Making The CITS More Exciting
March 30th, 2010
So yesterday, Joe’s good friend, the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, brought up a great conversation on WDAE-AM 620 about how NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell believes the NFL needs to make the stadium experience better than the staying home experience of watching games.
In short, the radio chatter posed the question, how could the Bucs make the stadium experience better than staying at home? Joe has suggestions:
* As Joe had detailed before, he once was a season ticket holder but opted out mainly due to the way he was treated by the Bucs’ sales staff. No other reason. But this post isn’t about that issue.
Joe has often documented that while the CITS is a nice stadium, there are nicer stadiums, including whatever-the-hell-that-place-is-called-in-south-Florida-today. Joe’s not about to advocate for a new stadium. There’s a team currently in St. Petersburg that is mired in a tomb that desperately needs a new crib first.
What Joe would like to see at the CITS is something akin to “The Bud Zone” at Jacksonville. There, in the end zone on the upperdeck level, is a massive sports bar. Fans before, during and after the game can go there, have a few beers, watch all the NFL games on HD flatscreens, have some good grub (not the standard stadium schlop) and watch the game on the field if they so choose, all in air conditioning.
Granted, the Bucs have something called a “party deck,” but to Joe’s knowledge it’s private and is nothing more than a small patio in the end zone. Instead, use that end zone to build a sports bar. Said sports bar could also be open on non-game days, much like the tiki bar at Out House Networks Field in Clearwater, and the sports bars/restaurants located at Comiskey Park in Chicago and PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
How cool would it be to go have lunch in the middle of the week at the CITS in, say, May?
Said sports bar could be in the south end zone. One of the biggest flaws Joe sees in the CITS is the open end zones. In Joe’s eyes, unless there is something picturesque to look at like at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and Qwest Field in Seattle, where one end zone has views of a downtown skyline and the other end zone has views of the mountains, there’s no need for open end zones.
Gazing out upon parking lots and Dale Mabry Highway is not what Joe calls picturesque. Close up the south end zone with a massive sports bar/restaurant that can be used year-round.
* Joe has noticed that other stadiums actually have a store where fans can buy gear. The CITS does not. Oh, sure, they have a glorified vendor’s window and maybe rope off an area to showcase T-shirts, but that’s not a store.
Build an actual Bucs gear store that, like the Rays have at the Fruitdome, is open year-round. Make it an actual store so fans from out of town can actually get geared up before the game.
* Hall of Fame. Joe has noticed that at Heinz Field, part of a concourse is dedicated to the history of the Steelers. Joe believes it’s called a Walk of Fame, or some such thing. The concourse is full of exhibits of the team’s history. Also there, radio stations broadcast pregame shows and there are actually bleachers for fans to sit and listen. Just a few steps away, there are live bands.
Why can’t these elements also be used at a concourse at the CITS?
* Joe noticed that in Miami, the Dolphins will actually erect monster tents for temporary sports bars in the parking lot, replete with TVs. Yes, Joe knows the Bucs have a tailgate party where people can eat and drink non-stop, for a three-figured price.
Why not set up a tent in the parking lot(s) where fans can come and go as they please if they just want a cheeseburger or even a soft drink, and watch the pregame shows on the NFL Network?
* No more $8 beers! Look, Joe is a man, therefore he has the NFL Network, and enjoys a cold beer now and then. A minor reason — not the entire reason (see above) — that Joe ditched his season tickets is the obscene price of $8 for a beer.
Now Joe partially understands why beers (and other concessions) are so outrageous at the CITS. It’s a massive profit center for the Glazers, who don’t have to share that concession revenue with the stadium authority.
And if the vendors there pay handsomely to operate at the CITS, that alone, just to break even, drives up the costs of concessions. This is standard practice all over the country, including Out House Networks Field for Florida State League games no less.
Perhaps the surcharges to vendors could be adjusted just a little bit so fans aren’t horribly gouged? Or couldn’t Team Glazer simply drop the price. Beers were only $3 at the 2009 draft party at the CITS. Can’t all parties make sufficient money at, say, $5 a beer?
Joe trusts that even when Team Glazer sits down for a nice meal at a restaurant, even they would blink if the establishment charged $8 for a cold frosty.
Joe is certain that when fans ponder going to a game, $8 beer is a significant factor in their decision whether to sit on the couch or get up and go to the game.
Joe will even venture to guess the good people at the CITS may sell more beers if the price is lowered, and the loss on dropping the price just might be made up. Joe knows quite a few people who just load up before the game and only sip water during the game as not to be gouged with $8 beers.
