In your opinion, WTF is causing this? Every game seems to be the same... lots of opposing people. The Ravens game was flat out obnoxious. Fatcesa is speculating that with the escalated prices, many people are trying to recoup their PSL/ticket monies by selling some or all of their games.
I know down by me it seems that they're in large groups too. Maybe a lot of ticket brokers did buy PSL's because the opposing team fans are always in the same seats. It's really freakin annoying, if I wanted to be surrounded by Packer fans at a Jets home game I would've flown to Green Bay.
I realize you didn't address me, but here is my impression. The crowd is totally different this year than in years past. Seems as if most younger, middle aged people are coming with wives and girlfriends (of course all of the girls wear the #6 jerseys). There also seem to be groups who have never been to a game, and really don't know what to do. I sit in section 247A, and not a single soul stood up once during the game. Not once...not on a 3rd down on defense, never. The wind was outrageous yesterday, but I didn't notice it in my seat. When I got up to take a leak, and was exposed to the openings of the concourse, it was like standing in a wind tunnel coming from the West. The Western most goalpost was shaking the entire game. I thought Mason Crosby's field goal attempt was partially blocked, but after watching the video, it was the wind that pushed it to the left. So I have no clue how bad the wind was on the field, but I didn't notice any wind at my seat. As for the crowd leaving, I was one of them who ran for the bus lines with 3:00 to go. I know Rex made a comment about the crowd leaving early, but he also corrected himself saying "we didn't give them much reason to stay." In short, I very much dislike the new stadium. It's too big...you don't feel connected to the game, and it shows with the crowd's "ho-hum" reactions. But the prior games I have been to this year have given the crowd reason to get rowdy. The only big play we had all day on offense was a 49yd throw to Cotchery over the middle. Other than that, it was one of the sloppiest game's I have seen in a while.
I think more brokers owned the season tickets at the old place than we originally thought. I also think brokers bought more PSL-free uppers when they were still available after the Jets went through the list. Another theory; those who moved down once PSL prices were slashed kept their uppers and sold them off on the secondary market, or perhaps brokers gobbled-up those seats. Whatever the case, there were a lot of Packers fans yesterday, in fact it seemed they had the entire 302/303 sections. It became obvious once Jets fans filed out. Always does. I hate it too. Regarding the wind, I am very happy that in 301 there was no wind in the seats where we sit (row 9) - it all comes in strong from the west, whips wildy through the tunnels but is blocked by the stands in that end zone, at least. Yesterday was the first day to sample that area for warmth, sun, and wind. Passed with flying colors. It was just like it was the day I toured last February when 301 was the least windy section I checked out. If I got up and moved 8 feet to my left to enter the shaded concourse tunnel it was like another world. Now, if I only had some rain cover and could lower the third tier 20 feet....
Didn't see this- Unfortunately it is mostly true. It was pretty full till about 10 minutes left in the 4th I'd say. The crowd was really quite, Fireman Ed was yelling at people viciously to stand up. Another Jet fan yelled at Ed, "Get these guys going", Ed went nuts. He pointed to the middle of the field crowd and kept raising his hands. When we needed a big defensive stand, I was yelling random shit I could I hear myself way too clearly. Other Jet fans would look at me like I was crazy for cheering or something. That is until Ed gets up. I saw hardly any costumes, I think that tells you something about the crowds attitude as well. Down in the 100 level corner, it was extremely windy, the wind was swirling around like it never did at Giants stadium. Up until yesterday I thought great no more wind problem, it was crazy. 1 minute blowing in my face, next minute coming from the left, the flags on the goalposts were going crazy too. I think that played a part in Rodgers and Sanchez being off, some of Rodgers deeps balls you could see change direction pretty much, or get carried off.
It was very loud down in the lower level sidelines (sunny side) where I sat. Didn't empty out until it was over. I think it was worse on the shady side where it was 20 degrees colder. I agree the POSH crowd in the clubs spent the whole game watching their TVs behind glass and stuffing their face but I don't think it was bad at all in the sections where real Jet fans sit
Couple of other reasons.... It's a new stadium, so people want to see it. It's a reason to come if you're an opposing fan It's the Packers, and there are a a lot of those weak minded 'I became a Packers fan in 1967 because they were on TV' people that live here. More than you think, and the Packers are rarely in. But the main reasons are the ones mentioned. Jets built a stadium in a bad economy and priced it for a good economy. There are tons of seats available. People that bought and are on the fringe of affording it are trying to recoup. The internet has made it ten times easier. Plus we've always known Jets lead the world in no shows. The Jets fan doesn't need a REALLY good reason to miss a game like a wedding or funeral....and now is when it starts. November. Lots of people didn't go to this one simply because it was Halloween and they have to take the kids trick or treating. Look at club level around the middle of the stadium and there are blocks of empty seats. When you see 30 seats next to each other that are empty, that means it wasn't sold, not that they are in the club at the time...and it goes furthur than that even. I don't even know if in a good economy are there that many Jets fans that want to pay that to sit up there, even if you can go inside. People that pay that kind of money want to sit near the field.
