The Struggle for Ticket Sales Goes Continues...

[commavegarage]

My parents got this today,

"This year the Parents' Weekend football game is October 1, against WF...please purchase in advance as the game will sell out....We would also like to offer you a $15 dollar discounted ticket for our opening weekend game against Northwestern"

For anybody who actually is considering the game and isn't a season ticket holder, the coupon code is BCPARENT.

We have to discount our opening game of the year, against a power conference team that made a bowl last year. Gene, there were 50 inch TVs in 2007 and 08. Difference is, people actually WANTED to see our games then. It wasn't a chore. Nobody wants to watch this team play. It's not exciting in any way, shape or form.

BC Football: FEEL THE EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[commavegarage]

Oh, and get the fucking order charge off the online sales. Charge 5 bucks more a ticket if you need the money so damn badly. The random order charge is so gay.

[commavegarage]

A shoutout wouldn't have hurt ATL

[PhillyandBCEagles]

Oh, and get the fucking order charge off the online sales. Charge 5 bucks more a ticket if you need the money so damn badly. The random order charge is so gay.

Is the order charge per order or per ticket??

[ATLeagle]

A shoutout wouldn't have hurt ATL

Sorry. My bad. The challenge was that I one of the guys who told me about the dbs stuff didn't want me to give enough details in case it wasn't wide spread. But I have three cases where people were recently offered dbs seats without donations.

[JesuitIvy]

I love BC and one of the great joys to moving back up to the Boston area recently was to be able to go to more games. But Spaz sucks the enthusiasm out of it, and - I forget if someone said it here or another thread - BC has great football tradition it doesn't play up. GDF is all about how much things sucked till he got here. I'll probably go to the NW game, but I haven't bought my tickets because I'll probabyl be able to get 'em for $4 thru Groupon next month. Why isn't there any enthusiasm anymore? Either you play up the great athletes - Harris, Keuchly both as good as anybody in the nation - or the tradition - for 108 years they've been playing football in Chestnut Hill - something to counteract the malaise that has set in that says going to a game at BC is too much of a hassle. This also says to me those Fenway Marketing Group people aren't very good at what they do either.

[bcfanbetweenthhedges]

well said

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=165&f=4286&t=7624125

[commavegarage]

That's really the irony, and it shows how much energy Spaz and his style of play has sucked out of the system. We have one of the best running backs we've ever had entering his final season, and we have one of the best players we've ever had, a player who may very well leave at the end of this year and be a top 10 pick. On paper, we should be an easy sell with some of the players we've got. Yet we can't sell ANY tickets.

[innocentbystander]

That's really the irony, and it shows how much energy Spaz and his style of play has sucked out of the system. We have one of the best running backs we've ever had entering his final season, and we have one of the best players we've ever had, a player who may very well leave at the end of this year and be a top 10 pick. On paper, we should be an easy sell with some of the players we've got. Yet we can't sell ANY tickets.

I think there are probably some 10,000-15,000 people who "might" buy season's tickets if, and only if, BC has a winner. And when I say winner, I don't mean 7-5. That is not what they want.

They don't want pay to go to see BC lose. They don't want to pay to see BC stay close (vs a good opponent) and lose a close one. They want to see a winner which means they want to see if Rogers can get 'er done with the offense (because that is really all we need to get a winner with this team this year.) So they will hold off until they see how the season plays out.... and much of how this season plays out depends on their opener (the toughest opener BC has had since 1995.)

If BC loses to Northwestern, they wont be buying tickets.

If BC beats Northwestern but loses to UCF, they wont be buying tickets.

If (however) BC starts the season 3-0 (beats Northwestern, Central Florida, and Duke) then UMass, Wake Forest, Florida State, and NCState will be sellouts (provided the ticket buyers aren't forced to pay for seat licenses.) BC starts 3-0, everyone will expect 5-0. I don't know if the stadium will be full the day of those four games nor do I know if GFD will get away with charging very much for those tickets (might only be $15 or $20 each), but every ticket will be bought by someone.

