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"Nobody Cares About the Sox"


SouthSidePride05
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I really believe the Sox are content with 25,000 and slightly more profit rather than 28-30,000 per game and posting any bottom-line numbers due to decreased prices for parking/tickets/concessions that are less than what they're currently getting at 25K per game.

 

The problem with losing out on those 5,000 fans per game is that you're not developing the fanbase for the future...you're maximizing (or squeezing) the revenue in current terms, but probably "penny wise/pound foolish" long term IMO.

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QUOTE (SouthSidePride05 @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 06:21 PM)
Yep

 

He should've just said "Nobody in the media cares about the Sox."

 

The in-town fans don't either. Oh wait, the economy is terrible in Chicago but nowhere else. Fact: Sox fans in Chicago couldn't care less about this team. The Sox could have made one game "Dollar night, all tickets $1.00" and the place would not have sold out. Stop b****ing when people rip the Sox fan base because it's THE worst large market fan base in baseball.

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QUOTE (Real @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 05:35 AM)
The in-town fans don't either. Oh wait, the economy is terrible in Chicago but nowhere else. Fact: Sox fans in Chicago couldn't care less about this team. The Sox could have made one game "Dollar night, all tickets $1.00" and the place would not have sold out. Stop b****ing when people rip the Sox fan base because it's THE worst large market fan base in baseball.

 

How many games you been to this year ? ;)

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QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 06:36 PM)
Meh, I don't see why that bothers people so much. I don't root for the White Sox to be in the cool crowd. For such an insignificant team, they somehow are able to have a top 10-15 payroll every year, so somebody has to be paying attention to them for that money to be there.

 

This is what it boils down to for me. Unless you are rooting for people like Justin Bieber because his concerts are always sold out, popularity is only significant as far as payroll. After that, it really doesn't matter.

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QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 07:18 PM)
There's newspaper media bias as well. IF they can't compete with the Cubs for attendance, smart thing is to move. I don't know where but if you are not drawing, move.

 

The Sox have a long term lease at USCF. They aren't going anywhere for a long time. Besides what options do they have, even if they could move? Indy? Charlotte? San Antonio?

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QUOTE (Real @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 05:35 AM)
The in-town fans don't either. Oh wait, the economy is terrible in Chicago but nowhere else. Fact: Sox fans in Chicago couldn't care less about this team. The Sox could have made one game "Dollar night, all tickets $1.00" and the place would not have sold out. Stop b****ing when people rip the Sox fan base because it's THE worst large market fan base in baseball.

 

I have to agree with this for the most part, although I think Braves fans could give us a run for the money. At least Sox fan sell out the park IF they make the playoffs. Braves playoff games are often not filled to capacity.

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QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 06:43 PM)
You're one person...moving to Wrigleyville means losing you and a few others, and adding thousands of random people.

 

The neighborhood is a piece of the puzzle but it is the attraction to the casual fan and out of town folks that draw. Why people love the cubs....who knows just shows how stupid people are as the cubs are not even front runners.

 

You get a good tourist base while the Sox probably have none. You get the casual fans that plan a trip to Wrigley in the summer the Sox do not.

 

As a Sox fan there was still the "scene" up there that drew me in for a game or two until I grew up a little.

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QUOTE (Real @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 05:35 AM)
The in-town fans don't either. Oh wait, the economy is terrible in Chicago but nowhere else. Fact: Sox fans in Chicago couldn't care less about this team. The Sox could have made one game "Dollar night, all tickets $1.00" and the place would not have sold out. Stop b****ing when people rip the Sox fan base because it's THE worst large market fan base in baseball.

 

You obviously don't watch many Marlins games

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QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 08:26 PM)
I really believe the Sox are content with 25,000 and slightly more profit rather than 28-30,000 per game and posting any bottom-line numbers due to decreased prices for parking/tickets/concessions that are less than what they're currently getting at 25K per game.

 

The problem with losing out on those 5,000 fans per game is that you're not developing the fanbase for the future...you're maximizing (or squeezing) the revenue in current terms, but probably "penny wise/pound foolish" long term IMO.

 

This isn't the stone age, or even the Bill Wirtz-era Blackhawks. Fans at the game =/= fans of the team.

 

The internet, HD television, and many other outlets allow people to follow the team just fine.

 

IMO there are more fans born in Chicago that follow the White Sox than follow the Cubs.

