NJJammer
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http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...-date-future-spring-nascar-pir-race/99111184/
Takeaway: crowd estimate held steady at 45K.
Takeaway: crowd estimate held steady at 45K.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...-date-future-spring-nascar-pir-race/99111184/
Takeaway: crowd estimate held steady at 45K.
And here I thought the lack of fans was due to the cars being too loud..... Now I read that it's the competition with the Cactus League. I'm guessing the Cactus League isn't suffering the same lack of fans that NASCAR is. If that were the case, the Cactus League would have to change their Sunday date.
Pre-season baseball is now our downfall? What's next?
And here I thought the lack of fans was due to the cars being too loud..... Now I read that it's the competition with the Cactus League. I'm guessing the Cactus League isn't suffering the same lack of fans that NASCAR is. If that were the case, the Cactus League would have to change their Sunday date.
Pre-season baseball is now our downfall? What's next?
Spring Training Baseball is huge here in Phoenix and it isn't just one team but half the MLB including the Chicago Cubs and LA Dodgers which have huge followings in the Phoenix area. I actually couldn't make the race because I had friends in town that wanted to go to the baseball game (15,500 at last night's Cubs game and it could have been easily 35k if they had the seats, the games have been sold out for weeks). Plus March is the worst time to get a hotel room because of all the golf in the area. Moving the race to the first or second weekend in April would be a smart move.
I also agree with the west coast swing issue. I would be more likely to travel to Cali or Vegas if the Phoenix race weren't the week before/after. It is usually a one or the other deal with the races being so close together due to time and funding.
Any excuse to put blame on anything else other than the fact Nascar is at fault.And here I thought the lack of fans was due to the cars being too loud..... Now I read that it's the competition with the Cactus League. I'm guessing the Cactus League isn't suffering the same lack of fans that NASCAR is. If that were the case, the Cactus League would have to change their Sunday date.
Pre-season baseball is now our downfall? What's next?
It holds about 100k....hmm looks like just over 50K, when i was there back in 2002 it sure looked like a lot more than that.I believe PIR holds 51K and it sure looked like more than 6000 fans dressed up as empty seats.
Just because NASCAR is at fault doesn't mean it's 100% responsible.Any excuse to put blame on anything else other than the fact Nascar is at fault.
Source, please.It holds about 100k
Thanks for the local take. I am amazed that Spring Training Baseball is that big in Phoenix. The golfing, I understand. I'm sure the heat yesterday didn't help the walk up numbers, regardless of whether it's a "dry heat."
correctedJust because NASCAR is at fault doesn't mean it's 100% responsible.
Source, please.
Nascar has only itself to blame for falling attendance and falling tv ratings.Just because NASCAR is at fault doesn't mean it's 100% responsible.
Source, please.
I was referring strictly to yesterday's race, that the attendance may have been down at least partly due to the weather and partly due to competing events (baseball, golf tournament).Nascar has only itself to blame for falling attendance and falling tv ratings.
I think they were responsible for the majority in that boost in the 90s and early 2000s, they (Nascar) marketed their product correctly, capitalized on the demand. We have seen a decline in the product presented, Nascar has alienated it's core fan base in search of the me generation, instant gratification crowd....it's not working for them obviously with attendance falling off a cliff right now. Improve the product, not with gimmicks and band aids, address the true problems facing the sport and things would improve dramatically.I was referring strictly to yesterday's race, that the attendance may have been down at least partly due to the weather and partly due to competing events (baseball, golf tournament).
But I don't hold NASCAR 100% responsible for the long-term decline either. People's tastes change. Blaming NASCAR 100% for the decline is like giving the 100% credit for the increase of the late '90s and early '00s. They weren't 100% responsible for that either. I will grant you they didn't manage that boost very well, incorrectly anticipating that it was a permanent increase.
I was referring strictly to yesterday's race, that the attendance may have been down at least partly due to the weather and partly due to competing events (baseball, golf tournament).
But I don't hold NASCAR 100% responsible for the long-term decline either. People's tastes change. Blaming NASCAR 100% for the decline is like giving the 100% credit for the increase of the late '90s and early '00s. They weren't 100% responsible for that either. I will grant you they didn't manage that boost very well, incorrectly anticipating that it was a permanent increase.
Spring Training Baseball is huge here in Phoenix and it isn't just one team but half the MLB including the Chicago Cubs and LA Dodgers which have huge followings in the Phoenix area. I actually couldn't make the race because I had friends in town that wanted to go to the baseball game (15,500 at last night's Cubs game and it could have been easily 35k if they had the seats, the games have been sold out for weeks). Plus March is the worst time to get a hotel room because of all the golf in the area. Moving the race to the first or second weekend in April would be a smart move.
I also agree with the west coast swing issue. I would be more likely to travel to Cali or Vegas if the Phoenix race weren't the week before/after. It is usually a one or the other deal with the races being so close together due to time and funding.
Just like the overblown housing market of a decade ago, there is plenty of blame to go around. Banks, mortgage brokers, real estate agents and buyers themselves all share in the blame for the real estate market bubble. NASCAR became too faddish and subsequently faltered once the "hot" trend wore off and the realities of the "smartphone" era took off and diminished people's attention spans, the importance and immediacy of attending live events as well as people's interest in motor vehicles as more than just a means of transportation. That's my $0.02. Take it for what it's worth.
