End of an era: NFL ends blackout rule

NFL to suspend TV blackout policy for 2015 after owners vote - ESPN

They had jimmied around the rule so much lately that there were no blackouts last season and only two in 2013, despite thousands of empty seats in so many stadiums. Story says it is temporarily suspended and they will re-evaluate after the season, but they're not bringing that back once it goes away.

Again I renew my wonderment that anybody goes to games anymore, ever.

 

I understand why some folks go. They're season ticket holders who go as groups, including family groups, and it's a 10 time a year social occasion. But that's the only way that makes sense.

 

I've heard a few people offer the wise opinion that, while the NFL has invested all of this money into stadiums to improve the in-stadium experience, what they really need to do is focus on the getting-to-the-stadium experience.
Parking, in some places, costs you as much as a ticket. I know at Cowboys Stadium it's about $100 per game. And then you have notorious traffic jam makers like FedEx Field. Even if the game experience itself is great, fans are tiring of spending time and money -- and a lot of both at that -- just to get there.

 

Whatever stadium has been there, a trip to Foxboro for a Pats game has always been an all-day (or all-night) experience. TV loves night games and pays for them, but even the most devout fans are going to cringe at knowing they'll be getting home at 3 a.m. the night before a work day.

 

I can drive to downtown Cleveland in less than 10 minutes. There's been times that it's taken me 30 minutes to drive downtown, find a free parking space in the street, and been in my seat at an Indians game in less than a half-hour.

I've never been able to make it from couch to seat at a Browns game in less than an hour.

 

The Cowboys' parking prices are insane. I have no idea why someone without a parking pass would go to a game.

 

Yeah, parking fees are the biggest ripoff in sports.
You're already spending a shit-ton of money on tickets and food.
Charging $30 to park a car for five hours is kicking fans in the head.

 

But charging fans thousands for the right to then pay tens of thousands more for a season ticket, isn't?

 

Parking isn't nearly the rip-off that tacking on two preseason games to the regular-season package is.

Then again, none of it is a rip-off as long as there are 60,000 or more people willing to buy it. I just won't ever be one of them.

 

Supply and demand

 

Non-season ticket holders in Jacksonville just said, "Wait, we have a NFL team?"

 

This will save a local Jacksonville sponsor from buying up the remaining tickets at .30 on the dollar.