Morning Report: Cards get crafty vs. Cowboys
By Don McKee
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Arizona Cardinals are not a name that springs immediately to mind when you think about cagey strategy.
But the Cardinals came up with a good one this month.
When Arizona played to 30,000 empty seats a week, Phoenix became a home game for the Dallas Cowboys.
And a road game for the Cardinals.
With so many unsold season tickets, a vast pool of seats was available for single-game sales. Cowboys fans who could not get seats in Texas Stadium snapped them up and made the 16-hour haul to Phoenix, where they made huge pests of themselves.
So now the Cardinals are trying to "protect the nest."
With ticket sales a bit slower as the third season in University of Phoenix Stadium approaches, the East Valley Tribune reports that the Cards are requiring fans who want tickets to the Dallas game on Oct. 12 to also buy tickets for the Aug. 7 exhibition opener against New Orleans.
The thought is that Cowboys fans won't drive to Phoenix for a meaningless game in August, so they won't buy tickets to see the 'Boys in October.
But the Cardinals may not have thought this through.
The Cowboys fans will buy both tickets, then try to sell the one for the preseason game on eBay.
Even if it only goes for $2, that's probably more than it's worth.
Cowboys fans won't be denied the chance to make a colossal pain of themselves.
Finally. Ah, the genius of Charlie Manuel. The crafty Phillies manager got himself tossed out of last night's critical game at New York's Shea Stadium to fire up the troops.
And the Phillies' best rally of the season followed in the top of the ninth inning, sending the despised Mets to an 8-6 embarrassment.
According to ESPN.com, the Phillies are just 4-39 this season when trailing entering the ninth.
For Phillies fans, the best part of the game was watching the long faces on the Mets' fans. The only bad part was that the rally didn't come against Billy Wagner.
P.S. To all the Phillies fans - and you know who you are - who have been bombarding me with e-mails saying the Phillies should keep their minor-league prospects and stay away from the trade market, beware.
Stuff is brewing.
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Arizona Cardinals are not a name that springs immediately to mind when you think about cagey strategy.
But the Cardinals came up with a good one this month.
When Arizona played to 30,000 empty seats a week, Phoenix became a home game for the Dallas Cowboys.
And a road game for the Cardinals.
With so many unsold season tickets, a vast pool of seats was available for single-game sales. Cowboys fans who could not get seats in Texas Stadium snapped them up and made the 16-hour haul to Phoenix, where they made huge pests of themselves.
So now the Cardinals are trying to "protect the nest."
With ticket sales a bit slower as the third season in University of Phoenix Stadium approaches, the East Valley Tribune reports that the Cards are requiring fans who want tickets to the Dallas game on Oct. 12 to also buy tickets for the Aug. 7 exhibition opener against New Orleans.
The thought is that Cowboys fans won't drive to Phoenix for a meaningless game in August, so they won't buy tickets to see the 'Boys in October.
But the Cardinals may not have thought this through.
The Cowboys fans will buy both tickets, then try to sell the one for the preseason game on eBay.
Even if it only goes for $2, that's probably more than it's worth.
Cowboys fans won't be denied the chance to make a colossal pain of themselves.
Finally. Ah, the genius of Charlie Manuel. The crafty Phillies manager got himself tossed out of last night's critical game at New York's Shea Stadium to fire up the troops.
And the Phillies' best rally of the season followed in the top of the ninth inning, sending the despised Mets to an 8-6 embarrassment.
According to ESPN.com, the Phillies are just 4-39 this season when trailing entering the ninth.
For Phillies fans, the best part of the game was watching the long faces on the Mets' fans. The only bad part was that the rally didn't come against Billy Wagner.
P.S. To all the Phillies fans - and you know who you are - who have been bombarding me with e-mails saying the Phillies should keep their minor-league prospects and stay away from the trade market, beware.
Stuff is brewing.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:22 PM
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