FLASH: no upper deck seating in 2006

The owners did stumble, however by not telling season tickets holders first.

He was nice and listened to me, but said there is currently no forum in which fans can give feedback. He said we are welcome to get season ticket plans for roughly the same price in 200-03 and 230-33. I'd rather watch on TV at home. He doesn't agree that those are worse seats than 317.

This is presuming that there are roughly 13K seats in the thrid deck. (34 sections, 20 rows each? and 20 seats per row?)

It's an interesting experiment - if it's true let's at least hope that they tartp the third deck off so that it doesn't look so empty up there.

Odd, but, from a marketing standpoint ot makes some sense.

I guess there just haven't been many season ticket sales up there for a few years.

The expected Max occupancy will now be around 38,000.

They will not be opening them up at ALL, all year!!! Just like Mt. Davis last year.

In fact how many use AAA to buy 3rd deck tickets and move down. Paying 4.50 for a second deck ticket.

This eliminates that ability.

I feel bad for the season ticket holders though!!!

to close protions of a stadium to fans and have seats empty

it even looks pitful

The A's deserve better than this as do their fans

Sure it will create a rough effect on the 2-3,000
third deck season ticket holders but gamble makes sense to me.

Sure those cheap third level seats end up costing team money with security and clean up costs.

It just seems so ridiculous to close up half the stadium, especially on Red Sox games or playoff games.

And, as a fan, this sucks because I love walking up, paying $6 for tix and sitting wherever I want.  Plus it's great sitting with a "buffer zone" (extra seat) between you and your friends.  I hate sitting in crowded sections.

Higher ticket price + increased demand - concessions and sevice waste = more profit.

more profit = more money spent on the team

more money + Billy Beane = only a good thing.

Now, if I was still in high school, I would be throwing a hissy fit. But, I'm about to graduate college and want to buy good first-deck season tickets. I also think that the using tarps to cover the third deck is a great idea. Even better if they can celebrate our WS championships or MVP's. It would look really good. Or at least one-hundred times better than a stadium that's half-empty and all spread out.

Imagine if their plan worked and most games had two almost full levels with the bleachers rocking to capacity. The atmosphere would be greatly improved. I'm all for this plan...but I can understand why some of you are furious.

1. It drives up the demand for tickets (which leads to more advance sales and more revenue generated per person attending).
   
2. It brings the crowd closer together and makes for a more exciting atmosphere, which can only help the team while marketing toward corporate sponsors and the casual fan.
   
3. The folks who can't afford to go to games stay at home and pump up the the teams' TV ratings like the hordes of Yankee/Red Sox/Giants fans who can't afford to attend their teams' games either.

So you have to like this move, unless you'd rather the A's go the status quo and not generate any revenue on their own once again. Remember that the only reason the A's turn a profit is because of revenue sharing.

So either you applaud this proactive move to try and increase revenue, or you start rooting for the A's to trade Barry Zito this offseason to help pay for dirt cheap tickets again. Which is your right, of course.

By limiting seating getting a better handle on actual attendance maybe they will follow the trend of other ballparks with promotional items.  Wouldn't it be nice to have 32,000 bobbleheads rather than 15,000?  Also isn't 15,000 about double the season ticket holder base?

BART pays a huge amount of money to the A's for the $2.00 wed/$1.00 hot dogs.  Complain to them not the A's if the tradition does not continue, hell this year might be a better promotion.  Maybe BART decided not to do $2.00 wed this year and this helped make the decision about the third deck!  AAA, ANG Newspapers, Chevron, Longs drugs and others are who sponser the ticket promotions, will probably continue them just in different sections now.  

But the real crisis is: Where will the hardware guys hang out!

Mike Crowley is in charge of day to day operations and staffing.  It is his call to what concessions are open based on advanced ticket sales. Walkups are great, but mess up projections and staffing issues!  Then the fans complain to him about lines.  I remember on a large walk up crowd Angels game where there was a 1 hour wait for some concessions.  Remember how much food is stocked is also based on projection.

I was talking to someone at AN day, was it you Brianin317?  I commented on the closure of Mt Davis and would the 3rd deck might be next as it was not used in the late 70's and early 80's.

About ticket prices, visit other ballparks and you will know how good we have it!  The field level seats are $38 & $30, there are very few ballparks that have that price for a seat that is not obstructed.  Also our tickets have been very consistant it has been a $2.00 increase from year to year.  Parking has not been as consistant.  We also hold other season tickets and the increases have been in much bigger jumps. Our $10.00 "bleachers" are one of the better deals in baseball, those are $25 seats or more at most ballparks today.  

