Paranoid vs. Optimistic: Corporate Fans
Every Jets fan has two sides. We are all schizophrenic; we alternate between paranoid, neurotic, sobbing Suzys and rabid, take-on-the-world hope mongers. That’s why I think it’s so interesting to look at our prospects for the season through the lens of the paranoid fan, and through that of the optimistic one.
The Jets aren’t just having trouble filling seats in their new stadium, they’re having trouble filling seats in their current stadium. It appears that with a recession, rising ticket prices, the prospect of $20,000 PSLs on the horizon and the general gloom and doom of being a Jets fan, many have not renewed their season tickets.
One way or another, many or most of these seats will be sold. The question is who is going to buy them, and then, who will be sitting in them? Corporations will buy them and they will be filled by what I’d like to call “corporate fans,” a class of affluent people who aren’t particularly emotionally invested in what they are watching, but are there for a spectacle.
So now lets take a look at the expected effects of these so-called “corporate fans” through the lens of the optimistic and the paranoid fan.
Optimistic – At least the seats will be filled! In times like these it’s hard to be choosy about what kind of fan you have sitting in your seats. Just because they don’t “bleed green and white,” and they have deeper pockets than many, doesn’t mean they can’t be productive as 12th men. You don’t have to follow the Jets for 25 years to be able to yell out the J-E-T-S chant, or make as much noise as possible on third downs.
These people know what they’re signing up for when they buy tickets to a football game – they’re certainly not expecting a croquet match. And who knows, maybe they will help to erase the Gate-D reputation that has stuck with Jets fans for years. Or encourage the food suppliers at the stadium to make the edible fare, well, edible.
If I’m going to get charged $7 for a hot dog I would like it to be a grade above disgusting. Just because you have a high amount of disposable income doesn’t make you a bad fan. A fan should be judged by his mentality, his involvement with his team, and his loyalty. Judging someone by how deep his or her pockets are is as unfair as it is stupid. If they want to buy the tickets that other people can’t afford, by all means let them brave the misery that is the Meadowlands – maybe their experience will make real fans out of them.
Paranoid – The middle class is the life’s blood of the sports industry. We watch the games, follow the players, eat the disgusting stadium food, buy the apparel, and stick with our team through thick and thin. If you push out the common person, you push out the culture of the team. You remove the thunderous roar of the crowd and replace it with the melancholy whisper of a few disinterested fans who are only showing up because they managed to score sweet seats.
Corporate fans are for box seats, quiet air-conditioned booths with flat screen TV’s and a buffet. The common man braves the elements, rain, cold, sun, clouds, in his plastic stadium seat ready to shout his heart out for his team no matter what. If you push him out, you end Jets football as we know it. You erase a fan base forged through forty years of dashed hopes and missed opportunities, who have waited season upon season for someone, anyone, to bring us out of the desert and into the promised land.
If you want an example of what happens when you build a sports team around corporate fans look at the Trenton Thunder. A lot of people go, but nobody really cares. The atmosphere is different. I loathe the day that that happens to the Jets. I believe we are the best fans in all of professional sports. The culture, the camaraderie, cannot be replaced. If you keep true fans away from the stadium and replace them with people who aren’t truly invested in any particular outcome, it will destroy the fabric of Jets culture that has been woven since the days of Namath. And that will be a sad sight to see.
Now, I don’t think corporate fans are the end of the world. I do think, however, that it’s an issue that has to be watched closely, it would definitely be a sad thing to see Jets fans pushed out of our stadium because of ticket prices. What do you think?
23 Responses to Paranoid vs. Optimistic: Corporate Fans
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TOON2388 says:
I swing from optimism to pessimism on a play by play basis!
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Pdubbs says:
Yea corporate people suck…… Woody needs to reward his loyal fans but cutting some costs. We are not one of those prolithic teams that is loved across the nation. Lower the costs, keep the faithful !
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john sec.125 says:
i’ve had season tickets for 20 years, the six seats to my left and the eight seats in front are all corporate. either the seats are filled with visiting fans( steelers,pats,dolphins, GIANTS, etc.) or the people just sit there and don’t have a clue.
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MattNYC says:
As both a season ticket holder, and someone who religiously reads this website, I think I hold a minority opinion on this matter. I think the Jets have some of the best fans in the league- There is no doubting our passion. HOWEVER, I believe most of those fans are the ones watching at home on tv.
