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Post by TheShadow on Jul 17, 2004 19:48:41 GMT -5
----- Original Message -----
From: "RFM" <RFM@home.com>
Newsgroups: alt.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders
Subject: Single game tickets
Good morning, Ms. Trask,
I can appreciate the effort the Raiders and the OFMA are making in an
attempt to sell more tickets at home. Following the bad example that San
Diego sets in regards to package deals is a horrible mistake. As you know,
the Tampa Bay game is a guaranteed sellout. It is billed as the "Mecca
Game". To package that game with the Buffalo game and a game of my choice
appears to be an effort to undermine a guaranteed sellout. I've bought
non-refundable airline tickets and made hotel reservations months in advance
in preparation to take my 12 year old son to his first game in Oakland. His
first Raider game was last year's debacle in Denver, a lopsided 31-10 loss.
He endured endless heckling and jeers from the Bronco fans that night.
It is apparent that this new policy will keep us from attending a very
memorable event. It is apparent that this new policy will prove to further
alienate fans that are trying very hard to be loyal. Every year, the OFMA
and the Raiders come out with some kind of new policy that pushes fans to
the limits of their loyalties. Repainting the parking lots and not letting
folks set up tailgates where they want comes to mind from last year.
Is the master plan to soak the fan for every cent they're worth and move on
to another venue? As a lifelong OAKLAND Raider fan, I certainly hope not.
Very respectfully (and disappointedly),
MARK <snip>, TSgt, USAF
50 CES/CEOFM
NCOIC, Material Acquisition
**********
Her response:
Mark ... thank you so very much for taking the time to share your thoughts
with me. I am out of the office today and typing on a very small handheld
device so please pardon the brevity of this response. I will call you (if
that's okay with you) early next week to discuss this. Amy
**********
She Cc'd Marc Badain, Finance.
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 17, 2004 19:50:43 GMT -5
----- Original Message -----
From: "R. J. Salvi" <rjsalvi@nospamambianceacoustics.com>
Newsgroups: alt.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders
Well written, Mark! The following is a follow-up e-mail to a phone
conversation I had with Paul T. Rosynsky, Staff Writer for the Oakland
Tribune:
-----------------
"Hi Paul,
It was a pleasure speaking with you this afternoon.
Fwiw (and it may or may not be inconsequential to you)...the group of
individuals I'm getting together with for the TB game all participate in the
Internet newsgroup ASFPOR (alt.sports.football.pro.oakland-raiders). Some
members of the group show up every home game and they coin some of their
get-togethers: "Alegates" (beer + tailgate = Alegate). Although some of us
in the group have actually never met one another in person, the TB game was
designated an "Alegate" due to its great interest amongst the participants
(Super Bowl retribution), so this game will be an icebreaker for a lot of
us. We have participants flying in from as far away as Germany.
Relative to my original rant, quite a few of the group had to pull some
serious strings with their employers to get the necessary time off to be
able to attend. And aside from their out-of-pocket expenses for airline and
hotel accomodations, the ticket prices on the secondary market will be
inflated. Had OFMA and the Raiders not held the fans hostage by
incorporating a 3 game "mini" instead of just the usual one-game sales, the
inconvenience of paying more per seat and potentially not having the group
seated all together could be avoided. Without the fans, there is no sport.
Thanks again, Paul. Have a nice weekend."
-----------------------
I strongly suspect he's going to do a piece on this problem so we'll have to
keep our eyes open for it.
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 17, 2004 20:10:09 GMT -5
----- Original Message -----
From: "The Shadow" <miehls@bright.net>
Newsgroups: alt.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders
When I called the Raiders' front office the first time I gave them an earful
about how there were fans from all over the globe that were planning to make
it to the game. They would not tell me upfront on if the Raiders or the
OFMA had the final say on how to handle the ticket situation but what I
gather it was the OFMA's idea in the first place and the Raiders went along
with it. Not sure how much power the OFMA have over the Raiders as far as
this issue is concerned.
When I talked to them the second time it was to inform them that we had to
get tickets another way and that our group will be in section 136. Told
them that the Raider fans were the most loyal so it was unwise to not listen
to their input since we are the heart and soul of the team. That is when I
got an invite to go to the Raiders' facility on the Saturday before the
game. This leads me to believe that our team's hands are tied when it comes
to the final say ticket-wise.
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 17, 2004 20:51:47 GMT -5
----- Original Message -----
From: "R. J. Salvi" <rjsalvi@nospamambianceacoustics.com>
Newsgroups: alt.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders
In situations like this -- due to the incestuous relationship between
professional sports franchises and municipalities -- it's too easy for
everyone to start pointing fingers and nothing get done. The best way to
address an issue like ours is to pressure all parties. If there's enough of
an uprising, it forces all affected parties to again meet behind closed
doors and rethink the strategy(s)...or pay "hush money." I don't care what
team it is, they don't make money without fans. Fans pay for the tickets,
fans buy advertisers' products and in the case of the Oakland Raiders, the
fans greatly contribute to market branding.
Would the Raiders be viewed as the NFL's bad boys if everyone who went to
the game sipped champagne and wore Disney shirts? I rest my case.
Does anyone have that URL for the website that archives all other websites?
The reason I ask is because I think the OFMA site was down the other day
because they were trying to figure out how to structure the 3 game
mini-plan. The first time they listed the package, it *DID NOT* have the
exclusions for the Denver and KC games.
