If feels like there is some momentum building with the fan base, hopefully they can improve this year and keep the momentum going. Winning cures all.
Yeah, the fanbase isn't stupid. They see the signing of Suh, a competent GM, a good QB, and a roster with few glaring holes. There's more hope in the air. It should translate into more attendance. And on top of that there's always the "new stadium effect" that should play a role for a few years. But as Ohio Fanatic said, winning cures all. That's the real test for Ross and whether all these offseason moves will make a long-term difference.
I really like Garfinkle...What a quality hire.....makes me proud to see our Dolphins trending upward again..been so........long. We are accumulating great talent everywhere from the Front Office down to our team....I long for the days that I can go to home games and see nothing but Dolphins fans...everywhere...and yes, the winning does that and I really think that this is the year that we take our house back.
I think it is about winning, but also consistent winning and winning with a team that puts a quality product on the field. Not, for example, just a year of sneaking up on people as they did in Sparano's first season when they made the playoffs but really were a flawed team. If they start to win, and win consistently (in the vein of the Steelers, Ravens, Colts, Broncos, Seahawks, Patriots, Packers, etc. - not even necessarily getting to the SB and winning but just knowing that your team is going to be in the hunt every year and competitive with anyone at any time) - they will have a bigger fan base. And, the stadium will pack more fans in with the roof. The main thing I want to see is not ticket sales - but fans packed in the stands in the middle of the 3rd quarter. Can't tell you how many games (every?) where you're watching a home game on TV and the fans are maybe, at best, half-full, but often about a fan for every 3 seats. Hopefully we won't see that in the future.
I agree 10000 percent. I dont really think he gets enough credit for the work he puts in to really reach out to the fans. Ive been a fan for a long time...40 some odd years, and I cant ever remember a President or CEO of the Phins that really made such an effort to make the fans feel like part of the process.
That was my concern with the strategy of having that recliner section right next to the field. It may be great for sales figures, but I can easily imagine that section looking empty on TV week after week. The national perception is that the fan base lacks passion. Weekly images of mostly empty recliners and relaxed people in the few that are filled will fuel rather than combat that perception.
It certainly made an impact watching home Yankees games when they did that behind home plate. Those recliners were rarely ever full...so every time you watched the game on TV...since alot of the time what the fan sees is the area directly behind home plate...made it seem like they were playing to an empty crowd...
