Thursday Morning Cup O’Chiefs
The NFL’s yearly showcase comes after the first of the year with the playoffs and Super Bowl.
There was a time when those post-season games were considered bulletproof, immune from downturns in the economy and television ratings. It was pro football’s gold mine.
However, it’s been a long time since there has been an economic situation as bad as what the country is going through right now. The NFL has taken notice.
The league announced on Wednesday that it was going to lower the price of tickets for the playoffs approximately 10 percent. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell set ticket pricing guidelines to teams contending for the playoffs. Those teams set their own price on tickets. The league is now giving teams the right to price wildcard games at a lower price than divisional playoff games. That’s something new.
The average price for tickets to the playoffs and conference championship games last year was $121.
This year is the first time that some tickets to the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa are priced at $1,000. One-fourth of the house will cost $1,000. There are 17,000 suite and club seats that will sale for $1,000. There are 53,000 tickets that will go for $800 and there are 1,000 tickets available for $500.
The league dropped the price of that last group of tickets by $200. It’s the first time the NFL has cut the cost of a Super Bowl ticket.
Where the NFL makes its money is on selling their TV rights. One of the jewels of those broadcasting deals is rights to the Super Bowl. NBC is charging $3 million for a 30-second spot. The network was able to sell most of their time over the summer, before the economic meltdown on Wall Street.
But the network has eight ad slots left and hasn’t been able to sell them for the last two months. Several big-time advertisers are out of the picture. General Motors won’t have any Super Bowl ads. FedEx has not bought ad time, even though they’ve been part of the game broadcast for the last dozen years. Garmin is sitting out this year’s Super Bowl.
Some advertisers do not have the cash. Others don’t want to send a message with spending so m uch money on a single advertising event.
“With this much money on the line it can be a negative reflection on a company, especially if they are cutting back staff or getting a government bailout,” said Steve Lanzano, COO of MPG North America, a media buying company in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
Somehow you can bet that NBC will find a way to sell those ads, no matter the price.
FROM THE PAGES OF CHIEFS HISTORY
On November 13, 1977, the Chiefs lost to the Chicago Bears 28-27 at Soldier Field. Under sunny skies with a strong wind roaring off Lake Michigan, the Chiefs pushed the Bears to the final minute before falling in front of 49,543 fans. The Chiefs jumped out to a 17-0 first-half lead on one-yard TD runs by QB Mike Livingston and RB Ed Podolak. Jan Stenerud kicked a 37-yard FG. But the Bears roared back on the legs of Hall of Fame RB Walter Payton, who scored three touchdowns in the second half and ran for 192 yards in the game. Podolak put the Chiefs back on top with 29 seconds to play when he scored on a 14-yard run. A good kick return set up the Chicago offense in good field position and QB Bob Avellini hit a pair of passes, including a 37-yard touchdown throw to TE Greg Latta with three second to play. The PAT kick by Bob Thomas gave the Bears a victory.
On November 13, 1988, the Chiefs beat the Cincinnati Bengals 31-28 before a crowd of 34,614 at Arrowhead Stadium. A furious fourth quarter rally gave the Chiefs the victory. They were down 28-13 after Cincinnati’s Stanford Jennings returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score in the third quarter. The Chiefs scored the next 18 points. Nick Lowery kicked a 47-yard field goal, CB Albert Lewis had a safety after a blocked punt went through the end zone and RB Christian Okoye scored on a one-yard run. On the ensuing kickoff, RB James Saxon forced a Bengals fumble that was recovered by Lewis with 1:11 to play in the game. Lowery eventually hit a 39-yard game-winning FG. Okoye finished with 102 yards on 16 carries, while QB Steve DeBerg threw for 285 yards.
OPPONENT NEXT/ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
The Saints will be using their backup cornerbacks on Sunday when they go against the suddenly potent Chiefs passing game.
An update on the injury status of Reggie Bush, who has missed the last two games with an ankle injury.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Tony Romo says he’s going to be ready to go this weekend for the Cowboys and hopes his return will help bring his team together.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel went on the offensive Wednesday to douse the spreading perception that his team quit last week in losing to Denver, or so says RB Jamal Lewis and WR/KR returner Josh Cribbs.
AROUND THE AFC WEST
The Chargers were busy this week, claiming former Chiefs RB Michael Bennett on waivers from Tampa Bay. Why? So the Denver Broncos wouldn’t get him.
The Raiders claimed CB Justin Miller on waivers from the Jets, plus a host of other notes from RaidersLand.
Rookie WR Eddie Royal continues to draw attention for his performances so far this year for the Broncos.
>> “Playoffs?! Don’t talk about playoffs! Are you kidding me? Playoffs?! I’m just hoping we can win a game, another game!” <<
This obviously was not a quote from Herm Edwards. He of the 53-67 career record. According to the Coach, Chiefs fans shouldn’t be expecting wins until 2010. Hmmm…never heard Bill Parcells or even Jim Mora (quoted above) set such low expectations. Unfortunatley Herm is on track to meet that expectation. Unacceptable.
