Nationals Park Questions? (2011-2014)

[PowerBoater69]

Craigslist here I come!
We will see what happens; our season ticket guy is usually a little late getting notices out so probably will miss out on the whole thing anyway.

Using Craigslist has it's own risks.

If you aren't the lead member of a ticket group you are probably out of luck anyway. I expect each group will have the chance to purchase two or four tickets.

Typically for this sort of thing the Nats don't give preference based on # of games in your plan, on # of seats in your plan, of total cost of your plan, or on senority. So if you have a single ticket for 20 games in the $10 seats you get the same pre sale options as the guys paying over 14K a year. I'd wait until the policy is announced and then call a ticket rep and buy the cheapest plan available if you really want Winter Classic tickets. This was how I got opening day 2008 seats.

[PowerBoater69]

Remember the bus-loads of Phillies supporters that came in not so long ago? Assuming the opponent is the Flyers, Penguins or Rangers, it's going to be at least 2/3 opposition supporters in there.

The NHL reserves thousands of tickets for opposing fans (at least 5,000, maybe more), but 2/3rds is crazy talk. No chance Caps season ticket holders give up their seats; Nats fans will, but not half the ballpark.

The good thing about how the league allocates the tickets is that the opposing teams fans will be grouped together in blocks of sections. Maybe we should try to infiltrate their area.

[Natsinpwc]

The NHL reserves thousands of tickets for opposing fans (at least 5,000, maybe more), but 2/3rds is crazy talk. No chance Caps season ticket holders give up their seats; Nats fans will, but not half the ballpark.

The good thing about how the league allocates the tickets is that the opposing teams fans will be grouped together in blocks of sections. Maybe we should try to infiltrate their area.

probably you are correct; would rather look for cheap seats day of game for the alumni or minor league game.

[CALSGR8]

There are no cheap seats the day of the Winter Classic!  Not if the one at Heinz is any example

[PowerBoater69]

Looks to be Philly (the other finalist was the Bruins). The Kasten buses will be coming to town and the Caps need to send those bastards home crying.

www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eklund/Sources-Next-Winter-Classic-Flyers-To-Visit-Capitals/1/56624

[Natsinpwc]

There are no cheap seats the day of the Winter Classic!  Not if the one at Heinz is any example

meant the alumni and other game

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

I'm totally jazzed about this. 

Tomorrow looks perfect, forecast high of 19F and 1-3 inches of snow in Ann Arbor.

[Natsinpwc]

meant the alumni and other game

Broad Street Bullies Baby!!

Will even make me the Philly guy stay home as I know lots of the dregs will come down.

Ready for the alumni game for sure.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

We'll be welcoming them with open arms and then directing their buses to the designated Flyers pregame site (Ziegfeld's)

Will even make me the Philly guy stay home as I know lots of the dregs will come down.

[PowerBoater69]

The article excerpted below covers the sky high prices listed on StubHub for the 2012 Classic, missing a couple major points.  First that the average listed price on StubHub is not a good indicator of the resale market, you have to look at the prices of tickets sold (which can be done), lots of people list tickets at huge mark-ups, but buyers search for the cheapest prices in their desired sections, and reasonably priced tickets are often snatched up within seconds.  Secondly that cost for the Classic is really the price of all three games combined, sellers take a bath on those other two games when service charges and resale fees are factored in.

Interesting points of note are that the quantity of fat cat set-asides grows every year and that in 2012 for the first time tickets were never placed on sale for the general public.

I wonder if the Nats will do standing room tickets.  Probably depends on the weather.

A lottery was held, as in past Winter Classics, for season ticket holders for both teams (as well as season ticket holders for the Phillies) to have the chance to buy tickets. However, if you were selected, you had to purchase a three game package, including tickets for the Winter Classic itself, tickets for the alumni game and tickets for an AHL game that would be played on the outdoor rink.

...

Since the inaugural game held in 2008, and leading up to last year’s Classic held at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, at least a small amount of tickets were made available to the general public via a lottery system. This year’s game breaks that tradition even though it is being held in a similar venue as past Winter Classics in Boston (Fenway Park) and Chicago (Wrigley Field). Both venues had a smaller capacity, 38,112 and 40,818 respectively, than Citizens Bank Park (45,000) but still managed to offer a limited number of tickets to the general public.

Is it a sign of the growing popularity of the game that more and more tickets are being given to the ever-growing number of sponsors and NHL interests? Perhaps, after all, their sponsorship money is what makes these events possible. Each year Winter Classic tickets are becoming more and more like Super Bowl tickets.

http://thehockeywriters.com/2012-winter-classic-ticket-prices-skyrocket/

[PowerBoater69]

Looking at this photo I hope that they don't use this configuration at Nats Park.  Putting the rink in the outfield means that every seat in the house is bad as opposed to putting it closer to home plate from first to third where the 200, 300, and 400 level seats will have a pretty decent vantage point along with the top of the 100 level and the standing room railings.  The seating is set up to view the infield, why put the rink anywhere else?

