Cards are in a PR crisis

[Rivercard]

Things seem to have hit rock bottom in Cardinal land. There have been bad years in the past of course but this year just feels worse with blowout losses to rather mediocre teams a depressing reality. We’ve got many issues but I want to focus on the issue that I view as most serious that needs to be addressed first.

Fan Support – Management has to find an angle to sell themselves as “Arizona’s team” and attract the more casual NFL fan in AZ to support the Cardinals. Attendance has always been spotty (save for late 1998) but this year is a train wreck, we are the joke of the league as Arizona gets continually lambasted by the media and NFL fans across America for the empty stadium on Sundays. People across the country think nobody (except for us die-hards) in Arizona cares about the Cardinals and wonder if Arizona even deserves a team.
In regards to our success in the future, It’s a catch 22 that must be addressed: fans won’t come unless there is a winner on the field – but we’re not going to win frequently without attracting some quality FA’s – but what free agent in his right mind would want to come play in an empty stadium to a seemingly uncaring public? At this point it’s becoming an endless cycle.

How can the Cards turn around the PR nightmare that has enveloped them? Bidwill needs to find a way reach out to the community and attempt to embrace the casual fan in AZ. I think he tried unsuccessfully to do this by hiring Emmit (this might have worked for them if Emmit was having a good year). I’d like to see more public statements by the Cards brass and I’d like to see Bidwill personally take a public pledge to cure this mess. Seems to me the Cards need the public’s support now more than ever.

 

[Mr.Dibbs]

If this trend keeps up, the Cardinals will be breaking attendance records at the end of the year- lack of attendance that is...

 

[DieHardCardFan]

I dont know if it is even allowed, but for some reason it seems to me that it would be. Why doesnt Bidwill give up some tickets, and I mean alot of them. Why not say that all tickets that are unsold at the close of business on Saturday will be given away for $1 each?? And spend some serious coin promoting this. Alot of people hate the cards, but alot of people are closet fans and just dont want to spend money to support this team. But if they could go to a game for $1 and have a good time, they might actually come. Do it for a game here and there and see what happens. I mean you might get some season ticket holders mad, and you may see a drop in sales of full price tickets. But if people came out and saw that it is fun maybe just maybe people would come back. Or even better do a buy one get one free sale. I dont know, all I do know is alot of people see Bidwill as cheap and money hungry maybe a public thank you like that would make a difference. There are never any giveaways at the games anymore, so I am assuming there is very little corp. sponsorships happening. I work for a company that manages employee discount programs for 40+ corporations in AZ and the Cards wont even talk to us about offering discount tickets. Especially if they have to pay for the advertsing. It makes no sense. The Coyotes advertise with us. I am meeting with the Suns tomorrow to close thier advertising package for this year and the Diamonbacks are talking about coming aboard for next season. I dont know what will work but getting peoples butts in the seats serves a bigger purpose than just ticket sales revenue.

 

[Mr.Dibbs]

This might sound funny, but basically everyone in this state hates the Bidwills because the Bidwills aren't really out in the community. This year Mike's been seen around, but that's not enough. What they need to do is take out full page ads in the major newspapers and write an apology note to the fans, and also askthem to stick with the team. I think part of the reason the fans hate the Bidwills is because the Bidwills act like they've done nothing wrong. I think if they honed up to some of the blame, the state might like them a little more. It will at least make them look more human, and not like the pigs from Animal Farm.

 

[JeffGollin]

PR Schmeee-R

Cards are in a PR crisis
Uh....First things first. I think they have a bigger problem. It's called not winning.

 

[Snakester]

I like the buy one get one free deal. It should go for tickets and beer though.
Winning will do wonders for ticket sales. I think the Bidwills do plenty for communities all over Arizona. I don't feel that is a problem. The first thing this team has to do is re-sign it's best players every year and add two or three top free agent players every year and the winning will happen, it is as simple as that. The Cardinals have let most of there top free agents walk out the door every year. That is why they are losing. Instead of drafting best athletes, the Cardinals draft for need. The ideal way to draft is if a player is getting up there in years and will need to be replaced in a couple of years you draft his replacement and let him learn for a while. Some players you can throw right in like running backs or your Anquan Boldins of the league but most players should have some time to adjust.