Even Joe has some standards!
* $20 parking. When thinking of going to a game, Joe has a hard time getting past this: For $20, Joe can buy a pizza and/or a good sandwich at a local eatery, and a six-pack. If Joe goes to a game, he is already out that amount before he has even stepped out of his truck.
Trust Joe, there are far worse examples in other NFL stadiums than this (Dallass charges $75), but if the Bucs are worried about getting people to the CITS…
* Let people go up in the pirate ship. Ever try getting up in the pirate ship? If not, imagine what would happen if you tried to drag one of the “entertainers” out to the parking lot at one of the clothing-optional establishments across the street.
Let people experience the pirate ship! Let people go up there and cheer the Bucs. Why is it only a select, chosen few (usually plain-clothed cops and Bucs employees) are allowed up there?
* Do the Nazis who patrol the tailgate lots still crack down on throwing footballs around? This is beyond asinine. Lighten up Francis, or Joe can grill out in his backyard rather than hand over $20 for that right, and throw the football around with the neighborhood kids instead before retiring to the couch for an afternoon of football.
These are just some examples Joe has off the top of his head that might make the game day experience more exciting and motivate fans to get off the couch.
In short, the NFL in general has gotten to the point that it has all but forced fans to stay home as it has gouged fans too much. If, Mr. Goodell, you want fans to come spend money on your product at a game, you have to entice fans.
Slapping fans in the face with $8 beers, $20 (or more) in parking and nun-like practices of forbidding fans to toss around a football will chase more people away than it will entice people to participate.
As Richard Nixon would say, it’s the art of compromise.
So Bucs fans, what are some of your suggestions about making a game more exciting that you will go to the games rather than stay home?
March 30th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
One other reason people stay home: Obnoxious, aggressive drunks. If you’ve ever heard a long stream of f-bombs dropped on the children in your section — just before a fight breaks out — you know what I mean.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Amen on the pirate ship Joe. Look at the Rays, on Sundays they encourage kids to get out on the field and run the bases. Not allowing kids to at least walk through the pirate ship is like taking a kid to Disney but not allowing them to ride the rides.
I don’t mind paying up for the food and beer at a stadium but how hard is it to make a decent burger. I’m talking club level here. I’ve never eaten anything there I liked. Hell even when the Rays blew my wife and I would have our date nights there because she liked the salad at the Columbia kiosk and I liked Steak and Shrooms at the Outback. Simple stuff but if I shell out premo dollars for food it should at least be good.
Add to that the product that was out on the field last year and I’ll say no thanks this season.
I didn’t reup this year and won’t. I will be able to go to any game I want for less than 1/4 the price.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Sorry new to the site what does CITS mean?
March 30th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Let folks gamble at the game and the bucs, along with every other NFL team, will sell out forever more.
Bet the big dog would probably go along with that one, I think.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Ditto. I had an aisle seat for 11 years. I have had enough of the up and downs (beer/expel beer/expel)and getting drenched in the process. Sweat and beer is a bad combination. Then the heat. I didn’t mind the heat at all when we were winning, i was getting “some sun”. The last 5 or so years have been brutally hot and unbearable. At home when I need to relieve myself no problem. At CTIS it is wise to plan well in advance. Put a product on the field and this town will come. The numbers will continue to drop because the owners could care less.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
An ode to the late great Chris Thomas, Community Investment Tax Stadium.”
Joe is a capitalist and if the financial firm that owns the stadium name rights wants Joe to play along, he will be happy to — for a modest price.
If anyone in authority at said firm would like to discuss this with Joe, please feel free to e-mail him at joe@joebucsfan.com.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
You’ve hit the nail on the head, Joe. I feel so nickel-and-dimed when I go to NFL games. Why would I go to see games in person when it costs more than my entertainment center to attend more than a handful each year?
Baseball truly is the game of the people these days. Tickets to some low-importance Orioles games go for $1 each.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Nobody is enthused about $350.00 per game for the club seat to watch the “growth”?
March 30th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Tear down RJS and resurrect the Sombrero. I liked it better when fans were fans. Everyone was the same. No club level, rich snobs who don’t cheer and yell at you to sit down when you’re trying to make noise for the D on a crucial 3rd and 5. New stadiums and prices have completely taken the blue collar fan out of the loop.
