Monday, June 9, 2008

Tickets.

Looking at all the Wizards information out there yesterday, I came across this post over on Kansas City Soccer Review, with some of the news of the day for the Wizards. After looking at the first link, I had the same view as the author, now you can basically get a berm ticket for the price of a Cauldron ticket? The second thought that crossed my mind is what is this going to do to Cauldron season ticket holders?

Now I'm sure someone in the Wizards front office will say that it's only for a few games, and not the entire season, but that's the same thing the team said last year when they started offering cheaper Cauldron tickets last season as well. At that time, Cauldron season ticket holders were promised some sore of compensation for the fact that tickets for the section became cheaper then the price season ticket holders paid for it. The rumor at the time was that the compensation would be the ability to get one of this years jerseys at cost. Here we are in June of 08 and we're still waiting on some kind of compensation from the team. And no, free customization for ALL season ticket holders does not compensate Cauldron season ticket holders.

What will the Wizards front office say to season ticket holders once this becomes the standard ticket price for the rest of the season? What kind of promise will be made to those of us that have supported the Wizards the past two seasons and have seen them undercut the price that season ticket holders pay?

And in all honesty, who didn't see something like this coming? The Wizards over priced their supporters section, expecting the members of the section to just pay the extra money for a ticket in a minor league baseball stadium. The section hasn't grown at all like the Wizards expected it to. More Cauldronites then the Wizards are willing to mention have moved their season tickets over to the berm from the Cauldron because of the change in price. And I would bet that the team is actually surprised by that. In fact there is talk that the Wizards Argentine supporters, Sudukas, numbers will start to drop off, as their members can't afford to pay the raised prices. Will we see the return of comped tickets to the Sudukas? I won't be surprised.

On top of all there, there is also the fact that the Wizards are using two of their "special game" tickets on what are amounting to reserve games. The first was the Wizards Open Cup qualifier, at a HIGH SCHOOL stadium. I mentioned previously my distaste in having to use a special game ticket for a reserve game. Special Game ticket B will be used for the upcoming friendly against Atlas, the day after a league game against New York. You can expect very limited minutes to be played by the starters since this is the day after the game. So we'll be using our special game ticket ($16.52 for a Cauldron ticket) for what will amount to seeing the Wizards reserves play. Call me underwhelmed.

This has been,
Baine's right leg.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

[Quote]Does this mean the Wizards have a friendly with a team on the horizon for the coming season, or are they just adding the extra ticket so that they can make the ticket prices per ticket for ALL season tickets look lower?

Since we haven't played a friendly at home since 1997. I have my doubts that it's for a friendly.[\Quote]

You didnt seem to have any problems using your special game ticket for a friendly back when you were soooo sure we werent going to be playing one.

So you either should be excited that we are playing our first friendly since 1997, or just admit that you are going bitch about everything the team does....

Im pretty sure if the FO were to offer you a chicken that laid golden eggs, you would complain about it smelling like sh*t...

Anonymous said...

Or maybe, I don't want my special game ticket to be used on what amounts to a RESERVE GAME! You're either thick headed or stupid if you think that the first team is going to play the majority of minutes 24 hours after they've played a league game.

I'd have no problem if the game was an honest to god friendly that would see first teamers play the entire or majority of the game. But we're not, we're seeing the reserves play Atlas. The reserves, who you can see for free any weekend they have a game at Swope.

And I guarantee that the game won't be advertised as "Wizards reserves vs Atlas" it'll be advertised as "Wizards vs Atlas".

A reserve friendly is not worthy of a special game ticket.

Baines Breath said...

Anonymous,
It's pretty easy to always take the defensive and point out that all you are reading is negative. Maybe before taking the defensive stance you should actually listen to the concerns voiced and act on them.
Oh...and of course I would be skeptical of a chicken that lays golden eggs...I grew up watching Willy Wonka and I learned from the Oompa Loompa's that you shouldn't play with fowl that lay golden eggs...you might end up in the incinerator. "I want the world. I want the whole world."
I don't want the world...I just want promises kept.

Anonymous said...

First off, its the pot calling the kettle black for YOU of all people to get on people for "taking the defensive" and "reading negatives."

Also, why would our starters play in ANY friendly? Did our starters play against CD Municipal?
According to Hillcrest our starting lineup for that game was as follows:
-------------Kronberg---------------

Leathers--Conrad--Wahl--Harrington

Arnaud--Jewsbury--Zavagnin--Marinelli

-------Pore---------Trujillo---------

And that is with a full week off.

