been for the entire 33 years before Robert Kraft saved the Franchise for us, shortly after Parcels was hired ~ we're the most devoted, loyal, discerning, and knowledgeable fans in the World, thank you very much.

I don't think that we're much different than any other NFL fans. We all like winners.

As my name suggests, I've been a fan of this team from the very beginning. Yes, there have been embarrassing moments, but it wasn't all bad.

The Parilli years were pretty bad, but they weren't an embarrassment yet.

The Grogan years were pretty good, and if not for a blatant theft in 76 we wouldn't have had to wait so long for our first title. The 85 run was also great. I'll never forget those three stunning road wins that got us to the SB. The problem was that we had to be the sacrificial lambs to the greatest defense that I've ever seen.

The Bledsoe years were only okay, and it ended very poorly when Tuna slithered out of town during what should have been a happy time, but there was still some success.

Then we were blessed with Belichick (thanks Jets) and Brady (thanks to 31 NFL teams). Throw in the Krafts as owners and things have been peaches and cream ever since.

In the Patriot year 12AB, I feel blessed.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't see the problem with teams trying to generate crowd noise as long as everyone can do it fairly. It was when certain teams piped in crowd noise against the rules that it was unfair.

As for the blackout rules, I think they are stupid anyway. I will gladly be happy to see an end of them. They were implemented when teams were playing to half empty stadiums like the Pats were in the late 80s and early 90s before Parcells, Bledsoe, and Kraft. They needed a way to coax fans into the seats. Plus the TV money wasn't that big then either. But now the TV money is a monster and every stadium are getting at least 85-90% capacity every weekend with most selling out.

 

[zoostation]

The Grogan years were pretty good, and if not for a blatant theft in 76 we wouldn't have had to wait so long for our first title.

That was a VERY good team. Total screw job in the playoffs.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

You've obviously got New EngLand fans mixed up with those'f Orlando, or wherever you're from.

Bite me. I've been a Pats fan since 1976 and while I couldn't afford season tickets when they were last obtainable, up until my kid was born a few years ago I've been to at least two games a year since '76, including in such "wonderful" seasons as 1990.

Anyway, virtually all of the current waiting list is post-2001 at this point (I believe last year new season ticket holders were those who got on the list in 1999-2000). Further, I'll bet that lots of those on the list are only there to get access to ticketExchange (which is actually a really good reason to get on the waiting list even if you have no intention of actually getting season tickets).

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Robert didn't hire Parcell's though, or draft Bledsoe. He did however ink him to a $100M deal in 2001... His first coaching hire was Pete Carroll.

Things will change here when Brady is no more, although how dramatically will depend on whether or not Belichick remains. And what kind of choices Robert makes thereafter, which are kind of dependent on his options at the time.

If Luck is who they think he is, Indy will rebound. If not, things there will get ugly. Manning built the oil can, absent him Irsay never gets a new stadium and the Colts are for the second time in Irsay ownership likely heading the list of relocation candidates.

 

[PatsWSB47]

Anyway, virtually all of the current waiting list is post-2001 at this point (I believe last year new season ticket holders were those who got on the list in 1999-2000). Further, I'll bet that lots of those on the list are only there to get access to ticketExchange (which is actually a really good reason to get on the waiting list even if you have no intention of actually getting season tickets).

You're probably right. This is my 3rd year being a season ticket holder. I got on the list in 98. No ticket exchange back then. A few years later they gave waiting list members a separate day to try and get games from ticket master. The ticket exchange benefit definitely gets more people on the list now.

Regarding the obnoxious noise deal. Expect a few more fan ejections.

 

[Rob0729]

Robert didn't hire Parcell's though, or draft Bledsoe. He did however ink him to a $100M deal in 2001... His first coaching hire was Pete Carroll.

Things will change here when Brady is no more, although how dramatically will depend on whether or not Belichick remains. And what kind of choices Robert makes thereafter, which are kind of dependent on his options at the time.

If Luck is who they think he is, Indy will rebound. If not, things there will get ugly. Manning built the oil can, absent him Irsay never gets a new stadium and the Colts are for the second time in Irsay ownership likely heading the list of relocation candidates.

I think, even if Belichick retires when Brady leaves, the Patriots will not have the mass fan defection that the Colts have right now. Indy was never a big football town and only became one because of Manning.

The Pats didn't support the team before Parcells, Bledsoe, and Kraft but that was in large part because the ownership was a joke and there never seemed to be the commitment to winning that Robert Kraft has. The Sullivans seemed to be more interested in concert promotions by the end. Kiam was just an idiot who thought that since he had a successful razor company, he could run a football franchise. Orthwein just want to make a buck on selling the team.

