Serious Question - Why Are People Angry With Season Ticket Holders Not Renewing?
I have noticed something occuring recently on the board that I'm really hoping we can have a civil and respectful discourse on because I don't understand it and would honestly like to understand why it's happening. Why are people seemingly angry with alumni & others making the decision to not renew their season tickets?
To begin with I think there are a lot of good reasons to not renew your tickets AND I think there'sa lot of good reasons to renew your tickets. I could easily make an arguement for both and given that I've held mine since 1987 you can see that for 26 years I supported the "renew" side of the debate. But what I do not understand, and would like some board insight on, is why are people angry at those now deciding to not renew?
Look at every thread where the subject is broached. You will read comments like "don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out" or "we don't need you here anyways" and other deragatory posts where it's clear the person writing is upset that another person is not renewing. I truly don't get it - why are people mad over this? And take me and my well documented decision out of this please when responding - those negative comments have been directed across the board at virtually everyone who has posted they are not renewing next year. There was a thread up last night where the question was asked and posters with little or no board history were getting riduculed and slammed as "fair weather fans" for their decision.
If it's true that we have a long waiting list for seasons tickets the departure of some of the current attendees simply means new people will replace them. And presumably these new fans will be excited and happy to get their seats so the stadium will remain full and with new, perhaps more energized, fans. Why is this a bad thing? Why are people upset with those making the decision to stop attending (regardless of their reasons) - it doesnt make sense to me.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^
Not a bad idea. But for the most part people have been able to discuss the point without getting too wrapped up in their feelings about me. I think it's been productive.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
That says something considering the number of threads that have gone down in flames in the past 24 hours.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:16 PM ^
There are three major components to this:
1. Ticket prices are going up.
2. At the same time, we are in the midst of the worst economic recession in recent memory. And guess which state has been the biggest victim? Even if the team is performing real well, I'm sure everyone has to seriously question whether they can shell out so much money/
3. The on-field product is atrocious. Not underwhelming, not subpar, but atrocious. This is a team that should have lost to Akron.
If one, or even two of these were true, I don't think this group would be as prominent. But all three are a pretty tough combination.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
David Brandon has raised ticket prices in an attempt to maximize revenue. Now he has raised the prices to a point where many people are dissatisfied. Then he decided to "make his mark" on the progam by combining bumbling incompetence with meddling and arrogance.
The W-L record reflects that incompetence, meddling and arrogance.
I don't blame season ticket holders for telling David Brandon to take a flying "leap" through a rolling doughnut. I wish the trustees would do the same before he irreparably damages the "Brand."
November 27th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^
seriously considering not renewing. Getting old seeing old rivials kick the crap out of Mich every year. And playing Appy st plus a bunch of MAC schools sucks.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^
I do not technically own my season ticket. My uncle gives me one for helping him with various things all year. But after this season and how the team has regressed, I would strongly consider giving them up if I owned it myself. He texted me during the Iowa game and said ''If Borges is not fired I'm not renewing my tickets next year.'' I think he's 100% right.
It is incredibly obvious to me the current offensive staff is not going to cut it for this football team to compete with ohio state or even teams like wisconsin and michigan state. We've seen Borges cost us multiple games ever single year since Hoke got here. We've seen every single starting offensive lineman including the best two on the team get worse as the season went on. I dont want to hear ''We're young'' Do you realize the 1997 team had only 1 member (Jansen) that started a game. When Backus went down, Hutchinson and Ziemann were MOVED to the offensive line. MOVED as in they had played defensive line before. You're telling me that there is nothing wrong with this offensive staff? It's a joke. And if all of them are kept on staff for next year I firmly believe Dave Brandon is not concerned about the football team moving forward and that Hoke isn't either.
That is why people are considering not renewing. And if you're angry about that, kindly piss up a rope.
November 27th, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^
And Backus never went down; he played the whole year. Those guys didn't get switched over midseason or anything. And Hutch only ended up being maybe the greatest Guard of all time...at any level. So I'm not sure that was really average circumstances.
November 28th, 2013 at 8:00 AM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^
You do a great job of moderating this board, is there any way to limit the creator of the thread to post a "great post" to everyone that agrees with me after every new comment? The first few are fine and dandy, but by the 10th or 11th it gets pretty boring and doesn't contribute to the discussion. Just my thought.s.
November 27th, 2013 at 1:04 PM ^
Where do you see me doing that? I thought I was just responding to the negative ones actually. I said "happy thanksgiving" to a few people but I dont remember saying "great post" to anyone.
What prompted that?
November 27th, 2013 at 1:09 PM ^
This is just an observation that I have been noticing crop up a lot lately in several threads and wanted to see if it is being addressed. Unfortunately there isn't anywhere to leave general comments. If I offended you, it wasn't my intention. As you saw in my comment I did not single you out in any way. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from your friends to the east.
November 27th, 2013 at 1:19 PM ^
Thanks Ontario - not offended, just confused. Thanks for clearing it up.
FWIW - I've found that if the OP stays engaged in potentially explosive threads (like this one) they either damper the shit storm or inflame it. I've been trying real hard to do the former.
November 27th, 2013 at 1:53 PM ^
Without manually deleting things, there's no way to stop people from posting in such a fashion. Typically, however, spot deletions get reserved for those times when folks discover spambot or if there has been a chain of trolling / flamebaiting that can be removed without too much problem from the remainder of a thread.
