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Post by OfficialAztecINSIDER on Aug 24, 2010 21:33:27 GMT -8
It was sad watching the game tonight and seeing left and right field basically empty. 20,000 fans (less than half full) to see the best team in the National League? That is terrible. In spite of all the success this year, the Padres currently rank 19th in the majors in attendance. Just within the division, the Dodgers average 20K more fans a game, the Giants average 12K more, and the Rockies average 10K more.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2010 23:06:14 GMT -8
Several reasons. First and foremost San Diego is a subpar sports town and there aren't that many true sports fans so everything else stems from that. None of the other things should be legitimate factors but because of this they are.
Secondly, this team is pretty boring. Not a lot of offensive game, it's a huge park, we scrape together runs and chicks did the long ball and we don't hit it much.
Thirdly, this team has next to zero marketability for the San Diego crowd. Adrian is not personable, the longest tenured Padre is Tim Stauffer. We traded Peavy and let Hoffman go. Big no no for San Diego fans. We also don't have an identity that holds true with the city, can anybody even name what our team colors are?
This team is pretty damn good, but they aren't a team that is going to draw a crowd to Petco, especially in this economy.
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Post by mayham81 on Aug 25, 2010 8:28:19 GMT -8
Too many transplants in San Diego.
The opponent is a huge factor in attendance in this town. The Phillies games this weekend will be packed with fans.
I'm a diehard Padres, Chargers and Aztecs fan, but I admit overall this city isn't a greate sports town as far as support. It's hard enough just to get the Padres game on TV at a lot of local bars which I always find pathetic.
Every playoff game will be sold out. People are and will jump on to the bandwagon once we head to the palyoffs. This town does love a winner.
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Post by Pssst13 on Aug 25, 2010 8:32:57 GMT -8
Many San Diegans are first generation immigrants, therefore, ties with their family in their native countries are still pretty strong. Their sole purpose for Migrating to this country is to support the family. This means any extra cash earned is sent back home to support the family leaving them with practically no cash for entertainment. $40.00 goes a long way in many countries when multiplied to their currency.
This is from my personal experience from being friends these peoples kids.
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Post by AztecBill on Aug 25, 2010 13:18:57 GMT -8
Tuesday's have been the least attended day of the week. Since the all star game the attendance has increased significantly, as shown in the table below: DOW | Pre-All_Star | Post-All_Star | Increase Average | Sunday | 26,655 | 26,462 | -193 | Monday | 21,875 | N/A | N/A | Tuesday | 17,972 | 27,251 | 9,278 | Wednesday | 19,028 | 34,262 | 15,233 | Thursday | 18,063 | 33,986 | 15,923 | Friday | 28,204 | 31,828 | 3,623 | Saturday | 31,933 | 41,042 | 9,108 |
In the first half of the season we played the Mets and San Francisco twice on Tuesdays and didn't hit the 20K mark on any of those games.
Attendance is driven by season ticket sales. It has to be a special game to generate a large walk up. Having the tickets in hand is what makes most folks go. Example: I went last night but would have opted out if I didn't already have the tickets. I just got back from vacation and would much rather have rested. Success this year will generate a bigger base of season tickets which will drive attendance higher.
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Post by PowayAztec on Aug 25, 2010 20:34:26 GMT -8
Especially if you're in North County...Petco Park is more difficult to get to than Qualcomm. I went to more Padre games when they had bad years in Qualcomm than Petco with good teams. Also, good seats were more affordable at Qualcomm. (I don't consider any outfield seat a good seat.) Since moving to Petco I've only paid for one game. The games I have gone to have been with free tickets or corporate tickets that my (or wife's) rich important friends/business associates let us have. Since I'm not rich or important I don't normally get those. But...if a home playoff game falls on my day off I'll fork over the bucks to go see it. I'm 3-0 so far this year in person and will be going to the 9/17 roadie in St. Louis.
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Post by aztec70 on Aug 25, 2010 23:13:06 GMT -8
For me it is the trouble of going downtown. I have gone twice and both times it was a pain in the neck.
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Post by 83aztec on Aug 26, 2010 7:47:54 GMT -8
They are ahead of last year and really who wants to see the D-Backs. ( Tuesday game I went to was boring but I loved the win)Watch the attendance jump this weekend.
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Post by AztecBill on Aug 26, 2010 8:12:26 GMT -8
For me it is the trouble of going downtown. I have gone twice and both times it was a pain in the neck. I live near the "Q" and have no trouble with traffic going to the Ball Park. My Route: 15 South (West), take ramp to 5 North, then exit just past the Coronado Bridge, at Ceaser Chavez (take left at light) -- head West & take a right at Harbor Drive north From there I either park at the structure by the Hilton (turn left at the first light - after the bridge over the tracks), or I continue past the Ballpark to Convention Center parking (get in left turn lane -- $10). Very simple, very easy. I can pass the "Q" on 15 at 6:45 and witness the first pitch.