It’s my opinonthat the fans who attend the games are some of the quietest, most lackluster in the league. As noted above, we are always waiting for the other shoe to drop, even when we are up big. We are quick to boo, and quick to cheer big plays, but rarely do I think the fans at the game affect the outcome of the game, or make it harder on the other team. Thus, does it really matter if the seats are corporate or not? Its my belief that the stadium is regularly filled with non-Jets fans anyway, many of whom just can’t get Giants tickets. Coupled with the expense and the HD tv’s that many of us have now, the incentive to actually attend games goes down year after year. -
Well I wouldn’t go as far as to say corporate people suck, but I think it’s very important to look at how management deals with making money with high ticket prices and making sure the average Jets fan can afford to see a game.
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greene says:
that pic is a blast from the past. the suit the guy got on has shoulder pads… what were we thinking in the 80′s???
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Jonathan says:
the title of the image above totally robbed me of my comment.
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Ducky says:
JDB – The circuses in Rome were put on by the senatorial class to keep what they referred to as the mob happy and distracted. Read a book.
I am a corporate lawyer and my family has held season tickets since I was 5. I go to the games as often as I can, which is not every week because of what are often work obligations, but I make sure that I watch every game. I follow this site (though I comment infrequently) and the team religiously. And, even though it makes no financial sense and is a financial strain right now, I bought my seat licenses. This whole idea that corporate people, simply by virtue of being corporate, are somehow bad fans is insulting. I did not realize that there was a socio-economic prerequisite for being a Jet fan.
That being said, I agree that it is wrong what the Jets have done with the PSLs and think that they have miscalculated grievously enough that there is the potential for them to have done real damage to the future of the team.
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Although I’m not 100% “corporate” I’m more corporate than bloodthirsty fan. So I swing from one to the other … thus I loved this post.
My godfather [commenter The E(ditor) ] has season tickets and there is a guy who is a perfectly nice “salt of the earth” guy who has seats behind his … but I swear by the end of the game I want to run my face into railway spike ..
There’s only so many “SACK THE QWATTABACK!!!!” comments I can take … we know what the defense’s goal is .,.. saying it isn’t going to magically make it happen on this play … yell, cheer have fun … but your yelling advice from 30 rows back isn’t helping.
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john l says:
if anybody watched the confederate cup in japan they used these soundmakers that were driving opposing teams nuts….like a buzzing bee sound…..mabey woody should incorperate those at the new stadium to help our d.
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DaveTN says:
I am not sure about the initial point- I work for a global fortune 50 company that advertises heavily with the NFL, and the founder/chairman is part owner of one of the franchises. I can tell you with 100% certainty we are not going to buy any extra seats this year, and are most likely walking away from some that we would have renewed in the past. Will some other corporations step up? Maybe. There are a few less banks to do so, though. I think that tv blackouts are more of a worry than the corporatization of the gameday crowd.
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Michael M says:
I think it’s important to distinguish between seats owned by a business, thus used for business purposes and fans that work for a corporation. The proprietor of this website works for as stereotypical of a corporation as there is, and nobody questions his devotion to the team. The ‘problem’ we’re concerned about is seats being filled not with Fans, but indifferent spectators, or worse, opponent’s fans. Unfortunately, the only way for the jets to insure Fan attendance in to win.
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T-Money says:
The problem with this post is that it’s unclear what we’re differentiating here – Are we just comparing rich vs. middle class fans? Or are we asking what it will be like when seats are owned more by companies than by fans, and therefore random suits (not fans) are a good portion of the attendance at a game? The premise implies the latter, but in reality, you just discussed the former.
Because if we’re just comparing different “types” of fans and how it affects the atmosphere at Jets games…I don’t really know that it matters. There is a certain mentality at Jets games that is just not negatable by less cynical fans. I agree with MattNYC’s description that “we are always waiting for the other shoe to drop, even when we are up big. We are quick to boo, and quick to cheer big plays.” But I don’t think it’s because the fans at games are lackluster…we’re just Jets fans. The stadium can roar in the first quarter, but after that, it’s truly pathetic, and any unsuccessful drive after about the first 2 is met with boos, and the kind of pessimism that makes it seem like the entire season was just lost, regardless of how many weeks into the season it is. I always make a point to stand up and make as much noise as I can on defensive 3rd downs and other such situations, but unless it’s the first 2 or last 2 drives of the game, I am the only one in my section (filled with others who have been attending games for many years) attempting to make a difference or show emotion – or even to stand up. And when the entire stadium is filled with a certain feeling, that’s what pervades everyone – corporate or not. And it is the lifelong Jets fans, the ones who are there every week, that have this feeling, and you can’t blame them. The fear that the Jets will blow the big lead, or whatever the situation, is entirely founded. I have rarely seen the Jets put a game away. I really think there should be a surgeon general’s warning outside the stadium on Jets game days: “May be dangerous for those with heart conditions.” And while I think the typical, old school type fans at games usually get cynical and stop cheering too early in the game, I can’t fault their attitude. We have reason to feel that way – we see the Jets blow it every week.