Oh and in the "reserve" match we played against Colorado our starting lineup was as follows:

-------------Kronberg---------------

Leathers--Conrad--Wahl--Harrington

Arnaud--Jewsbury--Zavagnin--Pore

-------Lopez---------Sealy---------

Now, other than our backup keeper playing in both games, every other player that started both games has been and will be again a first team starter.

I do not understand your complaints about the friendly... You have a point about the discounts, as a STH it annoys me as well, but bitching about the long awaited friendly when you do get it is just stupid.

Anonymous said...

Does this come as a surprise to anyone? No matter how much blue smoke they blow up your arse, the team is not in a financial health to bring in a REAL friendly. How many in the FO thought it would be this hard to sell out CAB? Not too many till now. I stopped buying season tickets in 98' because the deals at the gate were way cheaper than my ST(mainly free). Although the free tickets have pretty much disappeared since ONGOAL, I have still gotten to the games considerably cheaper than my STH mates. And it looks like that will be the case again for this season. Priority at the new stadium sounds sweet and everything, but I would wait for them to actually sell-out a game at the CAB before getting worried(or break gound?!?).

Anonymous said...

Anon at 4:09

The difference between those two "friendlies" and the game coming up against Atlas is the fact that neither of those games was played 24 hours after a league game. THAT'S the difference, and why the game will be the reserves instead of the first team (save a few token appearances by first teamers). You can't honestly expect someone like Jimmy Conrad, Claudio Lopez, Kevin Hartman, or any of the players that play 90 minutes against Red Bull on Thursday to even step on the field the next night against Atlas. It'd be an extremely stupid move for Onalfo to do something like that in the middle of the season.

And as for all those players being starters, you tend to get more players starting games when your team is struggling and your coach is trying to find something that actually works.

Anonymous said...

Whatever, if they start for the first team they are "starters"...

My point it is that even if they had a week off, our "starters" were never going to play more than a half against Atlas anyway, so why is it a big deal to not have them play?

You are getting to see an international friendly, the first in KC since 1997 BTW, so why not be excited about it? Why do you have to be so negative towards everything the FO does?

Yes the timing could be better, but within the time restrictions we have (and playing a Thursday double header is a really, really stupid idea) between the MLS schedule, the USOC schedule, and the Mexican league restrictions on playing games in the off season, they did the best they could.

You could be negative and be a downer about the game, OR you could be excited that we are booking friendlies against other non-MLS teams and TRYING to make the team better by getting our reserves quality minutes against a quality international opponent.

Anonymous said...

No, starters are players that start the majority of the games, starters are the people that you can pencil in every week to play in the game. They're not starters if they started a couple games here and there.

That's 45 minutes more then they'll play against Atlas on the 11th.

Why not be excited? Because I'm paying $16 to watch what will be our reserve side take on Atlas. And here's something for you, this Sunday I can go see that same reserve side play for FREE.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

"On top of all there, there is also the fact that the Wizards are using two of their "special game" tickets on what are amounting to reserve games. The first was the Wizards Open Cup qualifier, at a HIGH SCHOOL stadium. I mentioned previously my distaste in having to use a special game ticket for a reserve game."

----
BRL: Dude - have you no shame?

What I truly cannot understand is how you can ignore the real world?

The USOC qualifier WAS NOT a reserve game. Pretty much our whole starting team...and yet 5 days later you are still calling it a reserve game. Did you even go?

Just an FYI - You lose ALL credibility when you do this. At lease a real man would admit it when you are wrong.

Mike said...

So now people are resorting to personal attacks against the writer? I mean seriously people, you may not agree with them, but no need to stoop down to their level and make personal attacks.

Anonymous said...

Wow, you must feel like Billy Big Boots now by pretending to be the author of the blog. You are so cool. [end sarcasm]

Anonymous said...

No, I just feel Wiggy and his crew lose any right to bitch when he ignores facts to make his points.

Anonymous said...

How do you know it's Dave? I am 99% sure it's not.

There's too little reliance on stat stuff for it to be Dave.

Baines Breath said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Baines Breath said...

Baines Breath?

I am the real Baines Breath. So I will delete the sock puppet? Just like on BS, SP must die. Baines Small penis may stay.

We do not delete post here as long as you are not posing to be a member of the collective.

So far 2 post deleted. Please post Anonymous or a name. Do not act like you are one of the collective.

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