Viqueens Have Trouble Selling Out

[Chevelle2]

From the ESPN NFC-N blog:

"The Minnesota Vikings are nearing a sellout of their Sept. 14 home opener against Indianapolis, but they have 8,000 tickets remaining for their Sept. 21 game against Carolina. To avoid a potential blackout, they are teaming with the local Fox affiliate to sell discounted tickets."

[BallHawk]

How long until they start selling tickets for a fiver? Maybe they'll start giving them as a substitute for a toy in Happy Meals. Whatever it takes to fill seats.....

[GBRulz]

heck, we could have just bumped last years thread about this!! :lol:

[Rastak]

I have to admit, the Fudge Packers do NOT have this problem.

[Scott Campbell]

How long until they start selling tickets for a fiver? Maybe they'll start giving them as a substitute for a toy in Happy Meals. Whatever it takes to fill seats.....


Last year was $3 per ticket. I think the local Fox affiliate finally bought like 1500 tickets to avoid the blackout/black eye.

Embarrassing. Think how mad you'd be if you paid full face value as a season ticket holder and sst next to the guys with same face value tickets that got in for $3.

[]{ilr]3]

How long until they start selling tickets for a fiver? Maybe they'll start giving them as a substitute for a toy in Happy Meals. Whatever it takes to fill seats.....


Last year was $3 per ticket. I think the local Fox affiliate finally bought like 1500 tickets to avoid the blackout/black eye.

Embarrassing. Think how mad you'd be if you paid full face value as a season ticket holder and sst next to the guys with same face value tickets that got in for $3.

I have to admit, the ViQueens do HAVE this problem!

[Chevelle2]

Are you serious, $3 a ticket?

[Rastak]

Are you serious, $3 a ticket?


No, urban legend bullshit but they don't have a list of a million people waiting with bated breath to buy a ticket. That much has to be admitted,.

[Zool]

Are you serious, $3 a ticket?


No, urban legend bullshit but they don't have a list of a million people waiting with bated breath to buy a ticket. That much has to be admitted,.

Wow put the claws away kitty. As the saying goes, dont hate me cause you aint me. There actually was some crappy seats available last year for something under $10. You WISH the Viking had the rabid fan base and you know it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpimRrhWi4E

[Rastak]

Are you serious, $3 a ticket?


No, urban legend bullshit but they don't have a list of a million people waiting with bated breath to buy a ticket. That much has to be admitted,.

Wow put the claws away kitty. As the saying goes, dont hate me cause you aint me. There actually was some crappy seats available last year for something under $10. You WISH the Viking had the rabid fan base and you know it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpimRrhWi4E


I could give a good god damn to be blunt. (My Tex imitation!) I go because I want to see the games. The place rocks when I am there. I can't control how many people share that passion. You have x amount of dollars to spend on entertainment and people make choices. I choose to spend the money. I'm a fan that spends about $1500 bucks a year on my team.

[Rastak]

Oh one more thing, based on the thread title I thought it was a thread to call teams names, so no kitty claws without it being assumed they were wanted.

Hey, I can roll with Green Bay Packers or Fudge Packers. I can roll with Minnesota Vikings or ViQueens. Let me know what mode people want and I can shift gears!

[Iron Mike]

Oh one more thing, based on the thread title I thought it was a thread to call teams names, so no kitty claws without it being assumed they were wanted.

Hey, I can roll with Green Bay Packers or Fudge Packers. I can roll with Minnesota Vikings or ViQueens. Let me know what mode people want and I can shift gears!

Well, we haven't been called "piss and mold clowns" for a while. :roll:

[mraynrand]

This from a team that is supposedly going to be 13-3. What would it be like if they were slated for 4-12?

Alternatively, could it just be that people would rather have food poisoning than watch Peyton Manning?

[Partial]

Minne is a hufe city. Fck that. How can they not sell out?!? I'nh onestly a little sad fror thopse guys. Seriously, how can you not sell o9ut?

[Lurker64]

Minne is a hufe city. Fck that. How can they not sell out?!? I'nh onestly a little sad fror thopse guys. Seriously, how can you not sell o9ut?

