Posted on 12/21/2005 1:21:27 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
(Demand for tickets down for Bears game Sunday...)
With the Green Bay Packers coming off a woeful loss to Baltimore and about to play their first-ever Christmas Day game at Lambeau Field, some fans and brokers report declining demand for tickets - even though Sunday's opponent is the archrival Chicago Bears.
Longtime season ticket-holder William Swetlik of Green Bay has two tickets for sale - at face value - for a Bears game he hates to miss.
"Christmas Day is for Christ, not for football, and for my family," he said. "I want to be home with the kids. We have grandchildren coming from out of town. I want to visit with them for the day. That is the most important thing."
"I can't imagine why they scheduled it that way," he said. "As far as I am concerned, I wouldn't go to any football game on Christmas Day."
The Packers (3-11) take on Chicago (10-4) at 4 p.m. Sunday in one of two NFL games being played on Christmas Day. The other features Minnesota at Baltimore, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
It's the first time in Packers history that the team has played on Christmas Day, said Mark Wagner, director of ticket operations.
Still, he expects a full house, more than 70,000 fans, to attend the game.
"We are preparing for a normal Sunday game," Wagner said. "It would surprise me greatly if we did have a lot of no-shows, unless there was a snowstorm or something."
There were more complaints last year when the Packers played in Minnesota on Christmas Eve, Wagner said.
But there is evidence of reduced interest in Sunday's game, he said.
The Bears returned 75 tickets out of their allotment of 500, Wagner said. "We have been getting rid of the ones that we have gotten in here so that's a good sign. We have been selling them."
Josh Anderson, manager of Ticket King, a Green Bay ticket broker, said sales for Sunday's game were slow Tuesday and he wasn't surprised, especially with the disappointment of the Packers' 48-3 loss to Baltimore on Monday.
For many people, Christmas Day is for families, and that hurts demand for tickets, especially with the Packers hardly playing like an elite NFL team, he said.
"We definitely are getting a lot of people trying to sell tickets," Anderson said.
Last year, the Packers played the Bears at Lambeau in September. "It was the biggest game we had all year," said Anderson, who will spend Christmas Day on Sunday sharing dinner with his fiancee rather than attending the game.
Frank Hickey, owner of Fox River Tickets of De Pere, said the fact the Bears-Packers game is on Christmas Day hurts sales "big time."
"I think the NFL should be ashamed of itself," he said. "I am buying tickets below face value and selling at about face value or above, depending on the quality of the tickets."
Hickey said he has bought $67 tickets for $40, and sales are off 50 percent compared with a normal rivalry game like the Bears.
He said some men calling about tickets ask about prices then say they will check with their wives but never call back.
"I knew it would be like this last April when the schedule came out," he said. "I don't know how you can put a game on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. There should be Christmas music on."
Calvary Lutheran Church is about a half-mile north of Lambeau Field. The pastor, the Rev. Gail Sowell, said the late afternoon game should cause no problems for her church. Her last Christmas Day service is at 10:30 a.m.
"I am not in favor of having football games on Christmas Day but at least logistically for us, it is not as bad as Christmas Eve," she said. "It is just the idea of playing football on the day of Jesus' birth. I think a lot of people are just offended by the principle of it."
"I was offered tickets and turned them down," Sowell said.
Swetlik, 55 and a season ticketholder since 1979, has two tickets in row eight of section 14 for sale for $59 each.
He expects to sell them. "But who knows. It is going to be Christmas Day," he said.
According to Anderson, there's one factor for Sunday's game that could spurred have more demand for the tickets and counter some of the emotion of Christmas Day football.
If quarterback Brett Favre had announced earlier that he was retiring, ticket prices would "go through the roof, sales would go through the roof; exactly what you would expect," the ticket broker said.
Exactly.
I think Favre may decide it is time to retire after Sunday when he contemplates having to face that defense twice a year since it is only going to get better.
>>>"Christmas Day is for Christ, not for football, and for my family
Well, technically, every Sunday is for Christ and for family.
Considering that the schedule's been out since before the season began, and he still has the tickets (Bears/Packers!), I would hazard a guess that he had every intention of going to this game until Green Bay flat out sucked this year. If he really never had any intent on seeing this game, he could have sold the tickets (for a good price!) back in August.
Packers versus Christmas? The Packers would lose against Groundhog Day, Armistice Day, Canadian Independence Day, you name it.
"See the Bears bury the Packers would be a great Christmas present for me!"
Well then, methinks you're in for a great Christmas!
"The Vikings are going to get eaten by the Ravens on Sunday. They looked great in every aspect of the game against the Packers."
Yeah, but it's easy to look great vs GB this year. Those were some of the worst throws Favre has made since...well, the previous game, actually.
I have a small piece of the original heating system
Do they still have a "Bishop's Charities" game during the preseason?
LOL. Yup. That's Wisconsin.
He has what, 5 games worth of NFL experience now? I wouldn't bet on the offense being considerably better. Better, just not considerably better, IMHO.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the bears win it all and have their defense destroy everyone in their way.
Since my team is out of it now, I'm pulling for the bears. Sorry, but that is usually the kiss of death for any team ;)
Quite the horse to which you've hitched your wagon. And that bozo's not even there anymore. You should be proud.
"There simply are no better fans out there in the arena of professional football."
Amen to that! :)
We're also the only PUBLICLY OWNED football team in the NFL, and probably will always be the only one. I know I'm not selling my shares. Ever. So don't even ask. ;)
My first two Superbowl Wins were when I was a child. I had to wait until I was in my 30's for the next one.
By the time my kid is 30, I'm expecting another Victory Year, LOL!
just once I(Bear fan) would like to see our teams meet at relatively the same strength
it seems that at any given year when one team is dominant, the other is not
that said , I'd like to butter my biscuits at Christmas dinner with Bret Fartves bones ;)
I went to another Christmas day game long ago and the Chiefs even lost, but I am glad I went. It was the famous 6 quarter longest game where Miami beat the Chiefs. The family about disowned us. I yelled so much I lost my voice for a day and a half after the game.
I don't know about Christ, but if someone offers to take me to the game on my birthday I would be honored.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.