I thought the crowd stayed pretty late considering the poor play. When started to leave, after the 4th down turnover with the game over, there were a lot of people leaving with me and in our way. As for the wind, it was crazy in 149. Before the game, my buddy looked at the goal post shaking and thought someone on the bottom was doing in on purpose. On the GB missed field goal, he didn't just miss the kick. He missed the freaking NET. In terms of empty seats, I was scanning the place with my compact binocs during the exasperating delays during the world's longest first half. What I saw; 1. Lots of empty seats in the mezz club sections. The Jets are going to have to figure out a way to reprice those seats if they ever want to sellout. Thats a lot of good seats to leave empty game after game b/c the PSL is overpriced. 2. With the exception of some high dollar seats, the lower bowl was largely sold out. Lots of GB fans bought seats on the visitors sideline. 3. The Family section in Mezz B had a lot of empty seats. Otherwise, the Mezz sections were substantially filled out. 4. Not many seats in LLEZ empty. Some empties in the corners.
In the old place, I used to take a piss 2 minutes before the half and it would empty. Now its packed, packed from 10 min. left in the half until the middle of the 4th qtr. The UD bathrooms suck, I have to walk 6 sections to take a piss and wait on line for 10-12 minutes. What a cluster fuck!!!!!!!
I think the reason for all the opposing fans is partially ticket brokers and partially season ticket holders looking to recoup money on their PSLs and ticket prices themselves. In the past ticket prices were lower so if you had a good friend you would sell a game at face value. Now you have higher ticket prices and seats going for lots of money. Seats around me in 346 going for $125 MINIMUM. With it being Halloween a lot less fans showed. With Green Bay being a "national team" like the Steelers, Cowboys, etc. and high ticket prices there are even more opposing fans then ever. Plus I believe the Jets are controlling a lot of the tickets. As far as leaving early goes I used to never leave until the clock said 0:00. With exiting being an issue I left when we couldn't convert on 4th and 10 knowing that Green Bay was in field goal range to make it 9-0. Also when the offense can't score any goddamn points there's not much to cheer for and it's hard to stay loud. Not only did the Jets play awful but this was one of the top 5 most BORING Jets games I've ever attended and I've had season tickets since 1991.
One thing to consider about the PSL and its impact on PSL's. They prevent people from selling games to friends. While the face value of seat is $120, the true cost of the seat including the PSL is higher. Depending upon how you calculate it, it is between 140-170 per game. Lets say it is really $150 and the seller has 2 seats to get rid of. If he wants to offer to sell them to a friend or family member, he has a problem on pricing. 1) If he offers to sell them for $150 each, he looks like an a-hole trying to profit off people close to him; or 2) He can sell them for $120 each. If he does this, he is essentially giving $60 to the person. Rather than make that decision, it is often easier to sell on SH.
Bingo! I think it's fair to blame the state of the art new stadium in part, for fans looking for a head-start out of this place. Maybe Rex can read this and ask Woody about it. Yeah, right. Anyone notice they closed half of the down escalators in the Verizon gate leaving the game? I assume they did the same at the Pepsi gate. They did this as a way to create a back-up in the 3rd tier rather than having a more dangerous back-up one flight down on the second tier. See how smart they are? They've already figured out how to fix the problem. They came to the conclusion that the best way to fix the issue of a horribly designed escalator system, and lack of escalator/elevators for the third tier, is to provide even less escalator service! Brilliant! What a stadium! Super Bowl worthy!