November 27th, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^
Here
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/serious-question-why-are-people-angry-seaso…
and here
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/serious-question-why-are-people-angry-seaso…
and here
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/serious-question-why-are-people-angry-seaso…
and over there
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/serious-question-why-are-people-angry-seaso…
and nearly everywhere!
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/serious-question-why-are-people-angry-seaso…
You maybe didn't diectly write 'great post' but ontarioblue's point stands. You try to make the thread look like one big circle jerk in your favor.
November 27th, 2013 at 1:03 PM ^
I have explained why in other threads so I won't repeat myself, but it has nothing to do with my support of the this team or the program. I am still 100% behind this team, program and Brady Hoke.
I want the team to win, the kids to graduate and be successful. I have simply decided that the stadium atmosphere is not worth so much $$ any more.
GO BLUE! BEAT Ohio!
November 27th, 2013 at 1:57 PM ^
Way too much whining
November 27th, 2013 at 2:01 PM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 2:32 PM ^
assumptions about the reasons why people are not renewing. There are many potential reasons for not renewing, including not being able to afford the ticket prices any more, or desire to save money, or not having the time to go to the games, or whatever. I don't get angry at anyone for not renewing, per se. However, the people who CAN afford to go to the games, want to go to the games, but are not renewing because they want to stick it to David Brandon really disappoint me. These knee-jerk, emotional, anger-based decisions don't help the team in any way. My feeling is that the team and coaches need my support now, regardless of how I feel DB is running things, or the plays being called which I may not agree with. I love Michigan and the sports programs there, and I will keep going to the games because the athletes deserve and need our support - as long as I can afford to do so. There is no one in the program who doesn't want to win badly. So, I really want to see Michigan fans stick together and help the program get through this difficult time. Go Blue!
November 27th, 2013 at 2:35 PM ^
In what ways is the team impacted by a decision to buy tickets on StubHub instead of paying for a season ticket and the exorbitant PSD?
November 27th, 2013 at 2:36 PM ^
Instead of tearing the team down, we need to raise them up. Clearly (look at Peppers), fan reaction affects the team in a real way.
Cue Josh Groban
November 27th, 2013 at 2:38 PM ^
Can you demonstrably prove "fan reaction" is the reason why Peppers is taking visits? Or is it the fact that the team pretty much nosedived this year due to poor coaching and nonexistant player development?
If you're a top recruit watching this team right now, seeing players who actively regress week after week, can you reasonably say to yourself "this is a program that will transform me from a top recruit to an elite professional prospect"?
But, hey, it's easier to pile on the fans, right? We're obviously in the wrong here.
November 27th, 2013 at 3:00 PM ^
no, we can't "demonstrably prove" that fan reaction is behind Peppers' recent decision, but considering the kid himself said that he was looking again because of rumors that Hoke was out the door, fan reaction could be what caused those rumors in the first place.
November 27th, 2013 at 3:08 PM ^
If message board posts aren't going to influence some 17 year old kid and his views on the program, are message board posts really going to get a message across to the athletic department that people are FOR REALZ going to give up their season tickets and leave swaths of empty seats? Maybe neither is noticed; maybe both are. But if I'm wondering if a teenager being recruited or Dave Brandon are going to take the message a lot more seriously, I know which one I'm picking.
And in either case no one wants to hear it repeated over and over again.
November 27th, 2013 at 2:43 PM ^
Reading your post while looking at your avatar made me laugh.
November 27th, 2013 at 3:21 PM ^
what's far more likely the case is that Peppers is still being recruited by opposing teams, and those coaches are either telling him that Hoke will be fired, or that he's an inarticulate doofus who, along with his staff, doesn't have a clue about how to develop talent and build a truly competitive team, or most likely both.
If we were performing better on the field those assertions wouldn't have much weight, but unfortunately what's been happening simply buttresses those attacks on Michigan's staff.
November 27th, 2013 at 4:28 PM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 4:45 PM ^
I live in Florida and I will renew my tickets every year. I'm not concerned about a down year this year. This year's team was a few players away from being a 10-2 team. With some maturity on the interior OL and a couple more playmakers, we would have beaten Penn State, Nebraska and Iowa for sure. MSU and OSU would have been tossups with Al Borges and certain wins if any number of people on this board called the plays (or so I've been told).
I think people withdrawing their financial support because of a few down years are a bit too prideful, but whatever. See ya'll in Jacksonville (assuming that is where we end up). Go Blue!
November 27th, 2013 at 4:47 PM ^
Fire David Brandon.
November 27th, 2013 at 5:36 PM ^
But I left the state in '89, so I had to end my 4 years of season tickets. When I retire in 14 years, I plan to get season tickets once again, and continue until I die! I'l go to the 6 home games a year and to the bowl games! Hopefully the team will be good by then.
November 27th, 2013 at 6:08 PM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 8:32 PM ^
I would like to point out once again that a topic that spurns raw emotion CAN stay civil and up on the board all day. Thank you for eveyone who commented (even those old friends who called me whiney) and offered insight. Believe it or not it was very helpful to me as people, when they want to, can offer intellegent and thoughtful insight and not just snarky nonsense.
We can have nice things. You guys just proved it - thank you.
November 27th, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 9:30 PM ^
November 28th, 2013 at 12:15 AM ^
November 28th, 2013 at 12:38 AM ^