March 30th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
The Rays stadium has the outfield area with kids games and some other fun stuff, if the game is a dog you can at least go see the rays tank or play some games.
If the Bucs game is a dog all you can do is leave. The Giants game last year was dreadfully hot and the team was dreadfully bad (the worst offensive performance in Bucs history) sitting and watching that was no entertainment.
I have not re-uped this year and I probably won’t, not because the Bucs sux and are rebuilding…been there done that, I can live with lean years but back then it didn’t cost a family of 4 $3000 per year for nosebleed sections.
Its almost unaffordable, well at least for me.
March 30th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Very good column Joe. Good ideas. It would be cool to hang out at the stadium in the offseason. And If the Glazers could make even more money off the stadium, they should think about some of these suggestions.
I am not worried about the sell outs. If the Bucs start winning again, the place will sell out easily. Simple as that. The product just isn’t that good right now.
March 30th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
legion3:
Very interesting point! Joe doesn’t have kids (society can thank him later) and Joe never thought of that. Joe can’t recall anything at the stadium for kids. You are right, at Rays games there the rock climbing wall, games and on Sundays they can run on the field. Even the Tampa Yankees have games in the concourse for kids.
The Lightning have all sorts of things.
That’s a really good point. Joe knows there are eyeballs at One Buc Palace that read this site. Your suggestion just might be a winner.
March 30th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
All good points Joe, all good points.
Pirate ship example: My son (8) and I flew down last year to watch the Saints\Bucs – eesh, but at the end, I wanted to get a picture of him on the ship. Knowing it would be hard I tried anyway – Nope. I got him in front of the ship so he was still excited, but you get the point.
Great column. Send it to the Glazers with all of our comments.
March 30th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Joe,
One more thing to add to the list is that when the CITS was built, our Season tickets in the end zones were moved from the first row back to row C. This was to make way for the players and coaches youth groups. I understand the charity aspect, but during the last home playoff game they sold all of those tickets to giants fans. We have complained numerous times to the staff, but it just falls on deaf ears. Imagine if this would have happened up in Green Bay it would be the number one item on the four letter network for weeks. Help us get those youth groups moved to the back two rows of the end zones!
March 30th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Oh no. Another Eric in out midst. This might get very confusing. Hehe.
March 30th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
The best way to make the experience more exciting is to Put a winner on the field! Last year was just plain bogus.
Slow down the
TAMPA
——->
BAY
<——
chant, It has not been good since we left the sombrero the Jumbotron moves too fast.
March 30th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
From the Rays site about the Trop stuff to do,
Interactive Areas
Tropicana Field is home to a number of interactive areas for kids of all ages. In the Left Field Street area, fans can participate in a baseball-themed game show, take their picture on a Topps baseball card, have their name inscribed onto a Louisville Slugger bat, touch and feel real game-used equipment, and broadcast play-by-play of baseball highlights. Left Field Street also features the Mountain Dew Extreme Zone where fans can play stickball in a unique area that is designed to resemble a New York street alley. Fans can also enjoy the latest modern baseball video games, or they can play old school video games from Nintendo and Atari.
Right Field Street
In 2007, Right Field Street was renovated to include numerous activities for younger baseball fans. Kids can experience the magic of baseball in the Rays Baseball Carnival, a real working carnival that includes plinko, spin the wheel, ring-a-bat and skee ball. In addition, fans can take their swings against computer images of real Major League pitchers in a batting cage or test their arms in the speed pitch, both found in the T.G. Lee Rookie Challenge area of the Carnival. Right Field Street also features popular kids-themed areas such as “Bats, Balls, and Brushes”, “St. Petersburg Times Pressbox” and “The Science of Baseball.”
Center Field Street
Center Field Street features the Cuesta-Rey Bar, as well as the Batter’s Eye Restaurant, located, appropriately, in the “batter’s eye” in center field. The specially tinted windows of the restaurant make up a 130-foot-wide hitting background, yet still allow patrons of the restaurant to watch the game. Also found on Center Field Street is the Center Field Street Brewhouse, the Power Alley Pub, the Rays Team Store, and the MLB Alumni Office.
Hitters Hall-of-Fame
The Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall-of-Fame moved to Tropicana Field in 2006 and is also located in Center Field Street. Fans can view an array of different artifacts and pictures of the “Greatest hitter that ever lived.” These memorable displays range from Ted Williams’ days in the military through his professional playing career. This museum is dedicated to some of the greatest players to ever “lace ’em up,” including Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Sadaharu Oh.”
