MLB just took control of the Dodgers

[Eye]

The Mets have had the worst thing possible happen with their fans apathy.

In 2006 we were disappointed after the NLCS

In 2007 we were angry at the collapse

In 2008 we were heartbroken at how Shea Stadium went out

In 2009 we were disgusted at how Citi Field ignored Mets history, and how the team stunk it up

In 2010 we were just tired of it all

In 2011 the fan base has just become apathetic at the Madoff news.

Good. y'all.

[The_Admiral]

People had been going to Dodgers games in large numbers until the McCourt divorce made it obvious that the team was going to be too hamstrung to compete. Not sure I totally agree, but whatevs.

Ask the city of Charlotte about bad ownership driving away fans. The Hornets could barely even fill half the arena for a second round playoff series the last year they were in Charlotte.

This was stupid. Hornets fans stopped going to games because someone accused Shinn of sexual harassment? That's no reason to stop going to games. Maybe those gomers deserve the Bobcats.

[Gothamite]

I agree. I don't think "the owner's an scumbag crook" is a good reason to stop supporting the club. Heck, if we did that the Yankees would have been at the bottom of the box office standings for the last couple decades.

Being a scumbag crook who's bleeding the team dry to line his own pockets, on the other hand....

[STL FANATIC]

Can we talk about this--why the hell does nobody go to Dodgers games?

This ownership situation has nothing to do with fan support, but that's an issue to.

The ownership situation had everything to do with the lack of recent fan support. The Dodgers sold half of their season tickets from last year. As time goes on I think the fans will start coming back, but the McCourts completely alienated Dodger fans this offseason.

Ask the city of Charlotte about bad ownership driving away fans. The Hornets could barely even fill half the arena for a second round playoff series the last year they were in Charlotte.

People tend to get very apathetic towards a team if they do not like the owner(s). In the Dodgers case the attitude was/is I'm not spending my money just so you can turn around and use it to keep yourself from going bankrupt.

I wasn't very clear in what I meant, my bad. I can believe the ownership situation drove fans away. What I meant to say was that the lack of recent fan support is NOT why the MLB had to take over the club. I was just trying to separate this scenario from some of the situations you're seeing in the NHL where a lack of fans = no money, etc.

I totally believe that the McCourt situation might have sucked some enthusiasm out of the fan base, though.

[Breakwood]

The Mets have had the worst thing possible happen with their fans apathy.

In 2006 we were disappointed after the NLCS

In 2007 we were angry at the collapse

In 2008 we were heartbroken at how Shea Stadium went out

In 2009 we were disgusted at how Citi Field ignored Mets history, and how the team stunk it up

In 2010 we were just tired of it all

In 2011 the fan base has just become apathetic at the Madoff news.

At least the Mets have been to the playoffs in the past 17 years.

[FiddySicks]

Can we talk about this--why the hell does nobody go to Dodgers games?

This ownership situation has nothing to do with fan support, but that's an issue to. I don't know if they're selling seats or not, but that stadium is EMPTY. The Dodgers are a pretty good team, and they've had some decent opponents, and people are not showing up. And it's not the come in the third, leave in the 7th, thing either. They're just not coming at all.

Hell, Kareem Abdul-Jabar was at the game the other day, and the Dodgers couldn't even find one of their own employees to sit with him. There wasn't another person within 20 seats of him.

I've always thought Dodger Stadium would be a great place to watch a ballgame, right now I think the lack of energy in the stadium would kill the experience.

I honestly Think the owners situation has ziltch to do with why nobody goes to Dodgers games. They don't go because it is an unmatched nightmare getting to and from the stadium. I've been to Dodgers games where I was in line to enter the parking lot an hour before the first pitch and didn't get to my seats till the 4th inning. And leaving is even worse. People leave in the 7th because that's the only way they'll get home at a decent hour. Candlestick in San Francisco has similar issues, but they pale in comparison to Dodgers Stadium. If they were to find a way to fix this problem, which seems impossible to me considering the stadium is built into the side of a hill, these attendance issues would disappear IMO. But at this point it's so stressful just trying to get parked, I think most would just rather watch on TV.

[Lights Out]

The Mets have had the worst thing possible happen with their fans apathy.

