Jags ticket sales lookin' good

[Wacca Pilatka]

EraserGirl25 on the Jaguar message board, who is also Ohhkristin on this message board, posted this wonderful letter to the Times-Union on the Jag board today:


Jaguars: The importance to Jacksonville

Posted: April 27, 2010 - 3:47pm

Florida Times-Union



Letters from Readers

"I do not know the Jaguars' owners and I do not work for any of their organizations. However, I have served on several local nonprofit boards that have benefited from their generosity.

The citizens of Northeast Florida need to be made fully aware of how much our owner and our team financially support and make a difference in our community every day of the week.

Since 1995, the Weaver family through both their Weaver Family Foundation and their Jacksonville Jaguar Foundation has given back almost $60 million to our community. That number is staggering, but it becomes even more astounding when compared to other NFL teams and to our city's budget.

First, based on my research of publicly filed IRS Form 990s, none of the other 31 NFL owners or their teams has financially given back to their local communities over that time period anywhere close to what the Weavers and the Jaguars have given back to Jacksonville.

Just counting the $12.9 million that the Jaguars Foundation alone has made in charitable contributions leads the next closest NFL team's foundation, the Texans Foundation, by over $8 million.

Second, Jacksonville has never had a private benefactor give back to our community at the financial magnitude and annual consistency that the Weavers and the Jaguars have given back; averaging almost $4 million per year combined.

To put that in context, that is three times greater than our city's Military Affairs Division's annual budget to assist our 238,000 local veterans and active duty service members.

Another amazing fact when analyzing the Weavers' selfless generosity is what they did in 2007. Up to that point, their Weaver Family Foundation had already given back over $20 million to our city.

In 2007, when our economy was entering recession and television blackouts were beginning, the Weavers dug deeper and personally donated $21 million to 38 Northeast Florida nonprofit organizations.

That singular act of giving won the Weavers the 2008 Tocqueville Society Award from the national United Way. So at a time when we stopped supporting our team, the Weavers did the opposite and doubled-down in their support of our city. They believed in us, even though many of us stopped believing in our team.

To lose the Jaguars and the Weavers would be devastating to our local nonprofit community and would increase the burden on local government to fill the void, which we all know it cannot and would not be able to fill.

We are truly blessed to have the Weavers and the Jaguars in Jacksonville because their efforts off the field not only lead by example in the NFL and in Jacksonville, they also lead by miles."

[downtownjag]

Personally, I am excited about this upcoming season with the Jags. The Jags along with the many support groups seem to have found a ticket selling combination that is working here in Jacksonville. As many other cities struggle, it appears the local fan base and businesses are getting behind our home team. Blackouts or sellouts, I consider the increased pace of tickets sales a success this season. The Jags can count on about 10 more season tickets holders in about two weeks from me. I’m still trying to convince a few more friends to jump on board so we can all sit together. Anyone want to join in?

~Lee

Awsome to hear stuff like this Lee.  I sit with a group of 13 friends in section #205 and have the time of my life every game.  Keep convincing your friends and lock up those 10 seats brother.

GO JAGS!

[fsujax]

What a refreshing thread to read. I am really glad to see such positive things being said about Jacksonville and the Jaguars. Can't wait for the season to begin.

[Shwaz]

Darren Sharper is in town today to visit the team as a free agent. I really would like to see him in a Jags uniform.
I knows he's 35 and coming off injury but he did have 9 int's last season... with an improved pass rush - new LB core and Cox / Mathis / Sharper in the back I think we could have the most improved defense in the league.

I have a feeling he's not cheap and Dallas is scheduled to meet with him next... and they've got much deeper pockets.

[Tripoli1711]

It's not the money that concerns me as much as the number of years he's likely to request that money for.  I think WW has shown he'll stroke the check as far as the cash goes, but @ 35 years old.. anything more than a 2 year deal would scare me.  Once his legs go, they'll be gone..

