Note to Checketts...

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Leedog
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Note to Checketts...

Post by Leedog »

If you want to raise my ticket price 60%, first put a team on the ice that can win a damn game at home. They are currently 11-23 at the Scott this year (a loss is a loss). They won 12 games there in 05-06, the year they were last overall. Curiously, on the heals of that season, they also tried to pull off a big increase that resulted in so many season ticket cancellations they had to make a big slash mid stream.
Personally, I'm done. Canceling for the first time since 90-91.
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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by SteveO »

We asked a handful of folks that sat around us and most echoed the same sentiment.

I initially wanted to add another seat but I may end up canceling altogether as well.

I'll probably take the money I would have spent at Blues games and buy a sweet HDTV and Center Ice next year.

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Re: Note to Checketts...

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I'll probably be back (simply because you miss SSSSSOOOOOOO much on TV), but I'm certainly not happy with the product on the ice.

However, I think the environment that has developed on the 5th floor of the garage has really enhanced the experience of attending games and they had damn well not come down on that (which I fear they might after everyone's renewed)
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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by dmiles2186 »

I'm not a season ticket holder, just stating as a preface. But I understand the frustration. However, I've been in Checketts's and JD's corner since day one. Just found this on St. Louis Game Time---it pretty much states exactly how I feel about the whole situation.
[This article originally appeared in the Mar. 21 edition of St. Louis Game Time.]


It’s not often that you’ll find me defending corporate big-wigs. I haven’t worked for a big corporation in my adult life and I’ve spent a lot of time complaining about them.

That said, I’m a big fan of the big-time corporate owners of our franchise. I’ve heard enough about how they operate and how they work and the struggles that they’re up against that I’m rooting for their success. I don’t tend to have empathy for the super-rich, but the group that is in charge of the Blues seem to be in this for the right reasons. Sure they want to make money, but they really do seem focused on winning a championship and building a legacy in St. Louis. My guess is that they would love to replicate what has happened in Detroit, where success is expected

Unfortunately for them, they’ve had to start at the bottom with this team and fan base. They had to go above and beyond to get our attention. They had to do things that no other franchise would do to bring fans back to the game.

They had to spoil us. And now it’s coming back to bite them.

Today’s Free Food game is a prime example. We will no doubt be treated to a hot dog/chicken strips option as well as a bag of popcorn and a drink. We will no doubt have to stand in a long line to get it. We will no doubt then go to our seats and complain about it.

The problem is not in what we’re getting, because on any other given night if the Blues had handed us this all in a bag as we came through the turnstiles, we’d have been pleasantly surprised and appreciative. "Wow, that was unexpected!" we’d gush to one another as we shoveled it into our gaping maws.

The problem comes in that the Blues did way better than that in their first year. The Free Food game was a brand-new gimmick and no one had any idea how it was going to go. That day the Blues made most of the items on the menu all-you-can-eat and many of us tried. As one of my buddies reminisced yesterday, he sat in his seat groaning because he’d overdone it. That year there was so much free food that the vendors were giving people extra portions. "Take two," they’d say. So we’d take two. The scalpers and panhandlers outside the rink have never eaten as well as they did that day. It was a food fiasco.

The next year it was scaled back. The year after that, even more so. Last year I came in at my normal late time and I got a bottle of water, a half a bag of popcorn and an apology. This year I expect to get in a little earlier and to get a chicken finger or two. And I’m not going to complain about it. It’s free, after all. Maybe it’s not the full-on bloatfest of earlier years, but I get it. The owners went over the top with Free Food day in Year One. They sold out like three games that year and that day was one of them.

Now, of course, the team is doing better and attendance is better. And Free Gorgefest is worse. But it’s still better than nothing. I accept that. I understand that. I’m happy to take my free semi-cold chicken fingers, pretend they haven’t been touched by like six people and just eat them.

I have to make myself look at this from the owners’ perspective. The first attempt was new and groundbreaking and widely copied. It was also probably way expensive. The way it’s done now is cheaper for them and it’s still a bonus for me. I need to remember that.

I mean, I like these owners. They seem to be trying to do the right thing by the team and the city and the fans. I want them to stick around for a while and follow through on their promise to parade the Cup down Market Street. If passing on the WAHOO! Free Food Day for a Hey, It’s Better Than Nothing Free Food Day, I’ll do it.

Similarly, I’ve heard all the complaining about the coming ticket price increase. Personally, I never received my season ticket renewal package and I don’t know if that’s because my mail sucks or because the Blues have finally figured out which guy I am and put the kibosh on sending my renewal, but I’ve heard enough to know what I think about it.

As Chris Gift specifically broke out in the example in his column last week, I’m a guy in the cheap seats. My tickets used to cost $7 apiece. Then they went to $8. Then $10. Next year they’re supposed to be $16. Relatively speaking, that’s a huge jump. I used to brag to my non-St. Louis hockey friends that my two season tickets cost me $616. A guy from Canada once asked me if they were obstructed view seats because he couldn’t get into a junior hockey game for that amount. Instead of the hideable-from-the-wife-$880 that those same seats cost me this year, next year I’ll have to spill out $1,440.

