Got some crap news yesterday. Two longtime anchors of my tailgate group have opted out - at least as STH'ers, for the upcoming season. They say they'll go to games, but not all, and cherry-pick. Others amongst our group who did that in 2011 wound up coming to only 3 or 4 games. Once they broke the habit, they didn't need to always be there. As more and more "old reliables" stop coming to games it won't be long before our once strong 20+ tailgate group disintegrates all together. What'll suck most with these two, is they're the ones who secure our beach head, arriving at 8:30 to secure position. I've tailgated for every game with these guys since 1998. There'll be games this season where most will arrive not knowing where to go, or who is there that week. What a shame, and the stadium is to blame. Yes, these guys are upper deckers, with seats in different locations these first two years, all too high, all too difficult to get to and from. Our tailgate group suffered through the stress of the one year banishment to the Izod side, with debate over whether or not to return to yellow lots last year. All this jerking around has caused us all to question our commitment, and what we truly are getting for our Jets-dollar, and what might lurk ahead of us - and it's a damn shame. Funny, in all the years of Giants Stadium, during our great pre-game parties we never discussed where our seats where, no one complained about where they sat, I never knew or cared where ANYONE sat. We never discussed ticket strategies, PSL plans, "are you coming back next year" etc etc. And the biggest shame is the fact that we were all happy that a new stadium was going to be built for us, right here were we always were. From a group of 20 we are now losing 3 or 4 each year. Might be more, no one else planning to call it quits has emailed everyone yet. I found out about these guys by asking them when they "selected" this week, and if they were able to upgrade. All this shit is wearing people out. Not everyone (ourselves excluded of course) embrace this upgrade nonsense.
Wait till this ugly season ends. IMHO next year will be even better since many of the old timers in the prime seats will be departing after another non winning SB season :sad:
The Jets themselves have added to the stress and have only themselves to blame. The disillusionment most certainly doesn't come from us. As you say, everyone was happy before. I do remember some guys complaining about red and blue, etc, the name on the building. I never cared. When I was in my seat it was a Jets Stadium all the way. But the Jets themselves handled this abysmally. Totally no excuse for the way they went about all this. You didn't see the Giants playing all these games. Everything was orderly. So, this is where a lot of the aggrevation and disillusionment and downright animosity generated from. The lies, the phone "seniority." Why, even as lately as two weeks ago, they were throwing seniority out the window while claiming they were going by seniority. Guys with less seniority getting better seats. Ridiculous. I just don't get it. I'll never understand why the Jets took the deceitful route and quite frankly, I'll never forgive Woody jophnson for orchestrating it. The fish stinks from the head down. I hope he sells the franchize and goes back to his "philanthropic work."
No, because they thought they had one last year and still REDUCED some of the PSLs and ticket prices. It's about the economy and it's also about what they think they can get away with. They'll raise the PSL prices BECAUSE THEY CAN. And they'll leave the UD prices where they are BECAUSE THEY CANNOT. Quite simple. Woody knows the pricing in the UD is quite fragile. People are still so pissed, a $10 increase and people will be like, "FU" and they're gone, playoffs or no playoffs. Downstairs, different story. These people not only signed on, they signed on for life and basically handed Woody their checkbook. "Here, here's my checkbook. Write yourself out a check every year for whatever the seats cost. You've got me by the balls and I'mnot going anywhere because I can't."
Trust me I understand all about those PSLs holders & what they face. No need to keep repeating the same old, same old time after time. As for a spike I guess we will see once the time arrives that the NYJs are true SB contenders (4/7 years away is my estimate) :sad:
While I don't share your extreme pessimism I do remain somewhat pessimistic until I start seeing some solid wins again. But I do agree with your assessment that if we have another 8-8 or something-close season, more people on the UD will defect again. It amazes me that when we were supposedly "Super-Bowl Bound" and all this other nonsense that Rex was spewing, the Jets were still struggling to fill the seats. Give-Aways, Military Discounts to anybody who ever recited the Pledge Of Allegiance in school, no Preseasons. This was going on WHILE WE WERE SUPPOSEDLY SUPERBOWL-BOUND! If we hit the skids, the UD will return to the vast wasteland that it was on opening day 2009, where gangs of drunken Ravens Road Warriors roamed the corridors in droves, threatening women and children, standing up and blocking views, hi-fiving every 3rd and out, blooding anyone wearing green and taking no prisoners. And this only adds to the number of defectors who say to themselves, "This just isn't worth it anymore. $1050 a season to put up with the parking, altitude and now this. Screw it."
