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Attendance

Steelerfan81

Steelerfan81

HERE WE GO
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61k (7k no shows) showed up on Sunday night for a game against a 8-3 team in December. Oh, and it was 50 degrees and clear at kick off.

I hate to say this, but our fan base in Pittsburgh is soft. Won't come to night games, won't come to cold games. It's sad. Tickets were $39 each on StubHub a few hours before KO.
 
Just my opinion, but maybe a part of it is the product that the NFL is putting out there is not what fans want to see, especially in a historically blue collar town. The kneeling, rule changes, softening up the game, the new NFL where defense is non existent. Maybe it is all a perfect storm. Here in Indy with a dome stadium, they are seeing the same attendance issues.
 
Some, not all, Steelers fans are soft. Whenever I attend games at Heinz Field, many people get up and leave prior to the fourth quarter. Even when the game is still in doubt. What did they do? Did they forget to turn the oven off? Why bother attending if you are going to leave early? It doesn't make any sense to spend big bucks on tickets and concessions and then leave early before the outcome has been determined. I think out of town fans who attend away games have more passion than the home town fans at Heinz Field.
 
Steelerfan81 said:
61k (7k no shows) showed up on Sunday night for a game against a 8-3 team in December. Oh, and it was 50 degrees and clear at kick off.

I hate to say this, but our fan base in Pittsburgh is soft. Won't come to night games, won't come to cold games. It's sad. Tickets were $39 each on StubHub a few hours before KO.
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Just like a lot of the people on this board. A couple losses and the world is ending...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Steeler Nation mobile app
 
Well, this is what happens when the NFL keeps ******* around with this "Flex" scheduling. I'm sorry, but people have lives going on outside of the games, and they work the games into everything else. Then when the league ***** them over and moves things, a lot of people can't just up and drop everything to make a switch. I don't think it has anything to do with the fanbase being "soft".
 
I live 3 hours away. I don’t buy tickets ahead of time anymore because of the possibility of flex scheduling. One of the biggest reasons I like going to games is the atmosphere created with tailgating. Development around the stadiums has taken most of this away.
 
bmoritz said:
Well, this is what happens when the NFL keeps ******* around with this "Flex" scheduling. I'm sorry, but people have lives going on outside of the games, and they work the games into everything else. Then when the league ***** them over and moves things, a lot of people can't just up and drop everything to make a switch. I don't think it has anything to do with the fan-base being "soft".
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I go to a certain amount of games each year. It is a combination of everything mentioned. Still wouldn't call the fan base or home base soft. As many stay to the end and many attend.

Obviously more than us diehards would care to see don't.

* But besides what was mentioned. The older generation stays home more, up there in years the cold weather isn't good for their already compromised immune system.

* Their young family replacements is the fantasy football genre that loves being at home, checking out other games.

* Lack of any significant winning in the playoffs. People get tired of the same results, it dulls their enthusiasm.


I will still continue being me and going when I can. Even though I am not liking the results.


But for others, there is many reasons for their lack of attendance.

And perhaps some just aren't that big of football fans. We can't necessarily say this new NFL model is shoveling them through the door.

I am addicted, perhaps the model they encountered first never has led to the same addiction.

Not sure that I can blame them.
 
When still lived in Pittsburgh and was able to buy someone's season tickets - happened a few years for various reasons - the Monday night games were always littered with people who had been drinking since work. There were no Sunday night games back then. If I had kids back then I would not have brought them to the night games. Don't know if the Sunday night games are the same. That said, someone would have taken the tickets. If you had a chance to go to a game, you went.
 
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Steelerfan81 said:
61k (7k no shows) showed up on Sunday night for a game against a 8-3 team in December. Oh, and it was 50 degrees and clear at kick off.

