Fans in the Stands

[bm1090]

I doubt we'll get there but I'd certainly consider making the trip to Arlington if we make it. Attending a live game sounds lovely right now.

[djoctagone]

expect mlb to aggressively pursue means of getting fans in the stands in 2021.

[monty57]

expect mlb to aggressively pursue means of getting fans in the stands in 2021.

 

Not surprising. I can't imagine MLB would continue in its current state if 2021 played out like 2020. There would be some legal action (bankruptcy?) that would occur before the owners would continue to lose billions while paying players huge salaries.

 

Thankfully, vaccines should be available in mass quantities around the start of next baseball season, so hopefully we can have a normal season next year. Fingers crossed.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I don't think next year will be "normal", but I think it will be closer to normal than what we had this year. Yes, yes, RoCo, semantics, but I think we're still going to have a lot of testing for players and fans will still have some sort of restrictions. What this is, I don't know, but I don't think we'll see packed stadiums from the get go.

[MrTPlush]

The thing for many (heck most) MLB teams is they rarely sell out games. I am pretty sure ESPN attendance stats go off paid attendance and only 13 of MLB teams even average 30k per game and only 18 average at least 25k. This is much different than other sports where 100% capacity is more common.

 

For MLB teams 50% capacity wouldn't be a huge detriment for attendance sake...the biggest problem teams will likely face is trying to sell tickets for a less than 100% capacity and trying to maximize how many actually show up on gameday. While selling tickets is a big deal there is much more on gameday that helps the bottom line. A 25k fan limit isn't a huge problem, it is the fact they can only sell 25k tickets and then only 10-15k even show up. With such a long season the commitment to actually show up when the day comes always plagues the MLB.

[ThisIsMyCrew]

The thing for many (heck most) MLB teams is they rarely sell out games. I am pretty sure ESPN attendance stats go off paid attendance and only 13 of MLB teams even average 30k per game and only 18 average at least 25k. This is much different than other sports where 100% capacity is more common.

 

For MLB teams 50% capacity wouldn't be a huge detriment for attendance sake...the biggest problem teams will likely face is trying to sell tickets for a less than 100% capacity and trying to maximize how many actually show up on gameday. While selling tickets is a big deal there is much more on gameday that helps the bottom line. A 25k fan limit isn't a huge problem, it is the fact they can only sell 25k tickets and then only 10-15k even show up. With such a long season the commitment to actually show up when the day comes always plagues the MLB.

 

For the reasons you laid out, is why I would expect a pretty significant increase in ticket prices from what we saw in 2019. Not sure how much but should be quite a bit. Wisconsin fans should be used to it by now. Packers increase prices basically every year it seems.

[owbc]

I'm craving baseball and want to go to in-person games, but it really depends on the rules, enforcement of the rules, and how many fans they let in. There were a lot of pictures from the World Series suggesting that 10,000 was too many. The knowledge that they are desperate to make money makes me suspicious that they can pull it off. I also expect higher ticket prices but I expect that money to be invested in safety measures.

[MrTPlush]

I wouldn't expect ticket prices to go up.

 

1) It is going to send the wrong message to fans.

 

2) Raising ticket prices does absolutely nothing if you lose demand. Last I checked there wasn't incredible demand for NFL games that fans can go to. Maybe that has changed since I last saw something on it, but people aren't exactly trampling each other to get tickets despite only a fraction of the usual tickets being available.

[Outlander]

I don't think MLB teams will go that route either of raising ticket prices a large amount. Raising ticket prices does do something short term though if the capacity lost is greater than demand lost. I doubt the Brewers would have a problem selling 10,000 tickets. It could bite them in following years however if capacity increases and you turned off a certain portion of you fan base.

[rickh150]

So many people will not be even thinking of coming to a large group whatever. Even with a decent vaccine and better Covid numbers, they are not coming back much in 2021. And that's only partly because of the virus.

 

Politicized athletes and seemingly more violence in large cities are not giving a welcomed calling card to return either. Moreover, we have gotten into a nine month pattern of staying more at home more for entertainment/food/school/etc, and it's going to take years to break that habit, if it ever does change.

 

Finally, we are not going to be as eager to drop major coin for attending a game after being witness to 2020. That money will be prioritized for better needs.

 

Major sports leagues are in for a wake up call.

[ThisIsMyCrew]

So many people will not be even thinking of coming to a large group whatever. Even with a decent vaccine and better Covid numbers, they are not coming back much in 2021. And that's only partly because of the virus.

 

Politicized athletes and seemingly more violence in large cities are not giving a welcomed calling card to return either. Moreover, we have gotten into a nine month pattern of staying more at home more for entertainment/food/school/etc, and it's going to take years to break that habit, if it ever does change.

 

Finally, we are not going to be as eager to drop major coin for attending a game after being witness to 2020. That money will be prioritized for better needs.

 

Major sports leagues are in for a wake up call.

 

This is a pretty solid take. Much of which I agree with. I know the money normally spent at games, was used for “better” things (home updates, etc).

 

I think it’s likely though, that they could manage 10,000ish fans 81 times next year. There is still a good portion of society that isn’t all that worried by the virus. I do think the political world entering sports, has done more damage than they will admit.

[JackNicholson1974]

What political stuff has entered into sports? Am I missing something?