This is still a dilemma for Upper Deckers too, but much less pronounced, obviously. In figuring my true "break even" on a set of tickets that I have to or want to sell, I calculate in the cost of the Preseason games. The true cost is 25% higher, since there are 2 Preseasons and 8 Regular Season games. So the actual cost of a $105 ticket is more like $131 where I am. Now, my next door neighbor is a huge Buffalo fan and is busting me about selling him the Buffalo game. I'm not sure I even want to do that, since the game may have huge implications for us and I'd want to go. But if I do say yes, how do I tell my nextdoor neighbor to pay me $131 instead of the $105 on the face? It's a sticky situation. So yeah, a lot of people will just go to0 SH and avoid the hassle. I see that the ticket selling section on this board has a sticky that prohibits people from advertising tickets for above face. This is a nonsense policy, IMO. First of all, why not let the market determine what is a fair price? But secondly, and more important, the numbskull who enforces this policy doesn't have a clue as to what the real costs are or the true "face value." He expects a guy like me to sell my Uppers for $105 (raw face) and I'm okay with that. Screw that. That's not the real world. So I am now avoiding putting tickets up on that board becaseu it's not worth the hassle, and consequently, the long and short of it is, GG Members going there and looking for tickets won't find many, unless they are really shitty seats and the seller is desperate, in which case, the tickets will also be cheap on SH or elsewhere.
You are so spot on with this it's incedible. Almost 2 Billion spent on this POS and it's windier, less cover, harder to park at, harder to exit from, longer to walk around (because of the fucked up "lounges"), much more expensive, worse sightlines and distance from the field and a traffic nightmare to contend with despite the promises that entrance and exits would be better. I was watching a Jets article on SNY the other day on the new stadium... waling around with Rex and him bragging about "I can't believe this is MY stadium!" and such..., and they showed a clip from a game last year with Thomas Jones egging the crowd on and the camera sort of panned around the old stadium. And you could see how WONDERFUL the layout was, with overhangs from the Uppers and Mezz onto the Lowers and how compact it was with such FANTASTIC sigtlines for everyone... everyone being so close to the field with such excellet views from ANY seat in the fucking house. And then they came back tothe new stadium and what a fucking difference. What a total POS this thing is.
IT looked to me that people were walking up the stairs maybe closer to the 6-7 minute mark after we drove down to the GB 35 and had to incompletion's in a row to Cotchery. But then again I wasn't really paying much attention to the crowd I guess. To me the old stadium was much louder, it's not even close. I don't know it it's because I'm in a much lower row or if it really isn't as loud. When GB was driving for the 2nd FG and you have to yell at people just to get them to stand up let alone cheer I think it's a problem. That was around 10 minutes to go in the 4th.
Ha!! I thought I've just been picking the wrong bathrooms...the lines in the 200 level (non club) have been awful. There is actually a mens bathroom in the corner of the 200 level, pepsi gate, that has 4 urinals!! FOUR!! WTF??? My work has more than 4 urinals, and there are 150 of us. This place is fukked up...you have to leave during the mid quarter TV timeout to take a leak in order to miss the least amount of football.
You both hit the nail on the head...EXITING this stadium is a shit show! And I don't even drive...I take the bus from Port Authority. The worst part is that the busses now depart at the Giants practice facility. Maybe its because I've had a few, but after the games, the run/jog to the bus lines feels like 1 mile.
I sit in 233, in the Verizon corner in Club Corner seats. My seats in the old place were in Section 107, row 2. I say this to give you an idea what I am comparing when I talk about the wind. Section 233 is on the shady side of the stadium. So no sun in my eyes, but also no sun to warm me when the wind blows.....and boy did it blow. To me, the wind seemed far worse than it was in my old seats in the old stadium. I was watching hot dog wrappers blow horizontally in front of us, coming from the corner and blowing across the stands.....not falling, but coming sideways. The wind was cold enough for me to wish I brought gloves. I had a sweatshirt and light fleece on, so the rest of me was warm, but the wind never seemed to let up throughout the game. I also noticed that there were a few times when the referee used his mike, the wind was blowing pretty hard....you also saw the officials' pants blowing in the breeze throughout the game. My unofficial guess is that the open louvers and the open corners are going to allow a lot more wind into this place compared to the old stadium. And it wasn't that cold on Sunday. Just wait until December or January when the wind is bringing really cold weather.
What I'd like to see is for the next 3 years on the first Saturday in February, anyone who is involved in promoting the Super Bowl in 2014, go sit up in the upper deck for 4-5 hours and see how it feels. We build a stadium and leave it wide open so we can have the so-called Northeast advantage, have a QB and RB from Southern California, have a supposed ground and pound offense then try to pass the ball on a windy day in October. Go figure ... I was expecting more carries from Greene, couldn't believe how many times they passed on first down. I sit in 222a in front of MetLife Jumbotron, I felt a wind, but not the full force of it. There were more visiting fans then the first 3 games, noticed some seats emptied out in 2nd half, but not a mass exodus till the Jets stalled on their drive after taking all the time outs late in the 4th.