There are way too many 1.5 milers in the inventory. I'm sure the newly minted MBAs were advising and convincing ISC and SMI that 1.5 milers were the best investment due to the fact that if the growth trend continued, they could encircle the tracks with at least 150K seats and they figured the "cookie cutters" provided the best speed/size ratio. Everyone was too busy counting all the money they would make if trends continued. Wrong.NASCAR made a huge mistake when all the fans flocked to the series and instead of managing the growth they built a bunch of soulless behemoths on which to race. NASCAR didn't kill the goose that laid the golden egg but they sure beat the crap out of it.
I was referring strictly to yesterday's race, that the attendance may have been down at least partly due to the weather and partly due to competing events (baseball, golf tournament).
But I don't hold NASCAR 100% responsible for the long-term decline either. People's tastes change. Blaming NASCAR 100% for the decline is like giving the 100% credit for the increase of the late '90s and early '00s. They weren't 100% responsible for that either. I will grant you they didn't manage that boost very well, incorrectly anticipating that it was a permanent increase.
So, I guess Phoenix should be able to pack them in come November without the MLB conflict.Spring Training Baseball is huge here in Phoenix and it isn't just one team but half the MLB including the Chicago Cubs and LA Dodgers which have huge followings in the Phoenix area. I actually couldn't make the race because I had friends in town that wanted to go to the baseball game (15,500 at last night's Cubs game and it could have been easily 35k if they had the seats, the games have been sold out for weeks). Plus March is the worst time to get a hotel room because of all the golf in the area. Moving the race to the first or second weekend in April would be a smart move.
I also agree with the west coast swing issue. I would be more likely to travel to Cali or Vegas if the Phoenix race weren't the week before/after. It is usually a one or the other deal with the races being so close together due to time and funding.
So, I guess Phoenix should be able to pack them in come November without the MLB conflict.
There's always something else to blame it on.Then they'll blame the Arizona Cardinals and Arizona Coyotes for having good seasons.
I think they were responsible for the majority in that boost in the 90s and early 2000s, they (Nascar) marketed their product correctly, capitalized on the demand. We have seen a decline in the product presented, Nascar has alienated it's core fan base in search of the me generation, instant gratification crowd....it's not working for them obviously with attendance falling off a cliff right now. Improve the product, not with gimmicks and band aids, address the true problems facing the sport and things would improve dramatically.I was referring strictly to yesterday's race, that the attendance may have been down at least partly due to the weather and partly due to competing events (baseball, golf tournament).
But I don't hold NASCAR 100% responsible for the long-term decline either. People's tastes change. Blaming NASCAR 100% for the decline is like giving the 100% credit for the increase of the late '90s and early '00s. They weren't 100% responsible for that either. I will grant you they didn't manage that boost very well, incorrectly anticipating that it was a permanent increase.
NFLSo, I guess Phoenix should be able to pack them in come November without the MLB conflict.
Dang, how could I forget them?
Olympics coming up, so interest is increased this year.Dang, how could I forget them?
I think that's also the beginning of Figure Skating Season. So there's that.
They skate in climate-controlled arenas that are surfaced smooth by Zambonis. They can't be athletes.Figure skaters? Are they athletes?
Whole sport is riggedFigure skaters? Are they athletes?
They need to break it into segments and add playoff points to make it more "edgy."Whole sport is rigged
4 times a year they have to compete in hockey skates insteadThey need to break it into segments and add playoff points to make it more "edgy."
So, I guess Phoenix should be able to pack them in come November without the MLB conflict.
Weird how the Grapefruit League didn't seem to have any effect on the Daytona 500.
They're running out of things to blame here. I could buy that people have saved up for the Final Four in a couple of weeks. Not so much that exhibition baseball is more of a priority - at least, I would hope not.
Has attendance not been generally good recently? The previous six spring races were 2/27, 3/04, 3/03, 3/02, 3/15, and 3/13 - all when spring training is going on. What changed?Comparing the Superbowl (Daytona 500) to a week 3 football game (Phoenix race) is not the same.
Also, the Grapefruit League spans across many different cities in FL that are few hours apart. The Cactus League is only in the Phoenix area in which the furthest two stadiums are less than an hour apart. Most of the stadiums are less than 30 minutes from each other.
"Nearly a third of spring training’s economic impact came from Arizona residents, and Arizonans bought 42 percent of the 1.9 million tickets sold, according to a Cactus League report." https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2016/02/23/cactus-league-economic-impact-valley-arizona/
42% of 1.9 million is a hell of a lot locals.
AZ Cardinals average attendance for 2016, 64,800. That's just the people that go into the game. Many people just sit in the parking lots and tailgate. And with the Cards a potential Superbowl contender, many would choose to watch football at home than go to the race.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/250072/average-home-attendance-of-the-arizona-cardinals/
Again, not saying NASCAR isn't at fault, but you have to give them a little leeway when it comes to local competition. They should move the race to April.
There's always an excuse of some outside influence being the reason for low attendance/viewership. A day will hopefully come where they finally decide to look within the sport itself. This week the excuse is preseason baseball. What's it gonna be next week and the week after that?
Has attendance not been generally good recently? The previous six spring races were 2/27, 3/04, 3/03, 3/02, 3/15, and 3/13 - all when spring training is going on. What changed?
I think the 95 degree heat plus sitting in direct sunlight had a lot to do with the low turnout, to me 45 thousand showing up may be a blessing.
Rattlesnake hill looked like a lot of folks.