DDP: Approx 8 sections of seating removed in upper deck endzone - more removed as of 2012 DDP, LL Endzone in 2013

[RFKFedEx]

I'm pretty sure there were times JKC had to buy up tickets that weren't sold, I'm more than positive.

I'm not saying it was impossible, but I don't see when it would have happened. The sell out streak the Redskins are always bragging about today supposedly began in 1968. The season ticket waiting list was made public a few years after that; although it wasn't advertised until Snyder's arrival. Since the late 60s, the Redskins had not advertised single game ticket sales until Snyder began marketing the "returned" tickets in the 2000s. There hasn't been even a whisper of a local tv blackout in Washington since the rule went into effect in the early 70s. Even when the team wasn't good in the 70s and 90s under JKC, many fans were eagerly awaiting the privilege to buy STs before the team moved to Landover.

[B55Green]

I thought the blackout was before the 70's? When looking, I read something about the last blackout for the Redskins was in 67. Either way, that's what I was asking myself (68 sellout streak) how could he have bought tickets that were sold. Maybe I heard wrong, but with all the Snyder hate, I just keep running across premature "When will the Redskins Blackout Happen" type stuff. Hopefully someone else can add in on this. My guess about the sellout would be somewhere in the mid 90's or mid-late 70's.

[hail2skins]

I thought the blackout was before the 70's? When looking, I read something about the last blackout for the Redskins was in 67.

According to Wikipedia, all NFL games (regardless of sellout) were blacked out in the city where they were played before 1973. That even included the 1972 Cowboys-Skins NFCCG, which leads to some debates on here, as some people say that the game was televised here, while others say it wasn't.

[Spearfeather]

According to Wikipedia, all NFL games (regardless of sellout) were blacked out in the city where they were played before 1973. That even included the 1972 Cowboys-Skins NFCCG, which leads to some debates on here, as some people say that the game was televised here, while others say it wasn't.

This from: richmondthenandnow.com

For years professional football rules did not allow TV carriage in the city of origination. Redskins fans drove to Richmond on Washington blackout days, rented motel rooms, hauled in cases of beer and settled down to watch the screen. One Sunday network chieftains, for a reason now forgotten, decided to switch games at the last minute. The station's night door rattled under great pounding less than 30 minutes into the substitute tournament. Standing outside was a beer sloshed crowd of Washingtonians who announced that the engineer's face was about to be rearranged and the building dismantled brick by brick. Ordinary door glass was replaced by wire reinforced lexan and the lock quickly beefed up as a result of the incident.



Doesn't say when, but still pretty funny.

[B55Green]

Thanks for that Hail, never knew that and that seems a bit odd, but I guess it is what it is, glad we live in today's TV than then.

[mbws]

I thought the blackout was before the 70's? When looking, I read something about the last blackout for the Redskins was in 67. Either way, that's what I was asking myself (68 sellout streak) how could he have bought tickets that were sold. Maybe I heard wrong, but with all the Snyder hate, I just keep running across premature "When will the Redskins Blackout Happen" type stuff. Hopefully someone else can add in on this. My guess about the sellout would be somewhere in the mid 90's or mid-late 70's.

Sometime in the early 70s, the rule was changed to lift the blackout if the games were sold out 72 hours before kickoff. Before that ALL home games were blacked out in the home market, whether they were sold out or not. My stepfather would meet friends in Baltimore to watch Redskins home games.

[B55Green]

Yea Hail had just said that, crazy to know that's how the rules were. So basically the sellouts in the late 60's really meant nothing.

[AllenGibbs]

According to Wikipedia, all NFL games (regardless of sellout) were blacked out in the city where they were played before 1973. That even included the 1972 Cowboys-Skins NFCCG, which leads to some debates on here, as some people say that the game was televised here, while others say it wasn't.

The 1972 Cowboys/Skins NFC Championship Game was televised here. The pre-1973 blackout rule didn't apply to playoff games, unless the playoff game was not sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff.

[BadKarma]

Some good "before my time" info in this thread.

[Mark The Homer]

... The pre-1973 blackout rule didn't apply to playoff games, unless the playoff game was not sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff.

So then the blackout rule didn't apply for the 1972 Division playoff game between the Redskins and Packers.

Right?

Wrong.

---------- Post added June-6th-2011 at 06:33 AM ----------

...The sell out streak the Redskins are always bragging about today supposedly began in 1968. ...

I believe it was '66.

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...-two-of-a-kind

[Crazy Levi]

Sorry to reply to myself, but it occurs to me that the Skins could be actively attempting to cut the bottom out of the secondary market. If you've got SRO for, I don't know, $29, why would I consider something for $60-$80 at StubHub?.

The problem is, this is the Redskins. There is no way in hell they would sell $29 "party deck" SRO tickets. Look at the ridiculous $150 they want for the club level party decks.

The other problem with that theory is that we all know the Skins are in on much of the scalping/secondary market sales that go on. They aren't being undercut by anybody. The games are still technically sold out, they are still shifting tickets to stubhub and elsewhere with whatever backroom deals they are doing.

If they really are taking out thousands of seats in the upper deck and selling some kind of SRO ticket, I'm sure they'll still want upwards of $75 per, with some cheesy option to "upgrade" to club access for $100...making the club section even more of a zoo.

[CTennant]

I find one thing interesting about the sections with removed seats. They also removed the Fedex signage along the very top of the stadium. What's the point of that? They added some temporary looking signage presumably to keep people out of that area for safety purposes. But why remove everything at the top? If it is just going to be a party deck with the "tables," the signage at the top does not affect anything. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but there could be something more to it.

-ct

[hail2skins]

I find one thing interesting about the sections with removed seats. They also removed the Fedex signage along the very top of the stadium. What's the point of that? They added some temporary looking signage presumably to keep people out of that area for safety purposes. But why remove everything at the top? If it is just going to be a party deck with the "tables," the signage at the top does not affect anything. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but there could be something more to it.

CT, think this was addressed earlier in the thread......best guess is they probably moved the fencing down for now so that people who went to the concert Saturday wouldn't walk into the empty areas.

---------- Post added June-6th-2011 at 10:31 AM ----------

The problem is, this is the Redskins. There is no way in hell they would sell $29 "party deck" SRO tickets. Look at the ridiculous $150 they want for the club level party decks.....If they really are taking out thousands of seats in the upper deck and selling some kind of SRO ticket, I'm sure they'll still want upwards of $75 per, with some cheesy option to "upgrade" to club access for $100...making the club section even more of a zoo.

But weren't the seats in the end zone going for like $44? I can't see them charging more than $25-30 for SROs, unless they are going to give free beer coupons with ticket purchases!

I also thought $150 for club SROs was ridiculous but considering the cheapest club seats were close to $250 per, the Skins obviously thought they were offering a bargain.

[CTennant]

CT, think this was addressed earlier in the thread......best guess is they probably moved the fencing down for now so that people who went to the concert Saturday wouldn't walk into the empty areas.

Installing the temporary signage is logical to me. It is not the same signage as what was at the top. It is clearly temporary and there is a door in the middle. That's not a big deal. But why remove everything at the top? Why was that necessary? Maybe they are going to replace it with some "party deck" signage. But if the stick the old stuff back up there, it looks like wasted effort. Again, maybe it is nothing, but who really knows? Everything is rumors and speculation at this point.

[joeval83]

Don't know if this has already been posted (didn't see it) but Steinberg posted photos from the K. Chesney concert:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...s0IH_blog.html