 

Cubs fans are largely boosted by tourists and transplants from Detroit, Minny, Cleveland.

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QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 11:06 AM)
This isn't the stone age, or even the Bill Wirtz-era Blackhawks. Fans at the game =/= fans of the team.

 

The internet, HD television, and many other outlets allow people to follow the team just fine.

 

IMO there are more fans born in Chicago that follow the White Sox than follow the Cubs.

 

Cubs fans are largely boosted by tourists and transplants from Detroit, Minny, Cleveland.

I don't know where you live, but no way in hell.

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The South Side is 3 times larger than the North Side, for one thing.

 

I live in Oak Park, and Sox fans outnumber Cubs fans I know by like 3:1

 

Growing up (80s/90s) it was a more even split.

 

Bear in mind I said BORN IN CHICAGO.

 

How much of the 36k the Cubs draw every night do you think is comprised of tourists and transplants?

 

Every transplant I know is a Cubs fan. I don't know a single transplant Sox fan.

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I have a couple thoughts on why dont more fans go to games:

 

I think there is a clear distinction between a fan who goes to a game and a fan who only watches the games on tv. My sense is that the Sox have a ton more fans than many other clubs who only watch on TV.

 

Given that our TV ratings are decent, there are people sitting at home who are Sox fans who dont go to the games. I bet most are south suburbanites who never venture far beyond Orland for anything. Sox park is in the middle of the white flight place their parents or grandparents left. It has been ingrained in them that they "escaped" this area. Why expect them to come back? The idea of going to a Sox game is just off their radar or they may go one Sunday a year. Too far, too scary I dont know exactly why. And frankly I dont care.

 

If I were the Sox I'd stop chasing these couch potato suburbanites to come to games. Watch TV, fine. But the Sox should concentrate their ticket-buying marketing on people who already go to games and try to get them to go more. To heck with the lazy people who never go, you will never convince them to change their ways.

 

 

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The South Side is 3 times larger than the North Side, for one thing.

 

I live in Oak Park, and Sox fans outnumber Cubs fans I know by like 3:1

 

Growing up (80s/90s) it was a more even split.

 

Bear in mind I said BORN IN CHICAGO.

 

How much of the 36k the Cubs draw every night do you think is comprised of tourists and transplants?

 

Every transplant I know is a Cubs fan. I don't know a single transplant Sox fan.

 

I know a lot of Chicago transplants from Michigan. They aren't Cubs fans because of Wrigley Field or Harray Caray or anything like that. They're Cubs fans because they've grown up as Tigers fans who hate the Sox. That aspect is never going to change. Same will apply to transplants from Minnesota, Northern Ohio, or (unless they are younger) Milwaukee.

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QUOTE (champs2005 @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 05:26 PM)
I have a couple thoughts on why dont more fans go to games:

 

I think there is a clear distinction between a fan who goes to a game and a fan who only watches the games on tv. My sense is that the Sox have a ton more fans than many other clubs who only watch on TV.

 

Given that our TV ratings are decent, there are people sitting at home who are Sox fans who dont go to the games. I bet most are south suburbanites who never venture far beyond Orland for anything. Sox park is in the middle of the white flight place their parents or grandparents left. It has been ingrained in them that they "escaped" this area. Why expect them to come back? The idea of going to a Sox game is just off their radar or they may go one Sunday a year. Too far, too scary I dont know exactly why. And frankly I dont care.

 

If I were the Sox I'd stop chasing these couch potato suburbanites to come to games. Watch TV, fine. But the Sox should concentrate their ticket-buying marketing on people who already go to games and try to get them to go more. To heck with the lazy people who never go, you will never convince them to change their ways.

 

That is a great point. Your last paragraph is golden.

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I'm sorry, but who cares if nobody cares about the Sox? Secretly, aren't we all a little more proud to be loyal fans of the second team in the second city?? Forget the mainstream.................. Has been this way since the 30s and will always be. At the end of the day, we know that the Cubs origin was as the Chicago White Stockings anyway.

 

Like the Old Style slogan: "It's our great team and you can't have it" :gosoxretro:

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QUOTE (La Marr Hoyt HOF @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 06:28 PM)
I'm sorry, but who cares if nobody cares about the Sox? Secretly, aren't we all a little more proud to be loyal fans of the second team in the second city?? Forget the mainstream.................. Has been this way since the 30s and will always be. At the end of the day, we know that the Cubs origin was as the Chicago White Stockings anyway.