Back to the point of this post, both the optimistic and pessimistic views are talking about actual fans being in the seats. People who care enough to watch the game and like the Jets enough to cheer for them. I welcome people like that to attend Jets games any time, and I don’t care whether they’ve had season tickets since 1974 or got them from a client. As long as those people can behave themselves, I am all for it. I’ve become really disgusted with the behavior of my fellow fans at games. I won’t stop going, but I’ve come to realize that it’s really a disgusting atmosphere that is not appropriate for families or anyone with decency. (I attend games with my family, but we’re all adults.) It’s considered acceptable to yell at any fellow ticket holder who you decide you don’t like – for the entirely of the game, catcall every female who walks to her seat, throw things, etc. And there’s something about the atmosphere and the group mentality that just perpetuates this, no matter how many “corporate fans” are in attendance at the game, and no matter how tightly they seal off Gate D at halftime.
It’s sad to see that football games are increasingly becoming a luxury that only the wealthier can afford, but this isn’t unique to the Jets, unfortunately. And I think it needs to be pointed out that some old school season ticket holders don’t plan to continue purchasing tickets not because they can’t afford them, but simply because they are against the idea of PSLs and of change at all. I can’t at all blame them for this (I’m a young’in, but even I remember when Jets tickets were the cheapest in the league, and with no requirement to buy preseason tickets), but the point is that it’s not necessarily about what a Jets fan’s tax return looks like, but their attitude, which I think is more linked to how long they’ve been a fan than it is their paycheck. And the pervading attitude at Jets games currently is not one I’d like to see continue.
I hope that the new stadium will be filled to capacity – with fans of all types. But I also hope that the new building will allow a new start for the atmosphere at Jets games, one at which random suits, females, and children will feel comfortable. Also, a stadium that isn’t dead for the entire 2nd and 3rd quarters. And with the increased prices, we better see improvement in the game day experience. But honestly, I don’t know if anything other than a consistently better product on the field can make that change. Sanchez era FTW?
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Frank R. says:
Thanks Woody. Had 6 seats for 19 years in the upper deck. I got bounced out of the stadium by fans with seniority who were fleeing the PSL seats down below. I will watch every game on TV, but I promise you I will NEVER buy another hat, t-shirt etc…!!!
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The Ed(itor) says:
I had 6 tickets for over thirty years in lower tier. For my loyalty Woody wanted to charge me $10, 000 a seat plus $60 more per ticket. For what? Another lousy JETS team? 40 more years of not playing in the Super Bowl??? The stadium is geared to make Woody more money. But does it have a dome? NO!!!! The old stadium was fine with me.
Then if you choose to move your seats upstairs into the non PSL seats, you can’t transfer your seats as a penalty for not paying Woody extortion money. And if you go non-PSL, you have to park a mile away from the stadium as a penalty for not paying Woody his extortion money.
And if you are stupid enough to pay the “worthless in 30 years” PSL fees, you are locked in to endless increases in ticket and parking fees.
And then there is the insanity of holding training camp in Cortland, NY.
I once was an avid JETS fan. Today I am still an avid Yankees fan, because Steinbrenner is the best owner in baseball. And he doesn’t screw his fans like Woody does. I will never buy anything with JETS on it ever again. I will probably watch some games on TV (assuming there aren’t any blackouts), but without a #1 WR and predicted holdouts at RB, I doubt whether the JETS can improve on last years 9-7 record.
As to the selling out in 2009 and the predicted 20,000 seats available for 2010, Woody desrves all he gets. Woody tried to screw the fans. And the JETS fans are having the last laugh by screwing him.
Please sell the team!!!
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Adam says:
I have 3 tix at the 50, and 4 in the corner upperdeck last row. We never used the corner seats because the 4 seats behind us, 20th row, 50 yardline were always empty. I want to know who those “fans” are….
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The sad thing is because of Woody and his greed, the JETS will always be second class citizens in their stadium and in the NY Metro area.
