FedEx to Install Party Decks; Remove Seats

[SmootSmack]

It's not a flat 60-40 split between the home and away team. Redskins aren't the first and won't be the last team to do this. This is really about Fed Ex Field and all its potential events, not just Redskins games. It's not like Snyder is going to put the money in his pocket and go buy a yacht. I think he's shown that he invests the money the Redskins generate back into the team. You'd also have to see what the cost of the ticket is and how does that compare to what the cost is for the seats that were there. If they get 60% of a ticket that was say $75, but now they get 100% of a ticket that's $30...

[fanarchist]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

It's not a flat 60-40 split between the home and away team. Redskins aren't the first and won't be the last team to do this. This is really about Fed Ex Field and all its potential events, not just Redskins games. It's not like Snyder is going to put the money in his pocket and go buy a yacht. I think he's shown that he invests the money the Redskins generate back into the team. You'd also have to see what the cost of the ticket is and how does that compare to what the cost is for the seats that were there. If they get 60% of a ticket that was say $75, but now they get 100% of a ticket that's $30...

I didn't say it was a flat 60-40 split. It was an approximation, but it's still pretty close to 60-40. No, they're not the first. Nor did I say that they were the first. Dallas riddled their new stadium with leisure suites and party decks. He's investing this money back into the stadium, but as you said not necessarily back into the team. It's being used to facilitate "all it's potential events". I don't think we know the prices of the new party deck tickets yet, but if you do please tell me. I would be pretty surpised if Snyder shorts himself in that regard though.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by fanarchist

I didn't say it was a flat 60-40 split. It was an approximation, but it's still pretty close to 60-40. No, they're not the first. Nor did I say that they were the first. Dallas riddled their new stadium with leisure suites and party decks. He's investing this money back into the stadium, but as you said not necessarily back into the team. It's being used to facilitate "all it's potential events". I don't think we know the prices of the new party deck tickets yet, but if you do please tell me. I would be pretty surpised if Snyder shorts himself in that regard though.

You read SS's post differently than I do. I think your inclusion of the words "not necessarily" misrepresents SS's arguments that Snyder does invest in the team (just ask Al Haynesworth).

[fanarchist]

Originally Posted by Lotus

You read SS's post differently than I do. I think your inclusion of the words "not necessarily" misrepresents SS's arguments that Snyder does invest in the team (just ask Al Haynesworth).

and the sentence after that I go on to quote him saying it's also about potential events that are not affiliated with football. "Because FedExField is privately held, all of the expenses associated with the installation of the Party Decks will be borne by the Redskins. No public funding will be involved." That would mean the money is coming out of the organizations pocket but not all of it is going back to the team.

[mlmdub130]

i think ss's point is in the grand scheme of things this difference in money isn't really a factor in the addition of party decks. it seems like a fair attempt to try and make a pretty crappy stadium just a little bit better. the ironic thing is how they keep saying that they are trying to make redskins games a more family friendly atmosphere, but i don't see how adding super cheap party deck seats are going to fix that problem.

the only really discouraging thing i take away from this is that with the new screens and now new party decks, it seems like the redskins might be staying in the dump that is Raljon MD for a while to come.

[fanarchist]

A fair point. At the most, it'll probably only generate an extra 100k per season which isn't really a hefty sum of money when juxtaposed with a multi-million dollar company. So maybe it's not a huge factor, but I'm sure it's a factor. So what exactly is the grand scheme? A upper deck boxing ring for the melting pot to brew. Simply aesthetics. I just don't see how it makes the stadium better. It may make the experience more reasonably priced for people looking for a good time on a Sunday, but could care less about the Redskins or the outcome of their games. I do think it's cool for the gentrified 5k that, "According to the team, fans with seats in the impacted areas who chose not to move to higher-priced seats will be moved closer to the field or closer to the 50-yard line at no additional charge."

[SmootSmack]

I would be stunned if the price of a party deck ticket is the same as the seats that were once there.

And the ticket revenue split is 66% to the home team, 34% to the other 31 teams. Plus the money the home team makes from premium seat fees (which I don't even know these count as, premium seats that is) is what they really keep. The cost of the ticket, if I recall correctly, is subject to be "taken away" from the home team. The home team keeps their share of the club seat ticket and the away team's share is subject to be given out as a "loan" for new stadium financing. As was the case with Gilette Stadium and the New Meadowlands.

Bottom line-there's a lot more to it than just Snyder is screwing the fans to put money in his pocket

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I would be stunned if the price of a party deck ticket is the same as the seats that were once there.

And the ticket revenue split is 66% to the home team, 34% to the other 31 teams. Plus the money the home team makes from premium seat fees (which I don't even know these count as, premium seats that is) is what they really keep. The cost of the ticket, if I recall correctly, is subject to be "taken away" from the home team. The home team keeps their share of the club seat ticket and the away team's share is subject to be given out as a "loan" for new stadium financing. As was the case with Gilette Stadium and the New Meadowlands.

Bottom line-there's a lot more to it than just Snyder is screwing the fans to put money in his pocket

SS is 100% correct but what isn't accounted for is the reason.......Fact ..the Stadium (who ever that is)...will sell alot more beer and food and...etc at hugely elevated prices....much more then if those seats remained as they were.As I stated when I went to the Giants/Redskins game this year at the "NEW MEADOWLANDS"...those things take away from the football game experence and wrecks it for the fans there to see a game ...with or without the kids be it trying to get to your seat ...going to the bathroom or even in the parking lot....the drunks are wrecking the game.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by Giantone

SS is 100% correct but what isn't accounted for is the reason.......Fact ..the Stadium (who ever that is)...will sell alot more beer and food and...etc at hugely elevated prices....much more then if those seats remained as they were.As I stated when I went to the Giants/Redskins game this year at the "NEW MEADOWLANDS"...those things take away from the football game experence and wrecks it for the fans there to see a game ...with or without the kids be it trying to get to your seat ...going to the bathroom or even in the parking lot....the drunks are wrecking the game.

