I wonder if Ticketmaster, StubHub, etc., releases resell ticket data? That would be very relevant. The data would "somewhat" determine the ratio of Cowboys fans who resold their season tickets for the game--as opposed to the number of first-run tickets not originally purchased by Cowboys fans and subsequently bought by 49ers fans. The latter assumption would preclude a much more apathetic motivation.
If significant numbers of Cowboys fans are not hustling to buy non-season tickets when the franchise originally puts them up for sell, it is clear dissatisfaction with the overall product. Observing the attending crowds' colors during the next seven home games shall more clearly indicate the accuracy of this hypothesis. In other words, the more games with a majority of non-silver and blue colors shall prove customer dissatisfaction is high.
On the other hand, the former assumption may combine an economic element with a degree of apathy. Regardless whether Cowboys fans or other team fans are sitting their butts in them, season tickets are essentially pre-purchase seats. The investment is already made. Without question, apathy plays a factor here as well, but not to the degree associated with the first assumption. In effect, season ticket holders were committed to attending games, decided attending the game was not pleasurable, but not to the degree preventing the recoup and profit from their original investment allotted for the game.
It would have been really interesting to see visibly empty seats, somewhat indicative of season ticket holders not reselling their tickets. Empty seats would have been a tangible sign that season ticket holder satisfaction was running high for week 1. Such a sight would be more damaging to Jerry Jones' marketing strategy to entice potential buyers in purchasing season ticket packages in the future. Oh well. Jones has already been paid. From a marketing perspective, the continued projection of filled seats will attract new season ticket buyers than dissuade them in the future.
I wish I had asked the 49er fans, sitting ALL around me at the game, whether they bought tickets at face value or resell price. It would have allowed me to formulate a generalization of whether 49er fans jumped on first-run tickets or hit Stubhub for previously purchased tickets. Maybe thinking about it would have stopped me for yelling "You have a first round pick at tackle, center and guard. RUN. THE. *******. BALL!" as often as I did.
