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A tale of two cities(kinda long personal exploit)

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  • A tale of two cities(kinda long personal exploit)

    The recent thread that won't go away regarding razor gator tickets really got me to thinking about just how the differences between two cities and two franchises can be so dramatic and just how relative success and failure are to the aforementioned thread. So as to not hijack that thread with an off the beaten path topic that's only partially relevent I wanted to share a recent exploit of mine with a new thread

    I live in Houston and wanted to check out what it would take to get tickets for the eagles game in september. checking stub hub really good seats are about $ 400.00 beheind the eagles bench in the first 15 rows about the 35 yd line. and the lesser seats go down to like $130 you can buy them all day long at Stub hub.

    Tickets haven't gone on sale here to the public yet so I figured I would try to persue tickets thru the Texans front office, of course they tell you can only buy them at Ticketmaster when they go on sale in July. So I go the Texans web site. Now keep in mind I live in Houston and I would like to develop at least a liking for the texans, outside of opening day of course. After all they hate the cowboys almost as much as we do and being able to pull for the local team is a good idea as long as it never conflicts with an eagles game. So i see this this thing about season ticket waiting list. It says "sorry the 2006 season tickets have all been sold but if you would like to get on the waiting list for 2007 please follow the prompts" It also states that one of the benefits of being on the 2007 waiting list is you will get advance notice of ticket sales for upcoming games before the general public does. Ding Ding, Ok I'm thinking this is harmless, there's no cost so I'll give them my e-mail/phone # and I'll get an opportunity to get my tickets for opening day before even the Texans fans do who aren't on this list. If it works out I may get decent seats cheaper than going to stub Hub or a ticket agency. If not I've still got those options. and I'll probably never hear from these guys.

    Here's where it gets interesting, by the time I got home that evening I get a call from the Houston Texans front office tickets sales dept.
    I said "I wasn't exactly expecting call so soon and to be honest you see, I'm not actually a true Texans fan and I'm only mildly interested in season tickets but I was hoping I could get the advance notice for the upcoming season besides I thought you guys didn't have any more 2006 season tickets."
    He said "we do have some left why don't come down to the stadium on saturday, we'll have a few other people like yourself a couple of players and cheerleaders, some free food and bevearges and we'll show you around the stadium."
    So I said "ok as long as you understand my situation I really do want to see how the feild looks from different seats anyway."
    So I go down there with my wife and 2 year old grandson, we pull right up the player parking area and park, they take us down thru the stadium tunnels down to the feild, they have about 6 or 7 round tables set up and a little buffet line with hotdogs and beverages etc. There were only maybe a total of 40 other people like us there. They say hey enjoy yourself have some food if you have any questions about tickets or want to see anything let us know. I talk to them and they take me and my wife on a personal escorted tour of the entire stadium, going to whatever part of the stadium we wanted to. A look at the workout facilities and then back to the tables. By this time a bunch of cheerleaders and a couple of players showed up. I talked to Antwan Peek and a receiver who probably won't make the team (Donovan Morgan) although he said he was really good freinds with Gaffney and he thinks he'll do well in Philly. By this time they know I'm an eagles fan but they're all cool with it. I get with the ticket people, and they do have some 2 game packages that include the eagles game and the Bucs pre-season game for about $100 per ticket, they also gave me some info on group tickets parties of ten or more, these seem like pretty good tickets and decently priced with some club privilages depending on the package. I didn't buy anything but I have a personal contact there in the ticket office now if I want to.

    The point of this whole thing is to see just how concerned this franchise is in developing fan relations that they would expend that kind of effort for a handful of people and some like myself not even a texan fan is incredible and kind of sad.
    Saddly it is tied to being a newer franchise that has never had a winning record. Conversely, if you look at the eagles today you could not imagine a scenario as I described above.
    I guess when I hear about the razor gator stuff in relation to this experience it makes me think, How far away are the texans from having to worry about a scandle due to thier tickets being so coveted? It should be a reminder to us as fans of the trappings of success and how we need to appreciate our teams success and it should be a reminder to the ownership of the eagles that they should never forget how difficult it could be to develop a fan base as loyal as we are.

    By the way the season tickets they had left were in the 500 level and went for about $430 each with a $1200 PSL and the 600 level were $430/seat but with no PSL. and they actually have a 700 level it is about 3 or 4 rows just beneath the roof at either endzone. My wife was afraid to go up there so we didn't ask. LOL

  • #2
    If Banner was putting it on, he might have sprung for the mustard.
    "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Eagle60
      If Banner was putting it on, he might have sprung for the mustard.
      grey poupon of course

      Comment


      • #4
        I havent wanted to be at the forefront of a season ticket base for a long time now. When the MLS was announced, I was living in northern NJ at the time and I considered buying season tix to the NY/NJ Metrostars but then I thought about it and decided.. I can't root for a NY team even if it's soccer.

        I think it'd be a lot of fun to be a new franchise fan.

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        • #5
          Thanks for sharing that story. Very interesting.

          Doesn't make me feel too much better though.
          www.disciplerocks.com

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm not so sure you *could* compare the Texans struggling franchise to the Eagles.