 

[Sandan]

Originally posted by Snakester
The ideal way to draft is if a player is getting up there in years and will need to be replaced in a couple of years you draft his replacement and let him learn for a while.

Like Hayes for example and RM with a 2 year contract renewal ?

 

[Ryanwb]

I dont know if it is even allowed, but for some reason it seems to me that it would be. Why doesnt Bidwill give up some tickets, and I mean alot of them. Why not say that all tickets that are unsold at the close of business on Saturday will be given away for $1 each??

NFL regulations prohibit this

 

[Tangodnzr]

As Jeff said . . . start winning and the fans will show up. Its that simple.


And I don't think they are that far away. Despite what some of the chicken Little's are squawking about, I don't think things are as bleak as many make them out to be.

Nobody has quit on this team. The Ravens didn't blow them out of the water. The team is young and developing, still lacking some talent and experience....which is showing up in the inconsistancy, mistakes/turnovers, plus the LACK of turnovers from the defense. Injuries have once again made these even more prominant and critical.

But things are coming. There is very little comparison with where the team is right now compared to . . . say, the Dallas game that got Tobin fired.

By the time they move into the new stadium, I think this team will be winning consistantly and we will all see attendance jump then. . . for a number of reasons.

I don't see anything hindering them from being able to accomplish that. The new stadium should be the kicker that really gets things "past the corner" here, and after all these years, for me at least, that is really not that far away. I still expect this team to be a playoff team in 2004, and by 2005 a whole new era of bandwagoners will start appearing out of nowhere.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Originally posted by Tangodnzr


But things are coming. There is very little comparison with where the team is right now compared to . . . say, the Dallas game that got Tobin fired.

At least you finally got something right.The team that got Tobin fired was much better than this joke a team they put out there every week.

 

[HookemCards]

Originally posted by Tangodnzr

Nobody has quit on this team. The Ravens didn't blow them out of the water. The team is young and developing, still lacking some talent and experience....which is showing up in the inconsistancy, mistakes/turnovers, plus the LACK of turnovers from the defense. Injuries have once again made these even more prominant and critical.

But things are coming. There is very little comparison with where the team is right now compared to . . . say, the Dallas game that got Tobin fired.

By the time they move into the new stadium, I think this team will be winning consistantly and we will all see attendance jump then. . . for a number of reasons.

I don't see anything hindering them from being able to accomplish that. The new stadium should be the kicker that really gets things "past the corner" here, and after all these years, for me at least, that is really not that far away. I still expect this team to be a playoff team in 2004, and by 2005 a whole new era of bandwagoners will start appearing out of nowhere.

Our turnovers for the most part has been from the most experienced player on the field....Blake. He's making mistakes that he has never made before in his career. Not sure whats causing this, but it needs to stop.

I posed the question on a different thread, but got little response. How many of our first day draft picks have developed into great players in the last 10 years?? I can only think of 3 or so, Swann, Williams, and Rice. Thats not a very good percentage. Most of our draft picks never develop past there 2nd year, and some often regress. If this keeps up, we will never be successful. We need to develop our draft picks into good players, then add experience through FA.

 

[Brighteyes]

I honestly think the only thing they can do now to turn the PR around is win. No one will show up until they win.

In the 98 season, the last 6 games, more and more starting showing up. We were practically full the last two -- when we kicked that field goal and went into the playoffs, most of Arizona was in it.

 

[JeffGollin]

Irreverent Comment

We may be closer to turning things around than you'd think.

Jurecki had an astute observation that one possible reason for all the turnovers (particularly the more recent ones) is that Jeff Blake is trying too hard to make things happen.

A case can be made that he's (a) forcing the ball, (b) trying to get his throws off too quickly and (c) shaving the margin for error regarding the distance between receivers and DB's.

If this happened on a Parcells-coached team, he'd take Jeff aside and point out that he doesn't have to force things - that if he'd have pulled in his horns just a little bit, we'd have won last week's ballgame and been in a couple of others.

And Blake, no doubt, would have listened.

Are Mac, Sully and other Cardinal coaches exercising this sort of leadership and is Blake listening? That might be all that it takes to straighten things out.

It wouldn't surprise me if some of our guys on the other side of the ball were doing the same things - i.e. "guessing" on plays rather than reading keys, diving prematurely into the wrong gap.

