Who Needs Two?
Terry Pluto had an interesting item in his Sunday PD column: the Browns are having trouble selling tickets:
Once upon a time, the Browns had a waiting list for season tickets. No more. … When the Browns returned in 1999, it was a civic movement to sell tickets and luxury suites to support the expansion franchise. Many of those deals were for 10 years. They have expired. In the meantime, the Browns have the NFL’s second-worst record (after Detroit) since 1999. … At their peak following the return, the Browns sold more than 61,000 season tickets. That was a few years ago. They dropped below 55,000 last year. While the Browns are confident they will sell enough tickets for every home game to avoid a TV blackout, it’s obvious they are working hard for new customers.
That’s not good, but it’s also not surprising. For much of the past decade, it seemed like all the team had to do was hang a sign that read “Game Today” outside Cleveland Browns Stadium and the game would sell out. But fans of a certain generation can easily remember a time when the only home game that sold out was the annual tilt with Pittsburgh.
Now, after a decade of despair on the field, the team is feeling the bite at the box office. Certainly, last year’s dismal effort, which included coach Eric Mangini’s inability to pick a quarterback, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s amateur playcalling, a 1-11 start and the most over-rated victory in franchise history, have taken its toll on the paying public. The economy and the success of the Cavs have also been a major drain on ticket-buying customers.
The off-season hiring of Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert has helped the team regain some credibility with its fanbase, and the team is now reaching out to fans for help:
The Browns want to hear from fans about what they can do better on game days, with tickets, etc. Please, don’t write, “Win more games.” Don’t send suggestions about coaching, quarterbacks, etc. This is an attempt to connect with fans about how the Browns can improve on the business side. E-mail: suggestions@clevelandbrowns.com
It will be interesting to see what steps the team takes to improve the gameday experience. It seems likely they will follow the model of the Cavs, filling every stoppage in play with non-stop noise, which is something we’ve never understood. As a fan, you are there to see the game, that’s the most important thing. And the more successful the team plays, the less you need all the extra nonsense.
Even as the Browns continue their slow march back to respectability, they will face a problem all teams are facing: how to combat the experience of watching the game at home, which is better than it has ever been?
With the growth of large flatscreen TVs, games in HD, the NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone Channel, it’s really difficult to actually attend a game in person. At home, you don’t have to sit through endless TV timeouts, you just switch to another game. Big play? You get multiple replays. Bad weather? Not a problem. You don’t have to miss the late afternoon game while driving home. And over-priced, low-quality food and beer are not a problem at home.
Sidebar: How is it, with a growing number of microbreweries in NE Ohio and the esteemed Great Lakes Brewery right in town, the stadium concessions offer Bud, Bud Light and Coors Light? We wouldn’t drink that if we were paid.
You do lose the communal aspect and atmosphere that is an important part of many fans’ lives by watching the games at home, but if you have a big enough group over to watch the game you can replicate the experience.
It definitely makes it a tougher ticket to sell, even if you can put a winning team on the field. It’s good to know the Browns are taking the extra step to try and keep the fans engaged.
Now about that quarterback situation …
Red Right 88 