Who Needs A Pair?
June 25th, 2009
During the 35-minute drive from Clearwater to Tropicana Field last night to catch the Rays-Phillies game, Joe saw three billboards touting available Bucs tickets and heard a radio commercial pounding the same message.
That got Joe wondering, ‘Just how putrid are Bucs ticket sales?’ Of course, that’s a military secret.
But given the popular, over-hyped teams visiting the Bucs this year — Jets, Giants, Cowboys and Packers — plus the division rivals in the mighty NFC South, Joe finds it very curious the Bucs are making a growing investment in trying to sell tickets.
Perhaps part of the answer lies at Tropicana Field, where Joe couldn’t avoid legions of red-clad Philly fans in the pathetic crowd of 18,000+, which followed a similar sub-20K crowd on Tuesday.
All the attendance excuses are out the window for Rays fans. This was the World Series rematch, kids are out of school and there is zero competition on the sports calendar. And both teams are still very good.
Joe just can’t wrap his brain around the Bucs having a blacked out game with such a sexy home schedule in 2009.
But apparently the braintrust at One Buc Palace is more tuned into reality.
June 25th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Ten years ago it was still kind of cheap to be a season ticket holder, not anymore. I let them keep the rest of my deposit, and the playoff ticket I bought because it just isnt affordable anymore.
June 25th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
If single game tickets go on sale and don’t sell out other than a few thousand stray singles or a stray pair in the last row, then it will be a dark day in Tampa Bay
June 25th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I constantly hear the gripes about attendance. And they are all warranted. Sileo, Ron & Ian, etc….. but the truth is (and we’ve known this since they built that place, pre-Rays), that St. Pete doesn’t work. I try to make a few games a year from the ORL area and when I get to Hard Rock, I think I’m close. But NO….I’ve got another hour to the Trop. You can’t expect the Brandon/North Tampa/Carrolwood/etc.. to make that kind of voyage conisistently. Much less us Central FLA folks. It was a bad business move then. And we’re still paying that price.
June 25th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Matt:
Thanks for reading JoeBucsFan.com. Don’t be a stranger.
Joe’s not trying to stir things up here. You have a good issue Matt. It takes you — at best — two hours to get to the Fruitdome. People in Hillsborough County have no excuse, none.
Joe grew up in the cornfields of the Midwest. Getting to a Cardinals game was, if you ignored the speed limit and prayed the Illinois State troopers were sleeping, it was at best a 45-minute drive (usually 1:15). Joe never once heard anyone say, “It’s too far to drive.”
Joe’s first job was in Kansas City after college. Lived in the suburbs. It took a good hour to get there. Again, Joe never heard anyone complain.
Then Joe worked in Chicago. Unless you live in Wrigleyville it takes at least an hour to get to Wrigley, often much more from the burbs, maybe a little less to Comiskey. Again, Joe never heard anyone complain about how long it took to get to the park. Oh, and there’s no parking at Wrigley.
In the Tampa Bay area, you’d think one would have to drive to Pensacola to go to a Rays game the way people whine and cry.
It’s beyond weak.
Funny, Joe never hears anyone complain about driving to a Bucs game. 🙂
Joe just wishes the people who call sports radio shows and whine about crossing a bridge (Joe does it all the time) would just be honest with themselves and admit they are not baseball fans.
Joe loathes the Fruitdome but it’s not keeping him from going to a game.
June 25th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
But Joe, crossing that big scarey bridge to get to the Trop….maybe people are worried about falling in?
NOT
Baseball stinks. Too many games, too few “competitive” teams (except for last year) the Rays were usually out by the All Star Break.
Hockey – yawn
Baseball – yawn
FOOTBALL – YEAH!!!!!!
June 25th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Maybe if the Rays didn’t televise every home game, more people would go. But it comes down to the W-L record, just like with every TB team. The Rays have been consistently inconsistent this year, hovering around .500 all season. If they ran off a 10 game win streak, and took the lead in the wild card, the fans would come back in droves. There is also a concert this Saturday night, and there will probably be 30K there, even if it is Pat Benatar.
June 25th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Mike:
You raise some valid points. However, most teams I know of televise the vast majority of their games to the home audience.
June 26th, 2009 at 10:20 am
A drive from Orlando to the games is a weak excuse at best. No offense, but we have been driving to the games from Sarasota for years. Many fans make the trek from Ft Myers, which has be further than Orlando. C’mon man, how bad have you got it? The drive is part of our Sunday Ritual. It starts early with Breakfast and the ceremonial Cooler Packing. Flags and Magnets on the big truck, and motoring up I-75 / 275 to the CITS. We always, always get in line with the other Buc Fans, heading to the game. The waves, the first pumps, the horns, the Cheers of “Go Bucs!!!”. It’s all part of the anticipation and excitement. We always open the Gates and get down to the rail to watch warmups with a couple cold ones. The beautiful busty babes and the fighting cry of “Go Bucs!!!” when ever a beauty walks by or is in the midst. We have talked trash to opposition teams at the warmups at the South end. Also a great place to snag an autograph from our players. This is a blast, the games, the thrill. Ike Hilliard was my favorite Buc (Go Gators) and always said hello to us He often would come over for a quick conversation or a signing. Anyone who has never experienced this, should. It is a total blast. It is worth every penny. The drive is the least of our concerns. We usually take the Old Gandy Bridge and W Shore to check out the hood. On a good day, busting out the Hogs and riding in a pack just adds that much more to the experience. So if you can’t afford Season Tickets, at least try to make a game here or there. It is always worth it, and if you know where to park, traffic is never a problem. Easy in and easy out. I can’t wait for even the Pre-Season to arrive. Night Games, tailgates, always a good time. Watching the new QBs. I am a Die Hard Buc Fan. I will drive from anywhere to get to the Games. I’m in Section 310 and we rule the CITS…… Giant Fans, Eagle Fans, Cowboy Fans, this is our House and you aren’t welcome here. Ahhhahahahahaha Sing it Ozzy!!!
June 26th, 2009 at 10:48 am
BigMacAttack coming with the Bucs passion on a rainy Friday morning!
June 26th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
BigMac – nobody is saying that the “drive” to RayJay is the problem – in fact was describing the ride from Orlando to St. Pete for the Rays was the problem.
I doubt it but then again baseball is a girly sport so… :p
June 26th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Ya I gotcha Luck. I’m usually too busy talkin when I oughta be listenen. I can’t get wrapped around Baseball either, and all NBA refs are on the take, or at least they act like it. Maybe their just blind. Anyway, here’s hoping the Lightning pull off a Killer Draft today and tomorrow. We went to all the Cup and playoff games that year, and that Game 7 Cup win was the best Sporting Experience I have ever been to. We had 14 tickets and were a complete herd of lunatic fans. I have to say the Calgary fans that were here in town, were a class act and the ones around us celebrated with us. The Bolts need to get back there again. Bucs’ Youth movement, Bolts’ Youth Movement, Rays’ Youth movement. All good