When things go wrong, trust breaks down, and everybody tries to do a little bit of everybody else's job. Then everything gets out of whack. Strong leadership from the top insists that each player be held accountable for his own specific job and trust the guys around them to do their's.

Leadership is an elusive quality involving toughness, persuasiveness, craftiness and (most important) credibility. Whether or not Mac can properly exercise it at a time of deep adversity might be the ultimate measure of how good a head coach he is and determine his tenure coaching the Cardinals.

I realize that there are many other factors given a higher priority by the regulars on this board (i.e. lack of talent, poor game strategy, poor assistants etc. etc.).

I just suspect that a steadying hand from the top might be more important than we'd normally think.

 

[TruColor]

This thread makes me wonder how long it will take for our buddy Tim Wagner to show up...

 

[DeAnna]

Re: Irreverent Comment

Originally posted by JeffGollin
We may be closer to turning things around than you'd think.

Jurecki had an astute observation that one possible reason for all the turnovers (particularly the more recent ones) is that Jeff Blake is trying too hard to make things happen.

Blake pretty much said this himself when he stated that "the running game has to improve because it puts too much pressure on the passing game."

I think his more astute observation was when the said it was "sloppiness that causes turnovers."

 

[JeffGollin]

Jurecki had an astute observation that one possible reason for all the turnovers (particularly the more recent ones) is that Jeff Blake is trying too hard to make things happen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blake pretty much said this himself when he stated that "the running game has to improve because it puts too much pressure on the passing game."
DeAnna - There's a subtle difference between my take and Blake's take.

Blake is excusing his performance by saying "the lack of a running attack made me do it."

I'm saying: "running attack shmunning attack - It's you, Dude. Based on what happened during the Ravens game - if you'll pull in your horns just a little, we can still win. (Those picks gave them a TD and cost us at least 2 FG's. Eliminate the turnovers - even ignoring the blocked punt - and we'd have still won 24 - 19).

 

[Jersey Girl]

As someone who has two degrees in PR and many years of experience in the field, I can tell you one thing is for sure. You can't turn sh** into shinola.

The problem isn't PR. The Cardinals do a lot for the community. The whole ladies football 101 is a perfect example. Ask most people on this board and they'll tell you that the Bidwills are charitable, that Coach Mac is a "nice guy" and that many of the players take time to chat with fans and sign autographs. This is all great stuff, good PR.

The problem is winning. This team sucks and there's no positive PR spin that can be put on that. How many years have our draft picks not panned out? How many years have been "rebuilding" years? How many years are we the team that has the most room under the cap? It's nearly impossible to put a positive spin on these things.

Teams that win sell tickets. Sure, there are teams that aren't that good right now, but they are still selling tickets. Why? Because they have a fan base. The Cardinals don't have a big fan base and I don't think they will until they start winning and consistently. No one likes to watch a loser every week ... well, except us.

 

[CardsFan88]

It doesn't help matters when Plummer is looking like a world-beater AND winning in Denver.

I'm as shocked as anyone, but believe me that has a lot to do with attendance from the average arizonan. Only us diehards are sick of talking about jake, the rest either never cared or probably still like him. Now that he's winning I almost guarentee there are about an extra 10,000 new broncos fans living in the valley. And blaming the cardinals...by saying see how blake looks like jake........

Cards fans have been through the rebuilding process so long its insane.

They've been rebuilding every year here. Some might say in '98, but c'mon we weren't expected to go anywhere, won our last four games to finish a meager 8-8 which most years won't get you in.

I'm not saying anything bad about that year, as I loved every second of that winning feeling, but it doesn't detract from my rebuilding statement.

Then they florida marlined us, only a year after the florida marlins did what they did.

They go out and spend money once every five or so years???? This year they shouldn't be as commended as they have been about signing all of who they did when you had so much going off the books as we did w/ jake and boston...We pretty much signed all those guys for what we let go. Thats even steven, and it was a start.

Its so bad remember the D'backs who either were out of the playoffs or would be in like four games, drew double the people that came for the cards OPENER. That is so bad. like 75th home game of the season of a non-contending club outdrew the home opener out of 8 home games ????

