I'm glad I prefer to watch football on TV...

[Kodos]

hxxp://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-doltix24jan24,0,7664678.story?coll=sfla-dolphins-front

The way teams are screwing over longtime fans who like to attend the games, I'm glad that I prefer to watch games on TV.

Some longtime fans won't renew as Dolphins send price of club seats soaring

By Sarah Talalay
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted January 24 2007

Miami Dolphins club-seat holders whose 10-year contracts expired this past season are in for some sticker shock.

Prices are rising, some more than 200 percent. George Torres, a spokesman for Dolphins Enterprises, said the increases are needed because prices have gone up modestly during the 10 years and because of upgrades at Dolphin Stadium, which will add bars and restaurants as part of the stadium's $250 million renovation.

He said increases, which the team will not disclose but vary depending on location and how long the seat holder has had a contract, affect 4,293 club seats. The stadium has 10,175 club seats on the 200 level. They are covered seats and include access to buffets and air-conditioned lounges.

Some founding Dolphin Stadium club-seat holders -- meaning they have held club seats since the stadium opened in 1987 -- say they are shocked by the increases and will not renew. Those seat holders have held two consecutive 10-year contracts, which included small price increases each year, and are being offered a preferred price. But even that is too high, some say.

Judy Manderson, president of Pompano Honda and a season-ticket holder for 35 years, paid $187.35 per game for each of her four seats in section 212 on the 20-yard line. As a founding club-seat holder, she has been offered a preferred price of $400 a seat (an increase of 113 percent), which will rise to $500 (a 167 percent hike), if she pays after Feb. 23.

Manderson isn't paying.

"When you're selling a marginal product, you don't raise the price," she said, adding that the team hasn't been to the playoffs in five seasons. The Dolphins were 6-10 in 2006.

She says it's not good business. "When someone buys a car from me and they come back and buy another one, I give them a better deal, not a worse one."

Her bill for two exhibition and eight regular-season games rises from $1,873.50 per seat to $4,000 under the discounted price.

"I think $4,000 [for the full season] is stupid money, and I can pay it but I won't," said Manderson, who lives in Delray Beach and whose car dealership sponsors Dolphins radio broadcasts. "I am a huge sponsor corporately, I am a huge fan personally. ... I'm heartbroken, but it's not worth that much money."

Torres said the team has received complaints, but "we have received calls from people who are renewing and are very happy with the amenities and improvements."

Torres said some information about the increases might be released when the team unveils its season and individual game ticket prices for 2007 next month.

Edward Klotz, a 33-year season-ticket holder and another founding club-seat holder from Boca Raton, said he paid about $162 apiece in '06 for each game for two seats in section 246, at roughly the 2-yard line. The price next season is increasing to $500 each, or $400 if he pays by Feb. 23. If he pays by today, he also gets a chance to purchase two tickets to Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium on Feb. 4. The $400 price represents a 147 percent increase; the $500 price a 208 percent hike.

"They have priced me out," said Klotz, who describes himself as "the biggest" fan. "I'm not renewing, the people next to me are not renewing, the guy who is my money manager is not renewing. These people are all longterm Dolphin fans."

Klotz said the contract also doesn't include a price guarantee. Under the new terms, club-seat holders must sign leases for between three and seven years, depending on location, instead of 10 years, and the longer the contract, the smaller the annual increases. On top of annual increases, which range from 4 percent to 12.5 percent depending on the contract's length, the Dolphins will charge a fee of 2.5 percent above the Consumer Price Index or 5 percent, whichever is greater.

Meanwhile, if the team decides to increase the base price of the seats, the club-seat holder will be charged the same increase.

"Nobody who has any fiscal sense whatsoever would sign this lease," Klotz said.

[JediKooter]

Maybe they can try increasing profits by putting a winning team on the field.

[lynchjm24]

Seems like you could make the difference up in the hike by selling the Super Bowl tickets.

[Fonzie]

While I find it counterintuitive to raise prices while offering crappier products, I'm sure the Dolphins have done their homework. They wouldn't be boldly raising their asking price if they weren't pretty sure the market would bear it.

And if they're wrong, then they'll be forced to reduce their prices. It'll all take care of itself. In the meantime the fans have a nice opportunity to express the righteous indignation we all enjoy so much.

[rkmsuf]

The biggest outrage is you pay the same for the 2 exhibition games. That and on top tickets they hit you for parking.

Sigh, people will pay though and the place will sellout so who are the idiots?

[Ksyrup]

This is in response to the property insurance crisis in Florida. Those seats are closer to the coast than the nosebleed sections.

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

The biggest outrage is you pay the same for the 2 exhibition games. That and on top tickets they hit you for parking.

Sigh, people will pay though and the place will sellout so who are the idiots?

Yeah, the justification for charging "real" game prices for exhibitions is the part I've never understood. But people are paying what the NFL teams are asking, so I'm sure the teams see no reason to change this policy.

[jeff061]

So these guys who are getting the bargains are not renewing. Now they can make more money from other parties who will pay it even without a bargain. Or is that just a New England mindset?