Empty Stadium

[Laura]

Actual attendance was significantly lower and the people who have been going to the games aren't buying bleacher tickets.

[Omar]

Hey. Tickets will sell anyway... Since most are sold old before the Cubs Pitchers & Catchers report. And every year hopes are raised... And tickets sell no matter how bad the off-season has been, or how bad the previous season has been. They still get their bucks, and we still recieve our misery.

[d_money]

Actual attendance was significantly lower and the people who have been going to the games aren't buying bleacher tickets.

 

Remember back in the day (15 years ago?) when the box score for NL teams would list the paid attendance and in parantheses the actual turnstile. I think the NL stopped doing it for games like today. From what I recall, the AL always showed paid but not turnstile.

[slicknickshady]

It was real empty. 33,000 My Ass. When they did the attendence on the screen i was like "Where's the 12,000 Option?"

[neely crenshaw]

since i don't live near chicago i can't go to games regularly but i have to say that this is the first time i can remember having zero interest in watching or even listening to games.

[Derwood]

Great news! Stop going... every one of you. If you love the cubs... stop going.

 

Won't matter this year. Most of the tickets have been sold already.

 

Trib has their cash and they could care less.

Paid attendance was a pathetic 27,105 today. But if actual attendance was significantly lower, they're missing out on plenty of money thanks to lost concession and merchandise sales.

 

ding ding ding. I would say that most fans spend almost as much (if not more) on food and merchandise in a given game than they do on their ticket. Heck, I went to 8 minor league games this year (at $9 per ticket) and probably spent another $15+ at each game for other stuff.

[neely crenshaw]

last year in talking baout revenue with the trib/cubs..they were saying that a full house averaged $600,000 in concessions..that did not include parking.

 

dropping attendence by a third cost them 200,000 every home date...might br a drop but i don't remember people staying away like this in recent years. hopefully this little drop in revenue at least opens some eyes that it isn't a given that we fill the stadium every single game.

 

it would have been a bit more important had it been in july but at least it's something.

[CuseCubFan69]

last year in talking baout revenue with the trib/cubs..they were saying that a full house averaged $600,000 in concessions..that did not include parking.

 

dropping attendence by a third cost them 200,000 every home date...might br a drop but i don't remember people staying away like this in recent years. hopefully this little drop in revenue at least opens some eyes that it isn't a given that we fill the stadium every single game.

 

it would have been a bit more important had it been in july but at least it's something.

 

If I went to one of these games I'd be drinking twice as much as usual so maybe they are still making money? :D

[swordsman]

last year in talking baout revenue with the trib/cubs..they were saying that a full house averaged $600,000 in concessions..that did not include parking.

 

dropping attendence by a third cost them 200,000 every home date...might br a drop but i don't remember people staying away like this in recent years. hopefully this little drop in revenue at least opens some eyes that it isn't a given that we fill the stadium every single game.

 

it would have been a bit more important had it been in july but at least it's something.

 

I bet they will pretty easily spin the dropin attendence to correlate to school starting.

 

They would be, at most, partially correct.

[CuseCubFan69]

last year in talking baout revenue with the trib/cubs..they were saying that a full house averaged $600,000 in concessions..that did not include parking.

 

dropping attendence by a third cost them 200,000 every home date...might br a drop but i don't remember people staying away like this in recent years. hopefully this little drop in revenue at least opens some eyes that it isn't a given that we fill the stadium every single game.

 

it would have been a bit more important had it been in july but at least it's something.

 

I bet they will pretty easily spin the dropin attendence to correlate to school starting.

 

They would be, at most, partially correct.

 

Maybe, unless previous years say differently.

[UMFan83]

I don't think this attendance drop means anything for the trib, and I would go so far as to say they were downright expecting it. If you look at yesterday's game box, it says that yesterdays attendance was the lowest since 2002 when they drew 20,000 in September of that year, when the Cubs were almost as hopeless as they are now. They know that if the Cubs are bad, attendance is going to suffer in April and September. But they also know how many millions of Americans make Wrigley their vacation destination between May and August. They know that no matter what Wrigley is a virtual sell out all of those games played in those months. This does nothing for the Tribune company but affirm that the 2003 NLCS boom is over.

[J.R.]

I don't think this attendance drop means anything for the trib, and I would go so far as to say they were downright expecting it. If you look at yesterday's game box, it says that yesterdays attendance was the lowest since 2002 when they drew 20,000 in September of that year, when the Cubs were almost as hopeless as they are now. They know that if the Cubs are bad, attendance is going to suffer in April and September. But they also know how many millions of Americans make Wrigley their vacation destination between May and August. They know that no matter what Wrigley is a virtual sell out all of those games played in those months. This does nothing for the Tribune company but affirm that the 2003 NLCS boom is over.

 

Excellent analysis.

[hardcorecubfan]

How about the Mets and the marlins the other day. Mets playing Atlanta and can't draw diddlie squat, a team in the lead for their division. the Marlins, well what can you say, there shouldn't be a baseball team in Florida.

[Soriano12]

How about the Mets and the marlins the other day. Mets playing Atlanta and can't draw diddlie squat, a team in the lead for their division. the Marlins, well what can you say, there shouldn't be a baseball team in Florida.

 

Yeah. That just ticks me off.

 

I'll say this THE TRIBUNE COMPANY DOESN'T DESERVE US AS FANS!

 

 

I hate everyone of them. Fitszimmons, McDonough, MacPhail. I hate you guys.

 

You have one of the best fanbases in all of sports and you treat them

like crap.

 

Carma sucks guys....just remember that.

:twisted:

[Jon]

I don't think this attendance drop means anything for the trib, and I would go so far as to say they were downright expecting it. If you look at yesterday's game box, it says that yesterdays attendance was the lowest since 2002 when they drew 20,000 in September of that year, when the Cubs were almost as hopeless as they are now. They know that if the Cubs are bad, attendance is going to suffer in April and September. But they also know how many millions of Americans make Wrigley their vacation destination between May and August. They know that no matter what Wrigley is a virtual sell out all of those games played in those months. This does nothing for the Tribune company but affirm that the 2003 NLCS boom is over.

The Tribune spent over $28 million more in player expenses in 2005 compared to where they were in 2002. At the same time, operating income dropped from $11.9 million in 2002 to $7.9 million in 2005 and I'd imagine this year won't be much better. In addition, they have a bleacher expansion to try to turn profitable. Meanwhile, they've averaged over 1,500 unsold seats a game so far this season and the percentage of no-shows is certainly going to be higher this season than in 2002. Those lost concession and merchandise sales do hurt. The increase in ticket prices alone is not going to make up for that.

 

A change in attendance will have a significant effect on the team and company. They've already put their big $30 million construction project on hold indefinitely. While they have a base attendance that will come out during the summer no matter what, they've made plenty of changes to both Wrigley Field and their approach to the team in hopes that things were going to be better. They can cut payroll, which wouldn't be a bad idea with Hendry in charge anyways, but clearly they were optimistic about the growth of the team and their future. They can't just return to the way things were in 2002.