OT: Jacksonville crowd

[PaulThePat]

While the Pats were laying another egg on Sunday the folks over here in the UK were shown the Jags at home to the Texans. Early in the game a punt was taking place and the camera zoomed out to follow the ball. In doing so it revealed the fact that the Jags stadium was at best one third full. The place was empty. It was the kind of crowd you have left in a stadium when the home side is 30 points down and they are only staying to boo the team off the field. However, this is a Jags side who were in the play-offs in 2007 and are around 500 in the standings.

The NFL must regret giving Jacksonville a franchise and if the people of that area care so little for their team it must only be a matter of time before the team relocates. Are there are local reasons why people don't follow the Jags or is it simply not a football town ?

 

[Tunescribe]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

While the Pats were laying another egg on Sunday the folks over here in the UK were shown the Jags at home to the Texans. Early in the game a punt was taking place and the camera zoomed out to follow the ball. In doing so it revealed the fact that the Jags stadium was at best one third full. The place was empty. It was the kind of crowd you have left in a stadium when the home side is 30 points down and they are only staying to boo the team off the field. However, this is a Jags side who were in the play-offs in 2007 and are around 500 in the standings.

The NFL must regret giving Jacksonville a franchise and if the people of that area care so little for their team it must only be a matter of time before the team relocates. Are there are local reasons why people don't follow the Jags or is it simply not a football town ?

It's just a small-market city that never should've been awarded an NFL franchise. The league tried to put it on the map by awarding it Super Bowl 39 (for which it also was ill-prepared), but that didn't accomplish much.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

I lived there for the past three years and I can tell you first hand that it's the underwhelming amount of money in the area as well as the economy. In the first place, there was never really a huge amount of people with big money living in the area that could afford season tickets. While it's not a ****hole by any means, there are more apartment complexes than housing developments. On top of that, maybe 1/4 of the town is college students (two universities in the area). Combine that with a bad economy and it's a disaster. It's so bad that they are talking about drafting Tim Tebow next season because he played at Neese High School and is a local fan favorite. Believe me when I say that the town LOVES their Jaguars, but can mostly afford to only go to a handful of games here and there.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

I lived there for the past three years and I can tell you first hand that it's the underwhelming amount of money in the area as well as the economy. In the first place, there was never really a huge amount of people with big money living in the area that could afford season tickets. While it's not a ****hole by any means, there are more apartment complexes than housing developments. On top of that, maybe 1/4 of the town is college students (two universities in the area). Combine that with a bad economy and it's a disaster. It's so bad that they are talking about drafting Tim Tebow next season because he played at Neese High School and is a local fan favorite. Believe me when I say that the town LOVES their Jaguars, but can mostly afford to only go to a handful of games here and there.

Great golf down there though, Kontra....JAX has plenty to be proud of in that regard.

 

[mcgraw_wv]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

What Jacksonville did you live in?

I lived there for the past three years and I can tell you first hand that it's the underwhelming amount of money in the area as well as the economy.In the first place, there was never really a huge amount of people with big money living in the area that could afford season tickets. While it's not a ****hole by any means, there are more apartment complexes than housing developments. On top of that, maybe 1/4 of the town is college students (two universities in the area)

The Problem is I would say that over 50% of the population of Jax are transplants like myself, I don't know 1 person who is a native born Jacksonvillian. All the sports bars are PACKED on Sundays, becuase everyone wants to watch their team not the Jags.

You saw lots of Condo's becuase the city was really growing at the height of the real estate boom. The entire city as a whole is 90% houses, and neighborhoods. Around the Beaches and major shopping areas there are lots of Condos, but outside of that, its normal.

Are you seriously going to say that UNF and Jacksonville University are responsible for the 1/4 the population? The population of Jacksonville is 1million +, making it the largest city in Florida. UNF and Jacksonville University can't hold my Alma Maters ( WVU ) jock strap. They are a small small schools with barely any developed sports. The Entire city lacks a Division I football team.

And don't tell me Gainsville, or the Gators are a part of Jacksonville... I live within the city limits, and it's easily an hour, maybe more drive to that university, so there is no bleed over of populations.


The sole reason Jacksonville gets no support is becuase people who live here already have their favorite teams from up north ( Mainly Pitt, NE, NYG, NYJ, Philly ) and your not going to talk a life long fan into rooting for the Jags.

