Keep Texans Talk Google Ad Free!
Venmo Tip Jar | Paypal Tip Jar
Thanks for your support! 🍺😎👍
2011 Tailgate Tickets...
- Thread starter Blake
- Start date
I thought the policy was stupid then, and I still think it's stupid now.
As I explianed to AJ in his Examiner article, it still appears as a money grab from the Texans, rather than a legitimate safety issue.
- The worst issue came after the Cowboys game last year - ~150,000 folks onsite.
- Let's be conservative and say only 30,000 seats in Reliant belong to Season ticket holders.
- If those 30,000 but their allotment of 10 tickets each, we're dealing with 300,000 (+the 70K in the stadium coming out afterward).
- 370,000 is more than twice the worst estimates of crowd size for the Cowboys game in question.
- Given that the ticket holder may not buy these tickets far in advance, there is no way that the security personnel can "scale up" appropriately.
- The ingress of these folks has been constricted to VERY FEW entry points, thereby creating it's own safety issues along the way.
Here's a link to TC's article when the changes were first implemented. MANY of the items she cites still aren't resolved.
OrangeLotPole8
Rookie
I hate the policy. I spend $230 for a parking pass for my mom and aunt to come join the tailgate party, they stay outside for the game, watch the tailgate stuff, and watch the game on the flat screen. Now they want ANOTHER $72 for a 73 year old mom and 69 year old aunt to sit in the parking lot to look out after our stuff and watch the game. Leave it to cowboy fans to screw it all up! A thief would have a field day with a truck, a parking pass, and a tailgate ticket! I have complained to fan feedback and ted dickerson the guy in charge of parking....... it all goes on deaf ears! All they want is MORE MONEY! It would be nice if they included free one per season ticket held, two per account, or something like that. 
texanmojo
Shotgun 30 Time
I too am FOR the change. Things were starting to get a bit sketchy before the change.
Yankee_In_TX
Dance Lindsay!
Ditto. I have to to have anyone I know actually negatively impacted by the change - other than not being able to walk into Platinum until hours after it has opened and it seems to help keep the riff raft out.
I think their thinking is a lot of the folks at the Cowboys games were there for a free party and honestly $10 may have priced a lot of them out of the market. That and laziness.
C
Ckw
Guest
I hate the policy. I spend $230 for a parking pass for my mom and aunt to come join the tailgate party, they stay outside for the game, watch the tailgate stuff, and watch the game on the flat screen. Now they want ANOTHER $72 for a 73 year old mom and 69 year old aunt to sit in the parking lot to look out after our stuff and watch the game. Leave it to cowboy fans to screw it all up! A thief would have a field day with a truck, a parking pass, and a tailgate ticket! I have complained to fan feedback and ted dickerson the guy in charge of parking....... it all goes on deaf ears! All they want is MORE MONEY! It would be nice if they included free one per season ticket held, two per account, or something like that.
This is exactly why I think the whole thing is a sham. If it really was to keep things from getting out of control, they would do exactly as you have suggested and give season ticket holders a pass or two. It is just ****ing ridiculous to make people pay PSL fees, ticket fees, parking fees, and now tailgating fees? Season ticket holders should be pissed they weren't even given a pass or two.
OrangeLotPole8
Rookie
ckw...... I could not agree more. I live in Deer Park, my mom lives in the Heights. They are ALREADY getting money off me for their parking pass in the orange Lot. They sit, watch our stuff, the game, and go home when we come back out. It is a sham, They are already getting $115 for each of them..... and that's for 8 games, they do not come to any of the preseason games. 
texanmojo
Shotgun 30 Time
It would be nice if they included free one per season ticket held, two per account, or something like that.
So...lets say that there are 60,000 season tickets sold. You are saying that the Texans should "give" the season ticket holder a pass to allow 1 person into the parking lot for each ticket sold...FOR FREE? Who should pay for the security while the extra 60K is in the parking lot?
I don't blame them for charging. I don't want an extra 60K out in the parking lots while I am enjoyng the game inside. I want my stuff to be there when I get back and with an extra 60K out in the lot while I am inside just increases the potential for my stuff to get stolen.
I think the idea was a good one. While it did impose restrictions on me that I wasn't initially happy about, I do think it was the right thing to do.
