Daily Links – Broncos’ 8-game contingency plan

I thought the orange jersey thing was a done deal

OK!  NOW I'm getting hopeful!

Two columns in two days from the K-Man.

This lockout thingy must be coming to an end.  Kyle is gearing up!

Here we go…

(I hope, I hope, I hope!)

I don't belong to social medias – I don't have time and it is easier for me to get messages at one place.  But I thought I would use this blog to convey to other season ticket holders that the one voice not being heard during this lockout business is ours.  I am passionate about this, but will try to stay on point. The NFL has a voice, the owners have a voice, the players have a voice, the fans do not.  I'll be speaking from the position of a season ticket holder and as a fan.  I have been a Broncos fan for 48 years, having season tickets for about 23 years. We should have a voice.  Like me, season ticket holders this year were told by owners to pay for the season tickets or lose them.  They knew there was a lock out so they had no product to sale and yet season ticket holders were held hostage to pay up or lose your seat(s).  I ask you, could McDonald's open their doors if they had no food to sale?  So why do the owners get so much leverage to basically hold season ticket holders hostage – the common working person who in the past 2 years of a bad economy has faced reduced wages, job loss, loss of homes, etc.  The common working person who received the ticket bill and found a way to pay it, even if it was on a credit card (paying interest in most cases on the purchase).  I've done some conservative math and you may be surprised by the numbers, I was.  We know there are 32 teams.  We will assume there is an average of 70,000 season ticket holders who pay an average of $75/seat/game (this does not include concessions, merchandise, etc.).  So, I estimate the average season ticket bill per seat for 2011 was $750.  Now, an estimated 70,000 season ticket holders x 32 teams equals 2,240,000 (2 million+) NFL season ticket holders.  At an average of $750/seat the owners have collected an estimated $1,680,000,000 (that's $1.68 TRILLION DOLLARS, yes TRILLION, does the national debt sound familiar!) on the backs of the common person to run their business interest free to them.  In fact, they are probably earning interest or dividends at their financial institute and we are paying interest on our credit card because they said “pay up or lose your seat”!.   If you are a business owner, did you get a bailout from your customer's?  Did you get a loan from the bank?  If you were lucky to do so, you are paying interest on the loan to run your business, why aren't the NFL owners?  WE NEED A VOICE! I know numbers are estimates, but does it matter a little plus or minus?  The numbers are too large.  Even if determined by the sheer numbers of us – we deserve and should have a voice.  I know, I got the message from the Broncos too.  In the event of a shortened season or lost season they would refund the money.  But the owners are spending it!  They are using it to run their business for free!  Do you think it will be there when you want it back?  I have said before and with the suggestion today of an 8 game season, I am sure of it.  The next notice we will get will be to suggest the difference be attached to 2012 season tickets purchases.  If you want a refund, it won't be automatic as they had suggested but you will have to contact the organization in a manner they will determine again.  Is this how you run a business?!  The NFL has lost its integrity to put this on the back of the fans.  We are being screwed.  Oh, and because of lost revenues this year, who out there is naive to think there won't be a ticket price increase next year?  They have to recoup their lost revenue somewhere – we are at the end of the food chain and we have no leverage.  Most teams have a waiting list for people wanting season tickets, so if we don't hold on to our seats, somebody else will have it.  So, when you hear the owners and the players state their case looking for sympathy – who is stating our case?  I don't know how to do these things, but somehow, someway we need a voice.  I have always supported them, but this time they are all wrong.  We have been told to pay up or lose it, shut up and like it.  We deserve more respect.

If you are savy (I'm not) and want to post this on your social media site, you have my permission.  We need to get the word out to all season ticket holders and we somehow need to get our own voice! 

P.Faulkner/Denver

I think so too. But haven't heard it elsewhere other than Paige and Klis. And I only trust one of them.

Sorry Faulkner. Problem in the NFL is a lot of teams are sold out to season ticket holders for years and the waiting line is huge. What are you going to do? Give up season tickets? Owners know someone will take your place. Think about this. New York giants charge fans $5000 for a psl per seat. Fans paid it. That was in the nose bleed section. $10000 for lower level. If you sell your ticket on stubhub and the person you sold it to does something worthy of getting a ban guess what happens? They take your psl away and sell it to the next fan in line. Once the season starts stadiums will be packed no matter what. It's the NFL. Just be thankful Mr. Bowlen did the right thing. Bowlen could have done the same in Colorado.

I'm hopefully going to start a new series today and things will hopefully pick up soon, this lockout is killing us.