I do agree on the lack of customer service in not informing those season ticket holders about their future plans, but with the commotion caused yesterday, maybe they will think through their mistakes.  

<steps off soapbox>

They want to create scarcity. When was the last time you COULD NOT get a ticket to an A's regular season game?

Answer? Pretty much NEVER.

Wolffe wants A's fans to understand what fans in many other markets have known for years - if you wanna see the team, you gots to pay the price. Or be shut out entirely.

It sucks from a fan standpoint, but it makes perfect business sense.

But there is another huge problem for me. One I haven't seen mentioned yet. And it's for this reason that I will likely never attend another A's game at the Coliseum now.

I've gone to games over the years with 45,000 in attendance, and with 862 in attendance (that wonderful 1979 season).

I've seen the concourse areas with both levels of traffic inside, and everything in between.

The early 1960's design of the Coliseum means that the walkways are dark, narrow, and enclosed. It simply isn't suitable (or safe for that matter) to have the concourse area packed with people for 81 games each year.

When the Coliseum is packed, restrooms are unusable, the ability to move about to get something to eat takes upwards of 2-3 full innings, and most importantly, I've had 2 attempts of a pick-pocket on my wallet, and my wife has been touched inappropriately in the crush of humanity on one occasion.

I went to Petco Park in August, and I was blown away with how differently the concourse areas are set up in the newer parks.

I have no doubt that 38K in a new, modern, bright and airy stadium would present no problems to my enjoyment of the game, and the safety of my family.

But as long as the A's are in the Coliseum and keep the 3rd deck ban in place, the only games I would even consider will be the cold, dreary Tuesday nights when the Royals/Devil Rays are in town.

At least then I'll know that I can go to the ballpark, relax, and enjoy myself.

If the A's do this I definitely think this is a step in the right direction.  I'd think it would cut down parking lot traffic.  More importantly I'd think it would cut down on the bandwagon fans/visiting team fans that walk up the day of the game.  And hell, at least it'll make it easier to get my bobbleheads.  

Oh, I also asked about $2 Wednesdays and they anticipate some version of the promotion happening again this year.  We'll see.

The unused part is a product of a football stadium being used for baseball.  It's too many seats for most teams in MLB.

The part that gets me is "But this fan is definitely not going to be attracted to a more crowded, more expensive stadium."

More crowded?  Ummm. THAT'S what the stadium should be! Crowded. Packed with people.  Sold out.  See the ballparks of successful teams around the league.  There isn't room to put your feet up and spread out.  It's sold out and all the seats are filled.

More expensive?  That remains to be seen but if spending a few more bucks means keeping the teams intact then I'm afraid that's what we're all going to have to do.  Or would you rather watch all the games for free on TV as the A's play in their new ballpark...in Portland.

I see way too much whining from AN since this news broke.  I think a number of A's fans need to grow up and join the big leagues.

What can you do for the Athletics?

That seems to be the basic argument for those who favor the new seating arrangements.  Apparently, we (the fans who already regularly attend A's games) should dutifully and cheerfully accept any sacrifice...as long as it promises make more money for the team.

I don't think so.

Obviously, the corporation that is the Oakland A's has every right to do whatever it chooses with its' business practices.  They can charge $100 per ticket and $50 for popcorn if that is what they want.  They can have Stomper perform in the nude if they think it will make them more money.  It's their business (literally).  But, as an A's fan, I have every right to bitch and moan about not having a View Level.  It sucks.  No more spreading out to the seats around you.  No more playing catch on the empty concourse.  No more sunsets over San Francisco from the top row.  And what about that weird little kid in the A's super hero costume?  He can't afford the Plaza Level!  I'll still fork over $500 or so a season for tickets, but I'll get to go to half as many games.  It sucks.    

I pay my ten bucks and I'll cry if I want to.  

Maybe the decision will make more money for the team...maybe it won't.  Maybe any added income will be invested in player salaries...maybe it won't.  Maybe next season Nick Swisher will win the Triple Crown and the Nobel Peace Prize...maybe he won't.  But what you can be sure of is that the Oakland Athletics will never let you, the fan, get in the way of them making a buck.  

So when it comes to what happens off the field, we don't own them anything.