Roughneck Tickets For Free - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Superflyer · 03-06-2008, 08:56 AM

For the Necks game this weekend (March 8th) the Necks are giving away every ticket in the dome.
http://www.calgaryroughnecks.com/new...article_id=359
All you have to do is pay the ticketmaster handling fee of $2.50. I know this sounds weird but I just checked it out and I found tickets in section 105 for this.

If you have never been to a necks game, this is the best chance to go, so go it is a great game to watch.

Resolute 14 · 03-06-2008, 08:58 AM

This is one interesting promo. Especially for a team already doing quite well at the gate. Gonna be fun though.

JiriHrdina · 03-06-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

This is one interesting promo. Especially for a team already doing quite well at the gate. Gonna be fun though.

Not well enough though - the team needs about 3-5K more per game.

This in some ways feels like a test of the market...if they don't get a big number out for this one I fear what it could mean long-term for pro lacrosse in this city.

Circa89 · 03-06-2008, 09:41 AM

I just grabbed 4 lower bowl seats. Total cost $12.00
I have been to a few games this year, Good deal. Great action.
I play lacrosse myself and now have my 6 year old son registered this summer. Great sport. Blatant plug if anybody is interested in playing old fat slow guy lacrosse. Registration is on right now. We get a ton of newbies each year , no (intentional)contact, all skill levels

Check it out! Over 30 only
www.cmll.ca

burn_baby_burn · 03-06-2008, 10:26 AM

I have nothing against the sport of Lacrosse. But I really can't stand attending Roughnecks games. Music blaring the entire game. PA Announcer doesn't shut up the entire game. People can go to and from their seats whenever they please during play. Its pretty annoying.

Circa89 · 03-06-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I have nothing against the sport of Lacrosse. But I really can't stand attending Roughnecks games. Music blaring the entire game. PA Announcer doesn't shut up the entire game. People can go to and from their seats whenever they please during play. Its pretty annoying.

It's different than hockey: culture, game, strategy that's the one learning curve everyone as a fan must adjust to. Most want to treat it as hockey without the ice. Its more of a possession game, more like basketball than hockey really and the atmosphere should be embraced more like a McMahon stadium than the typical Saddledome event.

I love the music, casual laid back less structured ambience of the games. But that annoucer is Effing redonkulous. The odd crack here and there is fine but constant blabbing is a huge annoyance. Most people I know would agree with you on that.
Take for example the game against the Buffalo Bandits. I think they whipped us 18-7 or something silly. After every single goal he would annouce the name and then say, "who's that" the crowd would reply "who Cares!". Then for each assist.
When a team scores 18 goals and he pulls this little prank 54 times its more than a little busch league, it's bloody annoying.

other than that pretty fun if you ask me

troutman · 03-06-2008, 01:28 PM

I might go if they paid me, but I would not take free tickets.

zarrell · 03-06-2008, 10:16 PM

As the above poster mentioned, the over the top announcer would completely ruin the event for me. I wouldn't take free tickets either. I do enjoy the occasional game on TV however.

jamesteterenko · 03-07-2008, 12:54 PM

I have been a season ticket holder for four years, and I really enjoy going to the games.

Tickets are so easy to get for free or really cheap, I am very tempted to give up my season tickets next year. Being a season ticket holder is a rip off.

JiriHrdina · 03-07-2008, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesteterenko

I have been a season ticket holder for four years, and I really enjoy going to the games.

Tickets are so easy to get for free or really cheap, I am very tempted to give up my season tickets next year. Being a season ticket holder is a rip off.

That's perhaps the biggest problem with this idea. There's something to be said for devaluing your product, but more than that - it's a bit of a piss off for season ticket holders, or anyone that had already actually bought tickets to this game.

jamesteterenko · 03-07-2008, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

That's perhaps the biggest problem with this idea. There's something to be said for devaluing your product, but more than that - it's a bit of a piss off for season ticket holders, or anyone that had already actually bought tickets to this game.

I felt this way last year. In the end, I convinced myself that the tickets were still cheap and it was great entertainment and renewed my tickets.

It will be tough to sign up again next year. I may still do it, but the decision is getting harder. It is just getting easier to find cheap or free tickets.

The part that I struggle with is that I would rather not lose the Roughnecks overall. Giving away free tickets is a sign that they are not doing well, and losing STHers might make them fold.

burn_baby_burn · 03-07-2008, 02:36 PM

^If a season ticket holder who loves attending games isn't going to renew? Who will?

worth · 03-07-2008, 02:40 PM

If you can afford it and you want to support the team then keep you ST. Yeah, it's easy to get free tickets, but the team depends on the people actually paying for those tickets to make a profit. No profit, no team. You can sleep well knowing that you are supporting a local franchise

JiriHrdina · 03-07-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesteterenko

I felt this way last year. In the end, I convinced myself that the tickets were still cheap and it was great entertainment and renewed my tickets.

