An Upstate NYer's opinion on the crowd sizes at SunLife

Out-of-state-wish-I-could-go'er-reporting-in.

 

Much more fun watching 8 games at once on my couch.

 

I'm a season ticket holder who did not go Sunday due to some other issues which prevented me from travelling down there, but I gave the tickets to family, so they were used by Dolphins fans.

I still enjoy going to the games, espescially now that the weather is getting a little cooler.

But I'm very up in the air on renewing. The tix have been in the family for over 30 years, but the expense, plus travel, plus whatever you spend there is getting to be a lot for a team that doesn't win and is embaressing off the field. For the first time ever, I was honestly slightly embaressed to wear a Dolphins shirt on Sunday.

Even 1-15, we were just a bad team. It happens. but this is different.

 

Ironically, I'm also an upstate NYer and I'll be attending my first Fins game this Sunday. Anything from your game day experience you would recommend for a first timer? I'm pretty damn excited.

 

Hell, Id be there and be a season ticket holder if I wasn't in another country

Glad you had an awesome time though!

 

whatever.

 

I guess some fans have forgot that it's not your natural born right to have an NFL football team..lets hope our fanbase can start forgiving and start just simply supporting their home team, the team they love, thru thick and thin, and realize that no way a team, a franchise, can be successful without positive fan support..

The 60,000 there on Sunday was great to see, I hope our fans have some sort of revelation that if you live in the area, and can afford it, an attitude that "why should you go the team stinks", or stringers attitude about "why go when you can sit in the couch", is detrimental to that positive support that the team needs..

In that stadium your already at a disadvantage because of the structure, when it's not capacity, it's downright debilitating.

I don't know why we are so different when it comes to rooting for our team, at this point the team is legitimately in the race, as in they have won five games just like the ones who are competing for a playoff spot have, every season has relative aspects to it that determine what is good enough and what is progression, at this point we are good enough in the league to be in the heat of the race, our Qb has progressed in his 2nd year, and we have a huge game coming up, if we win it, we are seriously relevant, why not do everything possible in our hearts and minds to forgive, and just be a fan of our team, as we know by now, with all the proof out there, it can really help your team win a football game..

 

I also live about 1500 miles away.

Even if they were in my town, I wouldn't be going to any Sunday afternoon games. Night games? For sure.

 

Another out of state former New Yorker here that was also at the game. And it was my first home game! Born and raised in Western New York. Now live in the D.C. area. I have family in Miami and this was my first visit where the Dolphins were at home so I finally got to a Miami Dolphins home game after seeing them play in other stadiums all over the country.

Here are my comments about the stadium comparing it to the other NFL stadiums I've been in.

-The crowd was easily the smallest NFL crowd I've seen. And that includes preseason games at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

-The fans I met were very nice. Friendly, passionate, and way into the game. The fans in my section let me sit in one of their seats instead of my own so I could sit closer to my family.

-Stadium looked nice. Less run down than I expected with all the renovation discussion. Loved the Marino Statue and the walk of fame or whatever it's called.

-I knew the seats were far away from the field from pictures and all the discussion here, but I was still shocked by it when I saw it.

-For being a small crowd they made some noise. Especially when they played Zach Thomas on the big screen right before the last drive to fire up the crowd. Certainly had me riled up.

-Halftime show was great. Better than anything I've ever seen in person at an NFL stadium. Not sure if that was typical, but the airshow during halftime was great, and so was the live feed to the troops in Afghanistan. My *** was glued to my seat during the entire intermission.

-Didn't get to try the food because my Italian aunt overfed me before the game. Drink prices were insane, but no worse than any other NFL stadium.

Not sure where you guys sit in the stadium, but if any of you sit in section 122, did you see the girl puke her guts up? Vomited all over the place, cleared out about 3 rows of fans, and then got kicked out. Equal parts sad, disgusting, and hilarious. Unfortunately I smelled puke, and then a mixture of puke and lysol for the duration of the game. The win made it all worth it though.

 

I'm tellin ya, if this game is publicly announced that it will be a sellout, and the players get wind of it, Panthers better watch out.

 

I live in Vermont.

If I lived in South Florida...Id be at every home game, regardless of record. The Phins are the one thing above all else I live and breath for on a "entertainment" level...

 

Well, you didn't mention that...why only night games?

 

Because theres nothing better to me than watching all those Sunday afternoon games. So much action.

 

Were you judging the crowd based on what it looked like in the beginning?.. Because 60,0000 is more than we've had in recent games.

 

Some people don't like attending games for various reasons. That is their right.

 

Well stringer..that's horse crap man..then I am blaming you for an apathetic dolphin fanbase..hypothetically speaking, you must sacrifice for your team..which means get off your *** and go support your team..lol

 

Another thing I noticed about going to the game. Miami is such a spread out city, and the traffic is brutal. I think that may play a factor in people's decision. It took us forever to get there and back. As opposed to other cities that have convenient cheap and easy public transportation to the game. Or less traffic to contend with.

 

Only games I have been to have been Miami @ NE games, and while I love watching football on TV, there is no way there is a comparison to tailgating and being at the game in person.

I was at this Game in New England when Miami came back to beat them 31-30 with Damon Huard.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199910170nwe.htm

That was an amazing game.

 

How in God's name do you like the Ralph? Freezing cold steel bench seats, 50mph freezing winds hitting anyone who doesn't have box seats, the worst cheerleaders in the league, bills fans, etc.

 

4 o clock games are much better, have you been to a 1:00 in September ? It's soo bad, and i work outdoors down here. Even at the ravens game this year I was going nuts trying to keep sweat from rolling into my eyes.