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Post by AztecBill on Aug 26, 2010 8:17:35 GMT -8
Average Wednesday first half: 19K Wednesday last night: 22K
There is a bigger walk up. I agree, this weekend should have large crowds. The average first half weekend series drew around 87K. I expect this weekend to be more around 110K (38, 42, 30)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2010 9:03:55 GMT -8
For me it is the trouble of going downtown. I have gone twice and both times it was a pain in the neck. That's so interesting because I love the downtown set up. Go down the 5 and get off on imperial. It's the least crowded entrance toward the area IMO. You can park at the clocktower for $15.
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Post by mayham81 on Aug 26, 2010 11:04:34 GMT -8
I've been a 20-game plan season ticket holder the last 5 seasons. I think I pay about 17 bucks a ticket for upper box seats, i consder that pretty affordable and i love my seat.
I've never paid for parking other then change in a meter, i park about 10 blocks away from the stadium at a metered parking spot which is normally free and only 50 cents an hour for up to 6 hours on games where i do have to put in some coins. The setup couldn't be easier or cheaper for me.
The people that complain it's too hard to get into the stadium and too expensive to park probably go down the main roads and get fed into the expensive lots. Get some exercize, avoid the main roads and it's cheaper and easier.
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Post by smoketree on Aug 28, 2010 19:25:08 GMT -8
Excellent analysis John...I will also add that we all know that our cheap ownership will NEVER sign Bell or Gonzalez to any long term deals...They would be long gone already if we weren't in contention at the trade deadline....Again, this group only appears to want to be competitive and not really win the World Series. I have tried my best to be excited by this team but I still can't get excited by Denorfia, Ekstein, Headley, Venable and crew....Boring at best....Sign a big name player such as Oswalt and then get my attention.....
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Post by PowayAztec on Aug 28, 2010 19:32:40 GMT -8
Replying to JYP's comments... 1) Disagree. I haven't heard too many people saying Moores pulled a switch. I think the Padres were trying to grow their own and it's nice to have a winner this year without a bunch of overpaid primadonas.(sp?) 2) Agree. Going to a Padre game is not cheap. As I've said before, back in the 70s me and my buds could pile into a Pinto at the last minute and decide to go to a Padre game. Now it's usually something that's planned and budgeted for well in advance. 3) I don't know if sightlines are "obstructed" but I get a more cramped feeling at Petco than other ballparks. 4) Agree. Parking's a hassle. Maybe less of a hassle if you go a lot. There's a $10 lot I've been going to that I like but remembering how to get to it is sometimes a problem (one way streets, etc) 5) Agree. Don't be so cheap. They claimed the $5 meal deal last year caused long lines so they got rid of it for the fans benefit. Bull. They just weren't making enough money off of it. Also, don't put a limit on the givaways. Here I'll insert my biggest pet peeve of the season...it may be small but...WHO THE HELL THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO PRINT THE SCHEDULES USING A MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WEEK? It's a pain in the ass to read those things. The day on the far left should be Sunday and run to the far right where Saturday is supposed to be. This pisses me off more than anything they've done this year. 6) Disagree. I don't need personalities as long as they're winning. 7) I don't smoke and I don't miss smokers if they've chosen to stay home because there are no smoking sections. 8) Disagree. As long as they are winning I don't care if they have big name players. As far as their chances in the playoffs...the playoffs are a crap shoot anyway so they have as good a chance as anyone else. 9) Too many TV games? Well, probably true but I don't want that to change because I like staying at home and watching them on TV. ;D JUST FIX THE SCHEDULES NEXT YEAR TO LOOK LIKE A NORMAL CALENDAR. Geez!
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Post by La Mesa Aztec on Aug 28, 2010 19:54:53 GMT -8
"It's the economy, stupid."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2010 22:54:26 GMT -8
Go down the 5 and get off on imperial. It's the least crowded entrance toward the area IMO. You can park at the clocktower for $15. This is the way I've always gone too, and it is indeed very easy in terms of ingress and egress (if these are the right words). As for why attendance is so bad, here are just a few of the reasons: 1. Most important, there is a lingering feeling among locals that Moores pulled a bait and switch on them (which he did). The first couple years at Petco, we were in the top half of the NL---actually top third I think---for attendance (at double the prices of SD Stadium) and at or near the very bottom for payroll. This may or may not be fair to Moorad (though I think he's the same kind of cheapskate as Moores was), but lots of fans have a bad taste in their mouths from Moores. Just watch: now Moorad is gonna say we can't get real free agents because of the low attendance. Don't buy it. Here's the Payroll ranking and attendance ranking side by side. 2004 Payroll: $55,384,833 11th Attendance: 37,243 7th 2005 Payroll: $63,290,833 9th Attendance:35,429 5th 2006 Payroll: $69,896,141 9th Attendance: 32,836 8th 2007 Payroll: $58,110,567 12th Attendance: 34,445 9th 2008: Payroll: $ 73,677,616 11th Attendance: 29,969 12th 2009: $ 43,734,200 14th Attendance: 23,735 11th
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Post by La Mesa Aztec on Aug 28, 2010 23:17:40 GMT -8
8. They might have the best record in the league right now, but we all know that there is almost no chance (well maybe 50-50) that we're going to get out of the first round of the playoffs. So which is it, "almost no chance", 10% or so?, or "maybe 50-50"? Why do you think the Padres have the best record in the NL? And why don't you think that translates into a good chance at playoff success?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2010 0:26:44 GMT -8
