Fixing the Fan Experience

[fivetwos]

Most younger fans don’t know that the Browns were a force in the 1950s and 60s. They beat us pretty regularly throughout most of the 60s. They had arguably the greatest RB in NFL history in Jim Brown, and HOF WR Paul Warfield before he was traded to the Dolphins. They didn’t turn into a perennial stinker until the early 2000s.

I went to Cleveland Stadium for 91 opener.

I'm glad I had that experience. Place was a total dump, but you could feel the history....not only football.

I also went to the 2007 opener at the new place there and sat in club seats.

Guess which was more fun. Ha.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Love the ideas, but like Joe said, Jerry has absolutely no incentive to cater to the common fan.

Yeah he does. It's marketing. Get more people thinking they *might* get the cheap seats. That leads to more people someday splurging and buying at the usual prices. All those "win a free whatever" work like that. Get you thinking about getting it free, so you're thinking about the product.
Also, seeing a cheap seat section means seeing "some Joes like me" at the game. Even if you never buy a ticket "people like me like the Cowboys" promotes fan engagement.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Good point Greggo. I’m just adding the idea of an affordable section where fans can actually sit down. One of my nephews, who’s in his 20s, bought a “party pass” one time and hated it. He said half the people there are just getting drunk and not even watching the game. Plus he said you can’t see the field hardly at all.

I’m talking more about an actual seating area.

Can Party Pass People be seen? I don't remember broadcasts pointing them out.

I like the special cheap seats, whether seated or standing, as long as they get seen on the broadcasts. Should be a Dog Pound kind of thing.

 

[Bobhaze]

Yeah he does. It's marketing. Get more people thinking they *might* get the cheap seats. That leads to more people someday splurging and buying at the usual prices. All those "win a free whatever" work like that. Get you thinking about getting it free, so you're thinking about the product.
Also, seeing a cheap seat section means seeing "some Joes like me" at the game. Even if you never buy a ticket "people like me like the Cowboys" promotes fan engagement.

Agreed. I actually think it would be great marketing for a team that hasn’t done much for the fans in far too long.

 

[Jake]

That's tough to imagine for someone my age, and I consider myself old!

I can recall getting a beat down on MNF is those bright blues on the road in like '79.

That was the first Cowboys game I ever attended and the only time I saw Staubach play in person. 80,000+ fans and it sounded like 800,000.

Not a good night for the Boys, though. Roger threw an early pick six and it was 20-0 Browns before the first quarter was over. Lost, 26-7.

 

[Whyjerry]

I’ve been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys almost my entire life. I went to my first Cowboys game when I was 6 when my Dad took me to see the Cowboys play the Browns in 1964, at the Cotton Bowl. Got see the great Jim Brown and all the early Cowboys greats like Bob Lily, Dandy Don, Don Perkins, etc. I loved going to Cowboys games as a kid.

In fact, I was lucky enough to see multiple games at the Cotton Bowl and Texas Stadium, and I’ve seen one at AT&T. By far, my favorite experience as a fan was at Texas Stadium. My Dad took my brother and I to see a game at Texas Stadium in 1971, the year it opened and several others over the years. You felt close to the field and it would get really loud. It felt like a real home field advantage.

To me, it’s harder to be a fan who comes to Cowboys games the last decade or two. BUT- I’m NOT one of these old guys who thinks everything was better in the past. Some things are better these days. The video screens, the access to restrooms, seating room, etc are certainly better today.

But let’s be honest- going to a Cowboys game today is an extremely pricey affair. I’m a middle class retired educator, and taking my family to a Cowboys game like my Dad did is simply not realistic for me. I went to a Cowboys home game back in 2018 vs Tampa Bay with my father in law and son and it was not a great experience. The cost of parking, the cost of food and drinks, not to mention the exorbitant ticket prices and shopping mall feel to the stayjum made it much less enjoyable.

The saddest part of all this is I think too many Cowboys fans are being priced out of the experience. Being at an NFL game is so different than watching on TV.

So....here are some things the Cowboys organization could do to make going to a Cowboys game much more accessible and affordable to the average fan:

• Create a special section for about 5,000-10,000 Cowboys fans at much more affordable prices. Fans could apply to get tickets through a lottery system. They could have a lottery selection for each game that would determine who gets those tickets. It could be called the “Fan appreciation section” or something like that. Prices could be set much lower than other tickets.
  
• The Cowboys should buy some property for additional parking space at much lower prices- like $10. This would also include a shuttle service. There are several areas of property around the stayjum that could be purchased. The Cowboys can afford it! The parking and walk to the stayjum is one one of the worst in the entertainment experience IMO. Parking for nearby Texas Rangers games are waaaaay more accessible.
• Have a designated “throwback game” once a season. Tickets, parking and vendor costs could all be set at 1995 prices- the last time the Cowboys won a SB. It would give fans a special game at throwback prices.
  
• Have a fan appreciation game where there are special giveaways like jerseys, hats, etc. where “the first 10,000 fans who enter the stadium”...Baseball, basketball and hockey all do this and it’s very popular.