Im there every game, but I don't blame south floridians for not wanting to cram into any stadium filled with people, let alone one where the weather is rarely comfortable. The season tix are affordable, but cost of parking and food is of course ridiculous. Than you have to deal with the people all around you, my section is half rowdy dolphins fans, but the other half are people who dragged themselves to the game to be miserable. Getting out of the lot after the game is always frustrating, takes longer than the entire ride home. That's why we sprint to the car.

Its not for everyone, not in south Florida, where winter is the time of year to enjoy the outdoors and do other activities while everyone up north is bundled up inside with nothing but football.

All that said. I've maintained for almost a decade now that attendance would be much greater with a new stadium in Palm beach county. I think this is actually going to happen at some point.

 

I was at the game on Sunday and have been at almost every home game since 1966, except for the three years I was in the military. I wish the crowds were larger and louder as they were prior to Ross becoming the majority owner of the team, but I certainly don't blame anyone who decides to not go to the games.

Everyone has a right to decide if they want to spend their hard earned money to go to a game. The fans are not at fault for the mediocre teams this organization have put on the field for over a decade, (except in 2008). South Florida fans have shown for decades that they will spend money to watch a winning and exciting team. They will not pack the stadium for mediocre teams and that is what this team is right now and has been for quite some time.

Perhaps if the Dolphins beat the Panthers this coming Sunday, we will have large crowds for the Jets and Patriots games, but unfortunately because they are two teams from the Northeast, probably at least a third of the fans or more will be rooting for the Jets and Patriots. That is just the way it is in South Florida, where many football fans have a rooting interest in other teams in the NFL and not in the Dolphins.

When I move out of South Florida after the first of next year, I hope someone will purchase the four season tickets I won't be buying anymore after this season. Hopefully the team will start winning on a consistent basis and fans will once again fill the stadium. If not and they do move the team in the future, I will remain a fan of the team no matter where they relocate to. In fact since I'm moving to Hawaii, that would be a perfect new location for a team with the name Dolphins. Unfortunately I don't think the voters in Hawaii will spend tax money to build a new stadium either.

 

it's about the venue slick, the energy that can be created because of the layout..that's what's fun.

 

exactly why the four o'clock start is better for this community..I will sacrifice the hot weather suffocating weather to the opponent over better crowd energy every time..

 

Yes, the fans have the right to not go to the game because their upset at mediocrity, however, it's wrong to think they can get away with it just because the NFL will never move the dolphins.

 

Attendance dropping because of Stephen Ross is completely unfounded and a comical theory. It is pretty obvious what has caused the drop in attendance:

 

I hope you get your new and improved stadium, but I noticed that the night before the Dolphins game, 70,000 fans showed up to watch a soccer game. From what I saw on the news reports, the stadium was packed and there was plenty of excitement by the fans in the stands.

The venue doesn't seem to effect the excitement and noise level at these soccer games or when a national championship college game is played in the stadium. It only seems to effect the excitement and noise level when a very mediocre Dolphin team plays there. I wonder why that is?

 

I have never said the Dolphins wouldn't move. All I stated is that I will remain a Dolphin fan no matter where they play their games. I have supported this team since 1966 and have attended over 350 games in Miami and in other stadiums around the league.

Even though I will no longer be living in South Florida after this season, I hope the team remains here and that they will eventually get an upgraded or new stadium. I just think that the Dolphins owner, whether it is Ross or the next team owner will have to spend the money to build or upgrade the stadium if he wants to remain in Miami. I just don't see the taxpayers of Miami-Dade County being willing to spend money on this stadium. Hopefully I'm wrong and the taxpayers will be willing to help in the funding of the stadium, but only time will tell.

 

I assume you think prices have something to do with the drop in attendance, based on your charts. I guess you figure that people were taking out second mortgages on their homes prior to 2008 to pay for their tickets and now they are under water on their homes and can't afford to purchase tickets.

My view is that there are plenty of people who have the money to attend these games, but they choose not to spend their money on a mediocre product.

The Heat certainly doesn't seem to have an attendance problem and I would assume the chart above would affect their fans the same as it would affect Dolphin fans, if their was really any relevance to this chart in the first place.

 

Never been to Miami but of all the Gameday Atmosphere's I have been too, I really enjoyed Ralph Wilson. The fans were really into it and my moms family is from Buffalo so sometimes I hear the stories about fans showing up on Friday night to start the pregame festivities. I guess they dont have anything else to do up there. But there weather really blows and my uncle will only go in the winter if he has box seats.

 

1700 miles away and am trying for the third I might get to go to Ralph Wilson.

 

Dude stop with the holier than thou attitude. Fans all over the various leagues and teams are are choosing to stay home as opposed to going to games for the exact same sentiment that Stringer mentioned. With what it costs fans to go to the games (especially when you factor in everything food, drinks, parking etc), and the decline in discretionary income for families, staying at home as become a better experience and for a cheaper cost. This is a real problem for the industry as a whole, not just the Miami Dolphins.

 

I can't argue with your view, but that is why I have always opposed the lifting of the blackout in every city. I have several friends who are Dolphin fans and they laugh at me because I still go to the games. They have gotten so used to sitting at home and watching the game on TV, they have no interest in ever going to another game again.

I remember before blackouts were lifted, if you wanted to see the game, you had to buy a ticket and show up for the game. I realize some people can't afford to attend games, but there are eight away games these fans could watch during the season. My friends have plenty of money to attend games, but they see no reason to spend their money if they can see the game for free on TV. The beer and food in their own home is a lot cheaper too.

I personally think every NFL home game and every college home game should be blacked out within a 150 mile radius of the stadium, sold out or not. That will take care of most of the empty seats during the games and the rest of the seats will be filled once the Dolphins start winning on a consistent basis again.