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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2009 > May > 16 > Entry
Bengals season tickets are available, which begs a question: Can they win fans back?
SEASON TICKETS GO ON SALE
STARTING MONDAY, MAY 18
IF SELLOUT STREAK (44) IS SNAPPED,
TV BLACKOUTS WILL BE ENFORCED
Timing is everything. Just ask the Cincinnati Bengals.
They’re hoping to parlay a strong draft and some solid off-season acquisitions with enough season ticket holders to sell out the 2009 season.
Beginning Monday, May 18, Bengals season tickets will be available for public sale for the first time since 2006.
Last season’s 4-11-1 record apparently took a devastating toll on the club because many season-ticket holders bailed out, frustrated by the club’s downward spiral.
Since the Bengals’ 11-5 playoff season of 2005, the club’s season records have dipped — to 8-8 in ‘06, 7-9 in ‘07 and 4-11-1 in ‘08.
Now the club is trying to win fans back.
What it all means is this: The club-record sellout streak of 44 straight home games is in jeopardy.
My question is this: Whatever happened to the season-ticket holder “waiting list.”
The club announced that season ticket prices are unchanged from 2008, and all Charter Ownership Agreement payments for Paul Brown Stadium may be deferred, with no installments due until 2010.
According to the Bengals, season ticket customers benefit from discounted prices, preferred seating locations, guaranteed priority to retain their seats for playoff games, and from exclusive offers for fan participation activities such as the recent conference call and question-answer session with top draft picks.
The Bengals’ 2009 home schedule features a Sept. 13 opener vs. Denver, a Sept. 27 date against defending world champion Pittsburgh, and a Nov. 29 renewal of the “Battle of Ohio” vs. Cleveland.
The Bengals enter the season with an active streak of 44 consecutive sellouts (regular season and postseason games), the longest streak in franchise history.
Interested fans may call the Bengals Ticket Hotline at 513-621-TDTD (8383) or visit Bengals.com, the team’s official web site.
Season tickets will be the only plan on sale as of Monday. Should mini-packs or single-game tickets become available, that information will be released at a future date.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By Touchdown Troy
May 16, 2009 9:27 PM | Link to this
The Bengals need to win games and the people will comeback. What a pitty if the sellout streak ends. What happened to the waiting list?By bucktrev
May 16, 2009 9:28 PM | Link to this
Season ticket holders can keep their seats for playoff games? What playoff games?By max
May 16, 2009 9:29 PM | Link to this
Chick, wouldn’t a more apropos phone number be 513-621-PUNT? I don’t think they scored more than 2 td’s in half the games last year but they punted a lot!By jim m.
May 16, 2009 10:55 PM | Link to this
It’s SAD when the Bengals Owner could care less what the fans want “A WINNER” until he looses season ticket money which hurts his pocket, THEN he acts like he cares!! 1st time was when they hired Marvin.. after 2005 till now, he didnt give a crud because his team sold out.. NOW that fans are speaking up by not renewing, what does he do?? a SMART Draft and free agent pick ups.. ONLY because the fans gave up the season tickets!! if they had renewed he would have had a ugly draft and would have not brought in any good players.. thats the sad part of Mike Brown.. till you hit his pocketbook, thats the only time he cares that the fans will walk away.. sellouts mean to him Doing ZERO to improve the team. If i was a owner i would have made changes a VERY long time ago.. losing sucks.. but not to Mike Brown (his 19 years proves that) He only cares about money!! I stopped geting mad and now laugh as i followed the Rams after the lousy draft when they signed Smith and not traded with New Orleans (Rams won the Super Bowl), Now i follow the Colts and they won a Superbowl! I will not get on the Bengal band wagon till the Brown family sells the Bengals! I wont give him one penny of my money for anything!By Diamond Dave
May 17, 2009 9:03 AM | Link to this
