Eye-Opening Attendance Figures at MSG

[Niko]

I had seats given to me by my old firm against the Sens on the 26th. They were 20 rows off the ice in 115. I gave them away the day of the game because I didn?t want to take the LIRR into Manhattan on my day off. The live experience isn?t the worth any inconvenience, tbh. The cost of concessions, traveling an hour each way to get there to have obstructed views and the overall sterile atmosphere makes it undesirable to me. And I?d never pay for season tickets or any Rangers tix again after what MSG did to me after 12 years of being a season subscriber.

[LeetchFan]

And I’d never pay for season tickets or any Rangers tix again after what MSG did to me after 12 years of being a season subscriber.

What did they do ?

[Puck Head]

Went to the game in Vegas last January, and there was a huge buzz, an event. Some of the Vegas showbiz stuff was over the top, but it was fun. Nothing like that at MSG.

 

Vegas had a huge buzz.

Not the same type as you?d find in a Canadian City, but a great vibe none the less

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

[Patrick Bateman]

Just get blackout drunk before stepping in MSG and you'll find the atmosphere is pretty good

[Future]

Just get blackout drunk before stepping in MSG and you'll find the atmosphere is pretty good

And save $100 on beverages.

[josh]

I’d probably spend more on booze in that condition

[LeetchFan]

When I had my season tickets, alot of people were dropping them because the Rangers had just won the Cup. Originally, we were 4 guys sharing the tickets....we fought over every game....others wanted in for 10-12 games (I don't think the Rangers had partial-ticket plans back then but I could be wrong). I did a favor for the guy who "owned" the entire 40 games so he let me in.

 

Over the years, we lost part of the buyers and the "want-ins" waiting list. By 2000, I couldn't give away my seats and it was down to my and the Owner splitting the 40 games (20 each) which was too much for both of us (I was no longer working in NYC; he lived in PA). We dropped them soon after. The cost started to go up once they renovated MSG and the team started making the playoffs again. As I recall -- I'll have to see if I have an old stub somewhere -- but I think our old Green seats (right below the press seats/press box) were $35 each so I laid out about $700 or so for 10 games. That seems about right.

[LeetchFan]

Another factor you guys mentioned: the experience from home is light-years better.

 

When I was a season ticket holder, I had just bought a brand-new 27" ProScan color TV. Semi-flat, the game seemed HUGE on it. It replaced my 15-year old 19" Sylvania that I got my last year of high-school (before that, I actually watched Ranger games on a 19" B&W). But being at the game was still much better than watching on a 27" TV, even my friend's 40" TV (biggest at that time, aside from bulky and pixelated rear projection TVs).

 

Today, I have a big HDTV like many of you (60") that I watch from 9-10' away. It's light-years better than the 19" and 27" TV's I grew up watching the NYR on. Meanwhile, the game is the same if you attend MSG except for some more glitz on the scoreboard and wider concourses and more food choices.

 

The NHL is not as reliant on cable and national TV rights as the NFL is but it does help a ton. 40 years ago, I would say that 95% of the revenue was probably from ticket sales. Today, it's probably about 75%.

[Giacomin]

When I had my season tickets, alot of people were dropping them because the Rangers had just won the Cup. Originally, we were 4 guys sharing the tickets....we fought over every game....others wanted in for 10-12 games (I don't think the Rangers had partial-ticket plans back then but I could be wrong). I did a favor for the guy who "owned" the entire 40 games so he let me in.

 

Over the years, we lost part of the buyers and the "want-ins" waiting list. By 2000, I couldn't give away my seats and it was down to my and the Owner splitting the 40 games (20 each) which was too much for both of us (I was no longer working in NYC; he lived in PA). We dropped them soon after. The cost started to go up once they renovated MSG and the team started making the playoffs again. As I recall -- I'll have to see if I have an old stub somewhere -- but I think our old Green seats (right below the press seats/press box) were $35 each so I laid out about $700 or so for 10 games. That seems about right.

 

Yes there were partial season ticket plans in the 90's, at least one plan where you could get 15-20 games. My friend would sell some to me and another guy. And he seemed to always have the ability to add games, if they were available. Once you aren't working in the city it becomes cumbersome to go to more than a few games. It was no big deal to get a partial plan when they were $35-$40 for a good seat. Now it's a whole different ball game.

 

To your other point, while the MSG experience has gotten worse and light years more costly, a 60-70" Plasma (the best for fast-motion focus) or OLED is still relatively cheap considering. The home experience has gotten much better, including all the great beer, wine and groceries you can have shipped to your home.

