Do you think Pre-season games fleeces fans?

[Deberg_1990]

Peter King had some interesting things to say about preseason games in his MMQb today.

Discuss..

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/08/19/mmqb/3.html

1. I think the latest example of the idiocy of the preseason came Saturday night in St. Louis, when two of the three or four best backs in football, LaDainian Tomlinson and Steven Jackson, played a total of one play in the Rams' preseason game against San Diego. "He's definitely a guy I wouldn't put in in the preseason,'' Tomlinson said of Jackson.

What a boondoggle. Owners should be ashamed. The league should be ashamed. I'm not advocating Jackson and Tomlinson play -- not at all. Teams should do what they think is in their best interest to get ready for the season. Curtis Martin used to tell Herman Edwards he needed 20 or 25 summer carries to get ready for the real games, and that's what Edwards did with the Jets each August. Tomlinson obviously needs none, and the Rams think Jackson needs very few. Fine. But don't fleece the fans.

2. I think most fans have no idea what a rip-off this is, in this sense: Players get paid expense money, about $800 a week, during the preseason. But no salaries. So the average owner gets to fill his stadium, make maybe $1 million per meaningless game and not pay the players his fans came to see. (And stand on the sidelines, in the case of Tomlinson.)

One more thing: the Rams fans that came to see the game the other night paid up to $100 per seat for general admission in the stadium and up to $275 for club seats. The Cardinals fans down the street paid $24 for a field-box seat in spring training to see the World Series champions -- and, in all likelihood, Albert Pujols bat two or three times more than Steven Jackson touched the ball. The same Cardinals fans pay $85 for a field-box seat during the season.

3. I think if owners were fair, they'd do the Wal-Mart thing -- roll back the prices. That will happen about the same time I play tight end for the Raiders.

[Hammock Parties]

I'm pretty disgusted by the fact that players get paid $800 a week during preseason. WTF do they need that for?

[Dartgod]

Absolutely. Paying full price for a glorified "practice" chaps my ass every season. Either sell them at a discounted price or give the season ticket holders the choice to opt out of preseason games.

[luv]

I'm pretty disgusted by the fact that players get paid $800 a week during preseason. WTF do they need that for?
Their transportation and rooms are taken care of. The only other thing would be food and entertainment. That's some pretty expensive food.

[ChiefsCountry]

I'm pretty disgusted by the fact that players get paid $800 a week during preseason. WTF do they need that for?

BC not all the guys will be on the 53 man roster.

[Deberg_1990]

I'm pretty disgusted by the fact that players get paid $800 a week during preseason. WTF do they need that for?

Well obviously its pretty silly for the superstars to get this. But im sure it helps out the "Pre-season fodder" guys who are going to get cut anyways.

But of course the owners cant discriminate. You pay one guy, you have to pay them all.

[DJJasonp]

Although this makes total and complete sense....

But since it came from a complete tool (King), I'm going to pretend this never happened.

[Nzoner]

Their transportation and rooms are taken care of. The only other thing would be food and entertainment. That's some pretty expensive food.

I recall reading an article last week where one of the teams were upset because the hotel they were in didn't offer filet migion and they demanded it be brought in or something another. :rolleyes:

[Wile_E_Coyote]

I'm pretty disgusted by the fact that players get paid $800 a week during preseason. WTF do they need that for?

The pre-season Passion Parties are most likely duds. The players are too damn tired to think of anythink more than a blow job

[luv]

Well obviously its pretty silly for the superstars to get this. But im sure it helps out the "Pre-season fodder" guys who are going to get cut anyways.

But of course the owners cant discriminate. You pay one guy, you have to pay them all.
Everyone doesn't deserve money for expenses?

[Hammock Parties]

The pre-season Passion Parties are most likely duds. The players are too damn tired to think of anythink more than a blow job

Eddie Kennison just wants to talk dirty to his wife.

[Pushead2]

I recall reading an article last week where one of the teams were upset because the hotel they were in didn't offer filet migion and they demanded it be brought in or something another. :rolleyes:


What tools.

[gblowfish]

I've sold my pre-season tix the last four years to my pal Mr. Doggity. He takes his kids, and since they're right behind the Chiefs bench, they get to see the players up close, uh, except for Priest Holmes.

I have a really hard time paying $100 a pop to watch practice.

[pikesome]

Everyone doesn't deserve money for expenses?

