Thread: Price gouging for opening night tickets

I paid to go to Game 6. That was huge. After the nonsense of the last 5 months, I'm not paying a premium for this game. The banner will be there for a bit, and I don't have much use for a plastic ring. It's pretty much just another game.

Originally Posted by santiclaws

Being a fan is being delusional. It is utterly irrational. It is absolutely absurd. The fact that I care about how a bunch of guys in skates who don't know me from a sack of wheat do in a game is ludicrous. I'm a grown man, for crying out loud. People on this board admitted to crying at Game Six. You think they were crying because they imagined the profits AEG would rake in as a result of winning the Cup? If someone told me I'm an idiot for caring, how could I not agree?

The fact is that sports teams are selling delusion. They're in cahoots with the fans, who are willing participants in being deluded. That the team cares about "the fans." That somehow the fans have some input. That by being present at a game they "participated." Since I've been a fan, the team has changed players, coaches, owners, building and uniforms. There is virtually no connection between team I started rooting for and the current team except for the name. That's it. When you get down to it, I'm a fan of a freaking name of a sports team. It's moronic, frankly. But the team and I pretend that I matter. That there's something in being a "loyal fan" besides income for the corporation who currently happens to own the name. We are both willing participants in the deception. Any time a sports team reminds me that rationally, I am an idiot for caring about them in any way, I get a little uncomfortable. I know he's there, but I don't want to see the man behind the curtain.

Again, from a business perspective I don't think it is a very wise decision. There is a reason tobacco companies used to sell cigarettes with cartoon characters. There's a reason the price of a six pack of Coke in the store does not come close to keeping up with inflation. You need future customers. When you prevent future customers from becoming current customers by pricing them out of your product, what's going to happen? The Kings were selling a lot of tickets long before they became any good. Eventually, not too many years from now, they'll suck again and all those people clamoring for tickets now will not want them anymore. They'll buy Lakers tickets or Clippers tickets or whatever the new hot thing happens to be then. If you haven't expanded your customer based and alienated your long-time customers by pricing them out of your product, you're not going to do so well.

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to santiclaws again.

Damn.

Originally Posted by SmytheKing

So, if it's just a few tickets, why jack up the prices at all? This "It's what the market will bear" "It encourages people to buy season seats" "They're winning now so you pay a premium" "It's to prevent the secondary market from getting them" and all these other excuses hold no water if, as you said, it's only a small amount of tickets. Bottom line, the org is trying to squeeze extra dollars because they know they can and there are people who think it's fine (for any and all reasons) and there are those of us who think it's unfortunate.

Eliminate all season ticket holders and implement a Dutch Auction for every game for every seat. Dutch auction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by robm

Eliminate all season ticket holders and implement a Dutch Auction for every game for every seat. Dutch auction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It really seems like a lot of people here would be OK with that. It's market value, to hell with fans who stuck around. They are't rich enough.

Originally Posted by santiclaws

Being a fan is being delusional. It is utterly irrational. It is absolutely absurd. The fact that I care about how a bunch of guys in skates who don't know me from a sack of wheat do in a game is ludicrous. I'm a grown man, for crying out loud. People on this board admitted to crying at Game Six. You think they were crying because they imagined the profits AEG would rake in as a result of winning the Cup? If someone told me I'm an idiot for caring, how could I not agree?

The fact is that sports teams are selling delusion. They're in cahoots with the fans, who are willing participants in being deluded. That the team cares about "the fans." That somehow the fans have some input. That by being present at a game they "participated." Since I've been a fan, the team has changed players, coaches, owners, building and uniforms. There is virtually no connection between team I started rooting for and the current team except for the name. That's it. When you get down to it, I'm a fan of a freaking name of a sports team. It's moronic, frankly. But the team and I pretend that I matter. That there's something in being a "loyal fan" besides income for the corporation who currently happens to own the name. We are both willing participants in the deception. Any time a sports team reminds me that rationally, I am an idiot for caring about them in any way, I get a little uncomfortable. I know he's there, but I don't want to see the man behind the curtain.

Again, from a business perspective I don't think it is a very wise decision. There is a reason tobacco companies used to sell cigarettes with cartoon characters. There's a reason the price of a six pack of Coke in the store does not come close to keeping up with inflation. You need future customers. When you prevent future customers from becoming current customers by pricing them out of your product, what's going to happen? The Kings were selling a lot of tickets long before they became any good. Eventually, not too many years from now, they'll suck again and all those people clamoring for tickets now will not want them anymore. They'll buy Lakers tickets or Clippers tickets or whatever the new hot thing happens to be then. If you haven't expanded your customer based and alienated your long-time customers by pricing them out of your product, you're not going to do so well.

Serious mancrush on Santiclaws right now.

Beautiful post !

I owe you a drink of your choice. Sadly it probably wont be at a Kings game this season

Originally Posted by doughtydiva

I am for cutting out the brokers..Like this was mentioned before brokers would gave jacked up the price so why pay the broker these prices ? With the small amount of tickets left I bet at least half would have gone on to stubhub for $150

On stubhub right now (10:47am) there are 1303 tickets available. Not one ticket is less than $210. How terrible it is that brokers would be charging $60 less than fans are.

Lol don't get me started on stubhub.I just looked at ticket prices for other games and I guess if I want to sell my tickets for other games that I can't go to I will take a hit.The secondary market complains that the prices are jacked up but where is the thread that they are happy when they get glass seats half off on stubhub ?

Originally Posted by roenick

The Seattle Mariners have been doing this for 2 years. I am a big Red Sox fan and have to pay (on average) $7 - $10 more a ticket to see the Sox. Happened when the Dodgers came to town last season as well and always when the Yankees are in town. I went to 3 games last season (2 Sox and the Dodgers series finale). All it has done is prevent me from going to more games then the 3, which was actually higher then we would've gone in a given year since the "Doyer's" came to town.

Ok. But what do you pay when the rays come to town?

Sent from my LTE-less HTC EVO LTE

Sorry, but I want the Kings to make as MUCH money off of winning the Cup so they realize how profitable it can be and will do everything they can to do it again. I've been watching the Kings for 25 years but nothing compares to winning it all. I've been through the "affordable" years. All that means is that they couldn't charge more because then nobody would come. You think they were just being benevolent then? I guarantee if someone would have said a year ago that we can win the Cup but the banner night will be at least $150/ticket, nobody would have complained then. If you didn't realize that winning it all would result in higher prices for everybody regardless of how many years you've been a fan, then THAT is delusional.