The reason Jacksonville makes a bad location, is becuase its a popular destination for NY, and Boston Natives, which are already firmly fans of other teams.

Charlotte by comparison, has a completely different source of population which isn't from the big northern cities, and therefore are welcoming to support the home team.

 

[37Harrison]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

What Jacksonville did you live in?



The Problem is I would say that over 50% of the population of Jax are transplants like myself, I don't know 1 person who is a native born Jacksonvillian. All the sports bars are PACKED on Sundays, becuase everyone wants to watch their team not the Jags.

You saw lots of Condo's becuase the city was really growing at the height of the real estate boom. The entire city as a whole is 90% houses, and neighborhoods. Around the Beaches and major shopping areas there are lots of Condos, but outside of that, its normal.

Are you seriously going to say that UNF and Jacksonville University are responsible for the 1/4 the population? The population of Jacksonville is 1million +, making it the largest city in Florida. UNF and Jacksonville University can't hold my Alma Maters ( WVU ) jock strap. They are a small small schools with barely any developed sports. The Entire city lacks a Division I football team.

And don't tell me Gainsville, or the Gators are a part of Jacksonville... I live within the city limits, and it's easily an hour, maybe more drive to that university, so there is no bleed over of populations.


The sole reason Jacksonville gets no support is becuase people who live here already have their favorite teams from up north ( Mainly Pitt, NE, NYG, NYJ, Philly ) and your not going to talk a life long fan into rooting for the Jags.

The reason Jacksonville makes a bad location, is becuase its a popular destination for NY, and Boston Natives, which are already firmly fans of other teams.

Charlotte by comparison, has a completely different source of population which isn't from the big northern cities, and therefore are welcoming to support the home team.

I have to agree with this... as a Yankee transplant to this city myself.

UNF and JU are smaller universities that's for sure and don't nearly come to equalling 1/4 of the cities population. There are more military people in Jax than college students. I was stationed at NAS Jax and once I got out of the Navy I stayed here. This means that there are a lot of transplants who already have their team that they follow loyaly. As the above poster stated, it is packed in the sports bars!

Also, Jax is geographically the second largest city in the U.S. by area. This means that while the population is 1+ million, there is no central area, everyone is spread out. There are a lot of poor people in this city who would rather stay at home or go to a bar to watch the Jags play than go to the game itself and pay for parking + tickets + food & drink.

College is much bigger around here anyways but the Jags fans that I know are die hard Jags fans and will be destroyed when the team leaves.

 

[PaulThePat]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

die hard Jags fans and will be destroyed when the team leaves.

Yep, it will be a shame for those who do turn up to games but I can't imagine the NFL will care if the stands remain deserted. The Jags need to get people into the stadium one way or another even if they give the tickets away.

If the Jags did move are people expecting them to move to LA or is there another city on the list for an NFL team ?

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

What Jacksonville did you live in?



The Problem is I would say that over 50% of the population of Jax are transplants like myself, I don't know 1 person who is a native born Jacksonvillian. All the sports bars are PACKED on Sundays, becuase everyone wants to watch their team not the Jags.

You saw lots of Condo's becuase the city was really growing at the height of the real estate boom. The entire city as a whole is 90% houses, and neighborhoods. Around the Beaches and major shopping areas there are lots of Condos, but outside of that, its normal.

Are you seriously going to say that UNF and Jacksonville University are responsible for the 1/4 the population? The population of Jacksonville is 1million +, making it the largest city in Florida. UNF and Jacksonville University can't hold my Alma Maters ( WVU ) jock strap. They are a small small schools with barely any developed sports. The Entire city lacks a Division I football team.

And don't tell me Gainsville, or the Gators are a part of Jacksonville... I live within the city limits, and it's easily an hour, maybe more drive to that university, so there is no bleed over of populations.


The sole reason Jacksonville gets no support is becuase people who live here already have their favorite teams from up north ( Mainly Pitt, NE, NYG, NYJ, Philly ) and your not going to talk a life long fan into rooting for the Jags.

The reason Jacksonville makes a bad location, is becuase its a popular destination for NY, and Boston Natives, which are already firmly fans of other teams.

Charlotte by comparison, has a completely different source of population which isn't from the big northern cities, and therefore are welcoming to support the home team.