BC just has to win. Ticket sales will take care of themselves.

[innocentbystander]

That's really the irony, and it shows how much energy Spaz and his style of play has sucked out of the system. We have one of the best running backs we've ever had entering his final season, and we have one of the best players we've ever had, a player who may very well leave at the end of this year and be a top 10 pick. On paper, we should be an easy sell with some of the players we've got. Yet we can't sell ANY tickets.

I think there are probably some 10,000-15,000 people who "might" buy season's tickets if, and only if, BC has a winner. And when I say winner, I don't mean 7-5. That is not what they want.

They don't want pay to go to see BC lose. They don't want to pay to see BC stay close (vs a good opponent) and lose a close one. They want to see a winner which means they want to see if Rogers can get 'er done with the offense (because that is really all we need to get a winner with this team this year.) So they will hold off until they see how the season plays out.... and much of how this season plays out depends on their opener (the toughest opener BC has had since 1995.)

If BC loses to Northwestern, they wont be buying tickets.

If BC beats Northwestern but loses to UCF, they wont be buying tickets.

If (however) BC starts the season 3-0 (beats Northwestern, Central Florida, and Duke) then UMass, Wake Forest, Florida State, and NCState will be sellouts (provided the ticket buyers aren't forced to pay for seat licenses.) BC starts 3-0, everyone will expect 5-0. I don't know if the stadium will be full the day of those four games nor do I know if GFD will get away with charging very much for those tickets (might only be $15 or $20 each), but every ticket will be bought by someone.

BC just has to win. Ticket sales will take care of themselves.

What IB is saying is that people in Boston aren't stupid.

No they are not.

If the NFL doesn't have a season this year, that might help BC ticket sales a little. I don't know. Almost everything depends on the opener vs Northwestern. For this team, for this season, there is a lightyear's difference between opening 4-1 and 5-0. I can't over-emphisize how important that first game is, particularly for ticket sales.

[EagleDave]

IB is stupid if he thinks Wake is going to be a sellout 5-0 or not.

The point is taken though. In order to sell tickets to casual fans in a predominantly pro environment with an ingrained anti-BC mindset, you need to win and win big. 8-4/7-5 won't cut it. I think there also has to be something else to attract the fans to the stadium. The team didn't run off 7 straight to open the season in 2008 but the stadium was still largely packed. Jags and his energy had a great deal to do with that. I think it's clear at this point that the leadership just isn't there, and that even if they did (by some miracle) run off 7-8 in a row to open the season, they still wouldn't be packing the stands. The reason being, I don't think anyone would notice.

Also, I would argue that 2007 against Wake Forest was a brutal opener considering they were coming off their (fluke) BCS appearance and had the majority of the team back.

[commavegarage]

I guarantee Umass Wake and Duke will not sell out. We could win the first few games 150-0 and be considered the greatest show on turf part ii and we still wouldn't sell out. people come to see our opponents, not us. Not us unless were really really good.

[innocentbystander]

I guarantee Umass Wake and Duke will not sell out. We could win the first few games 150-0 and be considered the greatest show on turf part ii and we still wouldn't sell out. people come to see our opponents, not us. Not us unless were really really good.

I wouldn't make any guarantees.

[commavegarage]

I guarantee Umass Wake and Duke will not sell out. We could win the first few games 150-0 and be considered the greatest show on turf part ii and we still wouldn't sell out. people come to see our opponents, not us. Not us unless were really really good.

I wouldn't make any guarantees.

You must not remember how 4 years ago we were top 10 with Matt Ryan, 4-0 and 5-0 and still couldn't sell out at home.

[innocentbystander]

I guarantee Umass Wake and Duke will not sell out. We could win the first few games 150-0 and be considered the greatest show on turf part ii and we still wouldn't sell out. people come to see our opponents, not us. Not us unless were really really good.

I wouldn't make any guarantees.

