Bulls Season Ticket Holders Abused

by Stay Chisel on Mar 17, 2008 11:29 PM CDT Comment 20 comments

The morning following the Bulls' epic collapse to the Sixers, I open my mailbox and find an envelope from the Bulls. It contains an invoice for the first two rounds of playoff tickets and a notice of a regular season price increase for the the 08-09 season. Your choices are to buy the playoff tickets or cancel next season's tickets. Is this a joke?! Playoff tickets and a price increase?! This team makes me sick.

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Everybody, You're 2007-08 Chicago Bulls

Where Jerry Reinsdorf Happens!

John Paxson Has Got to Go!

by Wade.Jones on Mar 17, 2008 11:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Are you sure?

Mine said that they're keeping the prices the same next year. I'm canceling my tickets anyways (simply because I won't have the time to go to so many games next year), but I didn't see anything about a price increase.

by Big D on Mar 17, 2008 11:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

BTW,

I'm in the 300-level, for whatever it's worth. I don't know where your tickets are at, but it's possible they raised the prices just for the 100-level.

by Big D on Mar 17, 2008 11:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right

No change in the 300 level, just in the 100 level. I think some of the 100 level tickets increased by more than 10%.

by Stay Chisel on Mar 18, 2008 7:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

200 level

My seats are staying the same price.

by Jobu on Mar 18, 2008 10:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tough to feel sorry for

season ticket holders. Crappy teams and price increases are par for the course/field/arena/stadium.

Fire Boylan!

by hscs on Mar 18, 2008 9:02 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Tough to feel sorry for

an organization that is consistently one of the top three most profitable in the NBA and then asks for more money to fund a team that quits trying because they don't like their coach.

by No bull on Mar 19, 2008 7:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

so what?

It's not a public service. The Bulls can charge whatever they want. Season tickets are a risky, not-so-sensible investment to begin with, and you don't get to play the sympathy card on something like that.

Fire Boylan!

by hscs on Mar 20, 2008 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i don't think

he was saying that the Bulls couldn't charge whatever they want, it just sucks that they choose to. You would expect to pay more after, I don't know, a successful season maybe...not after such a sucky one.

True, correlation between the team's success and cost of ticket don't equate (the Cubs have been raising prices for years) but come on! Raising prices after last season was understandable, even expected. But I doubt anyone saw this coming.

I'm not even a season ticket holder and I'm offended.

by NormVanBeer on Mar 20, 2008 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know, I know.

I love how they generously give me the option of paying for the entire amount now or just half now, the other half when we reach the Eastern Conference Finals. LMAO.

We aren't even going to make the playoffs, in all likelihood, so the money will just end up being a deposit on next year's tickets. The franchise can make a profit off of the interest float on my money. Nice.

LSU 38 OHIO STATE 24 - LSU IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION AND I AM THE KING OF BOURBON STREET!!

by 1958ChiTown on Mar 18, 2008 12:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think those are your only options...

I think you can:
1) buy playoff tickets and automatically have your unused $ (so all of it) go towards tickets for next year

2)Not buy playoff tickets and wait until later in the summer to pay for next year's tickets

3) Buy playoff tickets but notify them you're not renewing next year, therefore they will send you a refund of your money after the bulls don't go to the playoffs, rather than automatically put that $ towards next years tickets

by smash on Mar 18, 2008 2:05 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't know if Option 2 is available.

1 and 3 certainly are.

But I don't think you can decline the playoff tickets altogether and still renew your season tickets.

LSU 38 OHIO STATE 24 - LSU IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION AND I AM THE KING OF BOURBON STREET!!

by 1958ChiTown on Mar 18, 2008 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess I'll find out!

We did it 2 years ago because we were on our honeymoon over the playoffs, and we're planning on doing it again this year. Our friends did it last year. So unless they changed their long-time policy, you can. If they did change it, they should have made that clear in the 3 page letter they sent, and that's not the case...

by smash on Mar 18, 2008 2:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You might be right, Smash.

I just can't find that option on ClickTix. I didn't review the letter very carefully, so I will have to go back and re-read it.

Before I even entertain the thought of not paying for (illusory) playoff tickets, I want some written assurance from the organization that I won't forfeit my seats.

LSU 38 OHIO STATE 24 - LSU IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION AND I AM THE KING OF BOURBON STREET!!

by 1958ChiTown on Mar 18, 2008 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sign of the Times

I have been buying 4-5 games per year from a guy who has had season seats for 25 years. That usually all he had available. Today, he called to see if I was interested in 20-30 games for next year. He will probably not renew his seats, because no one wants to pay to watch a team with no heart. Even during the Floyd years, we had players to root for. Now, who cares? I passed, by the way. I'll be able to buy single game tickets next year, no problem.

by Cannoli on Mar 18, 2008 2:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Blogging is great, but....

....it's not going to have any effect on the franchise.

Mass defections of season ticket holders WILL send a message to the Chairman and General Manager.

This is great news. Every season ticket holder than doesn't renew puts Paxson's job in jeopardy - or at least lights a fire under him - so he has no choice but to fire that worthless P.O.S. Boylan.

by BullsFanInSeattle on Mar 18, 2008 2:11 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think there's enough disatisfaction

for some 'mass defection'.

I won't tell people what to do with their money, but I wouldn't call out anyone as a 'fairweather' fan if they ditched their tickets as well.

I will only warn them that not going to the games means you have to listen to the telecast.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Mar 18, 2008 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Bulls are a great organization...

We share season tickets for the Bears, Cubs and Bulls, and I think the Bulls have been far superior than the other 2 teams as far as how they've treated their season ticket holders over the last few years. Little things like the autograph session at the beginning of the year, sending us the promotional giveaways and team yearbooks, and the end of the year gift (an authentic hinrich jersy last year) are memorable. They're small things compared to how much we pay for tix, but they're nice gestures. I hate Reinsdorf for being so cheap, but Paxson has done a good job, and with some luck can get a winning team back together quickly.

All that being said, I don't know if we're going to purchase tickets again next year because I can't sell mine for anything at this point; It's the wrong time to put a flailing product on the floor. Had they got Gasol, they may have entered luxury tax, but they also would have secured aot of renewals. I think the harsh realization this summer is going to be No All-Star Moves = No Renewals.

by smash on Mar 18, 2008 2:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed

i'm not renewing. constant increases in price plus a bad product makes me think i can just buy amazing seats for a game or two next year instead of shelling out for 41 plus the 4 preseason ones priced at regular season price. i'm done with getting gouged.

Dalibor and Dragan!
Like Pizza? Me too.

by FAQ on Mar 18, 2008 7:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs