Simple question: Season ticket holders... To renew or not to renew

[Bourque's Twin]

I'm fortunate to have really good seats that would get scooped up if I cancelled. If I had the option to not renew next year but be guaranteed those seats when I did renew in the future, I would do that.

This year I went to the least amount of games in the last 7 years.

[woob]

The two other guys I split my season tickets with and I met up for dinner and beers a couple weeks back to discuss this topic. We decided to do one more year, but it was definitely not something we came to agree on quickly. Between the product on the ice, how the owners/management behave, and two of us having young ones which make it hard to get to games sometimes, it was close.

[Duffalufagus]

Terrible value for entertainment dollar. Building sucks, concessions suck, team sucks.

And, you can get below face value tickets for almost every game. The only upside is playoffs. So, no upside, really.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

Terrible value for entertainment dollar. Building sucks, concessions suck, team sucks.

And, you can get below face value tickets for almost every game. The only upside is playoffs. So, no upside, really.

I agree with everything except the building, a little lipstick on the concessions and bathrooms and the dome is great for hockey, terrible value for entertainment dollar would be a 30% increase on tickets for a shiny new building

[btimbit]

A

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I agree with everything except the building, a little lipstick on the concessions and bathrooms and the dome is great for hockey, terrible value for entertainment dollar would be a 30% increase on tickets for a shiny new building

Agreed. Add a few bathrooms, do some renos, tell dodge to park their junk somewhere other than the concourse, and I have zero issues with the dome.

A problem with all sports in North America are these new bland arenas/stadiums. Call me old fashioned but I like sports venues with character, not these cookie cutter buildings that are just soulless excuses to add luxury boxes.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Iceman90

According to the Flames website the prices start at $20/seat for the Press Level seats ($19.99 times 41 games a year is $819.59 per seat, per season) to the Gold level, which are $206.57 per seat ($206.57*41=$8469.37). Double that cost if you want a pair of seats.

I didn't realize they reduced the prices for PL season tickets; it wasn't too long ago that they were going for ~$25 per game (IIRC). Apparently the free food wasn't enough to keep those seats filled...

EDIT: Here is the pricing map from seat relocation at the end of last year:

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by btimbit

A

Agreed. Add a few bathrooms, do some renos, tell dodge to park their junk somewhere other than the concourse, and I have zero issues with the dome.

A problem with all sports in North America are these new bland arenas/stadiums. Call me old fashioned but I like sports venues with character, not these cookie cutter buildings that are just soulless excuses to add luxury boxes.

100% this.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

100% this.

I'd like to see a movement like in Baseball where the stadiums have a more intimate feel and atmosphere. Baseball ones are very overtly nostalgic in architecture - not arguing for that, but much less sterile than some of the new buildings. Everything I've seen of Edmonton's arena is that it feels like a bland airport terminal. Would love to see some more natural materials like wood and stone enter the fray architecturally.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I agree with everything except the building, a little lipstick on the concessions and bathrooms and the dome is great for hockey, terrible value for entertainment dollar would be a 30% increase on tickets for a shiny new building

The dome is not great for hockey and it’s even worse for any other event you might want to stage there. Sticking to hockey, while it may be fine for the lower bowl, you just can’t have a stadium that’s roof essentially blocks the view of entire Upper section of the side of the other stadium. It’s just an atmosphere killer and makes casual fans feel disconnected.

[TheAlpineOracle]

You can’t renovate the Saddledome. While it may work for hockey, the roof issue doesn’t get fixed by this and you can’t have a venue that big and costly without it being used for more than hockey/Semi-professional Lacross.

[sec304]

Seasons ticket holder since 2001 here, this is the first year we are seriously considering not renewing our tickets. With zero resale value in the secondary market due to the economy and the fact the Flames haven't been exciting enough to drive the interest of most people to go, plus the state of the saddledome and concessions, we don't see a point. We couldn't give a couple of games away this year for free and also with all of the tickets being sold online for below what we paid, we could actually save money by picking up tickets online and only go to the games we really want to.

We will make up our mind officially when the renewal forms come out though. Crazy times we live in

[ToraToraTora]

We haven't decided. Living in Lethbridge, it's hard to make it to games anyways, and having 2 young kids/a job, makes it even harder. That combined with my dislike for ownership tactics (not that I really care, build it and make Calgarians pay, i don't live there ), and a terribly disappointing product, its hard to do it. I went to 4 games this year with 1 good experience (home opener win) and 3 bad (Oilers putting in 7, Leading VGK and losing in regulation, and the last Sharks game).

We get along well with the people behind us though, so we might renew. I'm leaning yes, and wife is leaning no. See how it goes.

[Enoch Root]

Been saying for a while that if Gulutzan and the staff are back, I won't be. Clearly, a lot of people feel the same way.

The irony is that we are probably shooting ourselves in the foot. If a bunch of people don't renew (like a thousand or more - significant dollars), the chances of ownership being willing to spend big bucks on a real coach like Quenneville probably spiral down into nothingness.

Crappy building, crappy concessions, lousy product (which seems almost impossible with Gaudreau on the roster). IT's going to be a tough sell for them this summer.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by shermanator

Question for those who are electing not to renew. With that money freed up, will you be pursuing other live sporting options around the city?

Just wondering as I know of a soon-to-be-announced option that will be around in 2019 that is the polar opposite of the Flames. That is a significantly cheaper game day experience, rumoured new stadium, different atmosphere in the stands, although potentially just as boring to some.

Not a chance. Travel. And catch some games in cities like Vegas, LA and Nashville.

For the price of a pair of tickets, we can do maybe 3 road trips a year, and go to warm locales and nicer arenas.

[Iceman90]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

The dome is not great for hockey and it’s even worse for any other event you might want to stage there. Sticking to hockey, while it may be fine for the lower bowl, you just can’t have a stadium that’s roof essentially blocks the view of entire Upper section of the side of the other stadium. It’s just an atmosphere killer and makes casual fans feel disconnected.

I've always said they should remove the roof, dome the arena like so many others, and add the saddle overtop as a decorative facade.

[Insufficient Funds]

Originally Posted by Iceman90

I've always said they should remove the roof, dome the arena like so many others, and add the saddle overtop as a decorative facade.

Have you ever really looked at the roof structure of the Saddledome? This would be so difficult it would cost more than a new building.

I'm sorry but your idea is poor.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Insufficient Funds

Have you ever really looked at the roof structure of the Saddledome? This would be so difficult it would cost more than a new building.

I'm sorry but your idea is poor.

Thanked for Insufficient Funds noting that the approach is cost prohibitive.

As well as using the descriptor “poor”.

[heep223]

I’d like to pretend I’m not renewing but I likely will, assuming the coaching staff gets turfed. I’ve never been so disappointed in the Flames as I am currently though, and if my sharing buddies bail, I may be forced to. Secondary market is crap.

Part of me feels that I’d be just fine watching the games at home and buying the odd game from CP. If they were good I’d feel much differently.

[bizaro86]

It's funny, every year I think fleetingly that it would be nice to not have to buy the 4-5 games that don't matter, where you get callups playing for jobs and veterans out/coasting, where the team is still trying to figure out the system.

Then the pre-season is over and I forget about. It might be a mistake for them to have the same thing happen at the end of the year just before renewals go out...

[Freeway]

Have renewals gone out yet?