Look at Cleveland for example. Set a record for most consecutive games sold out and just years later are at the bottom of the MLB for average attendance.

The cost is crazy. There are ways to reduce price. Some teams have specials on different nights.

 

We also pack a cooler when we go to the cardinals games. You can take water and sodas as long as they are in a plastic container. We take snacks as well.

 

We actually did take bottled water with us, but you are limited as to the size of the cooler. Keep in mind, we had to walk and take the train AND keep up with 5 kids, so we were a little limited on what we were able to carry. Plus, with 7 people drinking water on a 90 degree day in blazing sun, you go through a lot of liquid. By the end of the game, we really needed some adult beverages, but we were in the no alcohol section and we were out of money! My husband joked that he was going to go stand in the aisle and buy himself a beer! :lol:

There are contributing factors.

Every game is on TV

The Reds have lost a whole generation of fans.

Economy.

Just to name a few.

 

EXACTLY RIGHT ON ALL COUNTS!

 

I think the biggest part is the fact that the Reds haven't seen a playoff season in 15 years. They have absolutely lost a generation of fans...and to a large extent, they've lost the previous generations that they once had. Granted, there are plenty of dad's out there who still think it's a great thing to "take their boy to the game", but up until this season...who wants to do that more than once or maybe twice a season when you're just going to shell out like $60 on 2 tickets, 2 hotdogs and 2 Cokes to watch sub-par baseball?

 

I also think that the economy married with the fact that every game can be watched on tv both multiply together to make things worse for attendance. You also have to bear in mind the fact that the "money" in greater Cincinnati is seeing the effects more and more of urban sprawl, so going to the game isn't just a matter of hopping on a bus to downtown, or even just running down the road in your car...it's a real drive to get to the game, in many cases.

I think it is about winning and building the season ticket base. Over the past 15+ years the Reds have eroded their season ticket base with bad teams. The season ticket base is big. Not just because it is sold seats. But what happens is those tickets get given away and bring more passive fans to the ball park and get them enthused about the team ... if they are winning. With the bad teams, it got to the point where businesses that bought season tickets couldn't give them away. No one wanted to be at the ball park. So businesses stopped buying season tickets and stopped spreading them around in the community and building the fan base. If the Reds keep winning, it will come back but it isn't going to be quick. The GABP has to become a place where it is fun to be. Winning makes it fun. Then if you win and get bigger crowds, it becomes even more fun and becomes the place to be. It will be a little better next year. Then if they get into the playoffs again next year, it will really start to take off.

Detroit got into the playoffs for the 1st time in years in 2006 and their attendance jumped big time.

Define success. One WS appearance from a team that got hot at the right time that won 86 games...That's two of how many? Here are a couple tweets from Mike Decoursey recently:

 

Got this from SportsJournalists.com: Average market size of past 10 WS winners: 6. Average of past 10 SB winners: 19

 

Smallest market to win WS: 18 St. Louis, only one outside top 10. Non-top 10 markets to win SB: Pittsburgh (2), Indy, NO, Baltimore, TBay.

 

Football is better and smaller markets support it b/c outside of Mike Brown and the Buccaneers current owner all others think they have a shot to win the SB in the next few years and all try to do so.

 

Success: both the Twins and Cardinals have been to the playoffs multiple times in the 2000s. Cards have made two WS appearances.

 

I will agree that Football is a lot smarter when it comes to more of an even playing field. There are usually a lot more quick turnarounds in football than baseball. In baseball this year the Padres were the unexpected team but in football there is usually multiple teams that do that each year.

As far as prices go, outside of concessions it is very cheap to go to a reds game. Parking is free unless for some reason you have to park extremely close. You can park in newport for free and take a short walk or pay a dollar and park underneath fountain square. Ticket prices are among the lowest in the country. Concessions are expensive, but you can bring in your own peanuts, water, bottled pop, chips, etc. When I was a kid and I asked my Dad to buy jerseys or foam fingers he laughed at me. Every now and then I was able to buy a frosty malt. Why must people spent the money on food. If its too expensive, then don't buy it. If the Beer is too epxensive for you, then don't but it.

 

The Reds game can cost a fortune if you choose to spend a fortune, if you're smart about it you can go for a very cheap price.

Prices do need to go down. Maybe if our economy was booming, the prices would be acceptable. Bengals prices for tickets and concessions are even more outrageous though. I would love to go to a Bengals game but I am a college student and going to game is just out of my price range.

 

I have been to four reds games this year (wish I could have went to more). Maybe I will catch one more before the end of the season since student tickets are half off now.

^You can buy $5 tickets to every game year round...The tickets are priced extremely reasonably.

Edited September 16, 201016 yr by UKMustangFan

^You buy $5 tickets to every game year round...The tickets are priced extremely reasonably.

 

I do?

I do?

 

:lol: That was supposed to say, "you can"....

I do?

 

Haha, I'm pretty sure UKMF meant to say "You can buy $5 tickets to every game year round". They are pretty reasonable though, honestly. They have 4 full sections of "Outer View" seats available for five bucks year round, and then the Kroger bleacher seats in left field go for 7 bucks each, except for select series games, when they're bumped up to 12. I think there were a total of like five select series games this year.

Haha, I'm pretty sure UKMF meant to say "You can buy $5 tickets to every game year round". They are pretty reasonable though, honestly. They have 4 full sections of "Outer View" seats available for five bucks year round, and then the Kroger bleacher seats in left field go for 7 bucks each, except for select series games, when they're bumped up to 12. I think there were a total of like five select series games this year.

 

Hahaha yeah. I have sat all over in the four games I have been to this year. I have sat in the $40 seats by first base but went on a night where they were half off, the bleacher seats, a luxury suite, and the $17 seats near the LF foul pole. Like I said I will probably try and catch one more since they are half off for the rest of the season. I was supposed to get playoff tickets but my friend who won the right to buy them got on too late and they were already sold out. So if anyone has extras let me know.

 

I do think they are more reasonable than Bengals prices.

I do think they are more reasonable than Bengals prices.

 

...you've got to keep in mind that the Bengals only have 8 regular season games to make money off of ticket sales, though. That's almost exactly 1/10th the number a baseball team has. By that logic, the average ticket to a Bengals game should rightly cost about 10 times as much as an average ticket to watch the Reds, which sounds more or less accurate for the prices they charge.

...you've got to keep in mind that the Bengals only have 8 regular season games to make money off of ticket sales, though. That's almost exactly 1/10th the number a baseball team has. By that logic, the average ticket to a Bengals game should rightly cost about 10 times as much as an average ticket to watch the Reds, which sounds more or less accurate for the prices they charge.

 

Well I am not only talking about ticket prices, but the concession prices as well. I just thought it was outlandish for the worst seat in the stadium was still $65. That's just me though. But I understand Mikey has to make his money like the rest of us haha.