Maybe we have this all wrong. If HSG expects the stadium to fill up to see other teams stars then perhaps they want us to support the visiting teams. Thst could be why they keep trying to wipe out supporters for the team. Maybe they would help more if there were supporters groups of the visiting teams. How come we didn't realize this. Feel for the FCD players and coaches that love that energy and support while their ownership undermines it all the time.
Don't be dense, we're supporters and customers. We don't give them season ticket money because it's in our best interest or because it makes economic sense or because we want first dibs on bullshit like Edgefest 257 or USWNT games. We buy season tickets because we know the money is going to the team. Unfortunately, the team is run by guys who aren't as passionate about winning as they are about the bottom line.
That we can agree on with one caveat. The people who work in the FO do the best with what they're given. From what I hear from those who work/have worked in the FO, the Hunts don't give them much to work with. As someone who experiences something similar in my own line of work, it can be incredibly frustrating to run a multi-million dollar asset with shitty resources.
I think there is more going on. This is step 2 in the return of the bounce house. Get rid of those embarassing supporters and replace them with little Chucky Cheese types. Ultimately this will fail. But they'll manage to screw things up again big time as they always do
From the e-mail I just got to renew my season tickets, "We want you to know that we don’t just see you as a season ticket holder, but as an FC Dallas Family Member." Yes, because all families require you to pay to be a member. I hate when corporations use "family." I'm one of those guys who pays the same for his season ticket now as he did in 2006. This e-mail says nothing about them raising my ticket price (I'm in sunny 127), but it does say all "memberships" (?!?) renewed before the end of October get a "price lock guarantee" for 2017. So I'm not going to be locked in to the same price I've been paying? I've known I was getting a good deal, but I figured that was a fair exchange for putting up with all the craptacular teams we've had through the years. They've been whittling down the exchange program for the last several years. Used to be every game was available for exchange, then every game except the big ones, now there are only a few. Not surprised that it's down to none. I've missed a bunch of games this season due to travel, and I haven't exchanged any tickets this season. Assuming I re-up for next year after my friends and I see the 2016 prices, I guess I'll have to get to the games early to park on the west side for free (as I've been doing) to beat all you guys moving from the east side. Man, just when the stadium atmosphere was starting to get kind of good, they pull this.
Okay, basic question. I have the flashseats app. I'm not inclined to buy season tickets. Can't I just use the flashseats app now to easily buy ad hoc tickets at season ticket prices?
I believe the seller can set the price point on flashseats. That being said, If i were to renew, any ticket I would be selling would likely be last minute (game day) and in order to sell them I would probably have to set the price super low to generate interest. But I really question if there is a game day market on flashseats at all, most folks I know that make a game day decision know we're not selling out and they can just walk up to the box office and get seats virtually anywhere.
Hey, I've stood in FC Dallas ticket lines (will call) on game day before. I am willing to pay a small premium just to be able to have the tickets on my phone and walk in. But my thoughts would be that I could probably just buy the tickets from the front office and put them on my flashseats. I feel bad. I have really fond memories of sitting at the library with my two little ones at the Cotton Bowl, seeing how excited they were to see Islamico, and watching you knuckleheads in the supporters section on the far side. The move to Frisco has always been a negative, but one I have fought through it. [I've always thought the solution to a better game experience would be to put the supporters on the first 5-10 rows of the sunny side, and make the beer garden area an area that was a bit more foody and beery, but laid back (with maybe the exception of goalie hecklers). The supporters would get cheap but good seats, everyone would know that the sunny side was going to be rowdy, and flag waiving and drummy, and that maybe they would have to stand. I always thought that would allow the supporters groups to grow and market the good, but cheap seats. ] Oh well, it was a good run of 20+ years. Just not feeling that it's really worth it.
But it clearly describes a mindset. Being a season ticket holder - and being a supporter, which is in some ways the same and some ways different - both involve other investments beyond the ticketing. The time, the emotion, the awareness of the team it takes to get people to the point they WANT to spend 17 weekends at a game rather than something else. It is not just about the money.