They should build stands in the outfield area rather than selling tickets in the 100 level in the outfield; sections 138-142 in particular would be the worst, far from the action, not enough elevation, and no view of the big screen.  Putting in field level stands is done for NCAA Finals games held in football stadiums and it works fairly well, these become the best seats in the house as they are closer to the action and have steeper rise than the 100 level seats in large stadiums.

[mitlen]

Looking at this photo I hope that they don't use this configuration at Nats Park.  Putting the rink in the outfield means that every seat in the house is bad as opposed to putting it closer to home plate from first to third where the 200, 300, and 400 level seats will have a pretty decent vantage point along with the top of the 100 level and the standing room railings.  The seating is set up to view the infield, why put the rink anywhere else?

They should build stands in the outfield area rather than selling tickets in the 100 level in the outfield; sections 138-142 in particular would be the worst, far from the action, not enough elevation, and no view of the big screen.  Putting in field level stands is done for NCAA Finals games held in football stadiums and it works fairly well, these become the best seats in the house as they are closer to the action and have steeper rise than the 100 level seats in large stadiums.

Are you wantin' (and us) a home to second look?    Problem is how do you tell the folks in the Red Loft that they'll be too far away?     On second thought, never mind.   

[imref]

after watching the game today, i can't see how anyone will have a good view of the action.  I'd bet most are watching the big screen.

[CALSGR8]

I was at Heinz field.   You didn't want field level seats.   You couldn't see.   Higher the better.

[PowerBoater69]

I was at Heinz field.   You didn't want field level seats.   You couldn't see.   Higher the better.

That's due to the distance between the ice and the stands and the fact that the ice is a good bit higher than normal field level. Temporary stands on the outfield side would solve the first issue because they would be installed directly along side of the ice. Raising them up would solve the second issue as well but would likely prevent selling tickets in the 200 level under the scoreboard.

It's too bad they can't do this at Fedex where there would be no shortage of good seats.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Pretty basic fact about field level is that hockey is played with board around the rink, so you have to have some height to see puck movement, shots, and saves.  Sure, you can get a sense of how the play is going from following the player movement, but not seeing shots and passes would stink.  Hockey arenas have close enough seats and sharp enough angled stands that this is not a problem in a normal arena, but at a baseball stadium, it really should be a consideration.  The video board is critical for field level fans, especially in the swanky seats.

[PowerBoater69]

Per JD Land, 230 parking spots in various lots will be lost due to new construction. A bigger impact would be if a planned job gets started that cuts 230 more from close in lot F.


http://www.jdland.com/dc/m-index.cfm/3880/Public-Parking-Options-Slimming-Down-a-Bit-in-2014/

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

It's all in the eye of the beholder I suppose, but there's not a seat in the house at fedex that is even remotely good in my book

It's too bad they can't do this at Fedex where there would be no shortage of good seats.

[GburgNatsFan]

Maybe they need to dig the ice into the outfield?

Or, entirely glass boards.... that'd be cool.

Pretty basic fact about field level is that hockey is played with board around the rink, so you have to have some height to see puck movement, shots, and saves.  Sure, you can get a sense of how the play is going from following the player movement, but not seeing shots and passes would stink.  Hockey arenas have close enough seats and sharp enough angled stands that this is not a problem in a normal arena, but at a baseball stadium, it really should be a consideration.  The video board is critical for field level fans, especially in the swanky seats.

[imref]

Per JD Land, 230 parking spots in various lots will be lost due to new construction. A bigger impact would be if a planned job gets started that cuts 230 more from close in lot F.


http://www.jdland.com/dc/m-index.cfm/3880/Public-Parking-Options-Slimming-Down-a-Bit-in-2014/

She also reported the the old cement plant area behind the park along the river is contaminated and will require millions to clean up.

[GburgNatsFan]

She also reported the the old cement plant area behind the park along the river is contaminated and will require millions to clean up.

What isn't contaminated along the Anacostia?

[PowerBoater69]

Jason Aldean is coming to Nats Park this summer.  He's no Harry Styles but floor tix are going for $200+ for his upcoming show at the Baltimore Arena.  Might be another opportunity to make a buck.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ticketing/jasonaldean.jsp

[Galah]

Jason Aldean is coming to Nats Park this summer.  He's no Harry Styles but floor tix are going for $200+ for his upcoming show at the Baltimore Arena.  Might be another opportunity to make a buck.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ticketing/jasonaldean.jsp

…and he's got Florida-Georgia Line traveling with him. Should be a good show.

[imref]

What isn't contaminated along the Anacostia?

good point.

[Mathguy]

The goal of the city should be to clean the river and transform it into a valuable resource

She also reported the the old cement plant area behind the park along the river is contaminated and will require millions to clean up.