The debacle has begun
May 30, 2008 by f4denz.
So today when I got home I received my official 2009 season ticket relocation guide, and before I even opened it I noticed a couple of huge issues:
First, why in the hell would they schedule a time for me on a Wednesday at 10:00am, do they not realize that most people with the money to buy season tickets have jobs?
Second, I sure thought my priority number would be lower than it is (#567 for those who care), but out of 4,632, I am at least in the top 15%.
Third, and this will be the killer is the price increase issues, if you currently sit in E35, 36, or 37 then your ticket price will jump from $485 to $900. This is far too high and will lead to a number of people downgrading their seats, which will in turn cause people with good seats in other price ranges to get worse seats due to more people being in their section. If that has you upset, just wait because if you look closely at the image below, you will notice that every front row seat (except those in the premium seats) is the same color as the $900 seats.
I have sent a couple emails to the front office to see if this is a misprint or if all front row seats will be $900 a pop. As soon as I hear back, I will post their response.
Fourth, I also noticed that they had no problem creating and posting on the map a Family/Kids Section (per the guide, “in sections 32 and 33 alcoholic beverages will not be permitted. Gameday staff will be on hand to enforce these policies”
Why is it that they could not indicate the supporter section, I have been told by GM Garth Lagerwey and other RSL staff members that all supporter groups will be moved to sections 6 &7, but no mention of that on the stadium map. Are they once again trying to piss of their fans by not letting them know in advance where the supporter groups will be located, I mean honestly the RSL staff have been asked to do this for the last 3 seasons, and they continue to not do it, and they continue to sell tickets and place people in or near the supporters, who are annoyed by the standing, the drums, the occasional language issues. Here they had a perfect chance to get in front of this issue, but nope one more dropped ball.
Fifth, another thing all fans need to be aware of is that while not all seats have huge price increases, the number of events that your season ticket purchase will cover has dropped from 21 this season, to 18 for next season. Also noted in the General Seats is that your seat will cover “select international exhibition home games”, yup wanna bet they try to charge you for next seasons Real Madrid match? Is that the real reason for the cancelled match this year? Am I the only one who smells something very strange in all these events?
Sixth, I also noticed that while the premium seats get “exclusive opportunity to purchase seats for other events prior to public sale”, no such benefit will be given to other season ticket holders; you need to spend at least $1250 a seat to get that right.
I will be honest, none of this surprises me, nope I expected as much. Here was a chance for an organization that has by their own admission delivered an “inferior” product for the last 4 years, and adds into that the revelation that a promised match against Real Madrid this summer is now cancelled, but they simply do not get it. All the issues above pale in comparison to expecting fans to renew their season tickets in June for a team that currently is one point above expansion club San Jose at the bottom of MLS, and depending on the result tomorrow, could be once again at the very bottom of the MLS pile.
Open Letter to RSL leadership
Mr. Checketts, Mr. Manning, Mr. Lagerwey,
Each of you owe the fans better, you owe us better on the pitch, and based on the issues raised above you owe us better in the new stadium. Prices are higher than those of two time defending MLS Champions Houston Dynamo, as well as being higher than the Colorado Rapids, who moved into a new stadium last season. You all need to honestly evaluate what you are asking RSL fans to do, pay more for a product that by your own admissions is not of the quality deserved.
Simple things like scheduling the relocation sessions during most fans work hours, during the week instead of using the evening hours, which may be more inconvenient to RSL staff, but would be much better for most fans. Failure to consider the real interest of the fans is nothing new from the organization, but I know myself and others had hoped that the move to a new stadium, one controlled by the organization would bring improvements. It now looks like not only are we not going to get improvements, but once again the fans are made to felt obligated to the whims of the organization.
Well as a fan that has missed a total of two matches over the past four seasons, as a fan that increased my season tickets from one to two on the hopes of a better season on the pitch, and desire to secure my part of the new stadium, as a fan that helped establish a relationship between my employer (one of the largest in the valley) and RSL, I have to say “enough”. I will be considering long and hard if I really want to shell out the increased price, for less products (15% fewer event tickets), and for a product that continues to be inferior on the pitch. I can not with any confidence recommend RSL as a wise sports purchase, the pricing of $900 seats on the east side, and what appears on the new stadium map to be the price of all front row seats, is simply no longer worth my entertainment dollars.
I hope that between now and that actual start of the relocation event in three weeks that you all will consider what impact your decisions in regards to the new stadium will have on the fans that have been so supportive over the past four seasons. Please take this time and ask yourself what you are asking your fans to commit to, and then ask yourself if you have delivered what you have promised in the past. I do not believe that you can honestly answer anything positive to either question, and that should lead you do make a number of changes to show your dedication to the fans is worthy of their dedication to RSL.
Denzel Eslinger