Jags are expected to lift the Week 1 blackout

[Dapperdan]

I am sorry, Bridges, I respectfully disagree on this. The NBA and MLB blackout policy is in no way this strict and relates mostly to nationaly broadcast rights rather than attendance. Also, this is a policy from the 70s that was forced on the NFL by Congress. Why has every other area of the game changed except this one in almost 40 years?

[Bridges]

I agree that ticket sales are hurting the organization, specifically with the new CBA payrolls floors, I just am not sure blackouts are the answer.

I believe the price for the Jags to buy out the tickets is $0.34 on the dollar, which is the visiting team's share. So lets say 6 games don't sellout with an average of 9,000 tickets at $100 average price. The Jags would have to stroke a check for $306,000. That would be $51,000 a game or $17,000 an hour of advertising for a 3 hour game. I would think that would be a good price for that much exposure. I know there is more to it than that, and it isn't sustainable in the long term, but until the product improves, I would think at that price it is better than a blackout.

In the end I really wish this stuff would disappear and football would be the focus of the Jags and not ticket sales.

Again, what is the value of this "exposure"?  The advertising revenue doesn't go to the Jags. 

[duvaldude08]

Were down to 7,260 remaining. As of Friday there was 9,304. If we keep at this rate, and an ext granted,  we may avoid one without having to buying them out. And if we do buy them out, it will only be about 3000-4000 tickets. IMO its a good move for the first game. But definately not for the long term.

[Bridges]

I am sorry, Bridges, I respectfully disagree on this. The NBA and MLB blackout policy is in no way this strict and relates mostly to nationaly broadcast rights rather than attendance. Also, this is a policy from the 70s that was forced on the NFL by Congress. Why has every other area of the game changed except this one in almost 40 years?

The answer is that both the MLB and NBA are entirely different sport models, with different collective bargaining agreements.  Basically the MLB is designed in a way to make sure that the big dogs (NY, Bos, Phi) keep all revenue generated by them, then they subsidize these smaller teams with royalty penalties that allow them to basically create a league that insures their success.  I should hope the NFL never goes in that direction.

[Dapperdan]

I guess Tampa and Miami will have to move too. Oh yeah, and Buffalo. Where will all these teams move to that is better? Maybe LA should have  4 teams. I think that is the answer here.

[Wacca Pilatka]

Were down to 7,260 remaining. As of Friday there was 9,304. If we keep at this rate, and an ext granted,  we may avoid one without having to buying them out. And if we do buy them out, it will only be about 3000-4000 tickets. IMO its a good move for the first game. But definately not for the long term.

Agreed.  I doubt it will be done for the other games.  I think this is a goodwill gesture and acknowledgment of the effects of the lockout.  I also think, unless the Jaguars really tank this year, that we will sell out the bowl for the two Monday nighters and the Colts, Bucs, and Saints games.  Texans (perpetually a slow seller for some reason) and Bengals (slow seller so far, and only a week after the Saints game) are our most likely blackout candidates.

[Wacca Pilatka]

I guess Tampa and Miami will have to move too. Oh yeah, and Buffalo. Where will all these teams move to that is better? Maybe LA should have  4 teams. I think that is the answer here.

Also the Bengals and Cardinals should have moved to LA almost every year from about 1990 to 2005.

[Bridges]

I also want to mention that the Jags for years did this sort of blackout lifting thing, then Weaver showed some tough love in 2009, and all the sudden, we don't have a blackout all 2010.  The league rewards us with 2 home Monday night games in 2011. 

Were down to 7,260 remaining. As of Friday there was 9,304. If we keep at this rate, and an ext granted,  we may avoid one without having to buying them out. And if we do buy them out, it will only be about 3000-4000 tickets. IMO its a good move for the first game. But definately not for the long term.

I do wonder if this is a one time thing, being the 9/11 anniversary.  I guess we'll see.  This year is a year you can get away with blackouts not being such a stigma. 

