All-Star Game Attendance

Discussion in 'MLS: General' started by soccer4ever, Aug 2, 2002.

  1. soccer4ever

    soccer4ever New Member

    Jun 1, 2001
    USA
    My prediction is that it will be 28K -32K.

    I hope they'll give the unsold tickets away for free so the stadium won't look empty on ABC.

    Anyone have any info on how many tickets they sold so far?
     
  2. Northside Rovers

    Jan 28, 2000
    Austin TX
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How do you propose they do that without pissing off the 25,000 folks who have already purchased tickets?
     
  3. kasai

    kasai New Member

    Jul 15, 2002
    California
    People were complaining that San Diego only drew around 25k for the all-star game in 99 and we are not even an MLS city. DC should get a minimum of 30 or I will be very dissappointed.
     
  4. Paul. A

    Paul. A Member

    Mar 16, 1999
    Wales, UK
    I guess we have a long way to go if we can't close to sell out our all-star game. Even though I must admit it's just an exhibition and not a real game like MLS Cup.
     
  5. nadpolice9

    nadpolice9 New Member

    Nov 26, 2001
    Boston , MA
    mls will become respectable when the allstar game and mls cup sell out. with both happening in la next year, they should both sell out.
     
  6. Cweedchop

    Cweedchop Member+

    Mar 6, 2000
    Ellicott City, Md
    It won't look empty as the lower bowl of RFK sits just about 26,000 people..

    The Washington Post stated today (8/2) that 25k had been presold for the match..

    Don't expect too much of a walkup crowd due to the ridiculous oppressive heat in the Washington area the past week.. The temps will be in the upper 90's and it will feel like about 107 degrees at kickoff time..
     
  7. BenReilly

    BenReilly New Member

    Apr 8, 2002
    Why should an All-Star game ever be that big of a deal? We'll be big when the MLS Cup is a tough ticket to get, yes.
     
  8. Choch

    Choch New Member

    Jun 2, 2002
    South TX
    If they do that, then people will wait for the free tix, INSTEAD of pre-buying them.
     
  9. Preston North End

    Feb 17, 2000
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Because All-Star games are normally a big deal in the US, whether hard-core soccer fans - excuse me, football supporters - like it or not.

    Even the NFL Pro-Bowl sells out, and that isn't one of the most popular All-Star games out there. The NFL even holds the game in Hawaii, which doesn't have an NFL franchise.

    Attendance at MLS All-Star games dropped since the first one in 1996, just like the overall league average did. It's funny, since 1997 the All-Star game has averaged 25,913. This is where I think MLS will max as a seasonal regular season average.

    Perception is the key. People, uh oh - I mean Eurosnobs/Latin Americsnobs - think MLS games aren't high caliber as it is because the atmosphere - regardless of what BenReilly jokes about in KC - at MLS games suck. I mean if you don't have 60,000 singing and cheering fans, sorry - supporters - in the stadium, oops - ground - how can the quality of play be any good?

    I do tend to agree though, MLS will not be judged as a success even if the All-Star game sells out the Michigan University football stadium every year, much less The Home Depot National Training Center.

    Well maybe it would be cool if 100,000 plus went to the MLS All-Star game every year in Ann Arbor, MI.

    I don't know the answer to these, but did the WNBA sell out their All-Star game? What about past All-Star games?

    The key is selling out the MLS Cup final. Once this happens, even at Mile High or Arrowhead, MLS will potentially have made it.
     
  10. todda74

    todda74 New Member

    Nov 4, 2001
    Annapolis
    agree, the MLS Cup is the more hi-profile game. But I thought there would be more tickets sold because of the National team format. Even though the Euro based players are staying abroad I thought it would be a big draw.
     
  11. Paul. A

    Paul. A Member

    Mar 16, 1999
    Wales, UK
    Not to sound mean but Americans are very unpredictable with buying soccer tickets it seems. Fortunately, when it really matters they come out of the woodwork! As long as the hardcore people are there I'm very happy, but of course we need numbers and have to figure out how to get others interested.
     
  12. Soccerdude redded

    Oct 14, 1999
    NY
    It is safe to say 40,000 plus will show. I am leaving NY now and I didn,t buy a ticket yet.
     