I imagine a large part of it is that the Metrodome is really a terrible venue. I mean, I love the Twins to death but I really hate going to that building when I can just watch their games on TV. I've been to a couple of Gopher games in that building too, and it doesn't improve markedly as a football stadium.

There's a reason the Twins and Gophers both got new stadiums and the Vikings want one. Other than the atmosphere created by the crowd (which could, ostensibly, be created by that same crowd in any venue), it's really sort of a grim place. As a Minnesota taxpayer, I certainly hope they don't get a new (taxpayer funded) stadium, but I certainly understand why the Vikings want one. In a decent stadium, they'd have no trouble selling out

Also, partly, the sense I get from the Minnesota sports scene is that there's not unbridled optimism about this Vikings team. There are a lot of questions still about Childress and Jackson, Peterson is phenomenal but runs in a way that makes him prone to injury and was successfully shut down by a number of teams last year, the WR corps has question marks, as does the pass defense. The Vikings have had a lot of disappointing teams (some with high expectations no less) over the last 6-7 years (really, a lot has been grim in Vikingland ever since 41-donut against the Giants, and the death of Korey Stringer in the following preseason), and they've really only started to be exciting to non-hardcore fans because they ended up with Peterson, and the resulting success because of that.

Also, part of the issue with large cities is that yes you have a larger population to sell tickets to, but larger cities also have many more things competing for your entertainment dollar. St. Paul and Minneapolis have a whole lot more things going on than Green Bay (or really, any city in Wisconsin) does, and most of those things cannot be had for free on the TV, unlike Vikings games. The same explanation (i.e. "there's a lot of stuff going on, much of it less expensive than going to sporting events, which are all on TV anyway") partly explains why the Twin Cities aren't as sports crazy as other towns. I mean, the Twins are a great story this year, but look at their attendance numbers at home.

[mraynrand]

Perhaps the attraction of the Coliseum has past it's zenith. Perhaps the childhood of the human species has waxed and is now waning. Perhaps people in Minneapolis have evolved to the next stage of human awareness and enlightenment, where the trivialities and futile gestures of physical human competition are no longer appealing, and can no longer capture the attention of sophisticated intellects.

[Tony Oday]

Wild Hockey never has a problem selling out ;)

[mraynrand]

Wild Hockey never has a problem selling out ;)

There goes my theory.

[Carolina_Packer]

As a Minnesota taxpayer, I certainly hope they don't get a new (taxpayer funded) stadium, but I certainly understand why the Vikings want one. In a decent stadium, they'd have no trouble selling out

The location for your profile says Iowa. Do you live in Minnesota? Just curious. I grew up in Wisconsin and Iowa and lived in Minnesota where I met my wife before we moved to North Carolina.

[Tony Oday]

well to bail you out it is only 18,000 tickets...however they are more expensive

[Cheesehead Craig]

It's not even news anymore that this is an issue. The fans know the situation and have essentially resigned themselves to it. The Vikes get huge TV ratings and I know a lot of the fans would rather watch from home than go to the Big Inflatable Toilet to watch a game. Crappy seating, poor food and bathroom facilities, poor parking options on gameday with virtually no tailgating available, etc. there is just no "gameday experience" at the Toilet.

If they can get an outdoor stadium with tailgating options and improved amenities, they'll sell out consistently and have a solid waiting list for tix.

Problem is, they don't want to pay for the new stadium. Especially now with the Twins, Gophers and the 35W bridge all being done. The money isn't there right now. Not many big cities can support the 4 major sports of NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL. Add in a major university and their D1 athletics as well and that just makes it even harder.

[MadtownPacker]

At that price Im willing to buy about ten rows just so I can burn them and help make the dome a empty place.

[Tony Oday]

You know though I would rather watch the game at home anyway. i like tailgating however I would prefer to watch the game warm, drunk and well fed ;) Plus who likes waiting in line for the bathroom!?

[mraynrand]

Not many big cities can support the 4 major sports of NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL. Add in a major university and their D1 athletics as well and that just makes it even harder.

Good point, especially considering the popularity of gopher hockey. That's 7 huge draws all overlapping for a time in the fall.

[Tony Oday]

but how many fans is that per game if all of them play at once?