In 2006 we were disappointed after the NLCS

In 2007 we were angry at the collapse

In 2008 we were heartbroken at how Shea Stadium went out

In 2009 we were disgusted at how Citi Field ignored Mets history, and how the team stunk it up

In 2010 we were just tired of it all

In 2011 the fan base has just become apathetic at the Madoff news.

Apparently, Mets fans were also out of ideas in 2010.

[NJTank]

The Mets have had the worst thing possible happen with their fans apathy.

In 2006 we were disappointed after the NLCS

In 2007 we were angry at the collapse

In 2008 we were heartbroken at how Shea Stadium went out

In 2009 we were disgusted at how Citi Field ignored Mets history, and how the team stunk it up

In 2010 we were just tired of it all

In 2011 the fan base has just become apathetic at the Madoff news.

At least the Mets have been to the playoffs in the past 17 years.

Here's the difference the Blue Jays have things stacked against them a mile high with payroll limitations and the toughest division in baseball. The Mets have the resources and have the ability to be a playoff contender every year, but they screw up royally at every turn, weather it be players who dont give a or a front office that has no pride its all on them, and than on top of it we have some of the highest ticket prices.

[The_Admiral]

"Nobody goes to Dodgers games" is a falsehood in the first place. They'd been drawing 4 million a year for a while. Yeah, there are the people who come late and leave early, but we're talking about them like they're the Marlins. Come on now.

[pmoehrin]

Just to update the situation Frank McCourt and MLB had their meeting today regarding McCourt's future with ownership of the Dodgers and it did not go well.

http://www.tmz.com/2011/04/27/la-dodgers-owner-frank-mccourt-major-league-baseball-meeting-news-conference-media-deal-fox-vetoed-commissioner-bud-selig/

I don't think this is done by a long shot and we haven't seen the ugliest part of this story. I think a long and lenghty lawsuit will follow. Frank McCourt is going to try and pin Bud Selig as overstepping his boundries with taking over the team, and the MLB will try and pin Frank McCourt as basically a scumbag. Owning the team with the sole purpose of keeping himself from going into bankruptcy.

I have a feeling this will go on all season long if not into the offseason and beyond before its settled. Frank McCourt is not going away anytime soon.

[oddball]

"Nobody goes to Dodgers games" is a falsehood in the first place. They'd been drawing 4 million a year for a while. Yeah, there are the people who come late and leave early, but we're talking about them like they're the Marlins. Come on now.

That's a crock! The Dodgers have NOT drawn 4 million fans probably ever! That 4 million fan thing is a lie. It's 4 million tickets sold. Drop the actual number by about 25%. I've been to plenty of sold out games where the stadium is 75% full, and it's across the board. The people not showing up at Dodger Stadium is alarming. Yes, it's early in the season and the kiddies are still in school, but Dodger Stadium over the past 10 years has not been at full capacity on a regular basis. Sure, Manny spiked those numbers for a while, but overall this franchise has been pathetic. Fans are probably staying away because they're waiting for this team to fall apart either because of the ownership or because of the fragile nature of Kershaw, Billingsly, Broxton, Loney, and Kemp. We've seen these guys play all-star caliber ball and then fall flat on their face year in and year out. It's not if they'll fail, it's when and for how long? Dodger fans are waiting for them to mature, if they will mature. And yes, Buc pointed out the issues of getting into and out of Dodger Stadium are horrendous and throw on the top of it, the ridiculous amount they charge to park and I know a lot of people who won't go because parking ends up costing more than the ticket and throw in the fact that the price of stadium food and drinks at any stadium/arena is about as bad as gas prices, why would you go to a game when you can sit in your comfortable chair and then turn the channel when the Dodgers blow a lead... again?!

[Lee.]

Three million a year is still pretty good. That's like what, two Kansas Cities.

[The Six]

I've always thought Dodger Stadium would be a great place to watch a ballgame,

It's a dump.

[infrared41]

The Mets have had the worst thing possible happen with their fans apathy.

In 2006 we were disappointed after the NLCS

In 2007 we were angry at the collapse

In 2008 we were heartbroken at how Shea Stadium went out

In 2009 we were disgusted at how Citi Field ignored Mets history, and how the team stunk it up

In 2010 we were just tired of it all

In 2011 the fan base has just become apathetic at the Madoff news.

Way to go Tank. One of your jokes finally got a laugh out of me. Well done.