Nothing like that at Ray Jay not even one thing, not a decent resturant to watch the game from, nothing for kids to do except run up and down ramps and hopefully not get hurt.
In Seattle local resturants have kiosks and they sell unique food. Tampa has plenty of great resturants that could jazz up the food.
March 30th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Around 4 years ago I worked for a local Engineering company and we did some preliminary work for the Glazers on a super secret, we will sue the crap out of your firm if anyone finds out, project. Has anyone ever noticed that directly to the North of the stadium, there’s this parcel of land fenced off adjacent to parking? They had (or have) plans to build a huge tailgate area.
It was comprised of a huge center bar/concession area surrounded by covered tables. It also had BBQ grills, a stage for musical groups to entertain and area with bridges and water features to look like a pirate’s cove. The top view of the entire area was configured to look like the Buc’s Skull and Crossbones. Very cool!
Now, what ever became of this plan and what they had in mind as far if this would be a complimentary experience for fans or if they were going to charge an extra fee for use of the area, I have no idea.
I thought at the time, that this would be revolutionary for the NFL. But as we all know, it apparently never got off the ground. Why it never materialized and how the Media never got a hold of this info I don’t know.
Maybe you Joe, can use your investigative expertize and get to the bottom of this plan that never happened.
If the NFL truly wants to make live games an experience everyone wants to attend, something like this concept would go a long way to helping. I can tell you, as a Season ticket holder, Wins and losses hurt for about a half hour after the game. Life is to short to take football that serious. I go to the games not only to hear and feel the hits, see the babes, and let off some steam from the stress of life; but I go because alot of the fun is the tailgate experience of being with friends and family.
March 30th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Around 4 years ago I worked for a local Engineering company and we did some preliminary work for the Glazers on a super secret, we will sue the crap out of your firm if anyone finds out, project. Has anyone ever noticed that directly to the North of the stadium, there’s this parcel of land fenced off adjacent to parking? They had (or have) plans to build a huge tailgate area.
It was comprised of a huge center bar/concession area surrounded by covered tables. It also had BBQ grills, a stage for musical groups to entertain and area with bridges and water features to look like a pirate’s cove. The top view of the entire area was configured to look like the Buc’s Skull and Crossbones. Very cool!
Now, what ever became of this plan and what they had in mind as far if this would be a complimentary experience for fans or if they were going to charge an extra fee for use of the area, I have no idea.
I thought at the time, that this would be revolutionary for the NFL. But as we all know, it apparently never got off the ground. Why it never materialized and how the Media never got a hold of this info I don’t know.
Maybe you Joe, can use your investigative expertize and get to the bottom of this plan that never happened.
If the NFL truly wants to make live games an experience everyone wants to attend, something like this concept would go a long way to helping.
March 30th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Around 4 years ago I worked for a local Engineering company and we did some preliminary work for the Glazers on a super secret, we will sue the crap out of your firm if anyone finds out, project. Has anyone ever noticed that directly to the North of the stadium, there’s this parcel of land fenced off adjacent to parking? They had (or have) plans to build a huge tailgate area.
It was comprised of a huge center bar/concession area surrounded by covered tables. It also had BBQ grills, a stage for musical groups to entertain and area with bridges and water features to look like a pirate’s cove. The top view of the entire area was configured to look like the Buc’s Skull and Crossbones. Very cool!
Now, what ever became of this plan and what they had in mind as far if this would be a complimentary experience for fans or if they were going to charge an extra fee for use of the area, I have no idea.
I thought at the time, that this would be revolutionary for the NFL. But as we all know, it apparently never got off the ground. Why it never materialized and how the Media never got a hold of this info I don’t know.
Maybe you Joe, can use your investigative expertize and get to the bottom of this plan that never happened. If the NFL truly wants to make live games an experience everyone wants to attend, something like this concept would go a long way to helping. I can tell you, as a Season ticket holder, Wins and losses hurt for about a half hour after the game. Life is to short to take football that serious. I go to the games not only to hear and feel the hits, see the babes, and let off some steam from the stress of life; but I go because alot of the fun is the tailgate experience of being with friends and family.
March 30th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Exactly!! I came to a game all the way from Canada assuming that I could get on the pirate ship. What a disappointment that was!! Invesco Field in Denver has an awesome store where people spend loads of cash, and even our little Canadian Football team has a full time store in their stadium. You must have these things in this day and age. Denver’s party tent outside the stadium was awesome!! Even the ancient Metrodome in Minneapolis has more action and a better atmosphere around it on game day. Time to upgrade, Glazers!!