I lived in the Southside and then traveled over toward the beaches. Travel down Southside Blvd and then Beach Blvd from Kernan all the way down to 3rd Street and tell me there are more apartment complexes than houses. There are. I will admit freely to not having seen the Northside (don't feel like dodging bullets) and only seeing the Westside sparingly. However, the parts of the Westside that I have seen (namely Orange Park and Fleming Island) do have more housing developments than apartment complexes. However, the majority of the city's population resides on the Northside and Southside (which I would include the beaches as a part of).

You do make an interesting point about the transplants. However, I don't think they are as abundant as you make them out to be. I knew quite a few people around there that were Jacksonville born and raised. Go to any gas station or restaurant or bar (outside of Sneakers on the beach) on game day and you'll see plenty of Jaguars jerseys, hats, and shirts out and about.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

UNF and JU are smaller universities that's for sure and don't nearly come to equalling 1/4 of the cities population. There are more military people in Jax than college students.

You forget about the abundance of community/state college students in the area as well. FSCJ and SJRCC are packing them in as well. But yeah, I was probably exaggerating when I said 1/4.

 

[mcgraw_wv]

Your right about Beach Blvd, but that's becuase the entire road is a Commercvially zoned area. But right behind all those shops and such you see are access roads to housing areas.

Just bring up Google Maps.

I live between Beach, and Atlantic off San Pablo. Which is 99% housing with 1 apartment complex.

Seriously though, there are TONS more houses than apartments. Really. Even on the beaches, your right that on A1a and first street, but thats the BEach and prime real estate. Take a trip down Florida Ave, or Penman, and its the beaches area but 100% housing neighborhoods.

Also with all the community schools, I still don't think ive ever gone anywhere and felt "Oh man look at all these college kids!!"

Compared to where I went to school ( 23k students ), no matter where you went, there were lots of college kids.


Southside is the Suck... So I feel bad if you lived there... Too much congestion and people, and your right there are lots of townhomes, and complexes.

I never venture to Northside, or West Side, but I do know that the Orange Park area is where most people live and its mostly single family homes.


Here in Jax, there aren't many well paying jobs. You have a solid number of well off people working for the banking institution and CSX ( WORST PLACE TO WORK EVER ) But that's it. There isn't many careers here were you are going to be rich. And that hurts the economy especially for pricier things like a Jags game. When you combined the average salaries, and the dramatic increase in housing costs, and property taxes, and utilities, it doesn't match the income people make around here. Combined with a heavy influx of transplants, and you don't have a ton of people trying to spend hundreds of dollars to watch a football game.

 

[Kontradiction]

Your right about Beach Blvd, but that's becuase the entire road is a Commercvially zoned area. But right behind all those shops and such you see are access roads to housing areas.

Just bring up Google Maps.

I live between Beach, and Atlantic off San Pablo. Which is 99% housing with 1 apartment complex.

Seriously though, there are TONS more houses than apartments. Really. Even on the beaches, your right that on A1a and first street, but thats the BEach and prime real estate. Take a trip down Florida Ave, or Penman, and its the beaches area but 100% housing neighborhoods.

Also with all the community schools, I still don't think ive ever gone anywhere and felt "Oh man look at all these college kids!!"

Compared to where I went to school ( 23k students ), no matter where you went, there were lots of college kids.


Southside is the Suck... So I feel bad if you lived there... Too much congestion and people, and your right there are lots of townhomes, and complexes.

I never venture to Northside, or West Side, but I do know that the Orange Park area is where most people live and its mostly single family homes.


Here in Jax, there aren't many well paying jobs. You have a solid number of well off people working for the banking institution and CSX ( WORST PLACE TO WORK EVER ) But that's it. There isn't many careers here were you are going to be rich. And that hurts the economy especially for pricier things like a Jags game. When you combined the average salaries, and the dramatic increase in housing costs, and property taxes, and utilities, it doesn't match the income people make around here. Combined with a heavy influx of transplants, and you don't have a ton of people trying to spend hundreds of dollars to watch a football game.

I only lived on Southside for a year before I got tired of feeling like I was living in Pakistan. And it makes me laugh to hear where you're living. I was pretty much two minutes away from you last year, if even that. I lived off Hodges between Atlantic and Beach at St. Andrew's Place.

 

[mcgraw_wv]

I only lived on Southside for a year before I got tired of feeling like I was living in Pakistan. And it makes me laugh to hear where you're living. I was pretty much two minutes away from you last year, if even that. I lived off Hodges between Atlantic and Beach at St. Andrew's Place.