I’ll be honest, I’m not terribly excited about that. That is a big jump for me for strickly entertainment dollars. I can’t imagine what the change is for someone with good seats.

But I’m going to pay it. The fact of the matter is that, like the Free Food Game, the Blues spoiled me by being a little too generous up front. If I’m honest with myself, my tickets never should have cost $7 a game. That’s simply a ridiculous number, even considering how bad the team was back then. It was still pro hockey. Honestly, even $10 a seat was a really good deal.

I know that the ownership has been working at a deficit with this team. I also know enough about business to know that they can’t continue to do so for much longer. Ownership can either raise prices to make ends meet or they can change the makeup of the team to make ends meet. Would you rather pay more to come see them as they build this team or would you rather have them decide to either: 1) Go Kansas City baseball and forever keep the team a low salaried minor league-level talent feeder to the rest of the NHL or 2) Trade off youth in a win-now mode to get to the playoffs where they can actually make some profit and pay their bills.

Personally, I’d rather see this ownership group stick around and continue to do things the right way with this franchise. If that means that I have to either pay more to see it live or I have to scale back and watch more games on TV then I’ll do that. I want my team to win. Apparently I’ll have to sacrifice more than I’d wanted to if I want to see that happen. So be it.

Just like Free Food Day, I’ll just suck it up a little more. One less hot dog, a little more for my tickets, whatever. If it all results in a stable ownership group, a properly built team, a stronger franchise and a Stanley Cup, it’ll all be worth it.

-Sean "seriously? Not one more chicken strip?" Gallagher
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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by Nyghtewynd »

You could certainly make that choice. But I'm thinking about choosing a different sport+Center Ice. Way more games, a MUCH better (and cheaper) game day experience, and a lot fewer hassles. Why martyr yourself if you don't think it's a good idea?
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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by DaDitka »

$16 is still cheap, and like I said.....those who watch on TV are missing 80% of the game. I can't do much about the road games, but damn it...I'm going to see Jackman's suck in all it glory as much as I can.
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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by abc789987 »

DaDitka wrote:$16 is still cheap, and like I said.....those who watch on TV are missing 80% of the game. I can't do much about the road games, but damn it...I'm going to see Jackman's suck in all it glory as much as I can.
But those who go to the game miss out 100% of Bernie...
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Re: Note to Checketts...

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Leedog wrote:If you want to raise my ticket price 60%, first put a team on the ice that can win a damn game at home. They are currently 11-23 at the Scott this year (a loss is a loss). They won 12 games there in 05-06, the year they were last overall. Curiously, on the heals of that season, they also tried to pull off a big increase that resulted in so many season ticket cancellations they had to make a big slash mid stream.
Personally, I'm done. Canceling for the first time since 90-91.
I'm a season ticket holder, not as long as Lee, but a STH all the same. I've read DMiles post, and read the article on gametime. I've talked to my ticket rep. I've talked to my STH friends. I've talked to my ticket rep again. I've talked to the new ticket rep my account somehow got transfered to.
I can get pretty irritated about certain things, and fly off the handle without doing the research. This time I took a little time and thought things through.

My rational side decided:
1 - The Blues have some of the cheapest ticket prices, if not THE cheapest, in the NHL
2 - This team is miles ahead of where they were a few years ago, even though we're not in the playoffs
3- The fans have come back to see this team play, which is a good thing

Then the side of me that is a fan got involved and decided:
1 - Why are we STILL rebuilding when Colorado was last in the conference last year and is in a (decidedly decent) playoff spot this year?
2 - Who did we get in the offseason again?
3 - Who did we pick up at the trade deadline to make this team better NOW?
4 - The experience of a hockey game kind of sucks now. It's very family friendly. Ushers don't stop donkeys from getting up during play and walking in front of you. Angella is cute, but the sound of her voice makes me want to poke my eardrums out with rusty scissors. A friend of mine told me that management gives employees a certain number of tickets to games. For the Hawks game they sold them to Hawks fans rather than give them to Blues fans. I get it about making money, but when the Scott turned into United Center south, I was less than pleased.

Then the business person side kicked in...
1 - In the business I am in, we're taught that past performance indicates future actions. We select candidates with this criteria in mind. If the Blues were applying at my business, I would probably pass based on the fact that during the past 2 offseasons they have not signed any players out of free agency that have made an impact on the team (if you tgell my Sydor and Conklin are impact players, surely you're insane), and at the last 2 trade deadlines they have sat on their hands and not helped this team NOW.
2 - With the statement above, I have to say that I'm not for selling off the future for the present, but at some point, we WILL NOT be able to keep all these kids. We all know Oshie will be here, since he's a star when he touches the puck, but Steen can't buy a star when he has 2 assists. Oshie has not played the game he played last year. Berglund can't skate very well. Winchester straight out stinks. Crombeen...well....he's a Cam that sucks at fighting. With all this, my point is that you have to spend money to make money, and although we have made some moves in 4/5 years, the money we've spent feels wasted. (See Kariya, Paul; Brewer, Eric; Boyes, Brad)
3 - I get a performance evaluation yearly. During this time, it is determined if I exceeded expectations or met them, or fell below. I don't get to get my raise if I don't meet or exceed expectations. I don't get a raise if I meet expectations 1/3 of the time. Why do the Blues?
4 - When someone buys a defective product from me, I have to return it and give the guest back their money. Can I get a refund since the Blues have been defective at home?