 

Like the Old Style slogan: "It's our great team and you can't have it" :gosoxretro:

 

I've definitely enjoyed all the quick banter with people I just met throughout the years.

The conversation. ...

Where you from?: Chicago.

Are you a Cubs fan?: Nope. White Sox.

What? Really?

That has been fun, not being a bandwagon Cub fan. Although like I said before I went to a ton of Cub games as a kid because my grandfather was a Cub fan and he needed somebody to go with him. A lot of times we'd have to sit apart in the upper tank as I guess he bought singles tickets at the park. I don't think he ever bought the tickets in advance.

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If I were the Sox I'd stop chasing these couch potato suburbanites to come to games. Watch TV, fine. But the Sox should concentrate their ticket-buying marketing on people who already go to games and try to get them to go more. To heck with the lazy people who never go, you will never convince them to change their ways.

 

There are plenty of things to do to get more people to Sox games.

 

(1) Special online promotions: On <DATE>, anybody who buys at least 4 tickets to a Sox game for the next homestand will receive a $5 discount on a prepaid parking pass. On <DATE>, anybody who buys at least 4 tickets to a Sox game for the next homestand will receive two Buy-One-Get-One Free coupons good for any food item at a concession stand.

 

(2) Mobile Ticket Van: On <DATE> the new Sox Mobile Ticket Van (and two lovely Chevy Pride Crew Girls) will be at <LOCATION> and anybody who buys at least 4 tickets to a Sox game for the next homestand will receive 10% off the face value ticket price (plus no Ticketmaster charges!)

 

(3) Radio Affiliate Head-to-Head Battles: On <DATE 1>, Sox radio affiliates in <CITY 1> and <CITY 2> will be selling tickets to the Sox home game on <DATE 2> at special discounted group rates. As an added bonus, the city that sells the most tickets will receive a free hot dog at the game.

 

Another thing that will help is to be able to have more night games on Saturday. If JR has any pull at all in negotiating the next FOX contract, he needs to push for fewer night games for FOX, because night games on FOX force the Sox to play day games. I haven't looked, but I'd guess that attendance for Saturday day games lags well behind Saturday night games.

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QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 07:03 PM)
There are plenty of things to do to get more people to Sox games.

 

(1) Special online promotions: On , anybody who buys at least 4 tickets to a Sox game for the next homestand will receive a $5 discount on a prepaid parking pass. On , anybody who buys at least 4 tickets to a Sox game for the next homestand will receive two Buy-One-Get-One Free coupons good for any food item at a concession stand.

 

(2) Mobile Ticket Van: On the new Sox Mobile Ticket Van (and two lovely Chevy Pride Crew Girls) will be at and anybody who buys at least 4 tickets to a Sox game for the next homestand will receive 10% off the face value ticket price (plus no Ticketmaster charges!)

 

(3) Radio Affiliate Head-to-Head Battles: On , Sox radio affiliates in and will be selling tickets to the Sox home game on at special discounted group rates. As an added bonus, the city that sells the most tickets will receive a free hot dog at the game.

 

Another thing that will help is to be able to have more night games on Saturday. If JR has any pull at all in negotiating the next FOX contract, he needs to push for fewer night games for FOX, because night games on FOX force the Sox to play day games. I haven't looked, but I'd guess that attendance for Saturday day games lags well behind Saturday night games.

 

Nice suggestions! Are the Sox ticket people listening?

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Why not have some major concerts there like they do at Wrigley? You start getting people to the park who would never go for any other reason and they start noticing what a nice place it is and wouldn't scoff at going to a ballgame in the future.

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The Sox had lower attendance due to expectations and Dynamic Pricing. They lost a good portion of their season ticket base last offseason, which is the biggest cause of attendance drop. People played wait and see. That is very typical. They then try to buy tickets and they are ridiculously priced because they weren't purchased in February. Forget the dynamic deal discount, forget the Sox save of the week, people don't want to go through hoops to buy your product. Set a price and keep it there.

 

Ironically, Ozzie mailing it in last year probably hurt the Sox attendance this year.

Edited by Dick Allen
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QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 02:20 PM)
Forget the dynamic deal discount, forget the Sox save of the week, people don't want to go through hoops to buy your product. Set a price and keep it there.

 

Tigers ticket prices.

 

Capture.PNG

Edited by Iwritecode
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