Arrowhead Club Level - FAIL

[Strongside]

I'm not sure what idiot at arrowhead keeps setting the club level prices where they are, but apparently they aren't getting the picture. I realize this has been discussed here before, but it's outrageous that we started to see the CL almost completely empty 3 years ago and that it's not been fixed. It's been hard to find data on ticket prices, but I found some.

In 2008, just four years ago, these were the prices listed on the Chiefs website.

In continuation of the Chiefs long-standing policy, the taxpayers of Jackson County, Missouri will receive a pre-sale opportunity to purchase single-game tickets for Chiefs home games during the upcoming 2008 season on Tuesday, July 22nd and Wednesday July 23rd, beginning at 10:00 AM. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Arrowhead box office or at participating Kansas City Ticketmaster Ticket Centers. Ticket prices for Chiefs home games begin at $105-115 (club level) and range downward to $81-94 (field level) and $41-83 (upper level).

As you can see, the most expensive ticket in the stadium was $115. Compare that to the current price of $270 and take into consideration that we've had a deep economic shitstorm since then and it's easy to see that these prices are just way off. Granted, the stadium has undergone a renovation but the view from these seats didn't change and, if I'm not mistaken, neither did the inclusiveness of the club level seating. A lot of those seats may be reserved for corporate sales...if this is the case, then that strategy isn't working, should be ditched and the prices lowered to suit the general public. Another common misconception is that the seats are empty because the fans that hold those tickets can go up into the suites, which isn't true. I've sat in the CL several times and have never had access to a suite.

Mark Donovan addressed the 'yellow seats' a couple of years ago but, as we saw last year and yesterday, whatever their solution was, didn't work.

Here's what Donovan said:

"We've seen the yellow seats," Donovan acknowledged on 810 WHB Tuesday morning.
For all those who have sent in an email asking the question, here's your answer: "We think we mis-priced those," he said. "What we're doing this year is we're going to roll out a new pricing plan for the end zones and corner of the club level and those prices will go down."

I'm not sure if the prices actually did go down or not, but the fact is that the seats remain empty. It's an eyesore on TV and it's a damn shame when you're at the games and Arrowhead looks like a shell of it's former self.

The ticket prices don't match the product on the field or the struggling economy...parking is damn near $30, which is insane as well...and it needs to be fixed.

[Bewbies]

The most fun I ever had at Arrowhead was clear up in the nosebleeds in the corner endzone. Tons of drunks and fans of the other team up there, which made for a hilariously entertaining experience.

If I owned the team I'm pretty sure I'd sit up there in all but the coldest/rainiest games...

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Bewbies

The most fun I ever had at Arrowhead was clear up in the nosebleeds in the corner endzone. Tons of drunks and fans of the other team up there, which made for a hilariously entertaining experience.

If I owned the team I'm pretty sure I'd sit up there in all but the coldest/rainiest games...

Drinking is baaad, mmmmmkay

[KCrockaholic]

What was yesterdays attendance?

[Bewbies]

Originally Posted by Dayze

Drinking is baaad, mmmmmkay

I wasn't drinking, it was way more fun to watch everyone else that had been.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Bewbies

I wasn't drinking, it was way more fun to watch everyone else that had been.

[007]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I paid $800 for 3 tickets my first year as a season ticket holder. My last year we paid $3,300 for those 3 tickets. The final tickets were $10 above the price per game where we orginally sat. They os way above the rate of inflation. The average family looks at $3k and says we can go on a good vacation for that. We can remodel the kitchen, put money towards a vacation home whatever.

You are welcome.

[007]

Originally Posted by tecumseh

Put me down for some Coka cola seats. Sounds like my kinda people.

I would consider those seats if I had another person to sit and bitch about the game with. I don't like just hitting it up with strangers. Has to be one constant for me.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by jspchief

Club level seating is not tied to the suites. You may have suites that include club level seats, but its not like everyone with a club level seat has access to a suite.

What club level seats do have is 100% indoor concourse, carpeted, with leather furniture, fireplaces, bars, etc. And that concourse is where all the douchebags that buy club level seating hang out. It's like a busy nightclub. Football is secondary to the scene.

Yea equating the tickets sold to the people in the seats when it comes to club level is misleading. There are a lot of people who buy those tickets and "go" to the game but don't sit in there seats for a portion (for some people a large portion) of the game.

I have sat in club level a few times but never been in a suite in renovated Arrowhead. In defense of some of the club level I have found the people that are there and in their seats are not really the types that are not loud. The folks watching the game are not really the win and cheese types. Last time I was in that section was the Buffalo game a few years back and these guys sitting by us were banging loud on the tops of the scoreboards the whole time.

[JD10367]

Many teams have done this. The Patriots' club level is embarrassingly empty most of the time. After halftime most of them stay inside to drink. When it gets cold, the section is constantly empty. It's the best viewing area in the stadium and no one sits there, while the diehard fans are in crap seats. Because the club seats are midfield and midheight the absence of screaming fans there means little homefield noise advantage. And I've seen it on TV when they air games from other teams. But the bottom line is, the owners don't give a shit. Kraft, Hunt, and the other owners doing this, all pocket shitloads of guaranteed corporate money. Whether those seats are empty, full of wine-and-cheesers, or full of rabid diehard fans, makes little difference to the owners' pockets. Just another nail in the coffin of live sports viewing. Between HDTV, multiple replay coverage, and climate-control, I have no need to leave my living room more than once a year for the "gameday assrape-my-income experience".

[Deberg_1990]

I prefer the wine and cheese crowd. Not as loud, less profantity used, more civilized. True Fans.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I prefer the wine and cheese crowd. Not as loud, less profantity used, more civilized. True Fans.

The "suites" crowd is generally every stereo type one would think.

The "club level seat" crowd generally gets a bad wrap that is sometimes earned but not always.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by frazod

My uncle got us seats in the Chevy box once. I'd say about half the people there never even bothered to step outside, let alone pay any attention to the game at all, and most of the ones that did seemed to be annoyed with me because I dared to make noise. ****ing twats. If all you care about is being seen by the right people, go to the goddamn country club.

Oh, and I should mention that this was several years ago when the team was actually good.

This.

The gold section is for the wine and cheesers. Most of them are just here for the party, and to pass out business cards and sniff each other's bottoms as a "networking opportunity." They could give a rat's ass about the game. That's just the way it is.

[Bob Dole]

They should swap the yellow seats with red ones in the lower bowl, at least.

Maybe install some sort of mechanical pop-up seat back that resembles a torso and head.

[ChiefsCountry]

Remember this - the lower level and upper level, the Chiefs have to split that ticket money with the visiting team. Its a 60/40 split. All the seats in the club level and suites, the Chiefs get to keep for themselves.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Raiderhader

I don't doubt that prices have had an impact. However I think there is another factor as well. The new suites behind the seating are open to the club level ticket holders. I think the wine and cheesers are hiding out inside making the place look less full than it actually is.

Yeah, I used to sit in club level. I think this is part of it. It seems like alot of businesses will buy a block of club lev seats and some gamedays they can't even get them filled, and if they do they are out in the heated lobby chumming it up watching the game on TV. It still is more sparse than other areas though.