What else? These are just a few ideas. And before someone says, “They will never do this because it gives up too much”, the Cowboys can certainly afford this. Besides, fans are under appreciated. The Cowboys are making money faster than it can be printed. Surely they can afford to thank the people that have made this organization be where it is today.

All great ideas but the league is going to have to feel a TON of pain before they try to appease its fans. They are 100 pct tone deaf corporatists at this point with fellow travelers and enablers in the media. Focus is all on international growth, growth with females, growing corporate sponsored revenue, and currying favor with the elites. Blue collar fans can suck it. Clearly that strategy is destined to fail on so many levels. Just look at the ratings for the last SB. A premium matchup of GREAT QBs. Ratings tanked. It is going to get a lot worse. Blue collar fans are going to turn away in huge numbers as this marriage of politics and sports ruins leagues. I think the NFL is in real trouble.

 

[sunalsorises]

Unfortunately, all of these cost saving ideas would hit the secondary market and price fans out again while making someone a bunch of money.

 

[Jake]

I’ve been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys almost my entire life. I went to my first Cowboys game when I was 6 when my Dad took me to see the Cowboys play the Browns in 1964, at the Cotton Bowl. Got see the great Jim Brown and all the early Cowboys greats like Bob Lily, Dandy Don, Don Perkins, etc. I loved going to Cowboys games as a kid.

In fact, I was lucky enough to see multiple games at the Cotton Bowl and Texas Stadium, and I’ve seen one at AT&T. By far, my favorite experience as a fan was at Texas Stadium. My Dad took my brother and I to see a game at Texas Stadium in 1971, the year it opened and several others over the years. You felt close to the field and it would get really loud. It felt like a real home field advantage.

To me, it’s harder to be a fan who comes to Cowboys games the last decade or two. BUT- I’m NOT one of these old guys who thinks everything was better in the past. Some things are better these days. The video screens, the access to restrooms, seating room, etc are certainly better today.

But let’s be honest- going to a Cowboys game today is an extremely pricey affair. I’m a middle class retired educator, and taking my family to a Cowboys game like my Dad did is simply not realistic for me. I went to a Cowboys home game back in 2018 vs Tampa Bay with my father in law and son and it was not a great experience. The cost of parking, the cost of food and drinks, not to mention the exorbitant ticket prices and shopping mall feel to the stayjum made it much less enjoyable.

The saddest part of all this is I think too many Cowboys fans are being priced out of the experience. Being at an NFL game is so different than watching on TV.

So....here are some things the Cowboys organization could do to make going to a Cowboys game much more accessible and affordable to the average fan:

• Create a special section for about 5,000-10,000 Cowboys fans at much more affordable prices. Fans could apply to get tickets through a lottery system. They could have a lottery selection for each game that would determine who gets those tickets. It could be called the “Fan appreciation section” or something like that. Prices could be set much lower than other tickets.
  
• The Cowboys should buy some property for additional parking space at much lower prices- like $10. This would also include a shuttle service. There are several areas of property around the stayjum that could be purchased. The Cowboys can afford it! The parking and walk to the stayjum is one one of the worst in the entertainment experience IMO. Parking for nearby Texas Rangers games are waaaaay more accessible.
• Have a designated “throwback game” once a season. Tickets, parking and vendor costs could all be set at 1995 prices- the last time the Cowboys won a SB. It would give fans a special game at throwback prices.
  
• Have a fan appreciation game where there are special giveaways like jerseys, hats, etc. where “the first 10,000 fans who enter the stadium”...Baseball, basketball and hockey all do this and it’s very popular.

What else? These are just a few ideas. And before someone says, “They will never do this because it gives up too much”, the Cowboys can certainly afford this. Besides, fans are under appreciated. The Cowboys are making money faster than it can be printed. Surely they can afford to thank the people that have made this organization be where it is today.

I agree with you about the experience not being the same, but I was surprised to learn the Cowboys average ticket price ($99.50) is below the league average of $104.73. The average NFL ticket costs 105 bucks - wow.

Average NFL ticket prices by team

 

[Bobhaze]

All great ideas but the league is going to have to feel a TON of pain before they try to appease its fans. They are 100 pct tone deaf corporatists at this point with fellow travelers and enablers in the media. Focus is all on international growth, growth with females, growing corporate sponsored revenue, and currying favor with the elites. Blue collar fans can suck it. Clearly that strategy is destined to fail on so many levels. Just look at the ratings for the last SB. A premium matchup of GREAT QBs. Ratings tanked. It is going to get a lot worse. Blue collar fans are going to turn away in huge numbers as this marriage of politics and sports ruins leagues. I think the NFL is in real trouble.

Too many successful business leaders fail to realize that greed is ultimately bad for business. Without some level of generosity to balance things, greed is destructive. Having the attitude that all profits, regardless of circumstances or context, are always good is actually foolish in my mind.

I’m all for free enterprise and business freedom. But the wisest of business leaders recognize that generosity and fairness are important to the bottom line too, especially in the long run.