You must not remember how 4 years ago we were top 10 with Matt Ryan, 4-0 and 5-0 and still couldn't sell out at home.

I remember. I also remember that the Pats were looking at 16-0 and the Red Sox were about to win the World Series.

This year, there may not be a New England Patriots. We don't know if that will have any impact on BC ticket sales. So I wouldn't make any guarantees.

I think Northwestern means a lot for ticket sales. If they win, then the sales will come (perhaps only the day of the game.) But the tickets will sell.

[EagleDave]

I guarantee Umass Wake and Duke will not sell out. We could win the first few games 150-0 and be considered the greatest show on turf part ii and we still wouldn't sell out. people come to see our opponents, not us. Not us unless were really really good.

I wouldn't make any guarantees.

You must not remember how 4 years ago we were top 10 with Matt Ryan, 4-0 and 5-0 and still couldn't sell out at home.

I remember. I also remember that the Pats were looking at 16-0 and the Red Sox were about to win the World Series.

This year, there may not be a New England Patriots. We don't know if that will have any impact on BC ticket sales. So I wouldn't make any guarantees.

I think Northwestern means a lot for ticket sales. If they win, then the sales will come (perhaps only the day of the game.) But the tickets will sell.

Northwestern isn't going to make an impact on the casual sports fan who doesn't watch college football on a regular basis. They could have gone 12-0 last year and people would still react with pessimism towards the Wildcats. They're not a big enough name for anyone to care what we do with them...even moreso considering they aren't going to be ranked.

[eagle216]

Any discussion about our poor ticket sales must begin and end with an acknowledgement that it is an utter and complete clusterf--k for the average fan to attend a game. I have been to many sporting events, in many different sports, on many different levels, and I do not believe I have come across a worse parking/logistic scenario for the average fan.

Think about this: What is the largest sporting facility in the City of Boston? Alumni statdium. Bigger than Fenway and Boston Garden (or whatever they call it these days). Yet the average joe can drive to those venues, select a nearby pay garage/lot, park the car, and walk into the event. This can not be done at Alumni. Tell me anywhere else in America where you can't do this.

And our tv ratings have traditionally been strong in Boston, and as HJS famously reminds us, we always do well on Bowl game ratings. We have fan interest. It just does not translate into game attendance, because your average middle class dad from Bridgewater has no idea how the f to get to the game.

[EagleDave]

Any discussion about our poor ticket sales must begin and end with an acknowledgement that it is an utter and complete clusterf--k for the average fan to attend a game. I have been to many sporting events, in many different sports, on many different levels, and I do not believe I have come across a worse parking/logistic scenario for the average fan.

Think about this: What is the largest sporting facility in the City of Boston? Alumni statdium. Bigger than Fenway and Boston Garden (or whatever they call it these days). Yet the average joe can drive to those venues, select a nearby pay garage/lot, park the car, and walk into the event. This can not be done at Alumni. Tell me anywhere else in America where you can't do this.

And our tv ratings have traditionally been strong in Boston, and as HJS famously reminds us, we always do well on Bowl game ratings. We have fan interest. It just does not translate into game attendance, because your average middle class dad from Bridgewater has no idea how the f to get to the game.

Ahem...

[PhillyandBCEagles]

Wake is Parent's Weekend I think so it should technically be a sellout although there certainly won't be 45,000 asses in seats.

[Dirtywater]

Any discussion about our poor ticket sales must begin and end with an acknowledgement that it is an utter and complete clusterf--k for the average fan to attend a game. I have been to many sporting events, in many different sports, on many different levels, and I do not believe I have come across a worse parking/logistic scenario for the average fan.

Think about this: What is the largest sporting facility in the City of Boston? Alumni statdium. Bigger than Fenway and Boston Garden (or whatever they call it these days). Yet the average joe can drive to those venues, select a nearby pay garage/lot, park the car, and walk into the event. This can not be done at Alumni. Tell me anywhere else in America where you can't do this.