Only you (aPauled) could turn that article into a Herm hater session.
The Nigerian nightmare and Albert Lewis – those were the days! I remember parking cars/directing traffic to get into the games for free back then – you got a standing room only ticket and a ticket for a hot dog.
JB
I really think our spread offense is in for another big day. Somehow, I just don’t see Young Gay David beating it. (Cheap shot I know, but couldn’t resist!)
I hope Reggie Bush stays on the sidelines for one more game. Brees isn’t quite as effective without his security blanket running those short, underneath routes.
Finally, Michael Bennett is a decent RB imo, but this guy just can’t seem to get free long enough to sign with a team that needs him. The Vikings traded him to us, and we didn’t really need him that bad. We trade him to Tampa Bay, who didn’t really need him that bad. (And also didn’t play him much this year because they were trying to avoid giving us an extra draft pick in 2009.) Then Tampa lets him go and San Diego grabs him to be a 3rd stringer just so Denver can’t sign him to be a starter! I kinda feel sorry for the guy, but I’m glad that Shanny didn’t get the player he wanted.
I never pull for any of our divisional opponents but of all the teams out there I can’t freakin’ stand the Broncos!
Hey everybody, read this article.
http://uponfurtherreview.kansascity.com/?q=node/142
I don’t know if what the author says is entirely tru or not, but if he is, how very interesting…..
Marty Shotenhimer was told after the first part of the season a few years before he left,that no options , other than winning . He went from worst to first , by doing just what Carl and Herm are doing , and they are working together ! Marty had to fight the front office at the same time . Hindsight is going to SHOW ,where they are , the key is the CAP . Were was Tenn. Miami Alanta N.Y.J. ARZ. –not long ago . The cap has some teams tied down , compared to KC. And not able to be do every thing the CHIEFS are. I see results soon comming , not later , no – I dont have the crystal ball , if I did , I still dont enough to use it . Its time for games with wide spreads in winning points . A little fun in the sun !
>> “Only you (aPauled) could turn that article into a Herm hater session.” <<
I actually like Herm as a person and a personell guy. I just think that he is miscast as a Head Coach.
Reading the article just fueled the fires that we aren’t competing for a playoff spot. The AFC West isn’t exactly a power division this year. It has quickly become acceptable in the organization that 2-3 wins is OK this year. Unacceptable.
Charlton—read it , some one has been told to write some thing – just some thing . I live for football , love it . Hope You die in front of your T.V. (soon)
Charlton , sorry -Martin Manley was the one that was dieing to watch T.Y. not you , thanks for finding it .
I was gonna say….man why should I die in front of my tv,:) yeah, I just thought it was an interesting read.
It’s sad to be cast in the same boat as the Bengals and Lions. They seem to be headed in the right direction now, but they’ve just got to start winning some of these games and earn some respect back.
http://chiefsblog.kansascity.com/?q=node/439
Teicher:
“Lay off Gunther, if only this week
I completely get the fans’ mounting frustration over defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. He clearly hasn’t accomplished what the Chiefs brought him back for. The Chiefs have invested draft picks and free agent dollars for defenders he wanted and as a whole they aren’t any better than when he replaced Greg Robinson. We could ramble on about his insistence the Chiefs sign Kendrell Bell. Meanwhile, players like Derrick Johnson, Tank Tyler and Glenn Dorsey either haven’t developed or aren’t developing like they should and Cunningham has to shoulder at least some of that blame.
What I don’t get is the fans picking on him this week, of all weeks. Got some mail since the San Diego blaming the soft, Cunningham-ordered coverages for the loss to the Chargers.
Of all weeks to be critical of Cunningham, this wasn’t one of them. By the end of the game, the Chiefs had Wallace Gilberry playing defensive end, Wes Dacus playing linebacker and some combination of Maurice Leggett, David Macklin and Ricardo Colclough playing cornerback.
That isn’t even the junior varsity, which is what you might call a lineup full of backups. These guys are backups to the backups. Gilberry, Macklin and Colclough joined the Chiefs only last week and before that, they were in demand by nobody. Gilberry was on the Giants practice squad while Macklin and Colclough were waiting by the phone. Dacus, an undrafted rookie, started the season on the practice squad and was there only because the Chiefs, already razor thin at linebacker, didn’t like any of their other young players at the position. He was bumped to the active roster only when Donnie Edwards was injured early in the season. Leggett also has some ability, but played at Valdosta State. He was initially their fifth cornerback and was forced into the lineup only because of injuries to Brandon Flowers and Pat Surtain.
I’m not sure what Cunningham could have done differently or better to stop one of the NFL’s best passing teams. There’s no question that when whole, the Chiefs have underachieved defensively. But against the Chargers, with a lineup full of holes, they overachieved.”