Really the only time the Green Bay Packers brass listens to anything the fans have to say is when they speak with their wallets.
That happened when the playoffs rolled around this year and the fans sent a pretty clear message. That message was: fuck you.
The Packers needed an extended deadline to sell out their wild card game against San Francisco. Only when several corporate sponsors stepped in, did they manage to sell out and avoid what would have been an embarrassing local TV blackout.
Some people speculated that the sub-freezing temperatures were the reason people weren’t buying tickets. Others brought up the mediocre product on the field. In reality, the reason the game wasn’t easily a sellout was because the Packers organization is greedy.
As we’ve detailed before, the organization gives season ticket holders the opportunity to buy playoff tickets first. This year, they offered that opportunity in November (when the team didn’t even look like it would make the playoffs). The shitty part is, season ticket holders had to buy tickets for three playoff games, as if somehow the Packers were going to host a wild card game, divisional game and the NFC championship. The shittier part is, if any of those games weren’t played, you didn’t get your money back.
In some fairness, the Packers would let you apply the credit for any unused tickets to next year’s season ticket costs. But really, why would you want the Packers holding your money for you? Are they a bank?
At any rate, the season tickets holders who usually buy up those playoff tickets didn’t do so because they knew they were going to be out hundreds or thousands of dollars and maybe see only one football game.
Well, the organization conducted a survey of season ticket holders and fans after the season and they got the message.
President Mark Murphy says the Packers are going to change their policy for buying playoff tickets.
“I anticipate that we will make a number of changes and adjustments based on this feedback from our fans, including offering a “pay as we play” type of option for playoff games. With current available technology, we should be able to use this type of method as an option,” Murphy wrote in response to a fan question on Packers.com.
Then — get this, you’ll shit yourself — Murphy even went on to admit the organization made a mistake.
“Finally, in retrospect, I would say that we made a mistake in deciding not to refund the money to fans this year for playoff games not played. We learned from this mistake and will have a better policy in place next year.”
Damn right you will.
So let this be a lesson. The Packers organization only listens when you talk with your wallet.
They were hoping to make money on the interest from the deposits! Thats a scum bag move! Something I would expect from the Detroit Lions, not the Packers.
As a season ticket holder the lack of the refund option pissed me off.. It just rubbed me the wrong way. When we were discussing what to do I literally said to my wife “fuck them”. We will get tickets if you want. They are always available for wild card and divisional games..The only risk was a NFC championship game. (And that wasn’t going to happen)Those we hard to come by in 08..
You mean, people got mad paying for games that they didn’t go to and didn’t get a refund? how odd
Which one of you D Bags wrote this article? The NFL is about making money. We all know that. The organization sought out ticket holders opinions and will change the policy based on discovery. What more could you ask for. Isn’t that the real story here! Christ, lighten the fuck up. Bitch, bitch bitch, Bitch Bitch! That’s all you guys ever do anymore! Now, free agency, well that’s a different matter all together. Hopefully TT at least sniffs around a bit. Thank you, that is all!
I got a ticket to the playoff game against the Vikings for $40 from a scalper, and my friend told me about a guy that couldn’t even get rid of a single for $20. I’m never paying full price ever again. Even if I can’t find a ticket, it’s almost more fun hanging in the parking lot while you save $100+, watch the game out of the back of someones van, and get to eat and drink for less than a quarter of the cost in the stadium.
Agreed, GB West.
The organization and Murphy are doing the right thing in admitting they screwed up and making an immediate change.
They should be given props.
But season ticket holders WERE/ARE getting refunds. The balance is applied to the 2014 season, and if they had not had a playoff game, any left over amount after that was going to be returned via check. Yes, the Packers were probably playing the interest float, yes, it was an awkward way of doing it… but to keep trying to gin up some faux controversy and get this site’s readers to agree with you on something for a change is pathetic.