Go down the 5 and get off on imperial. It's the least crowded entrance toward the area IMO. You can park at the clocktower for $15. This is the way I've always gone too, and it is indeed very easy in terms of ingress and egress (if these are the right words). As for why attendance is so bad, here are just a few of the reasons: 1. Most important, there is a lingering feeling among locals that Moores pulled a bait and switch on them (which he did). The first couple years at Petco, we were in the top half of the NL---actually top third I think---for attendance (at double the prices of SD Stadium) and at or near the very bottom for payroll. This may or may not be fair to Moorad (though I think he's the same kind of cheapskate as Moores was), but lots of fans have a bad taste in their mouths from Moores. Just watch: now Moorad is gonna say we can't get real free agents because of the low attendance. Don't buy it. 2. Don't believe what they say about the "fan index" indicating that the Padres are among the best value in sports. They include in their average ticket price a park with a big television as actual seats in the stadium, which is a LIE. They also count street parking blocks and blocks from the stadium in their average parking price. People eventually see through sneaky $#!+ like this, and it leads to the feeling I alluded to above. The upper boxes are a good deal IF you don't have a dirty plexiglas rail in your way, which leads me to... 3. The view of the field and/or the scoreboard from about half the seats in the place is obstructed in some way or another. And I'm talking about the very expensive seats too. 4. While I agree with Tec about the belltower being a decent option, parking is indeed an expensive and problematic proposition at best. You can park for cheap, but you gotta walk pretty far---and through some pretty crappy stuff---to get to the yard. Hell you can park for free if you want: just leave your car at home and walk to the place. Parking in the structures is a big hassle too. It takes a long time to get out, and the spots are too narrow for the kinds of giant cars (trucks) people drive there. Plus if you are parked in a structure and a family emergency comes up in the third inning and you gotta leave, good luck getting out without a lot of hassle. People in San Diego like actual parking lots. 5. The Padres don't run things in a fan-friendly manner (like the guy with the Angels does). For example, for the first time since I was a child, they're now limiting giveaways to the first "x" number of fans. If like most SD "fans" you're willing to pay $100 for three fifty-cent beach towels, you wanna be damn sure you're gonna get them before you put down the money for tickets. 6. Like someone said above, there's no personality to the team, and bringing in a Hall of Famer's son at the major league minimum wage to bat .220 just isn't gonna get it. 7. It doesn't affect too many people, but they got rid of the smoking sections. Why? (Chargers did this too and they are having a hell of a time dealing with it. Lots of people smoke only when they're drunk, and almost everyone's drunk at a Charger game.) 8. They might have the best record in the league right now, but we all know that there is almost no chance (well maybe 50-50) that we're going to get out of the first round of the playoffs. If the front office really WANTS to win (as opposed to merely HOPING to win), they'd show more killer instinct. In the baseball sense, among people who really understand the game, what they did at the deadline was wise and good. But life is all about perception, and the world is full of dummies. Getting Cliff Lee (or some other big name) would have made people believe that Moorad has what Kroc had: a deep drive to win it all no matter the cost. 9. Too many games are on TV. Why endure the above when almost every single game is on TV? Before Moores started pulling all his BS, having the games on TV actually increased attendance. You could see from your television how much fun people were having at the game. Not so now, though. Now it just looks bleak and sad. With all the issues above, there isn't much incentive to leave the comfort of home or the local bar when you can watch the game much cheaper at those places. In short: There's nothing wrong with a Toyota Corolla, but don't sell me one for double its value and then tell me it's a Lexus. I disagree with pretty much everything you said.
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Post by mayham81 on Aug 29, 2010 22:31:15 GMT -8
New theory. Attendance is weak because Padres fans are too high maintenance and expect too much.
"sure they win, but it's not exciting enough"
"It's too expensive to park and i don't want to park for free and walk 10 minutes! I'm an American, I have the right to be lazy!"
"It's too expensive to go to games, beers should be 50 cents and hot dogs $1 dollar, and awesome tickets should be less than 10! just like every other pro team!"
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
There are things you could complain about in every city with every pro team, but other cities sell out and we don't because they support their teams no matter what, especially when their teams are really good.
Good
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Post by 83aztec on Aug 30, 2010 14:42:56 GMT -8
The downntown and parking thing is BS so is the it's too expensive. There are ways to get around that. I park in a $5.00 lot that is 8 blocks away and 2 blocks over. My route does not take me to a place I do not feel comfortable taking children or my wife. I get tothe parking area around 6:25. I get two beers place them in a paper cup. I walk to the deli get a sandwich drink my beer on the way and eat the sandwich at the game. 40 game season tickets split between 4 people makes the tickets priced right and I have a good time. Saturday night 5 :35 starts makes it real nice to head downtown for some fun after the game.
I f you are somewhat inventive you can always have a good time and not spend a lot.
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