In the old days, most baseball stadiums let kids in free with an adult. That helped build a long-lasting relationship between kid and team. One could make the, admittedly thin, argument that this would be along those same lines, except this doesn't limit the benefit to children. I could see a scenario where folks who went to this match and had a good time would think about what a great deal it was and come back for more, regardless of the higher (than $5) ticket price. ...ahhh who am I kidding. This is desperation city.
Well, E, if that's yours in the photo, you'll soon be able to avail yourself of the fact that kids under 6 currently get into DCU games free already.
How old are these old days that you are talking about? I went to my first baseball game in 1968 and I remember it costing a buck-thirty to sit in the top deck of Shea Stadium, where you could almost reach out and touch the planes taking off from LaGuardia. The Yankees cost a whopping buck-fifty for the top deck, but a dollar for the right field bleachers which were pretty close in the pre-renovation stadium, and 75 cents to sit in the left field bleachers where the first row was about 450 feet out. These prices were the same, regardless of who was using the ticket. In Jarry Parc in Montreal, you could pay C$1 (80 c)to sit in the "estrande populaire" (LF bleachers) or a dime (8 c) to swim in the pool beyond the RF fence, where you could watch the game through 2 chain-link fences Of course in those days, the top priced box-seat was no more than $4, unlike now when it's roughly the same as a downpayment on a modest starter home.... Anyway, hopefully the Whizzers will get a decent crowd. Since it's their last home game, they could position it as a "fan appreciation night" Tom
I could have sworn I saw a sign at the stadium last weekend that said any child over the age of two needed a ticket. I thought this to be a ridiculous policy so hopefully it was put up by mistake.
Everyone needs a ticket to get in. If a parent purchases a season ticket, DC United gives a kid under six, a season ticket for free (I know I have two daughters and have been doing this for years, for one of them I now pay half price for a youth season ticket). As for the playoffs, I think everyone pays the same price.
I hope it works for KC. They probably had their first playoff game as part of their season ticket packet and everything on top of that is gravy for them on the money side. Being a Friday night game and only one week to advertise they are doing everythign possible to get fans in the seats.
Exactly. They are helped by the fact that because of their ownership, they get a larger cut of the ancillary revenues like parking, food, and merchandise sales.
hmmmmmm lap dances $5 ? ? ? ? hmmmmmmmmmmmm " hello Michelin...about those Radial high-speed extra stong condoms ?"
Will the people who prepaid for the game get $5 tickets? If not, I'd be pissed off if I were one of them.
Apparently, they get a credit of some sort. Just think of it, 30 dollars to spend on beer. Nevermind that would buy you exactly two.
Actually, I don't think the playoff game last week was part of the package. The Wizards season ticket is 18 games. 15 MLS games plus 3 "special" games. The Wizards hosted three US Open Cup games. Friday will be the Wizards 20th competitive home game this year.
I'm going to guess some honchos saw the decent crowd and great atmosphere last weekend at RFK and thought, how can we get 15,000 to go to Arrowhead to support Kansas, who deserves it.
Crap I paid more to watch my high school's freshman basketball team play in in 1997 as a student! This is the ultimate in degredation of professional soccer in this country I have ever seen. And I can't believe that MLS would let this fly. And I hope and pray that DC United never has to sink that low. Fan appreciation is one thing, but $5 bribe seats is a whole new low KC is just desparate, maybe they should look at relocating to a city that actually wants a soccer team.
Huh. Interesting feelings here the last few days. I tend to like the idea, what a great way to get people out on a Friday night. When you buy something on sale, do you feel cheated, or that the product was less appealing because there was a price break? So if they had $1 beer at the stadium, you wouldn't buy it?
Why is this any worse than putting on a fireworks show, or handing out cheesy plastic lunchbags? If the people come to the game, bribed or not, and fill the stands (at least within view of the TV cameras) that might get the casual viewers interested enough to show up in person the next time. Sometimes a marketing ploy is just a marketing ploy, and not a nefarious attempt to scuttle American soccer's chances of survival.