Attendance issues
 

I wonder how Bud will spin this article http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/04/27/i...usspor00000002

Two interesting comments

Re: Attendance issues
 

Actually, he doesn't need to spin it much. It's a tough economy.

The individual owners need to spin it in the form of "we feel your pain and are lowering ticket prices."

Re: Attendance issues
 

I didn't see anywhere in the article where they compared this year's numbers to historical numbers. Where do they rank with the numbers from five years ago or ten years ago at this point in the season?

Re: Attendance issues
 

Sad thing from the Reds POV -- anecdotally, it seems like this is the best early-season weather I can remember in quite some time.

Re: Attendance issues
 

I wonder how much technology affects baseball attendance.I know that just about all the games this year are looking pretty good on my 45' HD TV.That and the ability to pause the game anytime I want, follow all other games and sporting events on my wireless laptop meanwhile still giving the wife and kids the impression that I'm paying a little attention to them makes staying home watching the games much more enjoyable.

I will still attend my usual handful of games but I'd imagine these things could keep some from attending as often.

Re: Attendance issues
 

FWIW, Baseball-Reference.com has the Reds attendance slightly UP this year (I have learned to never question their numbers!):

http://www.baseball-reference.com/le...tendance.shtml

Re: Attendance issues
 

I'm actually somewhat surprised that teams don't "paper the house" a little more, especially in the smaller markets, to get people in the door and spending money at the park. If I were running a team like the Reds, I'd charge half price for weeknight tickets.

Get 'em in, and see if you can't send them home with a $4 hotdog and $8 beer in their stomach on the way out.

Re: Attendance issues
 

Just a guess but that probably has more to do with the decent weather in April then the product of the field.

Re: Attendance issues
 

So you screw your season ticket holders who paid full price for 81 games?

Would it give the Reds more revenue if they sold more hot dogs and beer than if they kept the tickets the same price and drew fewer people? Do the Reds make $8 when they sell a beer or is that shared between the Reds, the concessionaire, the county, etc?

Re: Attendance issues
 

I'm pretty sure the Reds get all the concession revenue except for taxes

Re: Attendance issues
 

:thumbup:

Couldn't agree more. Especially if you're not winning.

Re: Attendance issues
 

http://www.ticketnews.com/MLB-averag...printview=true

Re: Attendance issues
 

It's been a beautiful April here. The Reds? not so much.

Re: Attendance issues
 

I can't speak for CE, but I'd also cut the season ticket holder prices down low enough to account for the CE Discount.

Stuff like this should be decided in the offseason, priced into the upcoming season ticket packages and then priced into the individual games. It's not like the data isn't there; the Reds don't draw anybody on weeknights. Even against Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers last week with beautiful evenings, the seats were a barren wasteland.

Re: Attendance issues
 

I don't think the Reds sell $1 hot dogs and soft drinks. Anyone who's been to a game this year notice $1 hot dogs? I know last year they had an occassional special date where they offered $1 hot dogs but that was not a regular price by a long shot