As long as Kraft stays Kraft (and let's hope Jonathan is 90% of his father and not just a beneficiary of being born into the right family), I think fans will stick around long after Brady and Belichick. The Colts fans have Jim Irsay who has proven he is just a beneficiary of being born into the right family who seems more concerned with posting weird tweets on Twitter than the actual football operations. I don't know if Colts' fans have faith in Irsay doing what is best for the team. We don't have those fears with Kraft. At least not yet.

 

[PatsWSB47]

The majority of current season ticket holders were already season ticket holders before Brady was on the team.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

The majority of current season ticket holders were already season ticket holders before Brady was on the team.

But how many season ticket holders are able to remain season ticket holders because the insane demand for tickets enables them to sell tickets they don't feel like using or cannot use, making it a lot more affordable to remain a STH?

I know several STHs (long-time fans, too) who only keep their tickets because they are easily able to sell off half of them each year. If they couldn't sell they'd have to give up the seats because they couldn't afford it.

(I am not accusing them of being profiteers! Only saying that being able to sell off tickets for games they are not interested in attending or can't attentd (even if just for face value) makes being a season ticket holder much more affordable. If demand dries up in the post-B&BB era, being a season ticket holder will be effectively much more expensive, since such a person will have to pay for all 10 games instead of only having to pay for 8 or 6 or 5 games (depending on how many tickets they've typically sold).)

 

[Steve102]

WRONG.

The BackLog in Season Tickets dates to about 12 seconds after Bill Parcels got hired...and will remain a BackLog as long as Robert Kraft or someone'f'is caliber is running things.

You've obviously got New EngLand fans mixed up with those'f Orlando, or wherever you're from.

As long as the team's Leadership isn't an embarrassment to us ~ which it had been for the entire 33 years before Robert Kraft saved the Franchise for us, shortly after Parcels was hired ~ we're the most devoted, loyal, discerning, and knowledgeable fans in the World, thank you very much.

I hope you are right. I tend to think the Pink Hat factor is higher than you give credit for. I think a 7-9 post Belichick/Brady season will cull the herd substantially. I think there are very loyal fans here, but I think there's a lot of fans of winning, too. We've been spoiled for sometime, and, like it or not, this franchise does not have the long history of say Pittsburg. I grant you any bumps in the road should be minimal under the Kraft leadership, but it will require someone coming in to steer the ship post Belichick/Brady that has the same type of mentality as those two. The Steelers went through a transition period before emerging as champions once again. I would suspect that will happen here as well. I really hope that's the case, and we go the way of the Steelers, as opposed to a run like the 49ers...a decade of dominance followed by nearly a decade of dismal performance. The difference? Consistent ownership, and that should help.

 

[PatsWSB47]

But how many season ticket holders are able to remain season ticket holders because the insane demand for tickets enables them to sell tickets they don't feel like using or cannot use, making it a lot more affordable to remain a STH?

I know several STHs (long-time fans, too) who only keep their tickets because they are easily able to sell off half of them each year. If they couldn't sell they'd have to give up the seats because they couldn't afford it.

(I am not accusing them of being profiteers! Only saying that being able to sell off tickets for games they are not interested in attending or can't attentd (even if just for face value) makes being a season ticket holder much more affordable. If demand dries up in the post-B&BB era, being a season ticket holder will be effectively much more expensive, since such a person will have to pay for all 10 games instead of only having to pay for 8 or 6 or 5 games (depending on how many tickets they've typically sold).)

Well sure but that isn't unique to Pats fans. That must be fairly common across the league. A lot of us can't make every game. I live almost 3 hours away. I still make most of the games though. And the economy can force selling a few too. The cost of the tickets has blown up in recent years. Parking your car is $40 per game.

Our winning legacy has gone on long enough now to sustain a full stadium for years to come in my opinion. I look at the Bills. They have a huge stadium and attendance is finally down a bit but the fan base built over their superbowl years hung on for a long time.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

It could go either way...
If Jonathan Kraft is an owner like his dad he'll make good management decisions and field contending teams. There's strong interest in NFL football so post BB should still sell if all is decent on the field.

The big difference from the past is the insane cost of Patriots STs relative to the pre-Kraft 70s and 80s. This will make subscribers more sensitive to winning seasons. As mentioned previously a major secondary factor is that with a winning team it's easy to sell some of your tix and defray the cost. With a mediocrity or worse, not so easy. Negative feedback is a b!tch.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

As long as Kraft stays Kraft (and let's hope Jonathan is 90% of his father and not just a beneficiary of being born into the right family),

IIRC, there were reports that Jonathan Kraft was involved in both of the last two CBA negotiations.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?