Vikings Still Have Unsold Tickets

Brett Favre signed with the Minnesota Vikings almost two weeks ago. When that happened, there was an assumption that his presence would help the Vikings unload what was left of their tickets for the 2009 season.

With four weeks to go before their home opener in Week 3 against San Francisco, the Vikings are still on a list of teams who are struggling to sell out their stadiums. The situation isn't as dire as in, say, Jacksonville, but it has to be a surprise to many that the team is still trying to fill the Metrodome.

The Vikings seem appreciative of the early response to Favre's arrival, even though it wasn't enough to alleviate blackout concerns.

The Vikings sold approximately 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets in the 24 hours after they signed quarterback Brett Favre last week. According to the club, that left the Vikings with about 7,000 season tickets still available.

"It's been a tremendous boost," Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said. "We certainly have a way to go. But our organization is very excited for our fans. They showed it in the last couple days, and we look forward to our fans getting more involved."

The team struggled a bit in 2008 to sell tickets, but still have not failed to sell a game out since before Randy Moss arrived in 1998.

Believe it or not, Favre's first-ever game against the Packers, scheduled for Oct. 5 at the Metrodome, is still not sold out. The Vikings have tried like crazy to make this game hard for Packer fans to access, since some 20,000 of them (or more) find their way into the Metrodome every year. Perhaps they have gone too far, and this ticket is too tough for anyone to get, including their own fans.

The Vikings confirmed to the Minneapolis Star Tribune that over 1,000 tickets are left for each home game.

Ouch. So much for Favre euphoria.

There's no reason to think that these games won't sell out eventually. The Vikings have a strong, vibrant, and faithful fanbase, but it's a tortured one. They have dealt with a whole lot in the last 20 years, including some really bad teams, bad coaches, and off-field controversies. Not only that, but the Metrodome doesn't exactly scream "football palace."

If fans are going to wait and see how this team performs in games that actually count, it could help the Vikings that their first two regular-season games are on the road.

Or maybe it will hurt them.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-30-2009 @ 9:52PM

tyrekyoung said...

if the vikings can not sell out a stadium with the electricfying AP then what do you expect Bret to do

8-30-2009 @ 9:55PM

hsiunnu said...

God Ciskie, you are about the biggest joke in the sportswriting world. You just can't escape an opportunity, explicitly or implicitly, to slam Favre and the Vikings can you? You know there's an old parable about two Zen monks that came across a pretty woman, and the old monk offered to carry her across a mud puddle. A few miles down the road the young monk was still fuming and the old monk asked why. The young monk reminded the old one that they had taken vows of celibacy and were supposed to ignore the feminine wiles of pretty women. The old monk said "I put that woman down miles ago. Why haven't you?" All I can think, Ciskie, is you must've been next to Favre at a Twin Cities airport bathroom stall and tapped your foot and ol' Brett ignored you.

9-05-2009 @ 5:18PM

htc6600 said...

I think you need to stop sucking Favre's poker and realize the guy is a selfish pig.

8-30-2009 @ 10:06PM

JFCJR said...

Aw shucks........nobody will be able to watch Mister Choke Artist during the home games!

8-31-2009 @ 3:09AM

Tony Linder said...

It`s because the fans still arent convinced Childress wont try to start Tarvarious Jackson yet. Why have they not made the trade anyway? He`s got to be worth a 4th or 5th rounder.

8-31-2009 @ 8:11AM

packerbf4tb said...

Again another put down column about Favre
from the Favre hater Ciske....can't write
about anybody else but Favre...maybe tickets
are a hard sell for all teams because of the
economy and the cost of a ticket?...did that
ever cross your little gray matter?....Is
it Favre's fault too that people are losing
their homes and jobs?...the fans deserve better
prices for tickets ....maybe if the NFL would
start paying "rookies" a starting salary
instead of them coming in and demanding big
bucks when they didn't even step on the NFL
playing field that would help lower ticket
prices.....won't happen when the young bucks
think they are worth the "big bucks" .......
If I was an owner and I had rookies demanding
$$$$$$ I would let them stay out and look to
another guy that is ready to play....anybody
can be replaced......salaries are over the top..

8-31-2009 @ 10:30AM

LaKeeta said...

The Metrodome is a dangerous stadium even with dry steps. One good slip and you may slide down all the way to the field. Throw in people drinking and I am sure it gets worse.

8-31-2009 @ 10:31AM

The Broncos should dare I say it trade for Jackson. They need at least one QB that don't look like Bambi in car headlights.

8-31-2009 @ 11:12PM

I agree. Anybody other than Orton would be an upgrade. Maybe the Broncos can also pick up a new head coach to go along with a new QB........

9-05-2009 @ 3:24AM

David Upwad said...

GREAT!! How about T-Jerk for the rights to Elway (just in case he decides to unretire too) Win/win trade for both sides. Just think...Farve and Elway AND Peterson. Can you say Super Bowl Baby!!

9-05-2009 @ 5:23PM

The Vikings can't sell out the dome because there are enough smart people in Minnesota not buying Team Z's political strategy of bringing a dinosaur in to sell the legislature on a new, publicly funded football stadium. We've got one albatross around our necks with the new Twins stadium and that was a cheap one. Wilf's designs are so pie-in-the-sky it makes me wonder if he had Trump or the Ghermazian brothers design the damned thing.