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Written by The Miz
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Saturday, 31 October 2009 07:17 |
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 I can argue that this might be the toughest time that I can remember dealing with life as a Redskin fan. The owner is a jerk, the product on the field is just miserable, and the fan favorite just had surgery on a broken ankle. How do you learn to move on, or at least dull the pain? In terms of finances, the answer might be a lot easier than you think. Click "Read More" to...well, read more...
Anybody in the DMV region can see that the Redskins share the bottom of the proverbial barrel with the Nationals in the sports landscape. Unfortunately for the Nats, their lowest of lows comes along with a completely empty stadium, rather than a bunch of heartbroken fans trying to smuggle signs into the stadium to show protest. The fact that Dan Snyder has put a secret police-like watch on the FedEx regulars speaks to their passion, as well as their anxiety right now over how the team is performing, and the way the organization is being managed as a whole.
Many people have suggested that the DC faithful should give up completely, and just stop putting money in Dan Snyder's pocket. That money doesn't just include ticket sales, but merchandise, food and drinks at the stadium, as well as outlandish parking. An average outing to FedEx costs a family of four more than they probably spend on groceries for an entire month. My wife and I are being faced with making a decision regarding our season tickets for next season. The renewals come up around April, but our decision probably won't be all that tough. One thing you must understand is that I grew up with my dad, the man that always said "this team may be terrible now, but as soon as we drop the tickets, they'll be good and we won't be able to get them back." Wise man. Being raised with that sort of mentality, it's extremely tough for me to write off my favorite team for the foreseeable future before this season is even half-way over. But when you look at the sheer dollars and cents, as related to entertainment, DC just has much better to offer.
Yesterday I took the opportunity to call a Washington Capitals ticket representative regarding 2010-2011 season tickets. We're already committed to Redskins tickets financially for 2009, so this season just isn't plausible. I asked the guy what sort of money a season ticket would cost, and he informed me that the Mezzanine End seats (upper deck) sold for around $935 per seat for the entire season (2009-2010). This cost is about a 45% discount if you consider the price of each ticket sold individually per game. Considering that my wife and I are both high school teachers, and filling our seats for a full 44-game slate would be tough, we'd probably go in and split the tickets with another couple for the season. So let's look at the numbers here...we would be paying around $467.50 per seat for 22 games, or a total of the $935 for us to see two preseason, and twenty (almost half) of the regular season games for a winning team. Our 2009 Redskins season tickets were $48 per seat for 10 games (8 regular season, 2 preseason), with no parking pass included (that would have been several hundred dollars extra). Those two tickets cost $960 for a season. So right off the bat, we're looking at twice as many games for a little less of the price.
We have to keep in mind that either metro, or parking in NE Washington has to be factored into each Caps win, but the hassle of getting to/from the arena is significantly less. The food prices are also significantly lower, and the food is better. I think between food, drink, and parking, the costs are negligible (if we did buy a FedEx parking pass next year, which we would have to do). Considering that fact, we have to look at experience at each venue (specifically wins). Here are the home records for the Caps and Redskins over the last two complete seasons (OTLs count as losses), and this season to date:
Capitals:
2007-2008 Season: 23-18, .561 win percentage
2008-2009 Season: 29-12, .707 win percentage
2009-2010 Season (to date): 4-2, .666 win percentage
Overall: .666 win percentage
Redskins:
2007 Season: 5-3, .625 win percentage
2008 Season: 5-3, .625 win percentage
2009 Season: 2-2, .500 win percentage
Overall: .600 win percentage
So overall, Caps season ticket holders see about 1 more win about every twenty games. However, if you look at the trend, the Caps will probably win around 2/3 of their home games this year (and for the next 4-5 seasons), while the Redskins could, and probably should lose every one of their home games for the rest of the season this year. The trend makes the difference. The Caps have a bright future, while the Redskins don't. I know I'm telling you all things you know, but let's put it in these terms. If the Caps win 26 home games per season (which is VERY reasonable for a team with their talent level, and probably low-balling them), I will probably see them win around thirteen regular season games in a given year. If the Redskins manage to win at the same level at which they've been winning over the last few years (which is shooting high), then I'd see them win around five regular season games in a given year. That means I'd be paying $71.92 per Caps regular season win, while I'd pay $192 per Redskins regular season win. Sounds like a no-brainer, huh?
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Last Updated on Saturday, 31 October 2009 08:24 |
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