March 30th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Worst thing they did when they changed stadiums was switching the sides of Tampa and Bay. We were always Bay at the Sombrero. For some god awful reason they switched us to Tampa at RJ. I have never gotten over that fact. It honestly bugs me at every game.
March 30th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
One way to attract fans to the Ray J is to have a selected fan flog a designated Glazer at mid-field at half time. The crowd could be urged to count the number of lashes on the jumbotron……..we could also see close ups of the Glazer face in agony.
The crowd would be in a frenzy!!!
The flogger will shout “will you spend more to put a competitive team on the field” each time Glazer says “NO” he gets another lash.
Actually the Glazer’s might decide they could profit via this enterprise by selling flogging rights for say $8 per lash. I am sure they value the cash more than their own flesh!
March 30th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
I still enjoy going to the games dispite all the unpleasant stuff. The drunks go to 1 game a year so they do buy too many $8.00 beers. In the old stadium you always had opposing fans, thats just the way it is here unless your team is winning. Everyone is from someplace else. The concession prices are about the same all over the country so one cannot blame Tampa for $$ beers. Parking for the Lions is 50.00, Miami was 40, last time I was there. There is no better experience than to watch the game live and then go home and watch the replay on tv,,, if we win. Did not watch many replays last year.
March 30th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
I used to like it when there were MORE drunks in the stadium. At least then it got loud in rowdy . Now everyone just sits on thier hands . If you dare stand up and try and cheer , some jerk-off will yell “down in front!” from behind you. Since when did it become a sin to stand up and cheer yuor team ?? It’s boring !! There is no electricity to be felt during or before a Bucs game.
The atmosphere is too corporate now. Most of the average joes have can’t afford to bring thier family anymore. All you have is a bunch of morons , who aren’t really football fans , that are simply taking advantage of the free tickets thier Boss was handing out.
I have no clue where you people are still seeing all these rowdy drunk people still , but we could use a few more of them , and we might actually have a home field advantage again…
March 30th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
I agree about the big sombrero being loud. That 1979 game against the Eagles was deafening.
Of course you had to get out of your seat, cause no human could sit on those cold hard steal seats for very long!
The last two home playoff games were disgusting in terms of the number of Skins and Giants fans.
March 30th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
“Making The CITS More Exciting”
Win games, win more games, win playoff games, with a team that can beat anybody on any given day. That is what needs to happen. Don’t forget why we’re here. To win games and cheer on our team. When our team sucks, it’s hard to enjoy the game. Nothing will make the losing feel better. You have to win at some point. If you can’t win, get out of the business, because you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.
March 30th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
How about opening up Will Call more than two freaking hours before game time? The last game I attended was the 2005 Redskins playoff game, and it was my son’s first Bucs game live (at the age of 13). We got there 90 minutes before kickoff, and finally, FINALLY got into the stadium just before halftime. I was so pissed that I’ve not been back to a game since.
March 30th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
How about some cheap seats that are close to the field? Something like the Dogg Pound in Cleveland or the way the old stadium used to sell end zone seats under ten bucks day of game. Get some blue collar nut jobs down close to the field. Let’s face it by time most of us have made enough money to get close to the action we’re not all that rowdy anymore.
March 30th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Raffle off Rachel Watson at halftime?
What a minute, better wait till after the game.
March 30th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
That would cost more than a luxury box! 🙁
March 31st, 2010 at 5:40 am
Put a winning product on the field
March 31st, 2010 at 7:54 am
Ban Hi-definition TV’s, and raise the price of beer at the grocery store to $9.00 per 12 ounces . The stadium will be full.
March 31st, 2010 at 8:53 am
Excellent ideas and comments. I look forward to more articles following up on the idea to improve the fan experience. Keep us all up to date please.
March 31st, 2010 at 10:28 am
Thanks, um, Mark.
Here’s an idea. Draft some freaking guys who can actually play. Bring in some veteran leadership to show them the way to do it right (ahem…one more year of Coach/LB Brooks?).
And dump Clayton!
March 31st, 2010 at 10:40 am
1. Admit you made a epic mistake and beg for Chucky to come back.
2. Trade for McNabb.
3. Trade for Marshall.
4. Apologize to Brooks and bring him back for one more year.
5. Find away to trade down and get Spiller.
6. Let Raheem coach the defense.
7. Send Clayton packing.
Problem solved.