Is it possible that the reason for slashing the single game ticket price (from $30 to $15) was not intended to help boost attendance, but was meant to sabotage revenue from ticket sales? Knowing what we know now, it seems to fit with the hidden agenda to kill UAB football that obviously existed prior to the 2014 season.
As it stands now, the attendance doubled in 2014, but revenue from ticket sales would be about the same as 2013 since the ticket prices were half of what they were in 2013.
Any thoughts?
(02-03-2015 11:05 AM)ElliotBreakingnewsBrindley Wrote: [ -> ]Is it possible that the reason for slashing the single game ticket price (from $30 to $15) was not intended to help boost attendance, but was meant to sabotage revenue from ticket sales? Knowing what we know now, it seems to fit with the hidden agenda to kill UAB football that obviously existed prior to the 2014 season.
As it stands now, the attendance doubled in 2014, but revenue from ticket sales would be about the same as 2013 since the ticket prices were half of what they were in 2013.
Any thoughts?
I guess that depends on how they run the numbers for that revenue. If they used the $15 at the price point for ticket sales in their figures and didn't allow for an increase in ticket price over the years, then yes, I think it's extremely suspect that our revenue based on previous season's attendance would be cut in half for reporting purposes.
You just have to convince folks that the attendance doubled because of the product on the field and not because of the decrease in ticket price.
Even if it were meant to "boost attendance" you've got a lot of wiggle room. You can double attendance at half the ticket price and you'll only break even when you balance it against the previous year. It's a win-win if you want to give the appearance of trying to save the program while also trying to kill it.
Maybe Haas wanted more fans at the games to provide a better atmosphere for his players. It may have been to make the games a more family friendly environment. It may have been a pure marketing move to maximize non Blazer Club ticket revenue. I doubt seriously that it is a move by Watts in company to kill off UAB basketball - for one thing they have proven that they haven't a clue about either athletics or revenue generation.
Not every decision is dropped from black helicopters.
(02-03-2015 02:14 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]Maybe Haas wanted more fans at the games to provide a better atmosphere for his players. It may have been to make the games a more family friendly environment. It may have been a pure marketing move to maximize non Blazer Club ticket revenue. I doubt seriously that it is a move by Watts in company to kill off UAB basketball - for one thing they have proven that they haven't a clue about either athletics or revenue generation.
Not every decision is dropped from black helicopters.
I think he's talking about football...
I suspect the conversation was more like:
Mackin: This is our last chance to save football. Do whatever is necessary to boost attendance.
Twinkie™-Shaped Minion: Cut ticket prices in half?
Mackin: Do it.
Twinkie: Yes, sir.
I wish there was some way we could find out who made the decision to cut the football ticket price in half.
While you suspicion is correct, I don't believe it was used solely in the decision made by Watts.
The season ticket prices did not change that much if any since previous years.
I don't believe that Mackin and/or Watts had enough foresight to predict that Clark would more than double attendance.
We know Watts is a coward. Mackin should be considered no different a coward than Watts.
(02-03-2015 04:14 PM)ElliotBreakingnewsBrindley Wrote: [ -> ]I wish there was some way we could find out who made the decision to cut the football ticket price in half.
That doesn't even rank in the Top 30 things we wish we could find out.
Sometimes paranoia doesn't mean they are out to get you. Sometimes, it just means you are paranoid.
I noticed that they also changed over to sandpaper toilet paper at Legion Field.
I'm betting this decision came from Watts.
He doesn't want anyone to be happy.
(02-03-2015 04:40 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: [ -> ]Sometimes paranoia doesn't mean they are out to get you. Sometimes, it just means you are paranoid.
Doesn't it make sense, though, that a good way to reduce revenue from ticket sales is to charge less money per ticket? Given all of the other bull crap we have discovered about the behind the scenes shenanigans, would it really surprise anybody if they sabotaged the ticket revenue by slashing the ticket prices by 50%?
Although our announced attendance has varied.
The revenue from football tickets sales has been an almost consistent 600 thousand a year(with 200 to 250 been bought by city of Birmingham(per the NCAA database). During those years we have tried many different strategies from giving tickets away with your Bruno's groceries to firm prices. The only thing we have not tried is winning on a consistent basis. Which coach Clark might have changed that.
If the conspiracy is true - I'd think the thought process would've been along the lines w/ lower revenues due to lower prices & if Clark didn't succeed it would mean even lower revenue & would make his case for dropping fb that much stronger.
All the best laid plans of mice & men last only as long as first contact as the unexpected happens
Also remember that the old price for general admission tickets was $20. How many people buying single-game tickets spent the extra $10 for reserved seats when they knew they could just sit anywhere?
I think it was pretty clear that nothing about the 2014 season was taken into consideration for this decision.
(02-04-2015 09:51 AM)Smaug Wrote: [ -> ]I think it was pretty clear that nothing about the 2014 season was taken into consideration for this decision.
I beg to differ. (And yes, I know what you meant.)
The 2014 season and its success was the final hammer swing that DROVE the Watts' Dec 2nd announcement. I honestly believe Watts and the BoTscum didn't expect Clark to come in here and turn the ship around as quickly as he did. It was the final act that pushed them to make the announcement when they did. Just MHO.
I think what pushed them to hurry the announcement was all the smoke people were beginning to smell.
Remember when the Goat called us all a bunch of Chicken Littles? Good times.