Take me out to the [crickets]
Extremes of weather are not friendly to attendance at the Portland Beavers baseball games. Here was last night's crowd at PGE Park -- officially announced as 2,907, but hey, come on, it's more like 1,500:
At 47 game dates into the season, the Beavers' announced attendance averages 4,942 per regular season game (counting their one doubleheader as a single game, thus increasing the average slightly). Some of the Beaver faithful who wrote in to this blog in the spring swore that average attendance would be 5,500 per game, come hell or high water. But with the season ending on Labor Day and 23 games left, it's hard to see that happening. They'd have to average 6,639 per game the rest of the way out. So far this season (not counting the all-star game), the Beavers have drawn that number only eight times.
And of course, the actual number of people showing up at the stadium and spending money is always less -- and usually far less -- than the official number. We'd estimate actual attendance so far at about 3,700 per game, if that. Maybe Goldman Sachs will do better in Beaverton.
Meanwhile, the mayor of of that suburb is prattling on in the paper about "the art of the deal." Little lamb, who made thee?
| Posted at 7:19 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (14)
If the mayor of Beaverton thinks the Beavers are such a lucrative deal, take the ball and run with it. It'd be a nice change to see another municipality screw things up for their residents instead of Portlanders taking it in the shorts time and again.
Posted by Mike (the other one) | July 30, 2009 9:27 AM
I believe the only time I ever saw that stadium FULL was shortly after it was converted to astroturf and then the only reason it filled was due to 3M picking up the tab for beer. Note to any team: If you want to fill the seats, offer free beer.
Posted by Jim Colvill | July 30, 2009 10:50 AM
The Art of the Steal, more like it. The beauty of many long cons is that the sucker thinks they're getting away with more for less. Think of Madoff's "clients," for example. The supply is endless, unfortunately. Perfection is in being able to sustain it long enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI9KhPJ-utE
Posted by Mojo | July 30, 2009 11:51 AM
The beer suggestion is very pertinent. I have never understood why the beer concessions there run two to three times the going rate outside the friendly confines.
Free beer might be a stretch, but reasonably priced beer would certainly get more people in the seats.
Posted by Gen. Ambrose Burnside, Ret. | July 30, 2009 12:02 PM
Wow. Westgate? Really?
I live in that neighborhood. I cant imagine what traffic will be like when events are happening there. Its already bad. And the Round MAX stop...there have been some muggings there lately. Just perfect...
Posted by Jon | July 30, 2009 12:17 PM
Maybe the "Save Cedar Mill" folks that came out against Walmart for "traffic reasons" will come out against the stadium too.
Posted by Jon | July 30, 2009 12:34 PM
Meanwhile in Reno, Nevada the AAA Reno Aces are averaging 6,000 real people in the seats.
Posted by Dave A.. | July 30, 2009 1:37 PM
*crickets chirp* Jeez, the last time I saw a space that empty, it was the downtown Borders hosting an open mike poetry night.
Posted by Texas Triffid Ranch | July 30, 2009 1:56 PM
One way to argue for a new stadium is that PGE Park is too BIG for a minor league team, so they need a smaller stadium! :)
As for screwing up downtown Beaverton (other than financially), if the Beavers draw as many people as they do to PGE Park there won't be any traffic problem!
Posted by Gordon | July 30, 2009 2:00 PM
Gotta hunch Paulson Jr. counts the season ticket holders (either paid or given complimentary) as attendees, be they in the seat or not.
Posted by Abe | July 30, 2009 5:56 PM
I love that argument that PGE Park is too big and that it somehow deters fans from attending. Yep, I really hate having all kinds of room, especially if it's something boring like Baseball or soccer. Having my butt shoehorned in with a bunch of strangers is so much better.
Posted by JerryB | July 30, 2009 6:40 PM
1500???...looks more like 150 to me.
Posted by portland native | July 30, 2009 7:59 PM
The 1500 hundred includes the tv audience.
Posted by lw | July 30, 2009 9:30 PM
That picture is deceptive ... shame on you, Jack. What appears to be only a few hundred attendees does not reflect the long lines at the urinal troughs.
Posted by Mike (the other one) | July 31, 2009 10:01 AM