I'd support if they built a "Drunk Deck". Put it right along the top edge of the stadium and only serve beer there. I've never gone to an NFL game yet, but the many MLB games I've been to have had some moronic drunks...not great for a family outing.

[GMScud]

So I was listening to the Sports Reporters on 980 on the way home, and Andy Pollin and Steve Czaben had Lon Rosenberg (VP of Stadium Operations at FedEx Field) as a call in guest. Couple of interesting things:

The Redskins are NOT in fact planning on installing party decks in the hole in the stadium where those 5,000 seats once were. Apparently that is just an idea that was discussed, and nothing is set in stone.

Apparently before the decision was made to remove the 5,000 seats for the supposed party decks, these seats were offered to the 200,000+ fans (full disclosure: I have been on the waiting list for a long time and was offered tickets last year and passed) the Redskins say are on the waiting list for season tickets. Well, according to Mr. Rosenberg, they couldn't manage to sell a mere 5,000 tickets to 200,000 people. Wow. All you needed was a measly 2.5% of those on the waiting list to bite... no dice.

So I guess it is a waiting list... Waiting for the Redskins to be a decent team? Waiting for a decent stadium to see a game? That's what Pollin and Czaben joked anyway...

They also joked about the fact that a team that has such a legendary waiting list is removing seating. It was funny. Rosenberg didn't like Czaben calling Fed Ex Field an "overstuffed turkey" when referring to the expanding of the stadium from it's original capacity to over 90K...

Also speculated by The Sports Reporters was the fact that the Skins floated the rumor of the supposed party decks to justify the seat-removal at the time of construction, but it was in fact done to help protect against the potential ramifications of dealing with TV-blackouts a la Jacksonville, since the team couldn't seem to sell the seats despite such an infamous season ticket waiting list. I guess that's not really surprising since the on-field product has been very poor and the stadium is an overpriced and a bad game experience.

Anyway, the podcast isn't up yet, but as soon as it is I'll post it. It was at the end of hour 2. Pretty interesting and entertaining segment.

[fanarchist]

You're splitting hairs man. The split is basically 60-40. The extra 6% that your adding on goes to deductibles which can't really be calculated into revenue. I don't doubt that there is more to it than "Snyder is screwing the fans to put money in his pocket". But I believe it's still a portion of it. Didn't intend to take it to the tin hat conspiracy level, but I don't see any other real benefit to the addition.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by fanarchist

You're splitting hairs man. The split is basically 60-40. The extra 6% that your adding on goes to deductibles which can't really be calculated into revenue. I don't doubt that there is more to it than "Snyder is screwing the fans to put money in his pocket". But I believe it's still a portion of it. Didn't intend to take it to the tin hat conspiracy level, but I don't see any other real benefit to the addition.

I was just talking more so about how it is distributed (among all teams, not just two) versus how much percentage wise is actually distributed.

[Monkeydad]

^12% difference actually but who's splitting hairs?



Why are you so angry, man? No NFL owner is going to make big financial decisions based on "what would the fans smile about"? You have to remember the the NFL is a business first, and a game at a distant second. There's no point demonizing Daniel Snyder so much for making decisions based on the profitability and long-term outlook of his COMPANY (notice I did not say "team"). Every owner must act that way or they'll fail miserably. Even an owner who hangs out with fans and tries to appear to be an owner and fan at the same time like Mark Cuban or the bird-flippin' Bud Adams will really be driven by his finances first. Welcome to reality.

[fanarchist]

Originally Posted by Monkeydad

^12% difference actually but who's splitting hairs?



Why are you so angry, man? No NFL owner is going to make big financial decisions based on "what would the fans smile about"? You have to remember the the NFL is a business first, and a game at a distant second. There's no point demonizing Daniel Snyder so much for making decisions based on the profitability and long-term outlook of his COMPANY (notice I did not say "team"). Every owner must act that way or they'll fail miserably. Even an owner who hangs out with fans and tries to appear to be an owner and fan at the same time like Mark Cuban or the bird-flippin' Bud Adams will really be driven by his finances first. Welcome to reality.

I'm not angry. I'm doing the exact same thing that you're doing, which is attempting to bring the real motivation behind this move to the foreground. I realize the NFL is a business first which is why I brought this topic up to begin with. And if you refer to my previous post you'll see I too called it a COMPAMY. Just because the realization exists doesn't mean I should have to compromise the way I feel about misorly, unscrupulous megalomaniacs who force the masses to submit to their will. Thanks for your insight though, it was very constructive.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by fanarchist

I'm not angry. I'm doing the exact same thing that you're doing, which is attempting to bring the real motivation behind this move to the foreground. I realize the NFL is a business first which is why I brought this topic up to begin with. And if you refer to my previous post you'll see I too called it a COMPAMY. Just because the realization exists doesn't mean I should have to compromise the way I feel about misorly, unscrupulous megalomaniacs who force the masses to submit to their will. Thanks for your insight though, it was very constructive.

Man...you're really struggling with this lockout aren't you?