To Those Complaining About Home Attendance

[Ruckus45]

Would love to see the Fins build a newer stadium to capture the sound but still be open air with the visitor sideline facing the 3pm sun.

Doing my part though - heading to the game on the 15th...flying in from NC. Im going to be drunk and loud as s***. Miko Grimes will be tweating about the crazy fool next to her.

 

[WesternNYDolfan]

I live in Arizona, so I can't comment on the Dolphin attendance, but it isn't just a problem in Miami.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybr...of-the-most-watched-tv-programs-since-sept-5/



http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance

We are 26th in the league in Average home attendance, at 62,065 per game. While this might include tickets bought up to avoid blackout, etc., there are other teams that have worse attendance issues than we do. I don't know how far the stadium is away from a lot of the people.

Yea but most of those teams below us aren't in the playoff race

 

[jason_taylor]

I agree with this completely. I have a question though, as I've never had the NFL Sunday Ticket, are the home team games blacked out also, or is it just the local cable channel that will be blacked out?

IF you have NFL Sunday Ticket you Get to Watch ANY AND EVERY GAME they dont black out no games with the Ticket .i have had NFL Sunday Ticket for the last 12 years....

 

[enigmatics]

I live in Arizona, so I can't comment on the Dolphin attendance, but it isn't just a problem in Miami.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybr...of-the-most-watched-tv-programs-since-sept-5/



http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance

We are 26th in the league in Average home attendance, at 62,065 per game. While this might include tickets bought up to avoid blackout, etc., there are other teams that have worse attendance issues than we do. I don't know how far the stadium is away from a lot of the people.

I live in Scottsdale, AZ. They were freaking morons for putting Univ. of Phoenix Stadium over on the far west end of the valley. They wasted a prime opportunity when they couldn't get it over into the old Los Arcos Mall land in Scottsdale or near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport & Tempe. West Gate is simply not enough of a draw for many people and simply a poor atmosphere. I personally have no desire to dive 50-55 minutes (even on the 101 freeway) to get there.

The other thing is cops are rabid out here. You can't even go to the stadium and have a couple drinks without worrying you might get pinched on the ride home. So that entails somebody else having to drive or cabs. Those cabs are gonna run someone at least $80 each way.

 

[DeathStar]

HD + Replays + A/C + Redzone...Can never be beat

The NFL cares about TV viewership more than attendance...

Sorry haters.

 

[djphinfan]

I still root for both teams but it's not remotely the same as the old days. I feel sorry for younger fans who never experienced the Orange Bowl. At least the Canes stuck around 21 more seasons than the Dolphins...

IMO, the simple fact that we play in this stadium screams that the higher ups don't know what they are doing. That's why I can't get too invested in coaching hires or general manager choices or draft picks.

I am confident that the Canes will never play out the balance of the lease at Sun Life. Idiocy can't last that long, even if Coral Gables opposes any type of major construction. Something will be built in the general area.

I agree on the lack of any type of vision with the suits, what a concept, invigorate two deteriorating fanbases, make a sh@& load of money capitalizing on the 12 th man movement, and help two football teams win games..

Yes I understand if they win, they will come factoid, however, the sunlife venue will always win..and I don't mean that in any positive way..

A Venue that engages fans and becomes the star all by itself, or a venue that makes fans become spectators who sit on their ass..The latter is a cancer.

 

[djphinfan]

HD + Replays + A/C + Redzone...Can never be beat

The NFL cares about TV viewership more than attendance...

Sorry haters.

haters??? We just want our teams to have a real home field advantage for logical reasons, not have the worst advantage in the sports, it's really not fair to both teams..and in this sport, it's going to be that much harder to win championships.

 

[Kdawg954]

IF you have NFL Sunday Ticket you Get to Watch ANY AND EVERY GAME they dont black out no games with the Ticket .i have had NFL Sunday Ticket for the last 12 years....

This is not quite accurate.

If you live within 75 miles of the stadium . . . you will not be watching the game on television. Doesn't matter if you have Sunday Ticket or not. The game is blacked out and they will show another game or in the case of Sunday Ticket, you will not have it available to be watched. You will either have to drive outside of the area or find an internet feed like many out of towners do on Sunday.

I do not believe we have been blacked out since that playoff game against the Colts (the Lamar Smith game . . . side note, whats with all the Lamar running backs . . . Lamar Smith, Lamar Gordon, Lamar Miller

Redzone is great as well, as atleast you'll see parts of the game that scoring opportunities present themselves and replays of any big plays.

 

[wayner]

I'm a fan from the uk and I've been to both a home and away game to support the dolphins I must admit as big a stadium it is that we have it ain't no state of the art fan stadium is it ?

