ChiefsPlanet - Chiefs BRC is no longer a "real" fan.

Edited version of my email to the chiefs........................

After being on the season ticket waiting list for 4 years I finally became a season ticket holder in 1996. Back then 3 season tickets cost me $1,113. This year’s bill was $2,604. By the time you tally in parking, gas to and from the games the yearly bill easily exceeds $3,000. That doesn’t even include tailgating supplies or anything bought inside the stadium. With that kind of money I could plan a major family vacation, house improvements, and provide additional funds for college etc.etc. Spending $3,000 for something that has lost its value just doesn’t make sense to me anymore.
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I’m sure that the season ticket prices will continue to go up at a rate higher than inflation and with the re-opening of the “new” Arrowhead really escalate in price. I’m not having a financial hardship. I’m still way over paid for the work that I do. There is no reason to doubt that in the future that my pay scale will continue upward. So I can afford the season tickets even the club level seats if I so chose to do so. It’s just that I don’t think it’s a good value for my family anymore.
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When I have to pay for 2 pre-season games (close to $500.00) that are glorified practices it reduces the value of being a season ticket holder. I’m now unable to sell my tickets at face value to anyone. Sometimes I can’t even give them away for free. That decreases the value of being a season ticket holder.
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When I try to upgrade my seats to a better location I’m told that there are no real upgrades available. I feel this is because of the Wolf pack Club program that saves lower level seats and premium upper level seats for new season ticket holders. You can pay $400 - $500 a year to join the “club” and you jump in front of me. 12 years of season tickets are worth $400 to the Chiefs. How many $1,000’s have I spent on pre-season games and down year games? Again this has de-valued being a season ticket holder.
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I love tailgating. I love seeing old friends and meeting new ones on game days. The game day experience no matter if the Chiefs win or lose is always an excellent time. Year after year I have seen some hard core long time season ticket holders give up their tickets. This has taken a toll on the fervor of the fans inside Arrowhead.
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These hard core fans have been replaced by people seeking social time with friends and family, co-workers and businesses rewarding employees. They love their pre-game tents with the no fuss ready to eat buffets. They will really love the new club level. Nothing wrong with this new social dynamic except that a by product of this is that they are not as committed to the team and making Arrowhead the loudest stadium in the NFL as were the fans that they replaced. And that decreases the value and fun of being a season ticket holder.
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Maybe if I had no faith in King Carl to rebuild our team I’d still see a value in being a season ticket holder. King Carl deserves to be in the KC Chiefs HOF. He is directly responsible for making the Arrowhead game day experience one of the best if not the best in the NFL. But his arrogance has also brought the Chiefs down to levels that have been shameful and very distasteful to experience as a Chiefs fan.
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King Carl has had 19 years to get this right but he still can’t admit mistakes. His failure to evaluate talent is why we are in the current re-building mode. His time as GM should have been up a long time ago. I feel that he has stayed on as GM because of the great business skills he has and the profit he makes for the franchise. I believe King Carl wants to win as much as any of the NFL GM’s, he just doesn’t know how. After 19 years its time to give someone else a chance.
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One of the benefits of being a season ticket holder is keeping the same tickets for playoff games. One playoff game at Arrowhead in 10 years doesn’t increase the value of being a season ticket holder.
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I’m optimistic about the future. The last 2 drafts have given us fans hope. I’ll still go to the games. I’ll just cherry pick the games. Home opener, Broncos, Raiders etc. Maybe in a couple of years from now when we are good again I’ll see the value in being a season ticket holder. I can just buy the rights to someone’s seat with the $6,000 that I saved from not giving that money to the Chiefs front office for 2 years. I’ll always be a Chiefs fan and shall cheer no other. It’s just that the majority of the time I’ll be doing that cheering in front of a big screen TV.