The team has far surpassed expectations outside of the Ravens’ locker room. Today they are knocking on the door of a playoff berth and as a result, the NFL’s ivory tower in New York has given the Ravens the green light to issue playoff tickets.
If you are a season ticket holder, the Ravens want your cake by close of business TODAY! Despite the fact that there are no guarantees that the team will make the playoffs, they want your money right now. To make matters worse, they want your money for two playoff game tickets even though there is a very remote chance that the team will host even one playoff game, much less two.
Now when you take this non-negotiable demand into consideration in the midst of the financial strife that affects many season ticket holders, I have to say that the NFL has no compassion for the plight of the average American citizen. They have some really big stones!
Why can’t they wait until Monday for season ticket holders to commit? Then the playoff picture might not be so hazy and the Ravens’ customers who have supported the team faithfully with their PSL money and season ticket shekels can make a more informed decision.
Now the team and the league will tell you that today’s deadline is a requirement in order to get you your playoff tickets in a timely and orderly fashion. And if you believe that, I have some waterfront property around Lake Montebello that my friend Skip would like to sell you.
PUH-LEASE!
How much difference is 4 days going to make – or to put it in more appropriate terms, 2 business days? They are delivering via FedEx not the Pony Express AND it’s a bill YOU are paying for. So what’s the big deal? Why can’t they wait 2 more business days?
And don’t tell me they need the time to print the tickets. Look if I want to buy a plane ticket to California today, I can do so online and print it out on my computer. Southwest will accept it at the gate.
Even if the commemorative aspect of the ticket is sacred and it needs to look decorative and shiny, so what? There are tons of printers out there that would love to have the Baltimore Ravens and/or the NFL as a client and they would do back flips to meet the deadline.
Who are they kidding?
And by the way, there are no specifics on these playoff tickets because right now, no one knows if and when the Ravens will play. Will it be January 3rd or 4th? Day or night? We don’t know. So if the tickets will show only general information, why not start printing those tickets upon notification from the NFL?
Instead the Ravens and the league will make the customer responsible for the uncertainty. They will force the customer in these difficult times to fork over the dough even though they are paying in advance for something that may never even happen.
Yet the customers will pay by credit card and pay interest on the outstanding amount while the Ravens and Steve Bisciotti get an interest free loan from their far less affluent customers.
I love this Q&A from the Ravens’ official web site…
Q: Why do I have to pay for two games now?
A: Playoff tickets are sold as a two game package, representing the maximum number of potential home playoff games. Due to time constraints for the distribution of tickets, we must collect for both games now, even if it seems unlikely that two playoff games would be played at M & T Bank Stadium.
I hope you are wearing your boots!
And to add insult to injury, the ticket prices are significantly higher than what the regular season prices are. Now there’s nothing new about that and I can understand the economics of it. But if they are to be consistent with the argument of supply and demand, then tell me why preseason tickets are the same as the regular season tickets? Why do they stick it to the customers for those barely watchable preseason games?
Let’s face it folks, this NFL playoff ticketing gamesmanship is nothing more than a ransom. They don’t want to give you until Monday. They want to appeal to your passion as a fan. They want to prey on your emotions. They want you to put that proverbial gun to your head and force you into a decision today before the picture clears.
Because on Monday when it becomes clearer, you just might conclude that there’s little chance of the Ravens hosting a game in the post season.
And then there goes that $17,000,000 interest free loan for the Ravens and Steve Bisciotti.