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 17, 2004 20:55:29 GMT -5
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 18, 2004 7:58:27 GMT -5
----- Original Message ----- From: "PIRATE(131,33,17)" <p@1313317.rz> Newsgroups: alt.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders "Oakland Football Marketing Association handles ALL ticketing for the RAIDERS. The team has nothing to do with how ofma markets the tickets. It was NEVER this way when the RAIDERS were in LA & handled their own ticket distribution. The Oakland City government & the jpa have treated RAIDERS fans like Bastard-Step-children for as long as I can remember. It seems that we are more of an annoyance than anything else. Yet ... I remain loyal ... pay my season ticket premiums on-time EVERY year ... even purchased an additional season ticket this year for my son. -- Godspeed RAIDERS!!! P131,33,17 #nosmileys |
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 20, 2004 19:41:55 GMT -5
----- Original Message -----
From: "RFM" <RFM@home.com>
Newsgroups: alt.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders
Maybe I should have titled the subject, Mark Badain, since that's who
contacted me. He left a voice mail for me yesterday after I'd already left
work, but asked me to call him on his cell. When I got him, he said he was
in Chicago trying to get Robert Gallery under contract this week.
We talked about the ticket situation and he said the primary goal was to
sell out the home opener. If they could package the no-brainer Tampa Bay
sellout with the Buffalo game, they'd have two sellouts to go strong into
the season with. The last home opener that sold out was in '97 when Rison
burned McDaniel for the TD in the final seconds. He made no effort to
implicate the OFMA, but made it sound like an agreement by all concerned
parties. We didn't even talk about the OFMA.
Regarding single ticket sales for the TB game, he said he could make no
promises as of July 20th but to stay in contact with him. He had four other
groups that have contacted him regarding group tickets from as far away as
England and Australia, but he would try to work something out for all. He
didn't say what section or even what level they could be at.
He also said that if we decide to press on with the three game package and
could come to the Buffalo game, he'd arrange a tour of Raider HQ. I told
him that would do us no good. He mentioned the possibility of pre-game,
on-field passes for the TB game.
As of this writing, I intend to send our seller his $580 deposit. That will
give us about a week to see what Mr. Badain has in mind as far as seating
and if it turns out to be better/cheaper than our current deal, our seller
can just send the four tickets the deposit paid for and I'll eat the cost
(eBay or something?).
I've received fundage from Izzy, Shadow, RJ Salvi, and (today) tsp. They
get first dibs on which row they want to sit in. If you want me to buy your
tickets, get me your dough! This poor GI can't front tickets for you. 8^)
--Raider Fan Mark
#nosmileys
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 20, 2004 20:00:14 GMT -5
----- Original Message ----- From: "RFM" <RFM@home.com> Newsgroups: alt.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders Hey, this is getting kind of fun: www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/football/nfl/oakland_raiders/qa_forum.htmor tinyurl.com/49577Q. Steve, why are the Raiders and the OFMA trying to sabotage a guaranteed home sellout against the Bucs? This package ticket deal smells horribly of the Chargers organization and THAT is the LAST team's lead the Raiders should be following. I wanted to take my son to his first game in Oakland, non-refundable airline tix in hand. Now I have to buy tickets to two other games I can't go to? What a rip off of the fan. Soak them for all they're worth and press on to another city. Is that the master plan? Raider Fan Mark, Colorado Springs, CO 7/16/04 A. Raider Fan Mark, You're right, the announcement that the Raiders-Buccaneers game is tied to purchasing tickets to two other games does smack of the OFMA and/or the Raiders trying to take advantage of a marquee game, when they should be concerned with catering to the fans and not alienating them. A team fresh from a 4-12 season, as the Raiders are, shouldn't be trying to force the hands of their fans when it comes to purchasing tickets, especially when they have so much difficulty selling out any of their games. But things won't change until fans band together and let the powers that be know that their policies are unacceptable. So, get to work and help effect change. Take care. Sincerely, Steve. Steve Corkran 7/20/04 |
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 21, 2004 19:55:37 GMT -5
----- Original Message -----
From: "RFM" <RFM@home.com>
Newsgroups: alt.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders
It doesn't sound too promising about getting group tickets through Mark
Badain. He was saying single game tickets likely wouldn't happen until a
couple weeks before the game and trying to guess where the tickets will be
would be a nice trick.
I asked him about the Gallery negotiations and he said they're coming along
nicely. Expect an announcement around the end of the week.
I asked him about Eddie George. He said don't believe the rumors--probably
generated by his agent to garner interest and drive up his prices.
--RFM
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Post by RFM on Jul 21, 2004 23:33:10 GMT -5
Thanks for updating this board, Shadow! I keep forgetting to come in and do it my-d**n-self!  I've mailed the $580 deposit to the seller and am still looking for money from Gary, Raider Jeff, Powski, and Badlands. To my knowledge, Badlands and Powski do not have my mailing address. RFM |
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Post by TheShadow on Jul 22, 2004 5:03:22 GMT -5
I sent an e mail along with your home address.
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Post by RFM on Jul 24, 2004 19:48:29 GMT -5
I'm sending the money to the seller on 31 July via cashier's check. If your money isn't in hand, I can give you the seller's email addy to see if he'll sell to you directly. Or take your chances later on if you want with single game ticket sales.
Mark
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