Update from the Heat front... http://hh1.glitnirticketing.com/hhticket/web/stadiumg.php?event_id=41&status_id=2&refresh=1477579525 25 more RED DOTS are now appearing from last week. Wow. Obviously the new Heat aren't selling group tickets to all the local youth in the Burg. They are posting great new info on Facebook and online.. but isn't that pretty much preaching to the choir? They've had months to sell, have the Blast coming up (accounts for about 150-200 tickets I'm sure) and looks like an Opening Night crowd of 1400 Kind of Sad to be honest
Some teams probably count 'tickets distributed ' as tickets 'sold', even if a lot of distributed tickets don't get used. So stacks of tickets handed out to schools, sponsors, etc may not end up with more than 30% actually used to attend the game in many cases. Rochester (now defunct) used to let kids below a certain age attend games free (and likely ruffled the feathers of soccer parents when they started requiring tickets for kids). With minor league sports, there is a lot of fuzzy math that goes into 'announced' attendance.
And meanwhile in Turlock, they will average 200 people a night and Syd will scream and shout how keeping them around is GOOD for the league lmao. The hypocrisy of some in indoor soccer, especially on this board and the facebook group is laughable.
In the mid-2000s , the St. Louis Steamers (2004-2006) handed out free tickets to homeless people . I know this, because they were standing in front of the arena selling tickets marked 'complimentary'. No disrespect to those who are homeless , but I am not sure that was a winning idea to increase the base of paying fans. Maybe a sponsor handed them out to these folks, I don't know. I do know that the team suddenly folded after the 2006 season. People who had paid deposits on season tickets for the following season never saw their money again . At least after Wichita had everyone working/playing for free for most of their last ignominious season, no attempt was made to sell any tickets for the following year.
MASL - Average Attendance 2015-16 Harrisburg - 2,029 Turlock - 416 2014-15 Harrisburg - 2,989 Turlock - 502
But as we've just discussed the Heat only have about 500 tickets out so far regardless of what they announce. Would you feel better about Turlock if they just said 2,500 people were at their games? If I tell you I'm 6'11" can I get an NBA roster spot? Indoor teams seem to move a lot of tickets the final week before a game so maybe there is still some hope for the Heat opener.
Really like the new MASL website, I have been using the old MASL/pointstreak site (site from last year). Just happened to stubble upon the new site tonight. Now if they could just get GSL to work properly for all games. http://www.maslsoccer.com/
With all of the losing season for the Heat, It's going to take a while to get the fan base back it will not happen overnight. Honestly as many times as the blast crushed the Heat the past few seasons if you were a heat fan would you want to see it again at the home opener ?. Once the heat prove they can win the Fans will come back. The heat will be the team to watch this year , They will hurt someone's chances of making the playoffs They may finish in the Eastern division with 5 or 6 wins. But the team will be a lot more competitive than in the past.
Harrisburg averaged 2-3K people last 2 years while Turlock simply has not. The only narrative around here shelts is when presented with facts people like Syd say the facts are skewed and ignore them. Turlock is a team Syd has said needs to stay and it gets 200-500 people a game...he's also the same guy who knocks Harrisburg and takes every shot he can get at Baltimore attendance (but you will see him at most games played in Baltimore, hmmm). Hypocrite.
Sydney Nusinov 11,397 I have the best attendance in the league by Scott's logic. I mean it says so right there.
I don't get it... maybe it's because facts were presented that don't support your argument so you try to come up with something witty instead of addressing this? I mean.. at least admit you have double standards. The East has to draw 3000+ or they suck... and out West and down South 200-400 per game is a fine MASL franchise.
You're not getting it so I'll try one last time. Harrisburg has (or had) 500 tickets out for their opener. But you think that is somehow good because they will announce 3000 and Turlock will only announce 500 for roughly the same exact crowd. Which isn't to say all the Heat games are so bad, but there are a handful of teams who badly fail the eyeball test and attendance can be apples and oranges from team to team. There is no uniformity whatsoever.
If the Heat actually have only 500, yes, that is disastrous. Let's see walk up crowd, and this final week sales before we call it 500 though shall we? Their average again over 2 years is WAY above a team like Turlock who you've defended numerous times. Again, the facts state they averaged 2-3K over the last 2 years... yet you fail to address that, and when you do its the old "doesnt pass my eye ball test" bs.
Scott- I don't want to get in a pissing match or write a nine page Op-Ed... but I will tell you one thing The Harrisburg Heat DID NOT average 2-3k per game. PERIOD. END OF STORY. I was at 4-5 games last year.. and those games they would announce 2100, or 2500+... that was a 400% Markup. I physically counted 674 one game... and the box score showed over 2000. Maybe they handed out 2k free tickets to schools and charities and counted them? So on paper to the next sucker.. sorry INVESTOR it looks much better to say you averaged 2-3k and not 600. Turlock and others you can't hide 2000 under the bleachers. You get what you get.. which is no better than Harrisburg. With the Heat's home opener in only 3 days, there are approximately 500 tickers sold. Don't let Pointstreak fool you my man ! In the words of the great James Hetfield.... you know its SAD BUT TRUE
There may have been games lower than announced crowd, something ALL teams do (despite claims some have that its only Baltimore) but they also had games in which they for sure had 2,000 or more. And this was a team that was horrid, the worst in the league. I just don't get why Turlock is ok to play in the MASL and everything is great.. but Harrisburg continues to be laughed at.
The heat also does not sell tickets through ticketmaster. Honestly they will not draw bigger crowds until they start winning games.
Does the Heat have a sales staff that is actively working to sell tickets? How many community events , kids soccer tournaments , etc are the Heat setting up staffed promotion tables? Do the Heat have the 'get your kids soccer team to sell 100+ tickets & the team can play rugrat soccer on the field before the game' deals? I agree that the Heat need to win more games, but agree also with Ken that success in selling tickets is also significantly tied to how much effort the team puts into sales. A team that frequently interacts with the community through players coaching soccer/visiting schools, running promo tables at public events, partnering with soccer academies/teams, etc will generate more sales over the long term than a team that posts a few things on social media but doesn't get the 'boots on the ground'. I wish the Heat the best of luck and hope they can turn hints around .
CBS 21 Video: Harrisburg Heat Make Big Changes By Joel Smith | CBS 21 News After just one win last year, the Harrisburg Heat have made some major changes. There is a new owner, a new head coach, tons of new players, and even new uniforms. Yet the biggest change by far, is the amount of time the team is actually spending on the field. Joel D. Smith met up with the Heat’s Head Coach Denison Cabral (someone he’s known for 20 years), to learn more about what style fans can expect and why finally there is an even playing field in Harrisburg. http://harrisburgheat.com/cbs-21-video-harrisburg-heat-make-big-changes/ Source: CBS 21
I want to go to the Heat home opener...I really do...but I haven't fully decided yet. Both Messiah College soccer teams (women and men) are competing in their conference final Saturday night (5pm and 7:30pm respectively). Messiah has a rich tradition of winning National Championships in soccer. So...do I pay $15-$20 to go watch the Heat lose against the Blast or for $5 do I see both Messiah teams win their conference championship? What would you do?
Tacoma Stars New(er) turf - couldn't find a better pic at this moment: New intro video: Both look pretty good, as well as their performance last Saturday versus Sonora.