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hank/naples says:
Hey Ed:
People are finally getting it. I got it way back when they fired Michaels and moved the team to Jersey. I gave (not sold) back the best seats in the house at Shea with Exec parking and all the toys. I even stopped buying Hess gas till he died.
I consder Woody more of a dirt bag than Hess because he bought into an operation that shares the operating expense with a co-tennant and does not pass the savings ( and God knows some of us can use it more than him) but he costantly and disproportionally makes price increses (milks us) for all its worth !!! Now he has another way to rape the “loyal” fan.God I hate that smirk on his bratty face !!
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P.S. Woody, In addition to Jets merchandise, I will boycott your Johnson & Johnson products also until the day I die. Do you think we were stupid enough to believe you couldn’t have financed the stadium without our “help”? I own a calculator. The stadium is practically paid for before it even opens without the PSL’s.
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rudy says:
Woody is the reincarnation of Pontius Pilate who made a meek attempt to build a stadium where there was massive opposition, simply because he knew that if he had gotten his wish in NYC he would have raped and pilfered all season ticket holders.
Woody is the iconic spoiled brat billionaire who was not involved in the building of the family fortune. Woody used his family name to head up charitable foundations as it was easier to raise money from the rich then to find a real job.
It’s too bad that the Hess family had to find a sucker in the taking of the Jet franchise for $600 million. I can tell you now that there weren’t many bidders for the Jets and that Woody cried to his brother and sister to approve the purchase of buying the Jets.
The Hess family was thrilled to have fetched such a ransom for the Jets were the only NFL franchise without a home of their own and the price tag was absolutely ridiculous. PT Barnum would have been proud of the Hess family swindle for it was surely the sports heist of the century.
Woody is a man with an ego and since he never was abble to succeed in a for profit business he decided that the purchase of the Jets would be his crowning achievement.
Lets get something straight, Hess didn’t have much success with owning the Jets and his move to the Meadowlands has always placed a cloud over the NY fan bases season ticket holders who like Popeye can be heard mumbling under their breadth after every home loss on the GW bridge.
I realy don’t think much of Woody, Tisch or Mara and hope that they never win another Super Bowl. I would rather root for a new football franchise and strongly feel that NY fans should try to arouse the interest of having a new NFL franchise.
I don’t know about how other people feel but I certainly feel disenfranchised and have even thought about selling my season tickets that have already been bought for the 2009 season.
The fact is that the Jets and Giants are both NJ corporations that play in the state of NJ and both have the audacity to borrow the NY name. I have come to realize that all of professional sports are on the decline and that many former fans like myself have had enough of the greed that permeates all of professional sports.
The players are ridiculously compensated and for what? Somehow the idea of paying these athletes such great money for cheating is just way over my head. Our society unfortunately accepts this type of behavior from the owners and the players.
I would prefer to watch a NFL team in a stadium that had no lights and was ready for the scrap heap if I could find the kind of passion and love that was demonstrated from its players and owners from yesteryears.
Greed has become the norm and standard of our society and it is quickly detroying the fabric of which made the US a great country.
I have loved rooting for the Jets my entire life however the moves that ownership have made since moving to NJ have slowly but surely killed my enthusiasm and the PSL is the last straw to break this camels back.
I don’t give a rats ass about what happens to the Jets and would be thrilled to see Woody’s investment go into the toilet. Its difficult for fans who have financially supported a sports franchise for as long as most NY season ticket holders have and its a crying shame that NY’s are left without a football team that they can call their own.
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Stu Farber says:
As I have said repeatedly since the PSL “possiblity” became a reality and the prices became known- the Jets (ie Woody and his ilk) are looking for customers, not fans. The loyal fans might have been considered but money wins out
I have had seats in the $20000 PSL territory since Shea Stadium, and stressing to me the value of wider seats and more flat screen TVs in the stadium will not lure me into buying a PSL at that price. Show me a consistent organization, coaching staff, philosophy, etc and I will be enticed. The Jets havent done this so I will move upstairs and displace some poor guy with less seniority – at least for one year
Woody will make his money anyway -
JW says:
The Jets now only have corners in the 100′s and 200′s and uppers left. They did sell out allt he good seats. However, if you paid face for a bad seat good luck getting anywhere near face if you can’t go, a bad seat can only go above face in a full stadium.
corporate fans are the same jerks that used to attend the Roman coliseums. While Rome was collapsing these people were looking for a “spectacle.”