[TURBO]

What political stuff has entered into sports? Am I missing something?

 

BLM, Kneeling for the anthem, just to name a couple...

[wallus]

If that counts as politics, then politics has always been around in sports. I remember talking to someone from a different country at a Packers game a few years ago. He could not believe all of the military propaganda going on. (his words, not mine)

[sveumrules]

Jackie Robinson playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers had some political implications. I wasn't alive then, but I'd imagine there were plenty of people who swore off baseball that very moment, yet it still remains.

 

Cassius Clay refusing to go to Vietnam was certainly an act of political defiance. Again, I wasn't alive at the time but I'd guess there were more than a few people with choice words for Cassius as a result of said refusal. Maybe some even said they'd never watch boxing again.

 

Curt Flood had the audacity to challenge the reserve clause. I wasn't alive for this either, but I'd suppose there was some percentage of baseball fans who thought he should just shut up & play ball.

 

Politics in sports are nothing new & those who have resisted the inevitable tide of change seem to have generally ended up on the wrong side of history in the long run. In an ever evolving world, Billy Beane just might have been onto something, "Adapt or die."

[trwi7]

I've stayed sitting down for the anthem for years because playing it before sporting events is stupid.

[MadScientist]

Jackie Robinson playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers had some political implications. I wasn't alive then, but I'd imagine there were plenty of people who swore off baseball that very moment, yet it still remains.

 

Cassius Clay refusing to go to Vietnam was certainly an act of political defiance. Again, I wasn't alive at the time but I'd guess there were more than a few people with choice words for Cassius as a result of said refusal. Maybe some even said they'd never watch boxing again.

 

Curt Flood had the audacity to challenge the reserve clause. I wasn't alive for this either, but I'd suppose there was some percentage of baseball fans who thought he should just shut up & play ball.

 

Politics in sports are nothing new & those who have resisted the inevitable tide of change seem to have generally ended up on the wrong side of history in the long run. In an ever evolving world, Billy Beane just might have been onto something, "Adapt or die."

Yep. More than enough people will either support the athletes or just not care to make up for the few who will have a fit and won't attend. As soon as people feel safe they will attend. Honestly given Sturgis, people would attend even if it's not safe if they were allowed to. There is a pent up demand for attending games and returning to normal.

[JackNicholson1974]

What political stuff has entered into sports? Am I missing something?

 

BLM, Kneeling for the anthem, just to name a couple...

 

 

Huh. That’s weird. Never in a million years would I have thought those things were political. Im usually taking a leak or buying a beer when the anthem comes on, and unless the guy pouring me the beer stops, I don’t either. People today would have been irate about Jackie Robinson I suppose.

[djoctagone]

What political stuff has entered into sports? Am I missing something?

BLM, Kneeling for the anthem, just to name a couple...

Huh. That’s weird. Never in a million years would I have thought those things were political. Im usually taking a leak or buying a beer when the anthem comes on, and unless the guy pouring me the beer stops, I don’t either. People today would have been irate about Jackie Robinson I suppose.

that's because they're social issues, not political issues.

[MrTPlush]

Something can be a social issue and a political issue.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

So many people will not be even thinking of coming to a large group whatever. Even with a decent vaccine and better Covid numbers, they are not coming back much in 2021. And that's only partly because of the virus.

 

Politicized athletes and seemingly more violence in large cities are not giving a welcomed calling card to return either. Moreover, we have gotten into a nine month pattern of staying more at home more for entertainment/food/school/etc, and it's going to take years to break that habit, if it ever does change.

 

Finally, we are not going to be as eager to drop major coin for attending a game after being witness to 2020. That money will be prioritized for better needs.

 

Major sports leagues are in for a wake up call.

 

I'm not sure this is how it would play out.

 

If the Packers opened the flood gates, it's hard for me to see the place not packed for the first game. There are a lot, a LOT of people, who just do not care about this thing in the slightest.

 

I would expect a dip for less popular teams and teams that play more often, like MLB. I'm sure overall attendance would decrease. But I think there are huge numbers of people chomping at the bit to do things, and some aren't doing them not because of the virus, but because of the restrictions that make these things different.

[JohnBriggs12]

Something can be a social issue and a political issue.

 

Everything's political. The implication of much of the "social justice" campaign that all the sports adopted was that the country, especially all Republicans, are closet racists. That's purely political. It wasn't an accident that this occurred in an election year. If you are Republican, you felt it. If you're not, you thought it normal.

[homer]

Oy. Enough of the politics, guys. You know the rules....or maybe you don't. Here is a reminder:

 

1) From Fan Forum Etiquette:

What kind of discussion is not allowed?

 

Please keep politics, religion, and sex out of the forum. Fairly or not, these topics have regularly resulted in threads going out of control. Also, please avoid contentious topics such as racial and ethnic issues.

If you're into discussing these topics, we recommend the separate forum Brewerfan Political Scene.

 

Other notes:

 

2) Just mentioning a politician doesn't make a post political. I could say "The Brewers haven't been in a World Series since the Reagan era." That is not political. If someone responded, "Man, the Reagan era sucked because...Reagan." That would be political.

 

3) Politics aren't the only topics to avoid. See #1.

 

4) Just because people are discussing a contentious topic civilly does not mean the thread will stay open.

 

5) No one is allowed to talk about Fight Club.