ANd you all thought Rams fans were bad?

[RamFan_Til_I_Die]

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - The NFL has given the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals extensions to sell more tickets and avoid local TV blackouts of their playoff games this weekend.
Arizona hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, and the Philadelphia Eagles play at Minnesota on Sunday.

The Cardinals have until 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday to sell their remaining 5,600 tickets.

As of midday Wednesday, the Vikings had 11,000 tickets to sell by 4:30 p.m. ET Friday to satisfy the league's sellout requirements and ensure the game will be broadcast. Help from the FOX affiliate and corporate sponsors is possible.

The Vikings haven't been blacked out since 1997.

The Eagles are encouraging their fans to take advantage of the supply and travel to the game.

I can understand not wanting to spend a bunch of money on a team that stinks, but how in the world can you not support your team in the playoffs? Are their fans that bad or could it be that maybe the economy is in worse shape than we think?

[Varg6]

It has a lot to do with both, I'm sure, but ultimately I think it comes down to the cash... I think the economy is in a state where people are not so quick to spend money so blindly. One has to look at what's really important and getting an expensive ticket to a football game isn't that important (when one is of course, struggling with money).

[TheTalkOfTheArch]

thanks for posting that. St. louis fans have gotten a bad rap, this is a sports town and we'll be back next season both the team and its fans.

[CaliGirlRamsFan]

Both. We are comming out of Christmas, and people are strapped. Let's all hope this new year starts with the first step of *Change*.

Happy New year Josh.

[Mooselini]

I think its because of the holiday season. People got a bunch of gifts and it left them broke. My family isn't high on cash and there is no way in hell we could afford any sport tickets right now due to the holiday season.

[Guam rammer]

If you love your team and they make it into the playoffs after years of disappointment, you'll find the cash. Every year the playoffs start around the holidays and in the past, fans have filled their stadiums to root for the home team with no problems at all. I think its more of a wait and see approach, as these two teams haven't exactly convinced their fans that they really belong.

[MoonJoe]

I think they don't have much faith in them. Why waste the money if they are only going to tank.

[clarasDK]

How much is the ticket price for such tickets?

[RamFan_Til_I_Die]

How much is the ticket price for such tickets?

For cardinals tickets the range was US $50.00 - US $420.00 and appears to now be sold out. For Vikings what is left are between US $30.00 - US $160.00. Not unreasonable at all for the lower priced tickets.

[clarasDK]

I cannot understand how it cannot be sold out with those prices.

If I lived in the US and the Rams would play a playoff game at home I would sell everything and donate all my blood to get a ticket Heck I would even consider doing that eventhough I live in Europe if I got the chance to do it.

To bad I was still a student the last time the Rams where a playoff caliber team and could not afford a US trip back then.

[Azul e Oro]

if I couldn't afford the good seats, I wouldn't go,either. Football is a lousy sport to watch from the nosebleeds.

Both the home teams are probably underdogs which surely doesn't help their sales and you can add the cost of travel to the financial negatives list for the favs.

I actually prefer tailgating outside either The Whiners HQ or The Raiders Coliseum to sitting inside on the rare occasions I go at all. Better food, more fan community, and with modern technology you see more of the game on someone's HD monitor on the back of a truck than you do inside.

Not being willing to drop hundreds of dollars on a few hours of entertainment doesn't make you a bad fan.

I also suspect that the blackout system is more about strongarming teams/ local business/corporate sponsors to keep up the profits in smaller markets, not about encouraging fans to attend.

Still,I was stunned to see fans leaving The Cards stadium at the end of the game that clinched the NFC West for them. They'd already paid & couldn't be bothered to stay & celebrate. Now that is sad.

[GameTime]

I cant wait to use this info against fans traveling to the dome next year. One word = PATHETIC. I love my kids, but they would wear shoes that are too small for a year so I could hit the playoff game. Sell plasma, crack, do something. If you are a fan, you have to go to your home playoff game.

[TekeRam]

As extreme as GameTime makes it... I have to totally agree. Especially down in Arizona. Your team has sucked for generations, and now they make the playoffs AT HOME, no less, and fans can't come up with the money? I understand that the economy sucks and we just passed Christmas, but the Cards have locked the division up for two months, for goodness sakes! As for the Vikings, their prices are crazy low. There's no excuse there either.

[CaliGirlRamsFan]

That's just wrong.

I cant wait to use this info against fans traveling to the dome next year. One word = PATHETIC. I love my kids, but they would wear shoes that are too small for a year so I could hit the playoff game. Sell plasma, crack, do something. If you are a fan, you have to go to your home playoff game.

[smizzhfx]

That's just wrong.

A slight exaggeration on his part, most likely, but he is right. If Arizona fans don't want a playoff team ship the Rams out to the desert and bring the Cards back to STL.