I think the saddest part is that they still require fans to pay for COA’s in order to purchase season tickets. The stadium has been open since 1998 and still, anyone who wants to buy a season ticket, has to purchase a several-hundred dollar COA. What does the word “charter” mean, anyway? In total cost, there is no discount, just a big flat fee to buy a season ticket. (And, yes, I paid mine in 2005 and thought it was ludicrous then, but I paid it anyway.)By Brian
May 17, 2009 12:00 PM | Link to this
The Bengals don’t do enough for their season ticket holders! A travelling “Bengals-fest” similar to Redsfest would be a step in the right direction. Winning on a consistent basis would be nice too…By Bob V
May 17, 2009 12:16 PM | Link to this
Diamond Dave Paul Brown Stadium opened in 2000. In 1998 we were still in the undersized, no club seating, no luxury boxes, unable to be competitive in the NFL, Riverfront Stadium…. COA’s give the season ticket holder a little more skin in the game. They make you think twice about letting your seats go. The time to capitalize is when the team is on the upside and fans want tickets. Enough said?….. Waiting List?…. Who in their right mind would lay down a non-refundable $100.00 per seat to be on a waiting list of a team with a .396 winning percentage the last three years?… How do they turn this thing around? Maybe we need a new stadium with all of the perks financed by the Hamilton County tax payers. If the KICKER whining about making 2.5 million dollars is any indication I don’t think we can count on the players to turn it around.By TechGuy
May 17, 2009 5:52 PM | Link to this
I am glad to see that fans’ expectations are high enough to show MB that they will not stand for a return to the embarrassing records that have marked most of his tenure as owner. It’s too bad that pride in his own team doesn’t motivate him, but I’m glad that fans have stood strong to speak the only language MB seems to understand… cold hard cash.By photoman
May 17, 2009 8:12 PM | Link to this
Well, it looks like we have MB’s attention. His guideline of success means a full stadium on game day. Perhaps the HBO PR will help. I’m sure the drafting and the trade will help, but too many of the customers are now unemployed and unemployment payments don’t cover the high cost of being a Cincinnati Bengals stadium regular. I wish the best to the Bengals on the field and in the front office.By photoman
May 17, 2009 8:28 PM | Link to this
Well, you know Dave and Brad aren’t too bad on radio. Their following should increase during this special time in Bengals history.By jemcx
May 17, 2009 8:55 PM | Link to this
The HBO pub is going to show what I’ve said for two years now: It is time to get rid of Marvin Lewis. The guy can’t coach, and he certainly can’t run a game. As for the sellouts, who really cares? If this were the Steelers, Colts, Patriots, Giants, etc., you would care. But the Bengals, just another year to excuse the owner and whatever sham coach he decides to put in charge. It is ridiculous to that untested rookies and second-tier free agents are enough to fill a stadium. I hate to say it, but the Steelers may be the team I root for this year, and I am (was) a lifelong Bengals fan. Now I am just fed up.By islebfrank
May 18, 2009 11:38 AM | Link to this
jemcx, you are pathetic! Any true Bengals fan would puke at the thought of supporting the stealers. Grow a spine, and a pair to hang near the bottom of it.By David V.
May 18, 2009 1:23 PM | Link to this
TV Blackout? I’ll resort to what I did long ago…I’ll drive to Lexington (KY) to the Barleycorn’s downtown-I’m in Cincinnati, so it’s about an hour away. If I were in Dayton, I’d drive to just outside Columbus-there used to be a pizza joint right off the exit just past the Circle Freeway on I-70. Probably gone now, though. There are 2 reasons I do this-I will watch the Bengals and I don’t have to watch the Stealers/Browns/Ravens. I was getting used to my family room couch, though. And, no…I refuse to buy tickets-I had season tickets in Riverfront and they told me I had to pay the COA after my family had supported the franchise since it’s inception.By BnOPanther
May 18, 2009 1:28 PM | Link to this
It’s NFL football, the beer is cold and some pretty hot chicks go to the games. I have season tickets and will never give them up. And jemcx, spoken like a true loser!