[Gothamite]

I've always thought Dodger Stadium would be a great place to watch a ballgame,

It's a dump.

You couldn't be more wrong - it's a gem, the best place to watch a game in the Majors.

McCourt just stopped keeping it up. MLB just needs to clean up the place, perform some maintenance, and it's back to the top of the list.

[rams80]

"Nobody goes to Dodgers games" is a falsehood in the first place. They'd been drawing 4 million a year for a while. Yeah, there are the people who come late and leave early, but we're talking about them like they're the Marlins. Come on now.

That's a crock! The Dodgers have NOT drawn 4 million fans probably ever! That 4 million fan thing is a lie. It's 4 million tickets sold. Drop the actual number by about 25%. I've been to plenty of sold out games where the stadium is 75% full, and it's across the board. The people not showing up at Dodger Stadium is alarming. Yes, it's early in the season and the kiddies are still in school, but Dodger Stadium over the past 10 years has not been at full capacity on a regular basis. Sure, Manny spiked those numbers for a while, but overall this franchise has been pathetic. Fans are probably staying away because they're waiting for this team to fall apart either because of the ownership or because of the fragile nature of Kershaw, Billingsly, Broxton, Loney, and Kemp. We've seen these guys play all-star caliber ball and then fall flat on their face year in and year out. It's not if they'll fail, it's when and for how long? Dodger fans are waiting for them to mature, if they will mature. And yes, Buc pointed out the issues of getting into and out of Dodger Stadium are horrendous and throw on the top of it, the ridiculous amount they charge to park and I know a lot of people who won't go because parking ends up costing more than the ticket and throw in the fact that the price of stadium food and drinks at any stadium/arena is about as bad as gas prices, why would you go to a game when you can sit in your comfortable chair and then turn the channel when the Dodgers blow a lead... again?!

If a million people want to throw away the money they spent on an MLB ticket, I'm not going to stop them.

[Gothamite]

Well, in fairness, it's tickets distributed, not sold. That means all giveaways, promotions and the like in addition to tickets purchased.

Still, while the Dodgers have never hit 4 million, they've done very well during McCourt's ownership:

2010 - 3,562,320 (3rd best)

2009 - 3,761,653 (best in the majors)

2008 - 3,730,553 (3rd best again)

2007 - 3,857,036 (2nd only to the Yankees)

2006 - 3,758,545 (")

2005 - 3,603,646 (")

2004 - 3,488,283 (")

I know that LA fans get knocked for coming late, leaving early, or just not showing up. But I can't really fault the city for that, since I have said in the past that struggling teams (Rams, Jaguars, Devil Rays) need to have their corporate presence step up and buy blocks of tickets or lose the team to a city that will care.

In the Dodgers' case, that's an impressive record. Best in the National League most seasons, and even once at the very top of the pyramid. That's why McCourt was able to "borrow" so much money from the team's coffers.

[The Six]

I've always thought Dodger Stadium would be a great place to watch a ballgame,

It's a dump.

You couldn't be more wrong - it's a gem, the best place to watch a game in the Majors.

Far from it. Putting the fan and safety issues aside, it's completely running on reputation now. It's dark, dank, narrow, has no main gate, boring selection of food, concourses can be confusing to navigate(even for me and I've been going there my whole life), and just isn't up to par anymore.

[Gothamite]

I'll grant that McCourt has made it less safe. But "safety issues" can be fixed. So can food options.

Ive never had any problems navigating the concourses. And the seating bowl can't be beat.

Main gate? Who the hell needs a main gate? Yankee Stadium has it, but how many fans use it? Miller Park has one, but again, you only use it if that's where you're seated. That's really reaching.

If you want lots of whiz-bang "fan experience", other things to do instead of watch the game, then Dodger Stadium isn't for you. But I stand by what i said - it's the best place to watch a game in the Majors.

[The Six]

I didn't insinuate that I need bells and whistles to enjoy a ballpark. Dodger Stadium being plain and old-school isn't the problem. The place has lost a lot of what made it great.

The pathways that lead to all the difference sections are labyrinthine. I normally enjoy spelunking, but it loses the fun when I have to show my ticket sixty times, even when I'm not approaching the seats. It just ain't nice to walk through. A main gate would make the parking situation a little more bearable. It's not like you can approach the stadium on foot, since there's no station nearby.