It will be tough to sign up again next year. I may still do it, but the decision is getting harder. It is just getting easier to find cheap or free tickets.

The part that I struggle with is that I would rather not lose the Roughnecks overall. Giving away free tickets is a sign that they are not doing well, and losing STHers might make them fold.

The tickets are expensive but I do think that their price point is a bit high to encourage people to try it. They need to find a balance - they've gone from tickets that I think are a touch too expensive, to now offering freebies.

Lowering their prices a bit, particularly for STHs would be a good step. And then sprinkle in some Family Pack and other offers throughout the season - try a different thing each game and find out what works.

The schedule is also a major problem. The team plays a game and that vanishes from the radar for weeks at a time. Out of sight, out of mind.

jamesteterenko · 03-07-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The tickets are expensive but I do think that their price point is a bit high to encourage people to try it. They need to find a balance - they've gone from tickets that I think are a touch too expensive, to now offering freebies.

Lowering their prices a bit, particularly for STHs would be a good step. And then sprinkle in some Family Pack and other offers throughout the season - try a different thing each game and find out what works.

The schedule is also a major problem. The team plays a game and that vanishes from the radar for weeks at a time. Out of sight, out of mind.

I agree.

There are so many more marketing things they could do. Even some NHL teams have had significant freebies at games (jerseys, all-you-can-eat food, etc.) Those types of promotions would benefit all attendees. Well, my body might not appreciate the free food, but my tummy would.

I just checked on Ticketmaster, and the starting price point is a little high ($23.80 + Ticketmaster fees). There are general admission tickets for $17.50 that are available at Coop, SportChek & Super Drug Mart. Before I looked, I thought they were actually cheaper. There should be some tickets at a lower price point available on a more regular basis.

Maybe they should look at the Hitmen as a model. The regular ticket prices are about the same, but it is fairly easy to get tickets for just under $10. They also have a number of great promotions that are well known through the community.

JiriHrdina · 03-07-2008, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesteterenko

I just checked on Ticketmaster, and the starting price point is a little high ($23.80 + Ticketmaster fees). There are general admission tickets for $17.50 that are available at Coop, SportChek & Super Drug Mart. Before I looked, I thought they were actually cheaper. There should be some tickets at a lower price point

Yup add in parking and snacks/drinks and for a family of four your in the neighborhood of a 100 buck outing. For a lot of families that's just too much. Get that number down to a 50 buck outing and you open a door to a much larger market base.

As noted on the Fan today the Riggers also don't have very good deals with the dome in terms of concessions or parking - which is party of the reason the price point is higher. Get a better deal so your making money on those other items and you can bring down ticket prices.

BOSSY · 03-07-2008, 10:26 PM

This screams of desperation by the Necks... Talk about killing any sense of worth of your tickets and totally devaluing your product... The owner talks about never hearing this being done before - there is a reason!

Prototype · 03-08-2008, 11:47 AM

The ownership of the Roughnecks is horrible. If the Flames owned this team, there'd be no question to affordability, and product. As long as the current owner still owns the team, there will always be questions to the length of the Roughnecks stay in Calgary, even being one of the stronger markets in the NLL.

Resolute 14 · 03-08-2008, 04:30 PM

Given the Flames get most of the concession revenue and a reasonable amount from the lease, you are undoubtably right. The Flames are actually part of why tickets are where they are, though their owning the team would also potentially become a solution.

jamesteterenko · 03-08-2008, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Given the Flames get most of the concession revenue and a reasonable amount from the lease, you are undoubtably right. The Flames are actually part of why tickets are where they are, though their owning the team would also potentially become a solution.

Do the Flames get most of the concession revenue? I thought it was another organization, related to the Stampede, that got a bulk of that revenue. I seem to recall that when the Flames were talking about building a new arena, a better deal on concession revenues was one of the financial benefits of doing so. But I may be wrong on this.

If the Flames owned the Roughnecks, they would be a much better run organization. So, I would be happy with that. And any time I went to their office, at least there would be some parking!

Over the last day, I've been thinking more about whether or not I was going to renew the tickets. In the end, I do want to go to the games. I would probably be able to get many tickets cheaper than the season ticket price, but I would probably have to pay full price for some too. In the end, it would take me more effort and I probably wouldn't really save too much money. With that, I will probably begrudgingly renew again. It just feels wrong that I will have to pay more for being a season ticket holder.

Then again, maybe I am in a better mood today because I just picked up a game worn Taylor Wray jersey and get to wear it to the game tonight.

Either way, Go Necks Go!