I think we need a roof for the fans at least the fans can be in the shade at 1pm and let the players sweat it out in the sun that's our advantage !!!

 

[Kdawg954]

As far as home attendance goes . . . I've done what I can do. I've gone to 3 games. Bought tickets second hand for cheap but so what. I can understand it from both sides. I love being home for road games . . . watching on my 52" HDTV with Surround Sound . . . flipping over to RedZone during commercials and for the 4 p.m. games, having a cheap 12 pack ice cold, the bathroom nearby and cheap food in the kitchen. Friends or family come over and we have a blast for a far . . . I mean farrrrrr cheaper price than going to the stadium would cost.

I also love going to the games (when money is in good shape). The tailgating is great, being around hardcore Dolfans is always a blast, the atmosphere . . . although not that impressive on TV, is live inside the stadium and you feel like you are about to watch something great. I can overlook limiting myself on beer, the small seats and expensive food and not a convenient trip to the bathroom just to watch the team live. If I had to the lists the positives of being live vs. being home . . . . the Atmosphere of being there ranks #1 on a list combining the positives of both. There are just so many positives about being home that follow it that is makes it a difficult choice.

Times are different, money plays a major factor in these type of decisions and it sure doesn't help that the team hasn't even seen an AFC championship game in over 20 years and a Super Bowl in almost 30. Older fans of the great teams are gone and the team hasn't made it easy to attract newer fans . . . combined with the snow birds and the amount of other things to do in South Florida, it's an easy glance at why this team struggles with home attendance. It doesn't make fans of the team that are local "less of a fan" for not going . . . but the Dolphins have to put a more consistent product on the field to get that place sold out.

 

[finfan54]

I have noticed it when I look at other stadiums pre-game at kickoff.

i will say I was a bit suprised at how much better the attendance was for Carolina.

I get pissed at people who bought tickets and sell them to the other side fans or never end up going just because they want to make some kind of statement. I mean how else can you explain seat down low which are bought first for season ticket holders and then they are empty?

 

[finfan54]

If I lived in South Florida I would simply be a season ticket holder provided myself and my wife have good jobs like we do now.

I wouldnt need the nfl package unless I wanted to see other teams games but alot is on national tv so.....I also would work every year towards getting closer to where the cheerleaders are. There is nothing else like being there being a part of it IMO.

 

[djphinfan]

I'm a fan from the uk and I've been to both a home and away game to support the dolphins I must admit as big a stadium it is that we have it ain't no state of the art fan stadium is it ?

I think we need a roof for the fans at least the fans can be in the shade at 1pm and let the players sweat it out in the sun that's our advantage !!!

the 1 o'clock sun beating down on fans is definitely part of big picture problem..that kind of battle does not induce ones fandom or attention on their football team..of course your gonna have your hardcores who don't give a sh&$, but when the majority is miserable you will not collectively be able to reach energy levels where your team can feed off, compile that with the fact that the stands are farther from the field then any other stadium in football and you have a recipe for flat starts, and unemotional teams looking inside themselves to fuel their passion..it all plays a negative factor in that building..

 

[djphinfan]

I have noticed it when I look at other stadiums pre-game at kickoff.

i will say I was a bit suprised at how much better the attendance was for Carolina.

I get pissed at people who bought tickets and sell them to the other side fans or never end up going just because they want to make some kind of statement. I mean how else can you explain seat down low which are bought first for season ticket holders and then they are empty?

Because the venue does not inspire the fan..if the venue was built correctly and could create a true 12th man concept, if the fan knew they could affect the game, if they knew their players showed more emotion because of their energy, then you would have folks wanting to get into their seats earlier.

But because you don't have the venue, the trickle down affect is very real..fans have no sense of urgency to get in their seats early, players come out and see an empty stadium and feel a lack of energy in the building, players go back in their lockerooms, then come out for intro, see the same thing..anyone who thinks that can't have an affect in the mindset of an athlete in a gladiator sport is kidding themselves..

I believe our fanbase should not be to blame for dwindling attendance, of course the teams average play over the past couple decades is a part of it, but I believe the venue itself is a major negative factor for two Miami programs..


I've done a lot of research on this topic for many years, I know it sounds silly sometimes, and I'm not trying to convince you of anything, but I guarantee you that the players are affected by the lack of energy in the building, and I also guarantee you that players play differently when energy levels reach a certain level inside the building..and when that certain level of energy is on your side, heightened senses of awareness, max cardiac outputs, sustained adrenaline can elevate your home players..It's all confidence to performance related..