I know that the team will have to raise prices to keep afloat, and I also understand that they will have to listen to fans complain whenver they do. From what I gather, the majority of the STH "iced" the price last year, and this is why we're all up in arms. We feel that the hike is enormous. It is. 65% is a big jump. Yes, we were paying cheaper rates than we should have been. The letter from Checketts last year read something like "We're excited that you spend your disposable entertainment dollar with us in a time of economic hardship. We want to stay committed to the fans and keep hockey affordable...blah blah blah." It's still a time of economic stress Dave. I think most STH that are contemplating renewing would be ok with a 30% hike this year and next year renew for the full current amount. I know I would.

If I'm going to pay more for my tickets, I expect management to give me what I'm paying for. What happened to the nice tickets that have the pics on them? Only lower bowl. I better get those back next year. Why do club/glass STH get TWO bars now? Could we have maybe NOT built another bar for the corporate schlubs that come to games as a social activity and don't really give a rip about the team and saved that money to invest in some other kind of upgrade the the Scott? Did you STH see the nice expensive marketing the front office created? I was ok with manila envelopes and a Bluenote folder over TJ Oshie and EJ on an envelope and a high gloss folder with tabs...that mess isn't cheap for 10k+ people . If I'm going to pay higher ticket prices, I sure as hell better not see this kind of performance at home, or I want a refund. If I'm going to pay higher ticket prices, management better raise the bar and sign some talent in the offseason that isn't past their prime or second rate.

With all that said, I'll decide wether I want to renew after management blows hot air and gives us empty answers at the STH town hall meeting Thursday. If I decide not to, I'm sure I can pick up a 10 game pack or get some special deal and receive a jersey or stick for doing so..........

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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by cprice12 »

Teams that have the cheapest tickets in the league don't usually contend for a cup.

If you want a winner, we as fans usually have to pay for it. And I have no problem with that.

You've got to believe this team will make some noise in the free agent pool this offseason. If NJ doesn't re-sign Kovalchuk, the Blues need to go after him.
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Re: Note to Checketts...

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cprice12 wrote:Teams that have the cheapest tickets in the league don't usually contend for a cup.

If you want a winner, we as fans usually have to pay for it. And I have no problem with that.

You've got to believe this team will make some noise in the free agent pool this offseason. If NJ doesn't re-sign Kovalchuk, the Blues need to go after him.
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But Llke I said Curt....what have we done the past 2 years?

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Re: Note to Checketts...

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cprice12 wrote:If NJ doesn't re-sign Kovalchuk, the Blues need to go after him.

The smartest words the man has ever spoke.


Seriously though, no matter how cheap the tickets are....they raised the prices significantly and they need to spend the cash (responsibly) to appease the fans. There is no way in hell I'm going to pay 6 $s per seat / game more for the same parole.

It could be on Kovalchuk or swinging a deal for a top notch net-minder (or simply buying Jackman and Brewer out) as long as they spend it well, I'll give it do them.
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Re: Note to Checketts...

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JD jacked up the prices to give me the raise I deserve.

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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by SteveO »

I guess what I don't get is that there were quite a few areas where prices stayed the same. 0% increase.

If they're going to raise the ticket prices "an average of 14%" why couldn't that be spread out a little more? Bump everyone's tickets up a buck instead of $6 to the diehards. Isn't that how Obama would do it?? :wink:

If I recall, we broke even last year. Before the puck even dropped this year, we had already sold more tickets than were sold ALL of last year. Before we even started we already surpassed last years sales. That's crazy!!

Still torn...

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Re: Note to Checketts...

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My sentiments exactly.

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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by kodos »

This is going to be the first year in about 15 years that I don't go to a single game.

It's not some sort of boycott or anything, I've just been preoccupied. Hard to find the motivation now.
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Re: Note to Checketts...

Post by philco_3 »

I'll be watching a majority of the games from my house. Food is cheaper and so is the beer. And I don't have to hear the ignorant Chicago fans, and worry about getting beer spilled on the back of my jersey.
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Re: Note to Checketts...

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philco_3 wrote: worry about getting beer spilled on the back of my jersey.
Damn your talented, I always spill on the front of my jersey.
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I just hate the hawks fans that show up for the game. Hell I think we saw the people spill the beer on you since your section is so close.
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Re: Note to Checketts...

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thedoc wrote:I just hate the hawks fans that show up for the game. Hell I think we saw the people spill the beer on you since your section is so close.
I just hate teh hawks fans.
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