NHL 18k
Gophers what 12k? Dunno
Basketball Timberwolves 3 people
MLB 15k

Its really not that many fans

[Zool]

Gopher hockey is huge. Gopher football? Not so much.

[mraynrand]

Gopher hockey is huge. Gopher football? Not so much.

Poor Gopher football. They should be better this year with a high powered offense, right??

I remember the good old days with Lou Holtz raising our hopes, bringing in Ricky Foggie, Chip Lohmiller, and then Darrell Thompson, and then splitting town as fast as he could and leaving us in ruins. Still, it was fun watching Darrell run up 200 yards on Bo, even if we did lose.

[SMACKTALKIE]

It's not even news anymore that this is an issue. The fans know the situation and have essentially resigned themselves to it. The Vikes get huge TV ratings and I know a lot of the fans would rather watch from home than go to the Big Inflatable Toilet to watch a game. Crappy seating, poor food and bathroom facilities, poor parking options on gameday with virtually no tailgating available, etc. there is just no "gameday experience" at the Toilet.

If they can get an outdoor stadium with tailgating options and improved amenities, they'll sell out consistently and have a solid waiting list for tix.

Problem is, they don't want to pay for the new stadium. Especially now with the Twins, Gophers and the 35W bridge all being done. The money isn't there right now. Not many big cities can support the 4 major sports of NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL. Add in a major university and their D1 athletics as well and that just makes it even harder.

The 35W bridge was paid for with federal money as it is part of the Interstate System. Despite paying in on the Twin's and Gopher's stadiums there is still enough money to partially, publicly fund a stadium.

[Lurker64]

The location for your profile says Iowa. Do you live in Minnesota? Just curious. I grew up in Wisconsin and Iowa and lived in Minnesota where I met my wife before we moved to North Carolina.

My legal residence is still in Minnesota, but I'm in Iowa for graduate school. I pay those higher taxes for the luxury of having a prettier license plate, I guess.

[Freak Out]

I went to buy a ticket for the Packer game and found out I had to buy a ticket to the Panthers game as well. Deal breaker.

[Zool]

I went to buy a ticket for the Packer game and found out I had to buy a ticket to the Panthers game as well. Deal breaker.

They did the same shit last few years with the Packer tickets.

[Freak Out]

I went to buy a ticket for the Packer game and found out I had to buy a ticket to the Panthers game as well. Deal breaker.

They did the same shit last few years with the Packer tickets.

Does anyone know if I could walk up and buy a ticket at the gate and only have to pay for a single game ticket or do you have to buy the two game deal no matter where you get it from? I can fly direct from Anchorage to the Twin Cities for pretty cheap so could pull it off pretty easy.

[Lurker64]

Wild Hockey never has a problem selling out ;)

Well, St. Paul is much, much more of a Hockey town than it is a football town. The state high school hockey championships don't have a problem selling out either. That and the Xcel energy center is a beautiful venue and the energy at a Wild game is absolutely electric.

[Zool]

I went to buy a ticket for the Packer game and found out I had to buy a ticket to the Panthers game as well. Deal breaker.

They did the same shit last few years with the Packer tickets.

Does anyone know if I could walk up and buy a ticket at the gate and only have to pay for a single game ticket or do you have to buy the two game deal no matter where you get it from? I can fly direct from Anchorage to the Twin Cities for pretty cheap so could pull it off pretty easy.

You should be able to get tix from like stubhub easy enough right now. There wont be tix the day of the game.

[Iron Mike]

The location for your profile says Iowa. Do you live in Minnesota? Just curious. I grew up in Wisconsin and Iowa and lived in Minnesota where I met my wife before we moved to North Carolina.

My legal residence is still in Minnesota, but I'm in Iowa for graduate school. I pay those higher taxes for the luxury of having a prettier license plate, I guess.

http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Articles/20071017/425.fargo.101707.jpg

The heck do ya mean?

[DonHutson]

They should've just made the Carolina game a mandatory two-fer for anyone buying tickets for the Packers' visit. Instant sell out for the Vikes and it's the 30,000 Packer fans left trying to do their sales work for them.

[CaliforniaCheez]

Why has no one posted a link??

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/27748289.html

[the_idle_threat]

We were waiting for you to do it.