So we have 4 pieces to a 32 piece puzzle, all of which call for significant increases in ticket prices, reduced flexibility, and a promise of more to come.... Paid parking is optional so I won't over-react to that, assuming something better than the far north pavilion will get worked out for the tailgate. WNT Olympic qualifiers against slugs....yawn. US Soccer hall of fame....nice but shouldn't be tied to ticket prices. I'm willing to wait for a few for more of the puzzle pieces to get exposed, but based on HSG legacy, I will take the under. Time will tell. I might be done.
This summarizes the situation quite nicely. The Hunts, or those employed by them, can say "but wait, there's more", but they've lost all credibility when it comes to doing anything ambitious. I remember the survey at the beginning of the year that asked if we'd rather have a balanced winning team, or a star or two. An organization with an ounce of ambition wouldn't even think of making that an either/or question.
Reminds me of an old Monty Python skit / commercial where they asked if you wanted to crown jewels or a boot in the groin. Too bad are choices are a boot in the groin or a club to the head.
I think this whole episode has shown that supporters like cheap tickets and cheap beer more than quality on the field.
Don't agree. However a lot of supporters are very young and don't have big pockets. They are the ones willing to stand and make noise, chant, drum, wave flags and play horns. Create environment for the rest of the stadium. At Bayern Munich those fans pay $150 for season tickets. Also go to the tailgate sometime and see if you think they are drinking "cheap" beer. Some are but most are drinking craft beers and wish the stadium offered good local craft beers inside. Quality on the field is beyond any of our control. We can either support what they give us or don't come. Wish they would sprinkle in a couple more big time players with the young core they have now. Seems to me we are one big time forward and maybe a second very good veteran CD away from winning a title. Would seem to make sense if so close to spend a bit more to likely attract a lot more fans for years but Hunts have always seemed as if they don't really want to make as much money as they could. Would love to have an accountant estimate how much more they could make buy signing big name guy, winning more games and selling more tickets, food, drink and merchandise.
This is the kicker for me, and it's no exaggeration. Go look for yourself at Bayern's website. For a season of 17 Bundesliga home matches, it's 750 € for the best seats in the house at Allianz-Arena. For the cheapest seats behind the goal, 140 €. That works out to around $850 for the best seats, and $160 for the cheapest. And while I have no great love for Bayern, I'd say that they've got plenty of quality on the field. So while I'm at peace with the notion that paying $324 for a season ticket renewal in the Beer Garden is in line with the prices in the rest of MLS, it sort of makes me wonder what I'm getting for twice the price as a comparable seat to watch the five-time European champions.
It's a fair gripe for a paying customer, but from the other side I suspect Bayern might have some other sources of revenue that aren't available to FCD.
I would add the Beer Garden will hold only 1000. BM's supporter's section can seat multiples of that so there's value in pure numbers for them Dallas can't afford.
I suspect that they're probably earning a few more Euros from TV and sponsorships and merchandise and such than FCD is. That being said, Bayern sets a limit of 38,000 season tickets that they sell and they're sold out. For just the standing places that cost 140 €, they've got 10,000 people on their waiting list and last year, they put in a rule that the season ticket holders in those standing places (5,200 of them) that required them to attend eight Bundesliga home matches or else their season tickets would be pulled. So they've got a bit of a demand issue as well. Anyway, this is not to be a "Bayern only charge $9 a game, why can't WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" whine, it's merely to point out that contrary to the silly "low prices or high quality" false dichotomy that was presented, the two things are in no way connected. HSG could give us the Barcelona roster and charge $5 a ticket for every seat in the house. They could also charge $100 for the cheap seats and give us the worst team in NTPSA. They can charge $18 or $25 for the cheap seats and get people to pay that, and there's zero guarantee that they'll put anything resembling a quality side out there. The only guarantee from a higher ticket price is that people buying those tickets will pay more for those tickets. FCD could sell out Toyota Stadium every week and there's no guarantee that Clark Hunt won't say, "Ha ha ha, suckers," as FCD proceeds to bring up the rear in payroll again. And to be honest, doesn't sound that terribly far from the truth.
I just got my email as well. I'll pay 69% more per seat to stay where I'm at (or to even to move back where I was before the DFE forced us out). Like many have said, a gradual price hike to account for STH price locks that were in place to retain STH's is reasonable, but 69%? Wow. Wonder what they are doing to all those people in 101 to move the DFE in there...