 

[FLWarpigrpig]

While I understand the sentiment about the cost of going to a game. However, it is the result of Free Agency. Fans want the cap to go up, for their players to get "paid", and for their team to get the best FA possible.

All of that is pricing the average fan out of the stadium. Heck for me it was a once in a lifetime thing.

 

[FiveSuperBowls]

In return for the “Fan Appreciation Section”, It should be the loudest and funnest..., there have been too many games on TV where the announcers say, it sure is quiet in the stadium. I’ve been there once and sure enough the opposing teams fans were louder... Sad

 

[Jake]

I went to Cleveland Stadium for 91 opener.

I'm glad I had that experience. Place was a total dump, but you could feel the history....not only football.

I was at that '91 game. A lot better than the '79 MNF debacle.

Went to an Indians game that year, too. Imagine 3,900 people in that place (had free club seats from work). The only thing memorable that night was Ken Griffey, Jr.

 

[Flamma]

Keep dreaming. Jerry has no incentive to do anything that he's not already doing. The home games in Jerryworld are already the league's most attended games. As long as that remains true, don't expect there to be any changes.

That's the thing. When you have a product that sells out every time you put it on the shelf, there's no incentive to lower prices. In fact, just the opposite.

 

[MarcusRock]

The 5,000-10,000 fan appreciation tickets would be purchased for 10 and scalped for 60 at least, same with parking. 1995 tickets would be scalped for twice what they are purchased for. Whether you like it or not, Jerry went after the secondary market with his pricing. He still didn’t go high enough, I’m a season ticket holder and can resell for a decent markup depending on the game. Law of supply and demand. We live in a capitalistic economy.

For the lottery style tickets you could do something like have the people who enter show up and must have an ID matching the name on the lottery winner's list to gain entry. No exceptions. Give them their seat tickets after you let them in the stadium but scan them beforehand. A scalper would then need to run out of the stadium and then dupe someone who doesn't know the process. If people know the process then they'll know never to purchase a fan appreciation ticket from someone outside because those are only given out after someone's already entered. There will be people that fall for it though, like out of towners. Then if some tickets don't get picked up by a certain time (by 1st Quarter's end), upgrade some nosebleed seat fans to those seats for the 2nd half or something. Bob's right. The Cowboys can more than afford to do something like this.

 

[Forneymike]

All great ideas but the league is going to have to feel a TON of pain before they try to appease its fans. They are 100 pct tone deaf corporatists at this point with fellow travelers and enablers in the media. Focus is all on international growth, growth with females, growing corporate sponsored revenue, and currying favor with the elites. Blue collar fans can suck it. Clearly that strategy is destined to fail on so many levels. Just look at the ratings for the last SB. A premium matchup of GREAT QBs. Ratings tanked. It is going to get a lot worse. Blue collar fans are going to turn away in huge numbers as this marriage of politics and sports ruins leagues. I think the NFL is in real trouble.

With the TV contracts that kick in 2023, they will be fine till 2033. Still the top rated shows on TV every year.

 

[MoistMayonnaise]

I agree with other posters. Jerry doesn't give a single @@@@ about poor fans. They can sit at home and drive ratings. He wants fans in the seats with lots of disposable income to buy overpriced beers and jerseys.

I have never been to a home game and at this point, never will. I have the means to do so but won't do it until the Jones family no longer owns the team.

 

[Flamma]

Other than just doing the right thing.

I like the ideas, I just don't think businessmen think along those lines. Remember, the first step towards doing something right is caring. Giving a damn. When people with money do, they usually act.

A throwback day is a great idea, but in the NFL that's like 1/8 of your season. It's way easier for MLB to do it.

I loved going to games when I was younger. Hell, I went to a replacement players game and watched the Cowboys donkey stomp the Jets at Giants stadium. I can afford season tickets, or PSL, whatever that is now. I don't do it because it's not worth it to me. It's like buying a pack of gum for 50 bucks. Yeah, most people can afford it, but would you do it? I'd just feel like a fool. It's the same reason I never got Sunday Ticket.

 

[Flamma]

I was just looking at this.

The 10 Most Expensive NFL Stadiums by Average Cost Per Game (moneyinc.com)

It's from 3 years ago, but AT&T stadium comes in 3rd most expensive behind the Commanders and Bears.

A couple of things stood out. Parking is 75 bucks? That's an embarrassment. That's just gouging. I was going to say beer, but they probably come close to selling out so the price doesn't matter.

 

[Section446]

If I have to pay out the *** to go to a game, everyone else should have to as well.

 

[KB1122]

When they built the new stadium, they went with gigantic-ness and living room comfort. I'm not sure that was the right call. MLS has mainly semi-thrived because it offers the best in-stadium experience of any league. Smaller venues. Closer to the action. Better prices. More egalitarian seating. Booster organization who sing, chant, do Tifos, etc. The Cowboys went the opposite direction (in some ways) trying not to get beat by the comforts of the living room by becoming the living room.

Also, they could spend sea vessels of money on a retractable roof they never use, but they went to the local fourth-grade cafeteria suppliers for those entry doors.