nfl - legal extortion ?

The NFL regular season begins this week, and none too soon for season ticket holders who are forced to endure - and pay for - preseason football games, a practice that can only be described as legal extortion. 

Want to see every home game of your favorite NFL team?  Then pony up for season tickets, eight games at an average price of  $65.  And oh-by-the-way, you'll also have to purchase tickets to two preseason games at the same price.  Refuse?  Not likely.  Most NFL stadiums are sold out, with waiting lists for season tickets numbering in the thousands.   Which makes the practice of mandating the purchase of tickets to meaningless games possible.

The practice isn't new.  NFL teams began adding preseason games to regular season ticket packages in the ‘70's.  The reason is simple:  It guarantees a big payday - usually a sellout - for the home team.  If preseason tickets were optional, professional stadiums would be half-empty - or worse - until September. 

In an industry where total revenue will approach $7 billion this year, proceeds from pre-season games isn't exactly chump change.  The 32 NFL teams play a total of 64 preseason games.  Average NFL stadium capacity is approximately 70,000.  At an average ticket price of $65, ticket revenue for each game totals approximately $4.5 million. 

Add in revenue from concessions, souvenirs and parking, and total revenue from preseason games is an estimated $400 million, or approximately 6% of league-wide revenue.  As additional incentive, teams get to pocket most preseason revenue because player salaries don't kick in until the first week of the regular season.  

What do fans get for their ticket to a preseason "game?"  If the last week of preseason games this year is any indication, the answer is:  Not much.  When the Minnesota Vikings played the Dallas Cowboys on August 30, only three offensive starters played for the Cowboys.  No Tony Romo.  No Terrell Owens.  And the defensive side of the Cowboys' line was equally bereft of star players.

Not to be outdone in the lack of auditioning starting players, the Vikings played four quarterbacks, pulled most starters after one series, and number one draft pick Adrian Peterson had one carry the entire game.

Other NFL teams seemed to be in sync with the Vikings and Cowboys during the last week of overpriced, faux games.  Tom Brady didn't play for the Patriots.  Ditto for starting quarterbacks Drew Brees of New Orleans, Matt Schaub of Houston, Jake Delhomme of Carolina, and Chad Pennington of the Jets.  Last year's MVP, running back Ladainian Tomlinson of the Chargers, hasn't carried the ball in the last two pre-seasons.

In fairness to the teams, their motivation, in addition to making money, is to protect star players from injury in games that have no bearing on the standings.  Unfortunately, the teams exhibit no similar concern for their fans' wallets.

Of course, teams could be honest with their fans, charge 25% more for regular season tickets, and increase the price of souvenirs, concessions and parking.  The revenue would be the same.  But teams would undoubtedly take a PR hit in the process.  The increase in regular season ticket prices might fly, but increasing the price of already overpriced, watered down beer might not.   

So don't expect the NFL policy of including preseason games in season ticket packages to change anytime soon.  Fans have become immune to the price gouging by professional sports teams and complaints seem to be fewer and fewer with each passing year, due in part, perhaps, to the fact the practice isn't limited to the NFL.  NBA and NHL teams engage in the same form of legalized extortion. 

The only exception among the four Major League team sports is MLB.  But with preseason, or spring training games, taking place hundreds, if not thousands, of miles from the fans' home city, baseball teams couldn't possibly institute and enforce such a policy.  Could they?