The NFL lockout is over. Football fans got what they wanted and will be able to file into stadiums on time for those always exciting preseason games and regular season games. Fans do not really care about money squabbles — even when they are forking over nearly $250 per ticket for a regular season game at Soldier Field — so long as there are actual games.
Lockouts are not about the fans. Often, they are about forgetting or ignoring the fans. Fans do not understand the business side of things. And it is ultimately the fans’ investment that helps net the players and owners millions of dollars. At least that is what the fans think.
Rarely do teams give back to the fans, especially during the non-revenue-generating time that is a lockout.
Bulls fans won’t have to worry so much about that if the lockout is going to last.
Lacy J. Banks of the Chicago Sun-Times reports the Bulls will offer refunds with interest to season-ticket holders and sponsors should the lockout cancel the 2011-12 season, something at least one other team has already done. That certainly is a welcome sign for fans who feel professional leagues are forgetting them while arguing over millions of dollars during an economic recession.
“The Bulls have been around a long time and expect to be around much longer,” Bulls marketing chief Steve Schanwald said. “As long as we are in business, we will treat our season-ticket holders, our sponsors and other supporters fairly.”
Chicago is not one of those teams struggling financially right now. The team already has 16,000 tickets sold and have the most sold since Michael Jordan was walking the floor. The average ticket price for the first 10 games of the regular season (as planned at least) are going for an average of $200 according to TiqIQ. Yes, Derrick Rose and the Bulls’ sudden ascension to the top of the Eastern Conference certainly helped. But the Bulls have always been a big seller. Even at 41-41 in 2009 and 41-41 in 2010, the Bulls were second and first in the league in attendance. They were second in 2008 when the team finished 33-49 and fell to the lottery for the first time in four years. Luckily for them they drafted Derrick Rose.
Chicago has been in the top five in attendance, according to Basketball-Reference, every year but one in 2002 and they still finished ninth despite a 21-61 record and a fourth straight losing season in the wake of Jordan’s retirement.
The Bulls do not have attendance issues.
But in a lockout where numerous owners are claiming major losses, this kind of a give back to the fans is curious. Securing season ticket sales might be the only vague stream of revenue the owners will see if this lockout persists. Of course, the owners firmly believe they stand to make more money (or lose less money) losing a season than continuing to operate under the league’s current collective bargaining agreement.
I am sure we will see other similar plans — maybe not as complete as Chicago’s plan — come out as the lockout continues as the owners hope to keep the fans on their side and win the public relations battle.
The Bulls’ refund promise is perhaps another shot fired in the lockout. Or maybe it is just a nice thing to do with no business ramifications whatsoever.