 

But let's not forget the most simple and IMPORTANT aspect of the 65" HD TV. You can see the puck and the players numbers clearly now. You can rewind and watch replays of anything and watch w/o commercials. Does it get any better than that?

[Niko]

What did they do ?

 

At the end of my 12th year when it came time to pay for play off tickets, they sent out an invoice for playoff tix in March or so and said we could put a down payment on next season. I knew I was getting married and buying a house in the next fall, so I called my ticket rep and said I wasn?t coming back next season. While I wasn?t going to renew, I still wanted the tickets for the post season of the current year, as I was entitled to my seats for having paid for a full season. As I had done every year before that.

 

Days of fighting with my season ticket rep, her supervisor and finally the guy who runs the season ticket department, I got to keep my seats. After telling me I couldn?t get play off tickets, they gave my seats away and told me I could get into a lottery for tix or buy tickets thru ticketmaster with their bogus presale code that we all know doesnt really work.

 

I ended up getting seats in a better section for the same price but the way MSG dicked me around will never be forgotten.

[Niko]

My first year of tickets was 2005 and I paid $18 a ticket for section 419 Row C. I had aisle seats. The seats then sent up to $22, then $26. I moved down to 225 after that and don’t remember what I paid.

[Bugg]

Just get blackout drunk before stepping in MSG and you'll find the atmosphere is pretty good

 

Pre 9/11 you could sneak in all the booze you wanted, if you wanted hard liquor and buy a soda or 2 to mix, no problem . But usual MO was 3 seats,rotating cast of lads for most of the 1990s. Pretty much loaded our winter jackets with cans of Bud(case of 24 in the day), one guy smuggled in a bag of ice and plastic bag to make a cooler, each buy a beer to make it look good, fill your cup with icy suds all night. Heck, we bought down jackets specifically for max tin jacket capacity. Only time anyone got stopped was the ice man with 2 guys on either side of him loaded down like 2 Tin Men. And he made up a nonsense excuse that he needed the ice for a bad back. They let him through.

[Giacomin]

Pre 9/11 you could sneak in all the booze you wanted, if you wanted hard liquor and buy a soda or 2 to mix, no problem . But usual MO was 3 seats,rotating cast of lads for most of the 1990s. Pretty much loaded our winter jackets with cans of Bud(case of 24 in the day), one guy smuggled in a bag of ice and plastic bag to make a cooler, each buy a beer to make it look good, fill your cup with icy suds all night. Heck, we bought down jackets specifically for max tin jacket capacity. Only time anyone got stopped was the ice man with 2 guys on either side of him loaded down like 2 Tin Men. And he made up a nonsense excuse that he needed the ice for a bad back. They let him through.

 

Awesome!

[LONG LONG LONG TIME FAN]

Probably got so stoned that you thought you were watching the Knicks!

[Pete]

Another factor you guys mentioned: the experience from home is light-years better.

 

When I was a season ticket holder, I had just bought a brand-new 27" ProScan color TV. Semi-flat, the game seemed HUGE on it. It replaced my 15-year old 19" Sylvania that I got my last year of high-school (before that, I actually watched Ranger games on a 19" B&W). But being at the game was still much better than watching on a 27" TV, even my friend's 40" TV (biggest at that time, aside from bulky and pixelated rear projection TVs).

 

Today, I have a big HDTV like many of you (60") that I watch from 9-10' away. It's light-years better than the 19" and 27" TV's I grew up watching the NYR on. Meanwhile, the game is the same if you attend MSG except for some more glitz on the scoreboard and wider concourses and more food choices.

 

The NHL is not as reliant on cable and national TV rights as the NFL is but it does help a ton. 40 years ago, I would say that 95% of the revenue was probably from ticket sales. Today, it's probably about 75%.

Hey, RangersRule is back... Still talking about his TV.

[Sod16]

Pre 9/11 you could sneak in all the booze you wanted, if you wanted hard liquor and buy a soda or 2 to mix, no problem . But usual MO was 3 seats,rotating cast of lads for most of the 1990s. Pretty much loaded our winter jackets with cans of Bud(case of 24 in the day), one guy smuggled in a bag of ice and plastic bag to make a cooler, each buy a beer to make it look good, fill your cup with icy suds all night. Heck, we bought down jackets specifically for max tin jacket capacity. Only time anyone got stopped was the ice man with 2 guys on either side of him loaded down like 2 Tin Men. And he made up a nonsense excuse that he needed the ice for a bad back. They let him through.