TG isn't needing that $800 like Michael Allen does is what he's saying. It's chump change for TG, I bet he'd pay $800 to stay home if no one would bitch.

[OnTheWarpath15]

I recall reading an article last week where one of the teams were upset because the hotel they were in didn't offer filet migion and they demanded it be brought in or something another. :rolleyes:


That would be the Steelers.

There is actually a lengthy document that was leaked by a hotel to The Smoking Gun listing all the demands that the Steelers have for road game hotels.

[chasedude]

I recall reading an article last week where one of the teams were upset because the hotel they were in didn't offer filet migion and they demanded it be brought in or something another. :rolleyes:

The Steelers... go figure

link: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7125728?MSNHPHMA

[Donger]

I hate Big Football.

[luv]

TG isn't needing that $800 like Michael Allen does is what he's saying. It's chump change for TG, I bet he'd pay $800 to stay home if no one would bitch.
I'm thinking of traveling expenses when I think of getting paid for expenses. I've traveled for my company before. I made more than the girl traveling with me, but they gave us the same amount for expenses. Is that not what getting paid for expenses means in this case? My bad.

[morphius]

I think everyone knows that preseason is a huge ripoff.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

After going to two pre-season games a few years ago I finally realized I was completely wasting my money. I'll never go to another unless the tickets are free.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

I hate Big Football.
HEY.... You were right! You ARE funny!!!

woot.

[chasedude]

After going to two pre-season games a few years ago I finally realized I was completely wasting my money. I'll never go to another unless the tickets are free.

The Ticket Prices are non existent,

The Beer and nachos are Much Much cheaper,

all in my Lazy Boy at home!

[dtebbe]

It pisses me off as a season ticket holder to be the only ones paying full price for the tickets. I've been lucky to cover my costs on them every year, thank god for the bronco and this year green bay games!

It pisses me off when people buying single game seats bitch about paying over face for tickets. Chances are the person selling those tickets had to eat $500+ of preseason games so you have to charge above face just to break even.

DT

[StcChief]

The PS scam needs to end. 1 game at home max.

[Dartgod]

The PS scam needs to end. 1 game at home max. at a discounted price.
FYP...

[Stinger]

The PS scam needs to end. 1 game at home max.


Just to play devils advicate. Would they not (the NFL) just raise ticket prices to regular season games to make up the difference in lost revenue? I know everyone here gripes and complains about ticket prices but what if tickets went up another $20-$30 dollars per ticket for the season.

Like I said I am just playing devils advicate here.

[Bugeater]

It's not any different than DirecTv forcing me to buy a bunch a programming I don't want in order to get Sunday Ticket. Getting fleeced is what being a sports fan is all about.

[Predarat]

Just to play devils advicate. Would they not (the NFL) just raise ticket prices to regular season games to make up the difference in lost revenue? I know everyone here gripes and complains about ticket prices but what if tickets went up another $20-$30 dollars per ticket for the season.

Like I said I am just playing devils advicate here.
You hit the nail on the head thats actually what they would do. They wouldn't really lower prices at all, they would lower it for the two pre season games but then raise the regular season prices to compensate.

[Demonpenz]

even worse than the cost of the games is the fact the nfl holds a gun to my head to buy tickets to the games

[cosmo20002]

It pisses me off as a season ticket holder to be the only ones paying full price for the tickets. I've been lucky to cover my costs on them every year, thank god for the bronco and this year green bay games!DT

I hate it too, but even if the NFL allowed teams to charge less for preseason, the teams would just jack up the regular season accordingly to make up for it. In the end, the season would cost the same.


It pisses me off when people buying single game seats bitch about paying over face for tickets. Chances are the person selling those tickets had to eat $500+ of preseason games so you have to charge above face just to break even. DT

AMEN BROTHER! Before I had season tix, I'd cherry pick a game or two from season ticket holders and it didn't bother me at all to pay a premium. No preseason games, no potentially meaningless games in December, no spending a couple grand on tickets months before the season even starts.

[Buehler445]

Their transportation and rooms are taken care of. The only other thing would be food and entertainment. That's some pretty expensive food.

I'm pretty sure they get a food stipend.

[CHENZ A!]

I don't know why anyone other than a season ticket holder would ever pay any amt of money on a preseason game. Every yr, someone tries to sell me a ticket to a preseason game(I've already given my preseason tickets away), and I'm just like good luck with all that, you might find some chump willing to pay you $20.

But at least we don't have PSL's.