            The real world has dictated that the Eagles have a waiting list of a decade to get season tickets. Prior to 1980, you *could* buy decent season tickets... fast forward to the new millenium, and there is no way in Hades you could find anything worthwhile.

            If you're attempting to state that the Eagles don't spend money on amenities for those who spend the dough, that's completely false. Lurie did everything he needed to do to continue and expand upon the fan base. There are still tours of the stadium, pre-game tailgate parties, etc... Add training camp and the Eagles carnival, and I think the Birds have a darn good relationship with the fanbase. THe Eagles fans are well taken care of... except for us schmucks upstairs, I can't even get a friggin Lager. (that's Yuengling for you guys outside of SE PA)

            Having been down on the field and in the club box level, I can safely say the level of service is something to appreciate. BUT... I like being outside with the rest of the Barbarians.

            When you are the "gold standard" of the NFL, you don't resort to begging people to buy a two game ticket. It's just simple economics. Lurie invested well, and it's paid off. While I don't agree with some FO decisions, the stadium, the costs and the team on the field are all items which are always issues which the ownership is always looking to improve.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by PhillyJack
              I'm not so sure you *could* compare the Texans struggling franchise to the Eagles.

              The real world has dictated that the Eagles have a waiting list of a decade to get season tickets. Prior to 1980, you *could* buy decent season tickets... fast forward to the new millenium, and there is no way in Hades you could find anything worthwhile.

              If you're attempting to state that the Eagles don't spend money on amenities for those who spend the dough, that's completely false. Lurie did everything he needed to do to continue and expand upon the fan base. There are still tours of the stadium, pre-game tailgate parties, etc... Add training camp and the Eagles carnival, and I think the Birds have a darn good relationship with the fanbase. THe Eagles fans are well taken care of... except for us schmucks upstairs, I can't even get a friggin Lager. (that's Yuengling for you guys outside of SE PA)

              Having been down on the field and in the club box level, I can safely say the level of service is something to appreciate. BUT... I like being outside with the rest of the Barbarians.

              When you are the "gold standard" of the NFL, you don't resort to begging people to buy a two game ticket. It's just simple economics. Lurie invested well, and it's paid off. While I don't agree with some FO decisions, the stadium, the costs and the team on the field are all items which are always issues which the ownership is always looking to improve.
              You're right, they really can't be compared. It is a quantum leap type thing and I guess thats why it struck me. I don't disagree with anything you're saying by the way. I'm just relaying this experience as something I went thru that really shed some perspective on the differences between success and failure and an established franchise with one that is struggling to emerge. I'm not trying to say the eagles don't spend money on their fans at all, only that I couldn't imagine an event that the eagles would have like this that would only have 40 people show up and receive such attention and when I say 40 people I'm being generous. Heck, I really didn't think that any franchise would have something like that happen. This is not saying they treat thier fans better.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by eaglefan55
                Originally posted by PhillyJack
                I'm not so sure you *could* compare the Texans struggling franchise to the Eagles.

                The real world has dictated that the Eagles have a waiting list of a decade to get season tickets. Prior to 1980, you *could* buy decent season tickets... fast forward to the new millenium, and there is no way in Hades you could find anything worthwhile.

                If you're attempting to state that the Eagles don't spend money on amenities for those who spend the dough, that's completely false. Lurie did everything he needed to do to continue and expand upon the fan base. There are still tours of the stadium, pre-game tailgate parties, etc... Add training camp and the Eagles carnival, and I think the Birds have a darn good relationship with the fanbase. THe Eagles fans are well taken care of... except for us schmucks upstairs, I can't even get a friggin Lager. (that's Yuengling for you guys outside of SE PA)

                Having been down on the field and in the club box level, I can safely say the level of service is something to appreciate. BUT... I like being outside with the rest of the Barbarians.

                When you are the "gold standard" of the NFL, you don't resort to begging people to buy a two game ticket. It's just simple economics. Lurie invested well, and it's paid off. While I don't agree with some FO decisions, the stadium, the costs and the team on the field are all items which are always issues which the ownership is always looking to improve.
                You're right, they really can't be compared. It is a quantum leap type thing and I guess thats why it struck me. I don't disagree with anything you're saying by the way. I'm just relaying this experience as something I went thru that really shed some perspective on the differences between success and failure and an established franchise with one that is struggling to emerge. I'm not trying to say the eagles don't spend money on their fans at all, only that I couldn't imagine an event that the eagles would have like this that would only have 40 people show up and receive such attention and when I say 40 people I'm being generous. Heck, I really didn't think that any franchise would have something like that happen. This is not saying they treat thier fans better.
                While I've waxed poetically about how well the Eagles treat their fans... It has to be refreshing to see some honest to goodness personal attention to prospective season ticket holders. Honestly, if I was stuck in Houston, I would seriously consider buying season tickets. (professional football is professional football) Considering you actually interacted with a few players, etc... this alone would assure me of the type of interest the franchise has in the fans. I applaud the Texans for going the extra distance to make the connection. And, you're right, while the Eagles treat their fans well, it's nothing like that.

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