Theo Mackie on the season ticketholder experience....

Dback Jon

ASFN's Don Quixote
Supporting Member
Banned from P+R
Joined
May 14, 2002
Posts
96,030
Reaction score
57,414
Location
South Scottsdale
As many of you may recall, I used to have a Jack in the Box Cardinal Antenna Ball as my avatar forever. The Cardinals PR team reached out to me and told me that because I was in a management position here they wanted to charge me for the license use for that image. So that's who I changed it



(Just kidding)
Or are you...
 

oaken1

Stone Cold
Banned from P+R
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Posts
24,353
Reaction score
25,106
Location
Modesto, California
After 22 years of being a Season Ticket holder I canceled my 5 season tickets back in 2018. Prices were on the rise and my kids didn't want to go to the games anymore. Not to mention I could barely give the tickets away. The whole having to drive all the way to the West Valley and fight parking and getting through security was starting to drain me as well. Not to mention that I always complained about the selection and quality of the food but nothing was ever done about it.

I will say that my friend's gave me their tickets to the final home game this season and I did see improvements. The quality of food and the additions of a bunch of different choices of vendors (on the lower level at least) seemed to have been greatly improved. My son and I had a blast but I still hate the drive and dealing with parking and then getting out of the parking lot. Not many people were at the Falcons game since both teams sucked so getting in and out wasn't too bad. I still just hate the drive.

The wife and I have recently thought about getting 2 seats in a better location but I eventually told her that the prices for tickets were just not worth it for us. It's not just the Cardinals. I've told my wife no on going to see a bunch of concerts that cost over $250 per ticket for a decent seat. The value just isn't there for me. I'd rather spend my money on other things. Shoot I just bought round trip airfare direct to the Big Island of Hawaii from Phoenix for $269. Sign me up for that any day of the week.
Agree.
I have become a selective tight ass myself.
Penny pincher, bargain hunter...whatever.
I work hard for my money and have decided to get the most value from it that I can...and sooooo many places/products way over value what they have to offer.
I feel no need to contribute to others greed.
Like movies... $22 per person at the theater just so I can drop another $40 on popcorn and a drink is outrageous...but then, they turn around and try to get $24 for PPV...lol...
So I just wait another month and watch it for free on whatever streamer they pop up on.

But honest truth?? The greed of the NFL is what turned me to bootlegging...and it turns out I'm a huge fan.
 

phillycard

ASFN Addict
Joined
Aug 22, 2003
Posts
8,268
Reaction score
6,385
Location
The 215
From 1993 until the new stadium, we sat in the South Endzone at SDS. We loved the view and the seats were cheap. When the new stadium opened, suddenly our endzone seats were priced as if they were the best seats in the place, so we just got some nosebleeds. Affordable and we almost never sit in them. We used to travel the lower concourse and follow the ball. We'd see most of the scoring plays in each game by being where the action was taking place. Over time we found one of the endzone cubbies - it used to be the one where @MadJack's sign would hang. We now have a group of friends that we see every game.

Being there to support the team with a growing group of friends, and seeing ASFNers, or other longtime season ticketholders (some we have known since 1993 at SDS) is a large part of why we keep returning. Something about the gameday experience and "being there" is fantastic. For me, since 1988, I have only missed two home preseason games of all of the games with fans allowed in the building. My wife joined me in going in 1993 and has only missed a handful of games - ones in which I took one of my uncles or my nephew.

It's not for everyone, but there are many fans like us. We show up every game. We have fun. We catch up on things like work, family, grandkids, etc. Already looking forward to the next home game, preseason or otherwise.

Go Cards !!!

:newcards:
B. you are literally THE go to man for all things in game. From your dedication, to your honest feedback, you are the barometer of how I plan my AZ road trips, and of course It's a must we link up every time. The day you ever decide to tap out will be a sad day my brotha. I'll be at the eagles game 100% next season and maybe 1 more tilt.
 
Last edited:

phillycard

ASFN Addict
Joined
Aug 22, 2003
Posts
8,268
Reaction score
6,385
Location
The 215
This team will never consistently win with a Bidwill in the ownership chair.

Total clown show. Laughingstock of the league.

At the ownership meetings, he's the cuddly, loveable idiot at the dinner table that everyone smiles at but silently ignores. They will never have to worry about a competitive franchise in AZ and will always be able to fly all of their high-paying fans out to fill those empty seats. Who wouldn't want that in a city like Phoenix?

I hate the Bidwill name with the fury of a thousand nuclear explosions.
Sheeeez. This is painfully spot on. :(

The truth hurts.
 

Brak

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Posts
2,818
Reaction score
2,969
Empty Seats matter.....Don't renew
In the cities where there are a ton of empty seats every week, it's clear that the NFL leans on the networks to avoid showing it on TV. You almost NEVER see a camera get a shot of acres of empty/thin seating. It's a bad look and everybody knows it, so they work together to hide it.

We had season tickets from '06 when Jiffy Pop opened till we left for Cochise county in 2017. The first few years we were in 132 in the corner at a VERY reasonable cost, then the last 2 we moved to the 40 yard line, 32 rows up, for not all that much more. Other teams had started kiting prices to ridiculous levels but Cardinals seats were a relative bargain. Sounds like pricing has gotten really ugly since. Charging more for an inferior product is not a great business model.
 

D-Dogg

A Whole New World
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2003
Posts
45,412
Reaction score
2,184
Location
117 and Loving It
It's been what, 24 years now? I am down to my last two original new stadium (lol, not new anymore just not SDS) seats.

I like my money. I like going to games most of the time but this year I really didn't. It wasn't even "hey, let's drink and watch us get our asses handed to us and see some good fights in the parking lots" kind of fun anymore.

Sunk cost me wants to grab 2 more tickets and bring friends again to torture them. Especially friends I lowkey hate.

This team is maybe the lowest point of my 20+ years fandom. I don't enjoy it. I don't actually care. I'm so damn ambivalent about this team. It's just a thing I do.

Oh, please raise my prices again, Michael!!
 

Mickdog

Rookie
Joined
Nov 10, 2025
Posts
72
Reaction score
210
Location
Tempe
once again, Mackie is proving himself to be maybe the best Cards beat writer in long, long time.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

and yes, the AZ Rep article is behind a paywall but in it, he interviews 14 long time season ticket holders, 11 of which are passing on renewing. Mostly due to price -- lower bowl tickets have nearly doubled in 5 years(!!) but also due to a slow steady erosion of season ticket holder benefits that have been eliminated.

the changes coincide with the hiring of this guy: https://www.azcardinals.com/team/front-office-roster/jeremy-walls
Empty suits lead to empty seats.
 

jf-08

chohan
Administrator
Super Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 15, 2002
Posts
31,810
Reaction score
31,801
Location
Eye in the Sky
It's been what, 24 years now? I am down to my last two original new stadium (lol, not new anymore just not SDS) seats.

I like my money. I like going to games most of the time but this year I really didn't. It wasn't even "hey, let's drink and watch us get our asses handed to us and see some good fights in the parking lots" kind of fun anymore.

Sunk cost me wants to grab 2 more tickets and bring friends again to torture them. Especially friends I lowkey hate.

This team is maybe the lowest point of my 20+ years fandom. I don't enjoy it. I don't actually care. I'm so damn ambivalent about this team. It's just a thing I do.

Oh, please raise my prices again, Michael!!
Apathy (from fans) and arrogance (from ownership) is a nosediving situation.
 

Latest posts

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
1,428,846
Posts
6,661,758
Members
6,435
Latest member
taylor_fancav
Top