I ride my bike down Hodges all the time now, tey recently expanded it, so we now have bike paths on both sides, and two lanes each way... Same with Kernan... Soon to be San Pablo.

I've lived in Boston, Tampa, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, BFE Penn, and here in Jacksonville.

I have never enjoy life as much as I do here. Easy going with all the amenities without all the big city negatives...

 

[Kontradiction]

I ride my bike down Hodges all the time now, tey recently expanded it, so we now have bike paths on both sides, and two lanes each way... Same with Kernan... Soon to be San Pablo.

I've lived in Boston, Tampa, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, BFE Penn, and here in Jacksonville.

I have never enjoy life as much as I do here. Easy going with all the amenities without all the big city negatives...

Did they finally get the four lane road done on Hodges after the, oh, TWO YEARS of work that it took them to accomplish it? Jesus, I never thought that stupid construction would end.

 

[mcgraw_wv]

Did they finally get the four lane road done on Hodges after the, oh, TWO YEARS of work that it took them to accomplish it? Jesus, I never thought that stupid construction would end.

I never noticed it being so bad on that road. now JTB has been under construction since I have moved here, going on 6 years...

 

[Kontradiction]

I never noticed it being so bad on that road. now JTB has been under construction since I have moved here, going on 6 years...

Well you didn't have to live there and also deal with that on top of that private school getting out in mid-afternoon. I can think of about six or seven different times on one hand that my car bottomed out due to the construction on the road. If I could have stayed up there, the plan was for me and my roomates to move over off of San Pablo, where you're staying at. However, I had to leave and my friends moved over by Atlantic Beach, about a block off of 3rd. Nice area down there as well.

 

[ScrewDrvr]

Jacksonville is also THE smallest market in the nfl by a lot, and the surrounding cities have their own franchise(Miami, Tampa, Atlanta..etc..etc)

I read on nfl.com a few years back that Jacksonville needs 1 out of every 12 people to buy a ticket to fill the stadium, and the next closes city was like 1 out of every 50. (im positive both of these numbers are incorrect since it was some time ago I read the article)

so you can see that jville is a football town and has a VERY strong fan base(the strongest in the nfl given its size), its just that the city doesn't have the population needed.

 

[Mogamedogz]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

I have to agree with this... as a Yankee transplant to this city myself.

UNF and JU are smaller universities that's for sure and don't nearly come to equalling 1/4 of the cities population. There are more military people in Jax than college students. I was stationed at NAS Jax and once I got out of the Navy I stayed here. This means that there are a lot of transplants who already have their team that they follow loyaly. As the above poster stated, it is packed in the sports bars!

Also, Jax is geographically the second largest city in the U.S. by area. This means that while the population is 1+ million, there is no central area, everyone is spread out. There are a lot of poor people in this city who would rather stay at home or go to a bar to watch the Jags play than go to the game itself and pay for parking + tickets + food & drink.

College is much bigger around here anyways but the Jags fans that I know are die hard Jags fans and will be destroyed when the team leaves.

totally unrelated to the thread or post...

could you explain the account inactive joke to me like im rthardid?? I've seen this before, but I just dont get it. :bagoverhead:

 

[37Harrison]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

totally unrelated to the thread or post...

could you explain the account inactive joke to me like im rthardid?? I've seen this before, but I just dont get it. :bagoverhead:

WTF are you talking about??? My post was completely relevant to the subject of this thread. If you need me to speel it out, I was talking about Jax and possible reasons why there are so many empty seats in the stadium.

Seriously, WTF are you talking about???

 

[37Harrison]

Re: OT:Jacksonville Crowd

You forget about the abundance of community/state college students in the area as well. FSCJ and SJRCC are packing them in as well. But yeah, I was probably exaggerating when I said 1/4.

I did remember those smaller community/state colleges but the majority of those are what I wouldn't consider your typical "college student." The majority of the people that attend those community/state colleges are adults who are going back to school to get their degree.

 

[37Harrison]

I only lived on Southside for a year before I got tired of feeling like I was living in Pakistan. And it makes me laugh to hear where you're living. I was pretty much two minutes away from you last year, if even that. I lived off Hodges between Atlantic and Beach at St. Andrew's Place.

Small world, I lived in an apartment complex on Hodges in between Beach and JTB.