Increasing Fuel Prices Causing Increase In Ticket Prices

This post goes hand in hand with the one that I posted about recreational racers, and the pinch they're feeling as they try to continue participating in a hobby that requires a lot of fuel. Only this time, the cost of fuel is trickling down and affecting the fans.

Many people probably don't realize how much minor league teams travel. It's not always hundreds of thousands of miles, but it does add up during the season. And when the price of fuel has increased like it has, that cost has to be covered somehow. Oftentimes, it's done by increasing ticket prices, which means that fans are feeling the effects on the way to the game and when they arrive.

Firecats tickets started at $12 or $15 in 2003. Today, they start at $17.50 or $25.
Everblades ticket prices will rise by $1 from last season, ranging from $12 to $34 for rink-side seats. In 2001, Everblades tickets ranged from $8 to $17.

Miracle tickets have risen from $3 and $5 to $5 and $7 since 2001.

However, the rise in fuel prices can also benefit the teams. Instead of having to increase ticket prices, some teams are using larger attendance numbers to offset the increasing costs. That's happening because people are searching out local events instead of driving out of their immediate area.

But the rising cost of gas might actually help the minor-league teams in terms of attendance, Gliner said.

“As we get into the summer time, people who might go away for vacations might not be doing that right now,” said Gliner, who noted a 20 percent rise in attendance this season from the last. “They’ll be looking for things to do locally.

“If we can continue to work hard on our end and keep the sponsors coming back, we can stay affordable.”

Overall, it appears that teams are doing their best to keep ticket prices from increasing. Hopefully, increased attendance and creative sponsorship deals can allow them to offer fans an affordable entertainment option.

Giants Fans Don't Care To See Two Unstoppable Forces Colliding

Anyone who has watched even just a few NFL games has probably seen that amazing Citizen Watch commercial. You know, the one with Eli Manning and the tagline "Unstoppable". Yeah, whoever came up with that is an advertising genius!

Well, this Saturday the "Unstoppable" Eli Manning faces the really unstoppable New England Patriots and their perfect 15-0 record. History could be made, and all that stands in the way of the Pats is "Unstoppable" Eli and his Giants. The game is even being played at The Meadowlands so the Giants have homefield advantage. Or do they?

The chance to watch the Giants try to mar the Patriots perfect season isn't drawing many Big Blue fans to the stadium this Saturday.

Many New York Giants fans are hawking their tickets to the game to New England Patriots fans who want to see quarterback Tom Brady and his teammates go for a 16-0 record in their final regular-season game.

Internet auction sites that allow customers to buy and sell sports tickets have seen a surge in ticket sales for the game by Giants fans, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Tuesday.

And these are probably the same fans that will be sitting at a bar on Saturday night screaming at the TV for Coach Coughlin to play the starters so they can beat the Pats. Yeah, way to go dickwads. Honestly, this is probably bigger than any game the Giants have played all season unless they miraculously make it to the Super Bowl, and a number of fans won't be there to cheer their team on. Hopefully Coach Coughlin gets a list of their addresses, and pays each one of them a special visit.

I Hate To Say It Rockies' Fans But "I Told Ya So"

Last Thursday, I wrote about how the Rockies' decision to only sell World Series tickets online might not turn out to be the best idea. In fact, what I said was:

The other problem would be if the ticket servers crashed during what will probably be a huge traffic jam of sales. It wouldn't be the first time that something like that has occured during online ticket sales for a sporting event. Just ask Pittsburgh Panthers' fans about their '03 ticket fiasco. And that was for Panthers basketball tickets. This is for tickets for the Rockies, the hottest team in baseball right now, first World Series appearance.

Good luck Rockies' fans, I have a feeling you might need it.

Guess what? The online ticketing system crashed, and sales have been suspended.

The Colorado Rockies suspended World Series ticket sales Monday after overwhelming demand crashed their computer system.

"Right now we're shutting the system down," club spokesman Jay Alves announced outside Coors Field, drawing boos from fans. "We expect to be online at some point."

"We're as frustrated and disappointed as they are," Alves said.

Alves had said last week that the Rockies were prepared for any computer problems.

On Monday, there were 8.5 million attempts to connect with the computers in the first 90 minutes after sales started, he said, and only several hundred tickets had been sold before the system had to be shut down.

The Rockies put as many as 60,000 tickets up for sale online only, and team officials said their computers were ready to handle the expected crush. But two hours after tickets went on sale, many fans reported they could not get access to the ticket-sales Web site.

Officials with the Rockies and Major League Baseball did not immediately return calls.

Irvine, Calif.-based Paciolan Inc., which is running the computers for the Rockies' World Series ticket sales, said the crash affected the company's entire North American system.

To add to it, because tickets were only available online fans without internet access had to "withstand near-freezing temperatures outside the Denver Public Library" as they waited for it to open so they could use the public access computers.

Sounds like that decision worked out great! They must have consulted with the same guy who thought that DirecTV plan wouldn't piss off anyone.

Major League Baseball Sure Does Enjoy Screwing Its Consumers

I don't know how it has evolved to this, but "America's Pastime" has become more like "Screwing America Is Our Pastime".

In recent times, Major League Baseball has endured asteriks and andro, a weird DirecTV/MLB Channel liason and now it's like they're punishing fans of the Colorado Rockies that don't use the Internet.

The Colorado Rockies have changed their plans for selling World Series tickets, switching to online purchases only.

The team announced the new plan on Wednesday.

Tickets were to go on sale at Coors Field and Rockies' Dugout Stores in the Denver area on Monday using a lottery system for in-person transactions, as well as online.

Instead, all sales will be online, starting at 10 a.m. Monday.

Sure, Al Gore would really appreciate it if everyone used his invention, but according to the annual National Technology Scan survey "29% or 31 million homes in the United States have no Internet and those residents don’t intend to subscribe to any access for the next year. In addition, 44% of households aren’t interested in any Internet content".

I'm not sure how many of those 31 million without Internet access are Rockies' fans, but there has to be a few. And if they don't have access at work, then Major League Baseball has just put them in a difficult position.

The other problem would be if the ticket servers crashed during what will probably be a huge traffic jam of sales. It wouldn't be the first time that something like that has occured during online ticket sales for a sporting event. Just ask Pittsburgh Panthers' fans about their '03 ticket fiasco. And that was for Panthers basketball tickets. This is for tickets for the Rockies, the hottest team in baseball right now, first World Series appearance.

Good luck Rockies' fans, I have a feeling you might need it.