Padres Attendance isn't helped by criticism of fans

but I agree. If you’d like to encourage people to attend games, making them feel bad about NOT attending previously probably isn’t the most cunning of plans.

If I could, I’d be down there going to every single home game for the rest of the season. But I can’t. Way to make me feel even worse about it, Heater.

Otherwise, they are depending on the undependable walk up crowd.

Padres are averaging 1395 more fans per game than last year, which is 6th best in MLB.

Coming off a horrible year and I seem to remember reading season ticket sales were down 20% from 09 – having an attendance increase at all is pretty good. Padres need to quit complaining and sell more season tickets…do you hear me Garfinkel? Come up with some creative promotions.

BUTT. How many times do we have to hear fans bitch about the same ol’ penny-pinching Padres? Finally we have a winning team, and people don’t put their own money where their mouths are.

Are the twitter followers of Hearh Bell apathetic Padres fans?

….to be a member of a team like this…a team that SHOULD be the biggest story in baseball and honestly one of the best stories in all of sports…to look up in the stands and see a crowd that small for a game that important…it has to be frustrating. I get it. And it’s Heath. He can’t help himself. As long as he keeps getting three outs in the ninth, he can call my mom a drunk and my wife a whore. Whatever….just bring me W’s.

As for Canepa? He can go f*ck himself. If there was a book called “Why The Newspaper Industry Is Dying” – Chapter One would simply be titled: Nick Canepa.

and they are not going to get it back, in one fell swoop. This year is the first step towards winning the town back and they will win it back.

are you guys gonna make signs for the rest of us to see on TV???

as Field commented “They did not lose this town all at once” . saying fan negativity has driven down attendance seems kind of silly to me.

dude(s), we are in first…for now. i would LOVE for the boys to keep it that way. i cannot think of a better way to encourage that than to get out and show our colors. GO TO THE GAMES!!! It’s fun, I swear.

That is all

I own a 4 seat 20Y package out in right-center boxes. I think my $1,600.00 is plenty to contribute. With my ticket, parking and concession money, I think I’ve contributed more than Capena or anyone at UT has for sure. I assume he gets in free and enjoys the pasta bar with the rest of the media.

Great article. Yet another reason (and there is an impressive list of explantions for) the lower-than-expected attendance figures at PETCO. Negativity from players & sports writers doesn’t help attendance; that’s for sure!

While there is no single explanation for the shortage of fans in the seats, from what I’ve read here and heard discussed, there are two Padre assumptions that are being challenged: #1 – “Build it (PETCO) and they will come,” and #2 “People only back a winner.”

#1: I’m guessing that the Padres overestimated fan response to a new stadium. Sure, we came the first year because it was a bright, shiny new “thing.” But PETCO isn’t going to draw fans consistently because of its LOCATION. It’s great for those living downtown or visiting there (staying in hotels, for instance) or who enjoy the nightlife before/after. But for those of us coming from outside the downtown area (North County, for instance) it’s a major PAIN to get to PETCO through the maze of traffic lights. There’s always the question of which parking garage will be filled first, necessitating a search for another. Then run the gauntlet of street & trolley crossings, panhandlers, and partygoers, and it is much less fan-friendly than the Q. Ah, the Q. The Q was much easier to get to, there were those tailgate parties that made it fun to BE there. 25,000 a game at the Q? the “old” Padres would have been giddy about that.

BTW, comparing the Padres to the Chargers won’t work (apples & oranges). 82 home games vs. a handful. Petco vs. the Q. Show home games live on TV vs. blackouts for home games that aren’t sold out. If the Chargers build a fancy stadium downtown, it will quickly become a “white elephant.” Location, guys.

#2: there’s money in SD, sure, but are THOSE the fans who are your bread-and-butter fan base? I don’t think so. Those higher ratings for the TV / radio broadcasts show the interest is UP. We’re watching you, Mr. Bell … it’s just from the safety/comfort/convenience of our home. Dropping the price of a ticket (as the Padres have done this year) isn’t going to reduce the “real” cost of attending a Padre game (parking/concessions).

If Mr. Bell and other Padres (including management) REALLY want to understand why the Padre faithful are NOT showing up at PETCO … ask us! You’ll definitely get an earful. These are not excuses … they’re genuine explanations. Please, don’t bite the hand that feeds you, guys.