Sorry if my ugly assessment does not agree with yours. But for SURE this will be another non SB winning season which will again drive the old timers in the primes seats to defect in droves & instead watch our "darlings" on big screen HDTV which will open up many FR sideline seats IMHO after this upcoming season is concluded BTW from what I see no more then 6-10 can be achieved by this group :sad:
I think things may start to get better in the upper deck. I know I may sound crazy but just think about it. Most of us on this board are now happier with our seat upgrades we got. Me personally the last time I missed a home game was 1999 and I'm assuming most of us go to the majority of the games. Assuming that people are happier in their seats and they won't be able to upgrade into much better then we will hopefully start to get to know the people around us. It took a few years to get used to the old place. Maybe I'm just super optimistic today. The biggest problem is if you look at ticket prices in the UD in 2009 they were $75 or $85 so assuming an average of $800 season ticket price (this is on the high side since most were $75) x 27,000 seats = $21,600,000. Assuming an average in the new place of $1,050 per ticket price x 20,000 out of 27,000 seats sold = $21,000,000. I'm sure with stubhub, ticketmaster, military discount tickets, etc. they're bringing in another $1,000,000 so they're still ahead of where they were in 2009. Plus when you sell a lot of these single game tickets you get people who come once or twice a year, spend ridiculous amounts of money on food, beer, and other souvenirs.
That's a very good point. Regular goers know enough to not buy their stuff at the stadium, but newbies or one-timers can't resist the temptation. And the food is much better than it used to be, I will say that. Those old vendors in Giants Stadium were the pits.
It will open up SOME sideline seats but I think we're dreaming if we think Front Row people are going to walk away. Several, perhaps, but not enough to get us in. They disappear as quickly as they become available. And you have to catch it just right. You'd almost have to robocall the ticket office daily to be lucky enough to catch the one time they get a cancellation. I'm happy with Row 2. And I usually float around or slide down if I can. You'd be surprised the number of Row 1 people that don't even show up for the games. I used to sit in Row One all the time in 227. Corporate money. They give the carburetor distributer from Chicago 4 tickets and he's a Bears fan so he doesn't give a damn anyway and doesn't even show.
I hope you are right. The UD used to be the place to sit. I sat up there for many years. Good crowd good people good fun. Good luck guys im glad everythng worked out in your favor. GO JETS!
At this point I'm not going for the view. It's do-able but I'm going for the atmosphere. Last year I was miserable. If it's better this year I'll keep going.
I understand what U R saying however I am shocked that the corporate world would give out UD ducats especially with all the negative comments about it :sad:
No. You are wrong. When I had my business, I used to advertise with the Star Ledger, for example. Every once in a while, if I advertised enough with them, the rep would come around and say, "Are you a Jets fan or a Giants fan?" And of course I would reply. And he'd say, "Well, how'd you like some front row UD seats on the 50 to the Jets-Miami game?" And of course, I would take them. They were freebies to me. He didn't need to know that I already had 4 in the Mezz. So then I would take some of my Jets fan employees. So yes, corporations do and will give out ducats (admission tickets) to sporting events. If I had told him I was a Yankees fan, he probably would have duked me some of those too. And I'll tell you what. My seats in Row 5 in the Mezz were under cover and pretty good, but I sat in those Row 1 50YL seats with my dad one time and I'll tell you what, they were terrific seats. Nobody in front of you and nothing but glasss in your way. Jesus, those were the good old days.
no huge amount of extra tickets on stub hub yet. the bills game had 3911 right after the draft and has 4300 now. when is the relocation process complete?
The Giants did not even let fans view there seats in person and charged a PSL for the Upper deck. Its all about winnng, there fans get a return on there emotional investment, they win Super Bowls. Giant fans don't talk about the stadium, its not an issue, they love there team and ownership. If we won 2 Super bowls in Rex's first 2 years, Woody would have raised prices, kept parking the way it was, the upper deck would have been sold out last year and this posting would be closed. We are frsutrated, not one, ONE, Championship game at home in 32 FREAKING years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6-10. That's funny!!!! We will be better then last year,that's for sure. What that translates to in wins, that's why we play. I don't understand your negativity.
