The Bears are reportedly raising their ticket prices by an average of 2.6%, you gotta be kiddin' me, right?
As a season ticket holder and a disgruntled fan, I feel the need to voice my opinion on this preposterous news making its way around Chicago today. The increase is obviously a response to the loss in revenue during the last couple seasons under John Fox. Kinda like when your dad loses his job then comes home and tries to charge you rent.
After keeping the prices flat for two straight years, the McCaskey's selfish reputation and their total lack of compassion for the fans is in the spotlight once again.
Why Bears Fans Should Be Furious About This
First of all, the team absolutely sucks. There's a reason why Chicago is drafting their highest since 1972 and it's primarily because they are terrible. Not only were they laughed off the field in 2016, after many media outlets predicted just that, but they lack starting caliber players at crucial positions ... like quarterback, left tackle and cornerback. This isn't new either, the Bears have finished 4th in their division three years in a row now.
Secondly, Soldier Field blows too.
The tailgating options are dreadful. The only real places to tailgate are the official parking lots of the stadium and McCormick place. The official lots require a parking pass you normally have to buy off the black market because they're never available anywhere else and McCormick place is constantly changing their rules recently banning "beer pong" from their lot. What is tailgating with no beer pong?
Third, the price is already ridiculous. In August of last year TiqIQ released data indicating Chicago already had the
fourth highest ticket price in the league. Imagine how that news was received and it was before the Bears shit the bed on their way to three wins this past season. Did we mention there's a 20+ year waiting list for season tickets and the fans' only option for purchase is off the secondary market? No real need to elaborate, if you're a Bears fan you already know.
The economics geek in the room is going to be the first one to say, "it's simple supply and demand, can't blame the Bears." Oh yes I fucking can. Chicago has been the third largest sports market in the country for decades, yet Soldier Field is the third smallest stadium in the NFL. Think about that for a moment. The population in Green Bay is roughly 105,000, yet Lambeau Field seats 20,000 more fans that Soldier Field? That makes very little sense. What makes even less sense ... the Bears don't even own it. The City of Chicago owns it and they had their chance to drastically increase the size of Soldier Field with a 2002 renovation ... instead they
eliminated 5,000 seats! The stadium is also too small to host a Super Bowl because it only seats 61k and the NFL's minimum requirement is 70k, so you can throw that out the window as well.
Did I mention the Bears' franchise has the third most wins in NFL history? That's proof alone that their popularity is through the roof. Why the hell is their stadium so small?
This is the part where I show the economics geek the definition of the phrase "rip off."
Season Ticket Holder Experience
As a current season ticket holder, I support my team. All of us do. We show up bright and early every game to fly our flags and wear our colors. We normally park in McCormick place, when it's open.
Lately though, the group has dwindled.
What used to be a group 10 cars that always parked close to the "DJ" and depended on each other for certain essentials no longer exists. Repeano is a restaurant owner. He was the guy who made unbelievable tacos every week for just a few dollar donation, allowed us to leave our food at home to save room in the car. Mike was the bar tender, he had the perfect solution for fans that showed up hungover at 6am and needed a Bloody Mary to get going. The group of doctors drive the Bears-themed U-Haul and always break out the 10 person beer bong after breakfast. What used to be a dedicate group of fans has now turned into a scarce group of acquaintances. Since the team has hit rock bottom the only real chance of getting everyone together all season is opening day. After that it's a crap shoot.
For the last three season I haven't been able to GIVE my tickets away. Late in November and December nobody in Chicago wants to go when the team is this bad, nobody. This forces season ticket holders to sit at home, knowing their seats are empty, and contemplate if they're worth buying again next season or not. Fortunately for the Bears most do, and it's primarily because most fear falling off that list which takes 20 years to get back on.
It's Not Just The Tickets
Did you know that the
Chicago Bears have one of the
strictest media policies in the entire league? This basically means a large amount of information consumed by reporters all across the city isn't allowed to be shared with the fans throughout the season. This is why it feels like you've been kept in the dark when it comes to information about the team. Primary examples include the extent of the
Kevin White's original injury and the cover-up of the
Daniel Braverman injury earlier this year.
The members of the organization, and the team, may argue that this secretive way of operating gives them a competitive advantage, but the three consecutive finishes at the bottom of the division would suggest otherwise.
What it really does is forces a disconnect between the team and their fan base. They did it with Lovie Smith, nobody cared about Marc Trestman, and they're doing it again with Fox. The Bears are notorious for keeping the secrets of their failure well hidden from the public and facilitating all their information through Brad Biggs when they're finally forced to speak. If there was a poll taken right now the city would fire the owner without blinking twice.
A Big F-U To The Fans
The part that hurts the most is you're the one who suffers. Not Virginia McCaskey and her $10 million house or John Fox and his "try not to lose" mentality. It's you.
You're the one who won't be able to ever afford a game to watch your favorite team play.
You're the one who will finally have season tickets one day, and then not be able to give them away if you can't make a game, after you spend a ridiculous amount of your hard earned money on them.
You're the one who will show up on game day and realize it's $50 more just to park your car.
You're the one who just witnessed the worst season in your team's franchise history only to turn around and pay 2.6% more for tickets.
I'm sure there will be some spin added to this to trick fans into thinking it's justified in some way, but it's not. It's a headline that will spread through Chicago for a day and then be swept under the rug after you swipe your card at the ticket booth.
The Bears don't care about you, they only care about targeting the small percentage of people in Chicago that can afford the ridiculous prices for seats in their tiny stadium.
Today is an embarrassing day to be a Bears season ticket holder.