 

How's this: back in the 80s I used to do laundry at my parents' house in the burbs on Sundays and arrive back at Penn Station somewhere during the first period of the Rangers game. I'd buy a ticket from a desperate scalper for about $3 and walk into the game with my big blue hockey bag packed with laundry. No problem! They didn't even check it! I did this any number of times.

[Giacomin]

How's this: back in the 80s I used to do laundry at my parents' house in the burbs on Sundays and arrive back at Penn Station somewhere during the first period of the Rangers game. I'd buy a ticket from a desperate scalper for about $3 and walk into the game with my big blue hockey bag packed with laundry. No problem! They didn't even check it! I did this any number of times.

 

Love it. The getting a scalper ticket after the game starts was an old trick my dad showed me. He grew up poor, so he's keen on finding "bargains". I was always worried about getting shutout or missing something. Once counterfeit tiks hit the scene, that method got too sketchy. In the 80's my friends and I would smuggle beers into Shea, man was that easy. Never snuck booze into a game at MSG, however for many concerts....

[paddynyc]

Pre 9/11 you could sneak in all the booze you wanted, if you wanted hard liquor and buy a soda or 2 to mix, no problem . But usual MO was 3 seats,rotating cast of lads for most of the 1990s. Pretty much loaded our winter jackets with cans of Bud(case of 24 in the day), one guy smuggled in a bag of ice and plastic bag to make a cooler, each buy a beer to make it look good, fill your cup with icy suds all night. Heck, we bought down jackets specifically for max tin jacket capacity. Only time anyone got stopped was the ice man with 2 guys on either side of him loaded down like 2 Tin Men. And he made up a nonsense excuse that he needed the ice for a bad back. They let him through.

 

Good story Bugg :rofl: Loved going loaded up in the pockets like walking through the park

[Blue Heaven]

Pre 9/11 you could sneak in all the booze you wanted, if you wanted hard liquor and buy a soda or 2 to mix, no problem . But usual MO was 3 seats,rotating cast of lads for most of the 1990s. Pretty much loaded our winter jackets with cans of Bud(case of 24 in the day), one guy smuggled in a bag of ice and plastic bag to make a cooler, each buy a beer to make it look good, fill your cup with icy suds all night. Heck, we bought down jackets specifically for max tin jacket capacity. Only time anyone got stopped was the ice man with 2 guys on either side of him loaded down like 2 Tin Men. And he made up a nonsense excuse that he needed the ice for a bad back. They let him through.

 

I remember when my dad use to take me to Friday night games in the 80's-1991, he and his 2 buddies that sat next to him would bring an ice lined briefcase full of budweiser cans.

Before security did more thorough checks and metal detectors (probably 8-10 years ago), my now wife use to sneak in Chipotle in her sleeve.

[Sod16]

The getting a scalper ticket after the game starts was an old trick my dad showed me.

 

I used to take special pleasure in paying with change. Pay $2 for a ticket well into the first period. Give him one greenback, three quarters, two nickles and dime? No go? Continue on to my apartment on 12th Street, unpack my laundry, watch on MSG.

[Bugg]

Love it. The getting a scalper ticket after the game starts was an old trick my dad showed me. He grew up poor, so he's keen on finding "bargains". I was always worried about getting shutout or missing something. Once counterfeit tiks hit the scene, that method got too sketchy. In the 80's my friends and I would smuggle beers into Shea, man was that easy. Never snuck booze into a game at MSG, however for many concerts....

 

Once as a youngster got stuck by a scalper trying to buy after the start of a Police concert; gave him cash for what we thought were Police tickets, handed us an envelope with Knicks tickets, which in the early 1980s were practically worthless .

 

Shea for Jets or Mets sellouts was easy; no digital bar codes, and there was always a ticket taker who would take a $10 bill as entry fee.

[4EverRangerFrank]

Great stories of intrigue. Love it.

[Sod16]

Call me tight, but I've never been willing to pay arena prices for beer. (To that end, I snuck three bottles of beer under my tuxedo going to a formal last night rather than pay $8 per at the club).

[Pete]

You're tight.

[Kevin]

Call me tight, but I've never been willing to pay arena prices for beer. (To that end, I snuck three bottles of beer under my tuxedo going to a formal last night rather than pay $8 per at the club).