Re: Re: Re: MLS Cup tickets - tons unsold This is interesting. So they thought they could pocket $3 million a year but they're not hitting the target. I did hear they were goign to break even this year.
I'm with you on the prices. With the Ticketmaster fees, those $28 seats will be more like $75 when you add fees, parking and the tank of gas to get there and back from around the market. IF the regular season prices had been just a little cheaper, or if they advertised that you could avoid the fee if you picked your tickets up in person, they would have had a lot more attendance.
Re: Re: Re: Re: MLS Cup tickets - tons unsold Out of curiosity, did you hear that the team was going to break even or the facility? I'm wondering if the quote referred to HDC itself, which would include lots of other events in addition to the Galaxy games. Does anyone have a sense of how well the facility has done outside of the Galaxy? Have there been as many events as expected? Have they been well-attended?
I wonder if the proximity to Thanksgiving doesn't screw a lot of people up who would be coming from out of town. I'm going out, but I return to Chicago on Monday night and then have to get right back in the car on Wednesday to trek off for the relatives. Still, the way I look at it is this: - get to see the HDC - get to see MLS Cup - catch some warmer weather FWIW, no way did 21K actually show in Columbus two years ago. There were open seats everywhere.
Columbus are incredible # inflaters. They claimed something ridiculous like 14,000 at the Crew-Burn game the night before USA-Paraguay. It was probably 1/2-2/3 that.
What was the attendence at the Rose Bowl for the Chicago vs DC MLS Cup.. I can't remember but it was a whole lot more than 27K.. Perhaps the tickets were a lot cheaper. I can't remember that either.. I think I'm getting senile..
And there's always a large percentage of the crowd at Crew Stadium milling around the walkways/pavilions anyway. It takes 26,000 people to make it look like 23,000 there.
People in all staduims do that, but when it happens at Columbus the stadium looks half full. This game at HDC is crucial. MLS needs to sell this thing out. There are three weeks or so for the MLS Cup, start pushing it hardcore. I guess all the LA season ticket holders get a ticket right? What i can't believe are the Foxoboro attendances. I remember them quite vividly, but my oh my has that market fallen apart. 51k at the Rose Bowl? That is immense also. They have to be able to sell this place out, because the ticket price difference isn't even that much. 20-60 is not that much different from 28-75 (that's what I believe the prices are).
Go to the MLS Cup final. If USMNT plays ANY Central American team, it will be difficult to get tix. The Cathedral needs ya', buddy. Altar call, anyone? BTW, the game will sell out.
I think it will sell out regardless of who's playing. This is one of the premier events at this cool new stadium and I will go just for that reason. I think lots of other people will too. They should even try to sell "grass area" (by the concoure) seats like they do at otehr venues for concerts. I think that even with the prices, 40,000 people would suck it up an buy the piece of history, particularly if L.A. or San Jose is playing.
It seems we have such short memories. I was at the Columbus final a couple of years back when the announced crowd was around 21k. I'd estimate about 16 to 18k at the game. HOWEVER, This has been said a MILLION times, MLS counts tickets sold NOT actual attendance. If you remember, the game ended up a contest between 2 west coast teams the absolute worst possible outcome for selling tickets in Columbus. I remember talking to a number of Fire fans who said literally thousand of fans had not bothered to make the final when the Fire were unexpectedly eliminated even though they had bought tickets. If the Fire had made that final or any Eastern team from the like of the Metro, United or Columbus, Crew Stadium would have been filled. I'm a DCU fan (believe me its been a tough year) and I already have my tickets for the final. I know DC is not going to make it but the whole final is a blast and worth going to. In another 10 years with increased attendance and SSS you won't have the option of deciding at the last minute to go to the final. Enjoy it while you can folks.
Everyone ripping on the Crew and Columbus as a market for 2001 MLS Cup attendance is forgetting about 9-11. Very, very few people were flying at that point in time. The poor attendance was an aberration.
Does anyone know if the HDC managed to correct the ticketing (computer) problem that was exhibited during the All-Star Game?
I'm buying tickets tonight or tomorrow morning. I hope it's the Earthquakes and the Fire. This is the first season that there two really strong teams, IMO. I'll bet they sold a few tickets right after the Galaxy went up 4-0 on aggregate, because, let's face it, KC is there to make up the numbers. Also, IMO man for man this was the most exciting Galaxy team yet, all the internationals, plus the new stadium, everybody was really excited, but they just never got it together.
Exactly, not only was the crowd depressed (I'm guessing 16k-18k actually in attendance) due to travel and crowd fears from 9-11, remember that the playoffs themselves were further compressed, with both semifinals being decided on Wednesday - just four days before the game. Worse than that the two teams that advanced were west coast teams. If Chicago had beaten LA, the stadium would have been wall to wall Fire fans despite all of the above problems. In a non-9/11 year, Crew Stadium would almost certainly have been a sellout regardless of which two teams were playing.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: MLS Cup tickets - tons unsold The track & field event drew pretty well, but the events at the tennis stadium seem to not have drawn too well, boxing, beach volleyball, and of course tennis. The three concerts that were held in the soccer stadium were all sell outs, the WWC did fairly well, and there's going to be some high school football championships held at the satdium in December, which should also draw well.
TIcketmaster update: club level ($75) seats sold out according to the Web site. You can still get big blocks of tickets in the otehr sections, though, which doesn't make much sense.