02-14-2017, 12:12 AM
(02-12-2017, 09:14 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Ok lets be straight up honest.. hockey in America is a 2nd tier sport.. of course they will go the extra mile to get your ticket, they need to much more than pro football.. Finally i have been a season ticket holder for a long time and I have attended now around 12 away stadiums.. PBS is not that much different than other stadiums as far as parking, food, etc...
You can have your hockey etc.. I will keep my football..
PS I had more fun at Dragons game than the Blue Jackets ...
I agree that the NHL has lost a mainstream audience. That's for sure. But the product is world class. I'm not going to get a hard on anymore just because it's NFL football. The NFL has stagnated when it comes to the fan experience, product on the field, and venues (at least middle America venues). They couldn't care less. At 37 years old and with a 4 year old who is becoming more and more willing and interested in experiencing life, that resonates with me.
Pro Football TV ratings are down. And actual attendance is down at PBS for sure. I'm not so sure about the rest of the NFL, but the league is losing it's lead on the other sports. Spending an entire day watching it or attending a game is just not something I'm finding a lot of fun in any more.
I, too, have been to several other stadiums and I agree. From what I have seen is that they are all pretty similar with the exception of Dallas. But after seeing how NHL hockey does it, yeah... I'm interested in actually going to a sport that offers more for my money and is trying to earn it. I guess after seeing how it should be done (at Nationwide) I'm no longer willing to accept any old crap the Bengals give me because that's what the NFL experience is... crap. The NFL is sitting at the top of a hill and not trying to improve. The other sports are and I like that!
Now, the party before and after the game? That's an ok time. But it's usually just a few thousand people standing around throwing footballs and bopping their heads to kid rock cover bands. I'm over it so, no season tickets for me. The ticket rep offered me autographed jerseys, on field pregame/warm up passes to 3 games a season, and a bunch of other stuff if I bought club season tickets again. My money will be going to either a half or a quarter season of Blue Jackets. They, too, offered some really great events, memorabilia, and fan experience opportunities - only it's in a 100x better venue.
I go to probably 15-20 baseball games a year between the Reds & Dragons. I get bored. I don't remember the last time I finished a baseball game. I usually leave by the 8th inning and I've been to the last 5 opening days for the Reds on either the party deck or Reds Dugout seats. The Reds stadium is beautiful and a really nice place. Food is so so. Parking is so so. But over all, it, too, blows PBS away. The Dragons stadium is great, but I find the product on the field to be cheesy and leaning too far towards little kids. Which might turn out to be a good thing at some point. We'll see!
Anyway, I didn't mean to turn this into a hockey vs. football debate. I was more or less comparing the venues, game experiences, pricing, and overall experience as a fan and not the two sports themselves. And as far as who can have what. Why not have them both? I'm not going to quit being a Bengals fan. I just don't see the thrill of the game day down at PBS anymore. Maybe I'm burned out on attending games? We'll see if I get the itch when the season rolls back around. :)