  13. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I wonder how many people here bitching about a non sellout are making the trip.
     
  14. Mattbro

    Mattbro Member+

    Sep 21, 2001
    Are you planning to buy 10,000 tickets?
     
  15. Jose L. Couso

    Jose L. Couso New Member

    Jul 31, 2000
    Arlington, VA
    You are probably right.

    26K have already been sold.

    There should be a decent walk up crowd.
     
  16. Paul. A

    Paul. A Member

    Mar 16, 1999
    Wales, UK
    Well I'd go if the game was in Orlando. I can't afford to go. But I did get to 2 Qualifying games at RFK. I just hope there is a good walk-up crowd.
     
  17. soccer4ever

    soccer4ever New Member

    Jun 1, 2001
    USA
    Take note folks, I was right again ;)
     
  18. jmeissen0

    jmeissen0 New Member

    Mar 31, 2001
    page 1078
    had the forecast been for clear skies... i am sure you would not have been... they got 31k on day destined for dreariness... they would have most definitely had a much larger walk up crowd had the forecast been better
     
  19. kebzach

    kebzach Member

    Dec 30, 2000
    Greenfield, WI
    Re: Re: All-Star Game Attendance

    and thank god you were wrong about giving away unsold tickets, Mr. Keen Business Sense
     
  20. soccer4ever

    soccer4ever New Member

    Jun 1, 2001
    USA
    Re: Re: Re: All-Star Game Attendance

    I did not mean to give it away in front of the stadium Mr. Slow.

    I meant give it away to youth soccer players in the DC area. Those who paid for their tickets would never have found out anyway. Do you know how many tickets the Yankees give away to youth players and their families, Mr. Slow? Please check and post a response.
     
  21. Mattbro

    Mattbro Member+

    Sep 21, 2001
    Ooh, I love a good catfight!
     
  22. USsupport

    USsupport New Member

    Aug 4, 1999
    Arlington, VA, USA
    handbags at twenty paces please :)
     
  23. eric d

    eric d Member

    Sep 9, 1998
    Re: Re: Re: Re: All-Star Game Attendance

    So how many do they. We are all waiting Mr. I having no clue what I post about and since I am a Rochester Fan I feel that I know everything about Soccer in the Us?
     
  24. kebzach

    kebzach Member

    Dec 30, 2000
    Greenfield, WI
    Re: Re: Re: Re: All-Star Game Attendance

    The youth soccer players that should be buying tickets anyway or the other groups of youth soccer players?

    I can just see it now..."hmm, should we buy tickets or not? Nah, let's wait, they'll just give them for free to us at the end."

    While I'm sure you had a fail-safe plan already worked out, just tell me what your plan was WHEN people found out that some fans were there for free.

    Not if, but WHEN.

    That's a pointless comparison. The Yankees make enough money that they can give away tickets to UNDERPRIVLEDGED KIDS and turn that into great P.R. while at the same time not affecting their bottom line. And, furthermore, it's not like the games that they give away these kinds of tickets for are the "big time" games. You don't see them giving away tickets to the Yankees/Sox series, or the Yankees/Mets series. You see them giving away tickets to see the mighty Devil Rays on a day game during the week.

    You're talking about giving away tickets to YOUTH SOCCER PLAYERS AND FAMILIES, the exact market that should be buying tickets in the first place. Well let me tell you this-- you start giving away the product for free, then you'll soon find that you have nobody interested in buying.

    Giving some tickets to the Boy's and Girl's Club is a lot different than giving away tickets to a demographic that can afford them. I have no problem with giving tickets to charitable organizations/church groups/etc, in fact, I've donated Fire game tickets to Big Brothers/Big Sisters last season and this season.

    But at no point in time does it make any business sense at all to just hand over game tickets to a middle-class demographic for free. Create a $50 youth soccer camp and throw in a ticket with that if you want. But just don't hand them out for free.
     
  25. btousley

    btousley New Member

    Jul 12, 1999
    the biggest issue which affected the walk up crowd was the heat - I went with 5 others (purchased in advance) - but it was very hot and humid. 15 degrees cooler and I bet we would have seen closer to 40,000 .. but of course pure speculation.
     

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