I hate to say this, but our fan base in Pittsburgh is soft. Won't come to night games, won't come to cold games. It's sad. Tickets were $39 each on StubHub a few hours before KO.
Click to expand...
I was going to ask about this. You could clearly see not a seat or two here and there, but a complete block of four in prime seating spots. Lower level. I was saying that I wonder if this is a function of stub hub and other resales. Like if you put them on there (and there are thousands) and they go unsold do they end up unsused? At the bare minimum, if you plan to sell it's probably hard to make arrangements to go. If the prices were a little more in the rhelm of reasonable on the resale, none of those tickets would be unused. But like I know it costed over a 1000 for the 4 of us with lower level seats a few years ago.
 
slashsteel said:
I go to a certain amount of games each year. It is a combination of everything mentioned. Still wouldn't call the fan base or home base soft. As many stay to the end and many attend.

Obviously more than us diehards would care to see don't.

* But besides what was mentioned. The older generation stays home more, up there in years the cold weather isn't good for their already compromised immune system.

* Their young family replacements is the fantasy football genre that loves being at home, checking out other games.

* Lack of any significant winning in the playoffs. People get tired of the same results, it dulls their enthusiasm.


I will still continue being me and going when I can. Even though I am not liking the results.


But for others, there is many reasons for their lack of attendance.

And perhaps some just aren't that big of football fans. We can't necessarily say this new NFL model is shoveling them through the door.

I am addicted, perhaps the model they encountered first never has led to the same addiction.

Not sure that I can blame them.
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For us die hards. It just sucks seeing the product a shell of its former self.

As for other issues? That's a personal choice.
The younger generation? Sports are not a priority with them.
 
I'm a die-hard fan as well and football in general has dwindled to MAINLY STEELERS football. Last night game, I didn't even know who was playing (**** & Jagoffs). The product has taken me from NOT missing much to ONLY catching STEELERS games. Now add in the manipulation of games and the product becomes even less.





Salute the nation
 
Ticket prices coming down means me and my girls get to come to more games. We weren't leaving until the end. Had a fabulous time. Would go every week if i was able.
 
A positive thing about Steeler fans though... we still remain the most represented fan base around the country in other stadiums. In Cleve and Cincy those stadiums become Heinz Field West.

The Super Bowl in Detroit was a home game. Versus the Cardinals Steeler fans outnumbered Arizona fans 10 - 1 in that Super Bowl.

That trend will continue when we play for the Lombardi this year.
 
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Which reminds me... the Steelers travel to Phoenix next year for a regular season game vs. the Cardinals. Should resemble Heinz Field west again, although, if the product on the field still resembled the game I grew up loving it'd be a no-brainer as to my making plans to go. But as it is, I'm contemplating whether the "new" NFL is worth hundreds of $$ out of my pocket on tix, hotel, etc. plus a 6 1/2 hour drive.
 
suncitysteel said:
Which reminds me... the Steelers travel to Phoenix next year for a regular season game vs. the Cardinals. Should resemble Heinz Field west again, although, if the product on the field still resembled the game I grew up loving it'd be a no-brainer as to my making plans to go. But as it is, I'm contemplating whether the "new" NFL is worth hundreds of $$ out of my pocket on tix, hotel, etc. plus a 6 1/2 hour drive.
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Ha, I'm only a 20 minute drive from the stadium and have those same thoughts. I've gone to all 5 games played in AZ since they moved from St. Louis in 88. Unfortunately, (2-3), I've left the stadium disappointed more often than not.
 
It's just so much easier to stay home and watch it on TV. I miss the atmosphere in the stadium (generally) but the trade is worth it. Our family had season tickets for over 40 years until we finally sold the licenses 3 years ago. I was the last one going and I lived near Baltimore anyway. Too many night games. We usually sold all but 1 game and gave away the pre-season ones to charity.

People leave early, IMHO, because of the terrible traffic situation on the North Side. Nothing has really been done to alleviate it since Three Rivers was built.
 