[Shwaz]

It's not the money that concerns me as much as the number of years he's likely to request that money for.  I think WW has shown he'll stroke the check as far as the cash goes, but @ 35 years old.. anything more than a 2 year deal would scare me.  Once his legs go, they'll be gone..

Agreed. I don't think he's the long term solution but Nelson Carey & Alexander are young and could learn a lot from a guy like Sharper.

[Basstacular]

It's not the money that concerns me as much as the number of years he's likely to request that money for.  I think WW has shown he'll stroke the check as far as the cash goes, but @ 35 years old.. anything more than a 2 year deal would scare me.  Once his legs go, they'll be gone..

Agreed. I don't think he's the long term solution but Nelson Carey & Alexander are young and could learn a lot from a guy like Sharper.

+1

[Tripoli1711]

If you mean they could learn how to run faster, break on the ball better and read plays better, I doubt it. 

Perhaps Reggie could learn that there is some middle ground between lowering your head to your knees, turning into a human missile and hoping you hit the ball carrier VS wimpy slapping at the ball like a 5 year old girl whose bigger sister just took her doll away.

It would not hurt to have him around the other guys, but I don't think their being behind him on the depth chart for a couple years would make their game demonstrably better.

[Shwaz]

If you mean they could learn how to run faster, break on the ball better and read plays better, I doubt it.

no

Perhaps Reggie could learn that there is some middle ground between lowering your head to your knees, turning into a human missile and hoping you hit the ball carrier VS wimpy slapping at the ball like a 5 year old girl whose bigger sister just took her doll away.

yes

Reading formations, packages, how to stay in position and form are things they could learn.

It would not hurt to have him around the other guys, but I don't think their being behind him on the depth chart for a couple years would make their game demonstrably better.

Did Nelson play behind veteran Sammy Knight during his rookie year?

I'm not saying let's bring the old guy in just to coach & mentor.. he posted 9 int's last year.. our entire defense had 13.

[Tripoli1711]

I know, I mostly kid.  I do think the "veteran mentoring the younger player" is rather overrated, at least insofar as helping them skill-wise.  They can teach them to be better pros and that they need to prepare and practice better/harder.  Perhaps that is all Reggie needs...

[Shwaz]

I know, I mostly kid.  I do think the "veteran mentoring the younger player" is rather overrated, at least insofar as helping them skill-wise.  They can teach them to be better pros and that they need to prepare and practice better/harder.  Perhaps that is all Reggie needs...

The mentoring aspect is really just a side note. We need production and leadership in the secondary.

I think what Nelson needs most is a pass rush.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Well I signed up for season tickets back in Nov, I am really waiting to see how this defense will pan out. Hopefully Manning's Jersey will have plenty of rips and grass stains on it.

[blizz01]

The Jaguars updated the Fuel Meter today: it's at 32,460 season tickets sold or renewed to date.  That's nearly 1,300 sold in a week.  That means that upwards of 1,000 were not directly sold at the "event" over the weekend as that number was reported at around 350.  I wonder if those were the fans on the opposite side of the Tebow fence.    Probably not likely - But, if they maintained that pace through the summer, they'd exceed the 50k+ needed to fill the general bowl and single game tickets would become a little harder to come by.  Imagine!  Also missing from that number are the 8,000+ seats that are presumed to be sold by way of corporate partnerships(?).  If that holds true, we're looking at ~10,000 to go with 3+ months left - certainly attainable in my opinion.  If they manage to lock down another high profile/impact player (a la Darren Sharper) in the interim, I think we're golden.  Go Jags. 

[blizz01]

***UPDATE***
Looks like Darren Sharper & the Jags weren't able to come to an agreement.........

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2010/04/new_orleans_saints_safety_darr_10.html

[urbanlibertarian]

Counting the 8000 group sales, Jags are 80% of the way to the blackout avoidance number.

Not counting group sales, they are 64% of the way there.