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Miami Dolphins co-owner Wayne Huizenga believes that the current U.S. economy will affect the sales of tickets to his team’s home games this season.
“A lot of people are on the fence of whether they want to renew their season tickets or not,” Huizenga said Monday, according to the Palm Beach Post. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a huge number. But you’re going to see a difference.”Um, would that 1-15 season have anything to do with the decrease in the sales?
“Obviously, we’re going to have a better year,” Huizenga said. ”But you have some people who say, ‘I’m really excited, but I can’t afford it.’”
Actually, he’s right. And even if fans spring for tickets, they’ll be less likely to plunk down even more money for overpriced items like hot dogs, beer, and all the other stuff that gets sold at a margin of 1000 percent or so.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:55 pm
They’ve been saying this in Jacksonville for years.
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Rating: 4.25 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Sports is one thing people always love. When times are bad, people turn to sports to get their mind off things.
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Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:05 pm
It doesn’t take a genius to figure this out….say what you want about the Dolphins being 1-15 last year, and that hurting ticket sales…but with this economy Bush has destroyed, many teams will see a decline in season ticket sales…especially in places like Detroit, and Cincinatti where unemployment rates are soaring.
With a current 5.5% unemployment rate in the U.S…and this will go up…expect just many teams to share Huizenga’s sentiment.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Gee Wayne…sorry times are tough for ya man…maybe we can all get second or third jobs and bail ya out of this jam…
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:24 pm
When it comes to ticket sales for the worst team in the NFL, don’t give me the “economy” line.
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Rating: 2.75 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:27 pm
“Sports is one thing people always love. When times are bad, people turn to sports to get their mind off things.”
-Yeah, kinda like when the Romans used to pit Christians against lions in the Coliseum. That took the edge off of things. Maybe the Dolfins should play agaisnt actual lions, I’d pay to see that.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Yeah, but this economic situation is getting out of hand. The average consumer can’t afford $4.09/gallon of gas in South Florida and feed their families, much less afford an ever-increasing price on sports & entertainment tickets. This is getting ridiculous and the people need to stand up and DO SOMETHING about this already!! WHEN WILL IT END??!!
born and raised Miamian - Go FINS!!
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June 23rd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I’d say it has more to do with his horrendous team…
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June 24th, 2008 at 12:18 am
You know another thing that hurts ticket sales? It’s harder to sell tickets when your team sucks.
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June 24th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Wow!!! What a novel thought. Ticket prices that continue to rise for no apparent reason may have an adverse effect on sales.
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Rating: 3.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 1:01 am
firepoet,
you’re absolutely right, but in my case, my team is a 4 1/2 hour drive away. the gas is really what’s gonna hurt my wallet, not everything else. alternative forms of travel hardly seem worth it, as going to a game isn’t the same without tailgaiting.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 2:13 am
You mean someone actually went to a Dolphin’s game last year? Why?
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June 24th, 2008 at 2:16 am
Huizenga may have a bit of a point here, but he’s not the owner who should be making this statement. I mean, I’d imagine that there aren’t a whole ton of winning teams who share his sentiment.
Is there a longer suffering franchise than the post-Marino Fish?
Anyway, damn, I’m a Saints fan living in New England and I can’t find a single ticket in NoLa for anything close to face value. We’re the Saints. THE SAINTS!?!!
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 2:17 am
The economy IS in the shitter. But the Phins aren’t exactly promoting prosperity in their local region. Well, now that they got Parcells in town that might help.
RUN RICKY RUN!
PREDICTION: Someone else ends Ricky’s season with a cheap shot in a pileup.
Dolphins fall short of the all time undeafeated record, 6-10.
But The Tuna brings hope for the future. Multiple documentaries in the S. Florida area will be released to A&E about how dolphins are often unjustly “harvested” with tuna in the same nets.
Girlfriend will serve me drinks topless when I win a bet predicting Aaron Rodgers will go to the Pro Bowl. The End.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 5:08 am
yeah…more fans would give up PFT if it weren’t free.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Even with a 1-15 season last year, there is almost as much hope for this season as there was last year. And I think most Fins fans are confident Parcells will have this team contending by next season.
As for Bush bashing and tying that in with the economy is typical democratic naivete.
Personally, I’d love to renew my tickets but it’s a luxury I choose not to pursue this year. In today’s Sunday Ticket era, I can enjoy my games still, in Boston. Give much credit to the Dolphins franchise for spending money and keeping ticket prices low. But I’ve got increasing parking, airfare and gas prices to contend with. For a jetsetting Fins fan, ticket prices and the team’s record are not why I didn’t renew…
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June 24th, 2008 at 7:11 am
What more loyalty can you expect from Dolphins fans after the Wannstedt/Saban/Cameron trifecta? Just watch the youtube clip of Dolfans’ reacting to the drafting of Ted Ginn and you can see why sales are slumping. Parcells has his work cut out for him to right this ship.
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Thats gotta be the biggest line of B.S. blaming ticket sales on a bad economy when up here in buffalo we are 53,000 season tickets strong and have sold out every game except one so far.And that shows you the difference between real and part time football fans!!!!
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June 24th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Huizenga said. ”But you have some people who say, ‘I’m really excited, but I can’t afford it.’”
I first heard that line uttered by a sailor on 42nd Street in Times Square. You can guess who he was talking to and the only thing difference the hooker had some integrity while Huizenga appears to have none. If pro football were the auto business, Huizenga would have to issue a recall on the 2007 team and offer steep rebates just to entice anyone to try the product in 2008. But since it’s a monopoly, Huizenga can act like a ten carat a$$hole who really cares about the poor ol Fins Fan.
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June 24th, 2008 at 7:57 am
The people on here saying that the poor ticket sales are due to the Dolphins’ bad record are absolutely clueless. How do you explain the Dolphins ranking 5th in the NFL last year in terms of ticket sales? Yes, last years team was TERRIBLE, but Miami still managed to sell more tickets than 26 other teams. Its not like all those tickets were bought in the preseason because people thought the Fins would be good.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Excuse me, what about the fact that you cant buy a ticket to any of your teams games for under 100 bucks. I was on ticketmaster for eagles tix and my wait time never went down i only increased. WHY U ask? They sell all their tickets to online brokers who in return crank up the price 200% or more. Then the kickbacks begin. Its disgusting, you used to be able to get a ticket for 65- 75 bucks, now its 175 a ticket, or 800 a pair for the cowgirls game! And dont try to tell me different, you could go on ebay or stubhub or anyof them at 10:03 while i was still waiting and buy them for the jacked up price.
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June 24th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Tailgating will be the next thing to go…teams will try to force customers to eat and drink in their facility and try to force the cities to enact some sort of anti-party ordinance around the stadiums….
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Gee Wayne the fact that you had one of the singular worst teams of all times last year couldn’t be effecting sales now could it ? No no no its just he economy. That fact that the fins will be awful again this year isn’t a factor either.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 24th, 2008 at 8:33 am
The economy has nothing to do why the Dolphins can’t sell out.Its the lousy product that they have put on the field the past few years.Fans do not like shelling out $$ for underachieving teams.If you disagree why does the NE Pats have a 10 year waiting list?Small market teams, I believe the Bills are almost sold out,talk about an area where the economy is hurting,Cleveland etc. When teams are playing well, fans will pay no matter what the economic climate. Miami is by no means a small market team. The stadium is very accessible from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale.When Miami puts a competetive team on the field fans will come.
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June 24th, 2008 at 8:37 am
RobJH:
Wow, the Dolphins don’t offer season tickets which are bought before the draft even begins?
I bet there were about 20,000 season ticket holders with some buyers remorse…
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