[Bridges]

I guess Tampa and Miami will have to move too. Oh yeah, and Buffalo. Where will all these teams move to that is better? Maybe LA should have  4 teams. I think that is the answer here.

Just so we're clear, I'm not saying this leads to moving.  I already stated that in this thread.  In fact, I said teams don't move from attendance. 

[duvaldude08]

I guess Tampa and Miami will have to move too. Oh yeah, and Buffalo. Where will all these teams move to that is better? Maybe LA should have  4 teams. I think that is the answer here.

Oh yeah and lets not forget the Raiders. They have the longest stringof blackouts than any other team the past few years. Now LA will have 5 teams!! LOL

[Wacca Pilatka]

I guess Tampa and Miami will have to move too. Oh yeah, and Buffalo. Where will all these teams move to that is better? Maybe LA should have  4 teams. I think that is the answer here.

Just so we're clear, I'm not saying this leads to moving.  I already stated that in this thread.  In fact, I said teams don't move from attendance.

I understand.  My response, and I'm guessing Dapperdan's too, was directed at the media only.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Winning cures all ills.

In my rosy-eyed view, we will have issues selling out the stadium this year and the lockout played a large part in that.  The other part is the team dynamics - a lot of people want big-names from big schools and don't agree with the philosophy that is represented on Gator Blvd.

This team is being built to maintain a championship caliber level year after year after year, and the jury is still out, but make no bones about it - year three of rebuilding tells a lot.  We know what we have at QB & RB moving forward.  The line on both sides is set.  The biggest question we have is our secondary and our WRs. 

Let's see how the year plays out.  If we make a wild-card slot this year?  We won't have any issues going into next, because we know we have a young QB in the wings, young talent everywhere and Gene will draft more young talent to fill holes.   It's a double edge sword, though, if we tank this year - expect the ticket sales to drop even further and everyone will start to question Gene Smith - rightfully so.

Winning will cure everything.

[KenFSU]

Not practical on a weekly basis, of course, but I agree that is a nice goodwill gesture considering the lockout. It's going to be a fun season.

[Dapperdan]

Winning cures all ills.

In my rosy-eyed view, we will have issues selling out the stadium this year and the lockout played a large part in that.  The other part is the team dynamics - a lot of people want big-names from big schools and don't agree with the philosophy that is represented on Gator Blvd.

This team is being built to maintain a championship caliber level year after year after year, and the jury is still out, but make no bones about it - year three of rebuilding tells a lot.  We know what we have at QB & RB moving forward.  The line on both sides is set.  The biggest question we have is our secondary and our WRs. 

Let's see how the year plays out.  If we make a wild-card slot this year?  We won't have any issues going into next, because we know we have a young QB in the wings, young talent everywhere and Gene will draft more young talent to fill holes.   It's a double edge sword, though, if we tank this year - expect the ticket sales to drop even further and everyone will start to question Gene Smith - rightfully so.

Winning will cure everything.

Does winning really cure all evils? Tampa had a great season last year and they are still 15k away from selling out their home opener. Many expect Tampa to be a playoff contender team this year. The Jags meanwhile have been picked by most to be 5-11 or 7-9 at best, yet we are closer to our sellout number. It is the Great Recession/ Depression that we are in. The dollar does not go as far as it used to, and there are plenty of other wothwhile palces to put your dollar rather than football. I am a Jags fan, but everyone just needs to face the facts that things will not be as they once were for a very long time, if ever.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

and Tampa fans have been coddled by the ownership for several years.  It wasn't until last year that anyone realized that Tampa had a ticket sales issue.

The Jags are painfully transparent.

We're in the same boat, but at different ends.  Our ownership acknowledges that we have a problem, and we're not winning games - yet.  They just started winning last year and that's when the problem was brought to the forefront.  We're a solid 3-4 years up on Tampa with regards to ticket sales, we just need to start putting a winning team on the field to get us over the hump.