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Chris Harris says lockout hurts fans
Chris Harris says lockout hurts fans
By Michael C. Wright
ESPNChicago.com
Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris took to social media Thursday in joining teammate and union rep Robbie Gould in voicing critical remarks regarding the NFL labor situation.
Addressing remarks made on conference calls with fans by commissioner Roger Goodell -- who essentially has said the NFL lockout might be beneficial to fans because it could lower ticket costs -- Harris voiced skepticism on Twitter.
Harris wrote: "So Roger Godell said the lockout is for fans as well. U have to be either stupid or naïve to believe tix prices r going down after new CBA," following it up with, "Roger Godell tix prices will not go down if anything they will go up."
In replying to a fan's question regarding the matter, Harris -- the team's most prolific and outspoken Twitter poster -- broke things down with a simple lesson in economics.
"[Goodell's] argument is if they get what they want n CBA, tix prices will lower," Harris wrote. "That's not true bc demand is still there. In any business if demand is high, prices rise."
The safety could have a point, considering all the criticism and snarky remarks Goodell's comments have drawn from other players -- active and retired -- and fans on Twitter.
All the back and forth involving owners, players and fans regarding the NFL lockout will likely increase as the league and the players continue negotiations -- and argue their positions -- while the public grows anxious for what might be an abbreviated football season.
NBC NFL analyst Chris Collinsworth tweeted Thursday: "Maybe the NFL could play a few games for the Wounded Warriors. You could double my ticket with no argument."
Michael C. Wright covers the Bears for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.
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well if chris harris just asks some panther fans in his home in charlotte, he may get a different view.. while the demand is still high in chicago for tickets, prices have fallen in places like panthers, tampa, jax, raiders etc etc and are down to $29 for the upper deck, and even with this still not selling out for not being the demand he is talking about- that is the 'problem", many of the players just "perceive" this great demand and ant of course higher salaries, which come partly from ticket sales- and its just not true right now in many cities( had more blackout in 2010 than the late 90's erly 2000's combined in the nfl).. economics have changed the economy has def changed and BOTH sides need to realize this and adjust expectations of this
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High Fives / Like - 1 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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Goodell needs to stop talking because he puts his foot in his mouth often. There is no way under the sun that an agreement on a new CBA will bring about an across the board decrease in ticket prices. It's ridiculous to even hint at that. A few teams dropping prices on lousy overpriced seat is not an example of what the rest of the league will do. Some teams may hold tight but others will go right on bumping them because they can and only a complete idiot would even try to draw on that as a the lockout being a potential benefit to fans.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. 
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Originally Posted by
soulman 
Goodell needs to stop talking because he puts his foot in his mouth often. There is no way under the sun that an agreement on a new CBA will bring about an across the board decrease in ticket prices. It's ridiculous to even hint at that. A few teams dropping prices on lousy overpriced seat is not an example of what the rest of the league will do. Some teams may hold tight but others will go right on bumping them because they can and only a complete idiot would even try to draw on that as a the lockout being a potential benefit to fans.
C'mon soul!!.. you are smarter than that- a large part of the ticket price IS the players salaries( a cap of $127 million is $4.06 BILLION in players salaries for 2009 and roughly 2010 or over 60% of the costs for a team).. no way to deny or pretend if the cap was $80 million ticket prices would not be lower..i've got No problem with ticket prices funding a large part of the players salaries, and i'm fine with that- but the idea of much higher player/lower salaries not impacting ticket prices( esp in cities where demand isn't as great anymore) just is not logical
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I dunno Chris, im feeling pretty good atm. Plus, theres tons of other more important shit for fans to be concerned about then an NFL lockout.
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High Fives / Like - 1 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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Chris Harris is certainly an opinionated feller, ain't he? He can be a wee bit prickly when somehow provoked. He's a nice guy from the time I talked to him on Facebook. That being said, not taking any personal bias aside, I think that he's on the money about Roger Goodell's comments, though I think that he's limited himself in scope to looking at things strictly from a Chicago perspective. Teams like the Bears, the Packers, Cowboys, Steelers, Patriots, Colts, etc., sell all of their games and thus have outrageous ticket prices. I remember as recently as five years ago when I brought the idea of taking my grandmother (who is a HUGE Colts fan because Peyton Manning play at UT) to Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day to my uncle to see the Colts play the Falcons, the tickets were only running around $70-$75 a pop. The Falcons sucked balls at the time, and were having difficulty attracting fans to the stadium. The game was broadcasted nationally on NFL Network. We wound up not going because she was sick at the time, but had we gone, we would have had plenty of places to sit because a goodly portion of the Georgia Dome just wasn't full. I'm a little surprised that Harris didn't take into account the Carolina Panthers when he had just played for them for the past three prior seasons to this last one in which he played in Chicago. Based off what I saw, I don't know how he concludes that that tickets will rise everywhere when apparently in markets like Oakland, Charlotte, and Jacksonville, they can't sell all their season tickets or sell out each game and are thus forced to black out games.
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Dag's- secondary ticket prices meaningless to the teams..the bears avg $82 a ticket.. and becuase of the demand the $200+ you see doesn't go to the teams or helps the teams, just the scalpers- the league/teams keep the prices artifically low actully becuase as harris said if its supply/demand bears are charging $200+ not 82... and making another $120 a seat, but they d0 not
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I am willing to bet this hurts the players more than the fans. It doesn't cost me any money if there is no football season. I just spend more time with the family or ready stories on how professional athletes go broke.
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High Fives / Like - 2 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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Senior Member
Something had better get done and soon...the clock is ticking at less than 90 days to kick off. Ticket prices will no longer be anyone's concern if there is no season.
Tired of being a tackling dummy......
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Everything was much better when all sides were keeping their mouth's shut....Players need to stop talking flat out; let the elected union leaders talk....you talking about the ceo of your company being niave and stupid is niave and stupid. That being said, ticket prices aren't going down w/the players salaries going down. He's right, but call it what it is Harris, politicing. And you sounding like a jackass in calling him out isn't helping your side.
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