Berman has been showing the cards empty stadium saying there is no shortage of seats in the sun...and even the coors light commercial guy...you know "and.....the, the twins"...made fun of our empty stadium in the week six recap.

Its also insane to keep showing us those outdated commercials...you know the ones with KVB out, smith out for a while, and someone else is out for the year too...right?...pull the plug on that commercial cause it ain't working. I liked it from the start, but after all the injuries, pull the plug.

We will seriously be lucky if we top out at 200,000-250,000 fans this season and we have NO BUDDY RYAN to blame it on this time.

Thats a SAD, SAD, number...one that is INFLATED due to the up to 50% out of towners...I mean what is that about 125K fans this season that will come see the team and root for it.

I think we are closer to being good than most are thinking right now, but regardless of how close we are, they need to jump start it pronto. The only problem is the pronto part can't occur until the next free agency period. No more young guys...either they are veteran free agent pickups (4-5 years exp. or more) or high draft picks...No more bottom feeding even though there is talent, you have to waste time and roster spaces to sift through the sht.

The cards MUST go out and spend, spend, spend. Of course on good players. Don't overpay too much.......If you overpay, overpay on short contracts, or ones that are front loaded, do not backload overpaid contracts.

Sign all of our rfa's NOW, and frontload them BIG TIME. Use up ALL of our space to save cap space in later years...say a guy wants 8 mill over 4 seasons (but a fifth when you consider its an extension built off this year). well resign him now, give him a four mill bump this year, and then you only average (1 mill per for four more years instead of 2 per year)...use this strategy until you have NO cap space.

Then the cards need to do EVERYTHING thats been said from discount tickets as much as the NFL will allow, lower ticket prices next year and then the year after before raising them going into new place. Lower the prices big time...

Invite season ticket holders to come down onto the field at halftime to run around etc. I know, I know its impossible you say, but do you think when seeing how few fans there are that it couldn't be done realistically and logistically???? Okay maybe not, but you can almost do it and thats freaking sad.

Take out an ad in the Republic and Tribune once a month thanking the fans at the top, and having a questionaire at the bottom asking; what should we do to improve the team? what would it take to get you to games? Ask blunt, hard questions, are the cards your favorite team? Would you ever support the cards? etc.

Then starting as soon as possible, we need to have the pa announcers during the game to lambast the other teams fans, and praise our fans, and do some pump up things like in baseball like a cardinal race vs. the opposition. Make the opposition look bad, PUT THE MINDSET INTO YOUR FANS THAT YOU ARE BETTER THAN THEY ARE. PUT THE MINDSET INTO THE OTHERS TEAMS FANS THAT THEY AREN"T WELCOME!!!!!

we need to get them outta there. Bidwill should think so too regardless of his pocketbook short term because its costing him more in the end. If a casual arizonan sees our team is the away team every game, it adds to the mindset that our team sucks. Die hards aren't going to come out of thin air, casual fans need to see all of the above plus winning in order to truly build a lasting fan base. Die-hards at one time were casual-fans.

If you ask the average arizonan if they suck...my guess would be 75% of them AT LEAST would say....YES..Most Definately!!!

Even old women who don't know lick about football, know the cardinals suck....and thats about as bad as you can get.

We need a cards fight song...anything to get the fans into the games.

We need more cheerleaders...Multiply them by like five times. Have some go up into the stands for the uh interactive experience.

Designate a Cards ZONE, where only cards fans are allowed. We need anything to show solidarity.

Buy some HUGE banners and drape them over the outside of the stadium on game days...show us as we're walking in that this is the cards stadium. Cover as much territory with cards gear as possible. Every place you haven't sold a ticket, put a cards tapestry or something there.

Add more bathrooms designated for cardinals insiders, which would be i.e. season ticket holders...make and give out like a credit card so you need to use one in order to get in. Make the poor out of towners wait.

We need more giveaways.

Hell if we need to put up 500 speakers to pump out boos after an opposing team scores, than do it. Anything to show its not right.

We need to make this a hostile place for other teams fans by casual intimidation, not necessarily by physical intimidation. It sickens me how bad we look nationally, locally, and to our own team. Its sort of a catch 22, players no matter how butt busting they are on the field will play harder subconsciously if there are 70,000 cards fans instead of 15,000 cards fans and 25,000 other fans.....and thats on full days.....lately its been like 12K cards fans 10K other.. And no one will come out to see them until they are good.

