NFL preseason games have never been popular, and it doesn’t seem as though things are about to change any time soon. Thursday’s preseason game at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, was however an exception to the norm. The Tom Benson Hall of Fame stadium was a spectacle to behold. Suffice it to say that it was not your ordinary football stadium, and people actually turned out in large numbers to watch the game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. If you want to start betting on the 2017 NFL season, be sure to visit this site for more information.
The Tom Benson Attraction
Although fans turned out in large to watch the game, there were a number of other factors that contributed to the large turnout. For one thing, the exquisite but somewhat extravagant beauty of the stadium certainly pulled some people to the game. The stadium sits 23,000 fans. There are 968 gold- colored seats reserved for the media. The VIP lounge sits 50, and it is luxurious in every sense of the word. The lounge can also be converted into a banquet or a dining area. It affords those who sit there an unobstructed view of the stadium, and there are even flat screen televisions to aid in making the viewing experience even better. The sky level sits 250 fans, and they also get a great view of the stadium as well.
One might think that the stadium was so exquisitely remade in an effort to compensate for the costly mistake made last year when a game had to be cancelled when someone used the wrong logo paint. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that the stadium was overdone. It will most likely host games for Walsh University, Malone College and a local high school.
The Thursday game also attracted such huge numbers because it was the unveiling of that stadium. A number of celebrities were also present, such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Kurt Warner and Jerry Jones. Despite all the good things about the game, the tickets were rather costly, going at $ 80, perhaps the most expensive tickets in the history of preseason games. The second most expensive tickets for the Charger’s game cost only $ 53, while the third most expensive tickets for the Falcon’s game cost $ 37. The standard cost for preseason games across the country is only $ 6, with some costing as little as $4.
Preseason Games Still Unpopular
NFL preseason games are unpopular with players and fans alike. Players detest them because they are 4 games that add virtually nothing to the season, and yet the players still need to prepare adequately for them. There is also always the risk of injury, which can be quite costly for players.
Fans on the other hand dislike preseason games simply because they are costly to attend. It doesn’t sit well with most fans to spend as much money on a preseason game as they would on a regular season game.
NFL is quick to defend the decision to let preseason games to continue for various reasons. For instance, Goodell argued in 2012 that fans wanted NFL games to be increased to 18 from 16, and two of those games would be the preseason games. Players unanimously disagreed, saying that the 16 games were already tiring enough.
Although NFL still wields immense influence across the country, it actually okay to ignore the preseason games. They are certainly not worth all the anxiety and expense they impose on players and fans.