And our tv ratings have traditionally been strong in Boston, and as HJS famously reminds us, we always do well on Bowl game ratings. We have fan interest. It just does not translate into game attendance, because your average middle class dad from Bridgewater has no idea how the f to get to the game.

As one of the bloggers here recently said: If you want a 45k seat stadium in the middle of one of Boston's most affluent neighborhoods you are going to have to do what the neighbors want/will allow you to do. So shut the fuck up and enjoy your school bus ride. That's the BC attitude as well. So why try to make it better because that would be HARD (and we do not want to upset our affluent neighbors as it might impact their donations to Brandeis and Tufts).

[pick6pedro]

(the toughest opener BC has had since 1995.)

If BC loses to Northwestern, they wont be buying tickets.

If BC beats Northwestern but loses to UCF, they wont be buying tickets.

Why are so enamored with NW? Tell me what is so good about a team that went 7-6 with one win over a team with a better than .500 record? Tell me what is so good about a team that closed the season by giving up 48, 70, and 45? Please tell me how a 9 win Wake coming off an 11 win season isn't a tougher opener? How about a 10 win Central Michigan or a 10 win Georgia Tech?

Win or lose NW or UCF, ticket fluctuations as a result of the outcomes will be unnoticeable.

[tallsy]

It seems to me that Gene should start with the manageable - cutting the price to park on Shea and reforming the season ticket pricing.

I am skeptical of the returns on marketing. I just don't buy that there are these untapped groups that if they just had more awareness would buy tickets to BC football. Outside of FSU and ND, no one cares about the schedule. That includes VaTech and Clemson, who are only names within preexisting college football fans. (This is not a whine about the ACC. Things would be worse in the Big East.)

Obviously, winning would be the best tonic.

[pick6pedro]

A shoutout wouldn't have hurt ATL

Sorry. My bad. The challenge was that I one of the guys who told me about the dbs stuff didn't want me to give enough details in case it wasn't wide spread. But I have three cases where people were recently offered dbs seats without donations.

I received this offer. There was going to be a slight price increase, but no required donation. I told them that I knew they were struggling, so I'd be happy to do it for no price increase. They declined...I told them I expected to hear from them when they got real desperate and how it would be sooner rather than later. That guy doesn't like me much.

[Shredder]

Any discussion about our poor ticket sales must begin and end with an acknowledgement that it is an utter and complete clusterf--k for the average fan to attend a game. I have been to many sporting events, in many different sports, on many different levels, and I do not believe I have come across a worse parking/logistic scenario for the average fan.

Think about this: What is the largest sporting facility in the City of Boston? Alumni statdium. Bigger than Fenway and Boston Garden (or whatever they call it these days). Yet the average joe can drive to those venues, select a nearby pay garage/lot, park the car, and walk into the event. This can not be done at Alumni. Tell me anywhere else in America where you can't do this.

And our tv ratings have traditionally been strong in Boston, and as HJS famously reminds us, we always do well on Bowl game ratings. We have fan interest. It just does not translate into game attendance, because your average middle class dad from Bridgewater has no idea how the f to get to the game.

As one of the bloggers here recently said: If you want a 45k seat stadium in the middle of one of Boston's most affluent neighborhoods you are going to have to do what the neighbors want/will allow you to do. So shut the fuck up and enjoy your school bus ride. That's the BC attitude as well. So why try to make it better because that would be HARD (and we do not want to upset our affluent neighbors as it might impact their donations to Brandeis and Tufts).

I agree that it would be difficult if not impossible to improve the tailgating situation at this time. Still, there are other ways to improve the pre-game atmosphere. The satellite parking and bus thing is very unappealing and BC might be better off with some sort of MBTA deal (we park at Woodland and take the T to Chestnut Hill, or Reservoir if going to Roggie's before the game, and prefer that over the buses). The other thing, which has been tried but not very successful, is more of a campus fest. Some sort of beer/drink deal would be great but that would likely cause problems with permits and such.

