Ray - I agree in your assessment of attendance at minor league games to a point. I think there are pure fans of the game, and there is an element of "partners in a campaign" as you put it. But in the case of the Spinners, I would guess that those make up about 20% of the attendees. The majority come because it is an affordable alternative to the Red Sox and it has an emphasis on family entertainment. If you've got a couple kids, it will run you $400 - $500 for a night out at the Red Sox, you are probably sitting behind a pole, and the kids are ready to leave by the 7th inning. At the Spinners, for $100 you can go to the game, park within walking distance, have a great seat, and buy dinner and ice cream for everyone.
But the thing that really makes it work for the Spinners is their affiliation with the Red Sox. I am convinced that if the Red Sox were a Toronto Bluejays farm team their attendance would be cut in half - maybe even less. Young kids don't care that much if they see David Ortiz or Kolbrin Vitek, as long as the guys are wearing the Red Sox logo. And the Spinners will sign autographs until their hands bleed before and after the game. Then there is the allure of picking the future stars of the home town team. Knowing that guys like Youk, Papelbon, Pedroia, Lester, etc. all came through the ranks at Spinners makes it more interesting for fans of all ages. And the occasional rehab start boosts interest even more. The Spinners have been to the playoffs once in their 14 year history. I went to the one playoff game ever held in Lelacheur park and the place was less than half full because it was in September, kids were back to school and there were no advance ticket sales. The fact that they are a short season single A club with only 28 home games boosts demand for their tickets even more. The success of the team is really an anomaly. It is a perfect storm of minor league sports and really can't be compared to other teams in their category. I just wish I invested in the team in 1996. Steve ________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ray Salemi Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 11:38 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: NESN dropped to 5th in viewers from #1 since 2003 I think that it would be interesting to understand what sports mean to different communities. For example, the Lowell Spinners are constantly sold out regardless of the fact that they've only been to the playoffs a few times. For them, there is little relationship between W/L and attendance. I went to a Tornadoes game and the attendance was about the same size as always: 1500? There was little angst over the fact that we lost. European football teams seem to have the same number of supporters regardless of record. Yet, the Red Sox attendance and interest drops off dramatically if the team is out of contention. I think that there are two basic kinds of fans: 1. Fans of the game -- These fans love the game and will go regardless of the record because they like the team and the level of play. 2. Partners in a campaign -- These fans feel that they are somehow part of a campaign to bring honor to their city. They want to be in the park or watching on TV during pivotal events. I think the Partners in a Campaign fans drop off once the campaign is obviously over. I heard someone say of a game towards the end of the season, "Just so you know that game will be meaningless." The person saw little intrinsic value in going to a baseball game if a title wasn't on the line. On Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 9:54 AM, Larry Rupp <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: I read an article that since 2003, NESN has held the #1 spot of most watched local baseball broadcasts. This year at the half-way point, NESN has fallen into 5th place... Can you say lackluster year! -Larry -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Red Sox Citizens" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]<mailto:redsoxcitizens%[email protected]>. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en. -- Author of "FPGA Simulation: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide" www.fpgasimulation.com<http://www.fpgasimulation.com> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Red Sox Citizens" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Red Sox Citizens" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en.
