I didn't renew at the start of THIS season. Mostly because I saw that the secondary market for my seats were very soft and because it seemed like you could buy a ticket wherever and then just sit where ever. I also wasn't pleased with the frequent romper room environment....little kids constantly running up and down the isle during the match...in full view of security...who did nothing. The bottom line is that all of these teams are businesses (Giants, Red Bulls, Yankees...Everton, Spurs). There is 0 loyalty. And if they ever think there is a way for them to squeeze an extra penny out of their arenas than thats exactly what they'll do. I'm getting rid of my Giants season tickets too. They are 3-1 and I can't sell my tickets for face value this weekend. Bottom line to me...season tickets are for suckers.
Pretty sure it was phone. My buddy actually manages the account. We don't all have our own names on our individual seats, etc.
Then call me a sucker. Season tickets are for people who like their seats and don't want to be squatters every game, hoping the real occupants of the seats don't show up. Plus, I like having access to the Pub for games when I bring guests or newbies. I think the price increases are deplorable, inexcusable and criminal but I support the team and renewed my seats.
Okay.... It's October 6, 2011. The deadline to renew was yesterday. How do we find out what percentage of season ticket holders renewed?
Black Ops. What, they're going to volunteer the information? We probably won't find out an actual percentage unless someone leaks. But you could probably read tea leaves (i.e if they announce the percentage, it's better than they thought, if they don't announce and start offering better deals, more packages, anything else the reeks of desparation, they're not doing well)
That's what I'm saying. We need a leak. And I'd still like to know why Dan Steeves is no longer with the team's front office. Was he fired? Or did he quit? What were the circumstances?
I actually forgot to list a VERY IMPORTANT benefit of season tickets for ME. Not sure how many of you will relate to this. Buying season tickets makes it easier to go to almost all games and not have the Mrs. be too upset about it. I know it's all semantics, but I found that it's better to just say one day "I am buying ST's" than buying tickets for each game and telling/asking to go 15 times a year. There are a few games in the season where one can use the excuse of "well, if I don't go, tickets are going to waste". Anyone with me on this one?
I am definitely with you! But still have to be wary of the reminders of why I'll be gone every other Saturday from 4:30 til midnight!
I made the choice to move on. I have held 4 season tickets since 2007, after years of falling for the same old crap from RBNY, I've decided enough. Simply put, they don't really care about us, the care about the idea of us. I'll still support the team, but on my terms from now on.
Interesting, I tried to move back a few rows in section 126. I was told that I would need to wait for the renewal deadline to pass as they did not know how many STH would renew.
By the way, Montreal already sold all of their Category 1 season tickets, which run at CAD$1,250 a year, in other words 20-25% more than our "premium" seats depending on FX rate you use.
None of the original teams have that kind of demand. The 'demand' problem is an issue with every existing franchise. It's clearly a lot harder to re-image a damaged brand, than it is to start fresh.
I asked about moving back a few rows to get a lower rate and they told me I could do it right then and there so I don't know who you spoke to. I decided to stay where I was, but they were clear to me that any existing season ticket holder could move anywhere and still get the black card or other preferred card benefits depending on the payment option chosen
Frank Giase at the Star-Ledger is paying attention to the price gouging. Nice article. http://www.nj.com/redbulls/index.ss..._upset_with_hike_in_season-ticket_prices.html
Great article, thanks for the link! Heck just doesn't seem to get it. I thought the pricing rather sensible going midfield out but regardless, to do this on such short notice to so many of the most loyal is flat-out stupid.
What Heck doesn't seem to understand is that this is MLS. Not the NBA, not the NFL, not MLB. He's dealing with a different type of fan. “Why does it have to happen all at once? They could have grandfathered us in, and if not, they could have raised them 10 percent over the next five years. Then I wouldn’t have to scramble to find the money.” AGREED. “I could have waited to gradually do the changes, but my thought was, ‘Okay, the people in the great seats for the really inexpensive prices got two years of a gift.’” Heck said. “They got a really good deal, and they should get a good deal because they were the faithful fans. So loyal fans of the team, guys that suffered through 14 years got a 2 year gift and are then told f#ck you? Jesus. Is this guy for real? “(The seats were) mispriced, both under and over. What happened was you had a vertical pricing. The methodology was no matter where you sat, closer to the center midfield line was the highest price ticket, further away was less. But it didn’t matter whether it was the front row or the last row. The absolute top row, the very highest row in this entire stadium, is the same price for the front row (of the upper deck). The top corner is the same price as the front center in that same section the entire length of the field. There’s nowhere on this planet that that makes sense, and we fixed it.” Again, why such steep changes? Why not gradually increase them? “To zap somebody with that type of increase is wrong." BINGO. Heck believes having such a low price for the best seats is one of the biggest reasons for the many no-shows the Red Bulls have had this year...“My belief is that they’re not as high a value because they don’t cost that much,” Heck said. “So the people that have the tickets, it’s almost like a land grab, and they’ll use them when they want to use them. I'm sorry...WHAT? The people that own those seats are your BEST fans apart from the supporters section. This is the dumbest thing I have ever read in my life. What a sneaky, slippery, low life f#ck this guy is. "Hey guys, you fans are the reason we aren't selling out so we're gonna hit you with a huge price increase cause we think that will solve the problem." “To stay together as a group of 14, we would wind up in the upper corner,” said Schwartz, who decided to give up two tickets and just keep two next season. He also said he sent multiple e-mails to Heck and the MLS commissioner’s office, but has yet to hear back from anyone. Surprise surprise. You want to know why it's hard to sell out a game Mr. Heck? Because of front office stunts like these. Major props to Frank Giase for writing this piece. I'm a little dissappointed that he didn't touch on the Open Cup, the underachieving team, and most of all the scare tactics of the short renewal window and the mandatory members card as well as taking away the pub when not many people used it anyway.
“I could have waited to gradually do the changes, but my thought was, ‘Okay, the people in the great seats for the really inexpensive prices got two years of a gift.’” What an ASSHOLE. Now 'the people in the great seats for the really inexpensive prices' i.e. THE FANS WHO STUCK WITH THIS CLUB THROUGH MORE THAN A DECADE WITH NO SILVERWARE get another gift, the feeling of getting mugged. where is the icon for flipping for the bird?
i have a great idea. what if red bull could jack up the prices on ALL the seats in the stadium by 100% in one fell swoop? than people would realize how VALUABLE those seats are, and we could finally sell out every game. what a jackass.