[bignick33]

A shoutout wouldn't have hurt ATL

Sorry. My bad. The challenge was that I one of the guys who told me about the dbs stuff didn't want me to give enough details in case it wasn't wide spread. But I have three cases where people were recently offered dbs seats without donations.

I received this offer. There was going to be a slight price increase, but no required donation. I told them that I knew they were struggling, so I'd be happy to do it for no price increase. They declined...I told them I expected to hear from them when they got real desperate and how it would be sooner rather than later. That guy doesn't like me much.

He doesn't like you, but that's because you insisted on arguing with him in Spanish. You're in America now, so cut the crap.

[bignick33]

A shoutout wouldn't have hurt ATL

Sorry. My bad. The challenge was that I one of the guys who told me about the dbs stuff didn't want me to give enough details in case it wasn't wide spread. But I have three cases where people were recently offered dbs seats without donations.

I received this offer. There was going to be a slight price increase, but no required donation. I told them that I knew they were struggling, so I'd be happy to do it for no price increase. They declined...I told them I expected to hear from them when they got real desperate and how it would be sooner rather than later. That guy doesn't like me much.

He doesn't like you, but that's because you insisted on arguing with him in Spanish. You're in America now, so cut the crap.

i picture the two of you typing from the same room now that you're married so this exchange is funny to me

And I picture you sitting in Chris' fat Asian lap crooning about the good ole days when your relationship was merely transitive. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[angrychicken]

A shoutout wouldn't have hurt ATL

Sorry. My bad. The challenge was that I one of the guys who told me about the dbs stuff didn't want me to give enough details in case it wasn't wide spread. But I have three cases where people were recently offered dbs seats without donations.

I received this offer. There was going to be a slight price increase, but no required donation. I told them that I knew they were struggling, so I'd be happy to do it for no price increase. They declined...I told them I expected to hear from them when they got real desperate and how it would be sooner rather than later. That guy doesn't like me much.

He doesn't like you, but that's because you insisted on arguing with him in Spanish. You're in America now, so cut the crap.

i picture the two of you typing from the same room now that you're married so this exchange is funny to me

I pictured the same thing, except they had their laptops lined up so it looked like they were playing Battleship.

[bignick33]

A shoutout wouldn't have hurt ATL

Sorry. My bad. The challenge was that I one of the guys who told me about the dbs stuff didn't want me to give enough details in case it wasn't wide spread. But I have three cases where people were recently offered dbs seats without donations.

I received this offer. There was going to be a slight price increase, but no required donation. I told them that I knew they were struggling, so I'd be happy to do it for no price increase. They declined...I told them I expected to hear from them when they got real desperate and how it would be sooner rather than later. That guy doesn't like me much.

He doesn't like you, but that's because you insisted on arguing with him in Spanish. You're in America now, so cut the crap.

i picture the two of you typing from the same room now that you're married so this exchange is funny to me

I pictured the same thing, except they had their laptops lined up so it looked like they were playing Battleship.

Is TRE giving you bloodflow?

[angrychicken]

A shoutout wouldn't have hurt ATL

Sorry. My bad. The challenge was that I one of the guys who told me about the dbs stuff didn't want me to give enough details in case it wasn't wide spread. But I have three cases where people were recently offered dbs seats without donations.

I received this offer. There was going to be a slight price increase, but no required donation. I told them that I knew they were struggling, so I'd be happy to do it for no price increase. They declined...I told them I expected to hear from them when they got real desperate and how it would be sooner rather than later. That guy doesn't like me much.

He doesn't like you, but that's because you insisted on arguing with him in Spanish. You're in America now, so cut the crap.

i picture the two of you typing from the same room now that you're married so this exchange is funny to me

I pictured the same thing, except they had their laptops lined up so it looked like they were playing Battleship.

here's nick with his best "man"

Sweet tats, Pedro!

[bignick33]

TRE and Huang are getting back to their old trick of "tag-teaming."