Well here's to ueckerizing the rest of the season and hopefully we can win some games like cinci and the bears....and to a better tomorrow and next year....GO CARDS!

 

[john h]

Originally posted by Rivercard
Things seem to have hit rock bottom in Cardinal land. There have been bad years in the past of course but this year just feels worse with blowout losses to rather mediocre teams a depressing reality. We’ve got many issues but I want to focus on the issue that I view as most serious that needs to be addressed first.

Fan Support – Management has to find an angle to sell themselves as “Arizona’s team” and attract the more casual NFL fan in AZ to support the Cardinals. Attendance has always been spotty (save for late 1998) but this year is a train wreck, we are the joke of the league as Arizona gets continually lambasted by the media and NFL fans across America for the empty stadium on Sundays. People across the country think nobody (except for us die-hards) in Arizona cares about the Cardinals and wonder if Arizona even deserves a team.
In regards to our success in the future, It’s a catch 22 that must be addressed: fans won’t come unless there is a winner on the field – but we’re not going to win frequently without attracting some quality FA’s – but what free agent in his right mind would want to come play in an empty stadium to a seemingly uncaring public? At this point it’s becoming an endless cycle.

How can the Cards turn around the PR nightmare that has enveloped them? Bidwill needs to find a way reach out to the community and attempt to embrace the casual fan in AZ. I think he tried unsuccessfully to do this by hiring Emmit (this might have worked for them if Emmit was having a good year). I’d like to see more public statements by the Cards brass and I’d like to see Bidwill personally take a public pledge to cure this mess. Seems to me the Cards need the public’s support now more than ever.

Nothing replaces winning. Talk want get it. If you want fans then 50 years of losing is not going to get it done. I would have to assume we must have the all time bad attendance record over a decade. Even when we have a crowd it is to cheer for the other team. It may just be that Bidwill does not have enough money to be a NFL owner or chooses to keep the money for his family rather than try and build a winner. Why else would you have a team like this and be $12 mil under the cap. It should be no supprise we are a bad team. Most on this board have been posting since the draft about all our many needs and all we hear from Graves is do not judge us until June.

 

[john h]

Originally posted by Tangodnzr
As Jeff said . . . start winning and the fans will show up. Its that simple.


And I don't think they are that far away. Despite what some of the chicken Little's are squawking about, I don't think things are as bleak as many make them out to be.

Nobody has quit on this team. The Ravens didn't blow them out of the water. The team is young and developing, still lacking some talent and experience....which is showing up in the inconsistancy, mistakes/turnovers, plus the LACK of turnovers from the defense. Injuries have once again made these even more prominant and critical.

But things are coming. There is very little comparison with where the team is right now compared to . . . say, the Dallas game that got Tobin fired.

By the time they move into the new stadium, I think this team will be winning consistantly and we will all see attendance jump then. . . for a number of reasons.

I don't see anything hindering them from being able to accomplish that. The new stadium should be the kicker that really gets things "past the corner" here, and after all these years, for me at least, that is really not that far away. I still expect this team to be a playoff team in 2004, and by 2005 a whole new era of bandwagoners will start appearing out of nowhere.

Tango: glad to see someone who still has faith but I have been here to long and until they show me I believe we are a terrible team now, tomorrow and next year.

 

[Rivercard]

Originally posted by john h
Tango: glad to see someone who still has faith but I have been here to long and until they show me I believe we are a terrible team now, tomorrow and next year.

After reading several of John h's posts today I nominate him for "darksider of the month".

 

[Houdini]

Originally posted by Ryanwb
NFL regulations prohibit this

I thought I read once where the teams have to set the price of the tickets before the season started, and once the season started, teams were not allowed to change the price of the tickets during the season. So my understanding was that if teams wanted to, they could set a price for $1 tickets before the season, but they can't change the price now after the season starts.

But when the Packers played here, a few days before the game the Cardinals set aside an extra 500 tickets on sale for $15 each the morning of the game at 10:00 AM. I'm assuming those were some of the upper deck $38 seats that they reduced to $15, because I think the original $15 tickets were already sold out for that game. So that looks like to me that the NFL lets teams bend the rules at times if they want. I'm not positive though.