People here are confusing no-shows with unsold tickets. The games are still selling out. The fact that people aren’t using the tickets proves to me that the fans are indeed very casual and have been for a while. Two examples:

My ex sister-in-law was a season ticket holder. She would go to the games and tailgate and consistently be late making it to her seats. The next week could be a hugely important away game and she wouldn’t even bother to watch it on TV.

My old neighbor was a season ticket holder (old guy). I’m walking the dog a half hour before kickoff and he’s talking to the other neighbor about going to the game (no way in hell he makes it in time for kickoff), the neighbor asks “Who are they playing?” and he has to pull out his tickets to remember.

Yes, very soft, very casual.
 
I'd be there every Sunday if I was local. Bunch of ******* with excuses for not showing up.
 
I used to go to the games all the time. I would plan my business trips around the Steelers schedule. I'd go to the games in Cleveland, Cincy, KC, of course here in Indy. I'd go to at least 4 home games a year and all the home playoff games. Then...I had kids and I got old and burned out, quickly. Now I much prefer the comfort of my living room on a big leather couch, a fire blazing, a big screen HD TV that I can pause to take a piss or make a drink, rewind to watch big hits over and over and not have to deal with traveling, crowds, weather, needing to choke a ***** out or worry about getting sucker punched.

Oh, and there's this: I decided not to give the NFL another dime of my money because of their weak *** Anthem stance. The only thing I've spent on them since the ******** started kneeling was an AB bumblebee jersey for my daughter this Christmas. I only watch the Steelers now, no other game, and it's only because they never knelt and I've been a fan my whole life.
 
Hines57 said:
I'd be there every Sunday if I was local. Bunch of ******* with excuses for not showing up.
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No ****, met too! Living in Frisco, TX near Dallas, I get one Steeler home game every 8 years, one Houston game now and then, and one NO game from time to time. I'd go to more games elsewhere, but the airline flight for 3 people on top of tickets, etc. make it unrealistic.

I've been to one game in Pittsburgh in my lifetime and it was the BEST stadium experience I've ever had. It was the 2008 OT game against the Ravens and the atmosphere, crowd noise, Renegade, was unbelievable. I've been to games in the old Texas Stadium (**** hole), the new Jerry world, the old AstroDome, the new NRG Stadium, and the Superdome and none of them compare to Heinz.

I may get a chance to see one next October while attending the MetalCon show in Pitt, but with my luck, they'll have a bye the weekend before and be away the weekend after.
 
Hines57 said:
I'd be there every Sunday if I was local. Bunch of ******* with excuses for not showing up.
Click to expand...

I’d be there every Sunday if it wasn’t so expensive and tailgating was abundant again.
 
I've been going since 2007. I used to drive/fly every week from Philly (Flying was actually cheaper at times than driving).

Now I live closer to Frederick MD, so that 5hr drive is now 3.5hrs. Much more manageable.

People don't want to go to night games. I have tickets, can't make a game because I have to work at 6am, and still went to the game because I didn't want the tix to go to waste.

The fans are not the same. That is very true. They don't cheer unless it's 3rd down on D. Very easy to play against the Steelers if you keep getting first downs.

I personally think the flex schedule is what led to the poor turnout vs the Chargers. But hey, screw Pitt's fan base. The NFL got the matchups and ratings they wanted.
 
Sunday night game at !830, people who can afford the tickets work Monday morning.

I agree with most comments so far.
1 The NFL product.
2. The STEELERS product they are producing.
3. Millenials and the change in the "climate of football"
let me add
4. $50 parking on top of my expensive game ticket.
5. what? $9 beers inside ?
6 Chrismas is near. Maybe people are saving money.
7. 20 bucks for a primantis burger and fries inside.
buddy was on season ticket list for years. Passed them up when his # came up.. WHy? Because the game experience isn't worth the time and money that's involved in just going to the game.

So as far as no shows , (people who bought their tix and don't show.) I blame the 8:30 game time. As far as people who didn't buy the tix on stub hub . I blame the $ ,, the game time, the product on the field,.
 
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