The Green Bay Packers got their sellout for Sunday, which means there will be no local TV blackout, but probably not the way they wanted it.
The final 1,000 or so tickets were purchased by corporations, led by Associated Bank. Also chipping in were the FOX affiliates in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Wausau, who have a vested interest in the game actually being on TV; and Mills Fleet Farm and Bellin Health.
All of the companies that aren’t TV stations are already Packers sponsors, so they probably got a guarantee of some future sweetheart advertising deals.
Here’s what team president Mark Murphy had to say.
“A unique season and other factors contributed to having tickets available, but with the support of our fans and partners, we’re looking forward to a great atmosphere Sunday at Lambeau Field for the playoff game against the 49ers. We also know fans around the state will be able to enjoy the telecast.”
Let me translate that.
“Because we pretty much sucked balls for most of the season and I made the idiotic decision to try to charge season ticket holders a non-refundable deposit for THREE playoff games in November, we had some extra tickets available. I really thank these companies for covering my dumb ass.”
The cheapest tickets for Sunday’s game were $102, so these companies forked over more than $100,000 altogether.
What’s doing to happen to those tickets? There hasn’t been any announcement about that. The same thing happened in Indianapolis, where Meijer led the effort to buy the remainder of the Colts’ tickets. They’ve pledged to give those tickets to military families.
Associated Bank will probably just be handing them out to their cronies.
There is one expert on espn who is picking the Pack. None on foxpsorts. Four of nine “experts” on cbs pick the pack, but their track record leaves much to be desired. Usually Dave Richard seems to the best, but he is having an off year. Pete Prisco is picking us and that always makes me worry.
Factor that with these adverse circumstances:
-an historic arctic blast with subzero temperatures will rival the icebowl
-the extreme unlikelihood of even making the playoffs up until the end–even reaching the level of absolute metaphysical certitude that we will not make the playoffs
-an absurd refund policy that takes a lot of dough out out of ticketholders pockets just before Christmas.
It is understandable why it came down to the wire.
Hey Murph, if it ain’t broken why “fix” it?
Re-cycling the “big hand” photo…
…again?
I wish we had audio for the picture (“I’ve always had a fondness for Mad magazine. I don’t feel I need to justify my lifetime subscription. Or dispute the notion that I’m some kind of mascot or figurehead. I’m here to talk Packer football…”)
Well said. I almost shit my pants from laughing when the playoff ticket invoice arrived.
This whole,,’the game is better at home’ is bunk.
To be a part of an erupting crowd as C Woodson sores over Lions into the endzone on a pick six cannot be replicated,,,even on hdtv.
To panoramically watch an AROD rifle shot span half of the field and drop into the hands of a galloping Jordy Nelson is so, so much better live than on cameras shots that give you half of the play on your TV.
To feel as though your roaring support catapults Reggie White into back to back sacks of John Elway to stifle a 4th quarter comeback effort by the Broncos,,,,simply cannot be experienced from your mancave.
If people keep saying the home product is better, guess what, the NFL is gonna realize this ‘great value’ and start charging PPV for you and I to watch games in your mancave. Friends, that will be very, very bad for our pastime. Way too many moderate fans will simply punt that to the curb.
The answer is to keep these playoff tickets closer in line with regular season ticket pricing. In today’s economy, the middle class is shrinking. Its not if people want to be at the game vs. Watching it at home. It is simply about whether they flat out have the hundreds of dollars it takes to go to a playoff game.
Ask yourself or any fan you know,,,short of the superbowl what some of their fondest gametime memories are,,,,promise you they are gonna site games they were a PART of by being their live.
As my son’s remind me when I scream at the TV in excitement,,,’Dad, they can’t hear you’….and you know, they are right. But, at the staduim, they can,,,because you are part of the action!!!
Bring playoff tickets pricing closer to the regular season game pricing, and this problem fixes itself real quickly!
Go Pack Go!!!!!!!
I was at that game when Chuck W scored against the Lions. Great game!. and the weather was in the 60’s I think. Very sunny and very comfortable!GO PACK GO!
Agreed, great game; even better pick-six. I’ll never forget ChuckWood’s diving pick and incredible leap for a TD. Perfect example of why he is one of the GOAT.
I was at the game against Denver where Reggie White sacked Elway three straight times to end the game.
A Sunday night game that brought out a young crowd, it is still one of the greatest games I ever attended.
First: is this the 3rd time am reading about playoff tickets not being refunded? And it’s the wrong info.
Second: being at that game live s fantastic no doubt about t but there s something to be said about having all your friends over watching, drinking and having a great time!
Third: the packers have fans all over the world and we are just priced out of to these games.
Just the way it is….
Yes it’s the third time they are reporting the absolutely wrong season ticket holder playoff ticket info. Fucking brain dead.
Was looking at some of the weather related comments.
Looks like “Colder than a…” weather has returned to Sconni for a while.
Wolf, a bit of advice – don’t move to Wisconsin. Unless you’re grow up with it as a kid and are raised in it, you never really adapt to it.
Back in the late 1960’s, can’t remember the specific year, we had a stretch of 31 days in a row where the temperature never got above zero. But since I was a kid, me and my buds just said ‘what the fuck’ and went about life as usual.
Coldest day/night I ever recall was about 1973/4, got down to -38* and we were out bombing around on our sleds. We figured that with the speed (70’s mph in those days) the wind chill factor was something like -262*.
I just hope it gets close to that on Sunday, and when Kaepernick’s hands get hits he starts looking around on the ground for his fucking fingers that just broke off.
I dunno man, I need to escape from New York, before one has to do so Snake Pleskin style.
I won’t bore people with that though.
Cable tv will probably be dead in 5years. Then what?
What the fuck is wrong with this writer? They offered playoff tickets to season holders for TWO playoff games. And any money left over goes toward next season’s tickets… And any left over after that will be REFUNDED. Read that again – REFUNDED. Sure this had something to do with the non-sell-out situation… But at least get your facts straight! Get off the high horse and report facts if it’s not too much trouble.
I think there’s a law that says writers can’t have their facts straight. Not long ago I read an article on NFL.com where some dipshit said Charles Woodson was with the Packers for 5 years. Instantly I was thinking BULLSHIT. He literally could have made a couple clicks on the SAME WEBSITE that he WORKS for to find out the right number, but no. Is that so hard?
Richard Sherman anyday over Woodcock
Your mom likes any day over woodcock.
When he has a DPOY award, a Heisman and a Ring, then you talk your shit. Until then, you, Sherman and all the rest of Seacock-gobbling Nation are just our bitches.
IGGLES VS SEAHAWKS NFC CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!!!
You better hope not. If you have to go to Seattle, you will lose.
Bought tickets at the Lambeau ticket office two days before the Ice Bowl. That game sold out late in the week also. So before you draw too many conclusions just remember : Ain’t nothing new. Its happened before.
As a shareholder, I’m disappointed MY teams bottom line was going to suffer because our fan base takes our 8 win team for granted like we are the Braves