C
Ckw
Guest
You aren't freaking going to have 60k standing out every game. In fact, I doubt there is ever anything even close to that many.
Honestly, I'm appalled that any of you guys that tailgate regularly could even remotely be in favor of this bull ****. If a season ticket holder pays for a parking pass, pays for his season tickets, and pays for his PSL, he should be able to bring a couple of people with him to watch over all his **** while he goes into the game. Utterly ridiculous that any of you could be this in favor of the policy. Just stupid...
So I am to assume you are not a regular tailgater, and you don't like the policy, or that our thoughts on it if we are IN favor of the new policy is ******ed up because we do not think like you and should not be in favor of it.. Policy actually states that all canopies and chairs should be put away before entering the stadium. So, if you don't have anyone out there, it should be locked away and secured. Regardless if there are people out there with tailgate tickets or not, some things will get taken eventually.. it's the world we live in.
But no way would I tell anyone who thinks that it is a bad policy that it is bull ****. You have your opinion, I have mine. You don't like the fact that people have to pay to tailgate, ok..don't buy the passes. If you don't mind paying the $10, go on and buy them. Regardless if it is indeed a money grab, so what, would you rather them just say that from now on, there will be NO tailgating during the game, no exceptions?
Can't please everyone, and you have options to either pay and play or stay home..if you want to rationalize paying for season tickets, parking entitles you to bring a friend to tailgate with, then I can say I am entitled to have the lot free of people who do not belong there since they do not pay for those things..and we shouldn't have to put up with those extra people.
I like the policy, but don't mind having to pay if I ever wanted to bring someone..Hell, we used to have a lot of people stay out and watch the game while we were inside, but ya know what, none of those people are mad about it now that they cannot come, and neither are any of us who asked people to come..
Seems like it is the ticket holders who are more mad about this than those who would rather not pay to come and sit out there anymore... that's odd to me!!
Blake
MMQB
My take is that this is a parking lot for parking your car. Tailgating is allowed to enhance the gameday experience for ticket buyers. This isnt an open party invitation for anyone with a jersey and cooler on wheels.
I am no different and want friends and family there sometimes, but now you have to pay for that privilege. And knowing that me and my guests will not be overrun by other teams fans, or Texans fans that are just there to get drunk is peace of mind. Not to mention shorter portapotty lines!
I am no different and want friends and family there sometimes, but now you have to pay for that privilege. And knowing that me and my guests will not be overrun by other teams fans, or Texans fans that are just there to get drunk is peace of mind. Not to mention shorter portapotty lines!
nflnutswife
Veteran
I personally have never had an issue with stuff getting stolen in the lot. We pack up before heading into the stadium. I have on 2 occasions, had other peoples canopies damage by truck by being left unattended and were BLOWN up and onto my vehicle. (not happy).
That said, The Texans knew that Dallas game was going to be bigger than any game in our history, and virtually did nothing to prepare and accommodate for the crowd.(porto's and security) We had no issues in Yellow lot that I witnessed, except for the use of any tree... or Tire one could find to well, relieve themselves!
That said, I really do like the new rule!
That said, The Texans knew that Dallas game was going to be bigger than any game in our history, and virtually did nothing to prepare and accommodate for the crowd.(porto's and security) We had no issues in Yellow lot that I witnessed, except for the use of any tree... or Tire one could find to well, relieve themselves!
That said, I really do like the new rule!
texanmojo
Shotgun 30 Time
Right...but the potential for that would be there. Who should pay for the security...the extra porta potties...trash that's generated etc?
Maybe the Texans should just keep increasing the cost of my parking so freeloaders can come drink my beer, eat my food and have fun with those who paid to be there. I'm sure you would agree with that, right?
texanfan2002114
Veteran
I agree 100%!! I hated the rule when it came out, but as the season went on I came to like it more and more. I'm also sick and tired of everybody blaming Cowboy fans for the all the fights in the parking lots. Click on the link below and you'll see everybody in this fight is wearing Texans clothing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yu3zCaDjCY
I have pretty darn good tailgate that I run and we have on average 10-15 people who now purchase tailgate passes and they have no problem with it. They figure for $10 they get to have a blast with one of the best tailgates out there and it has kept the low lifes out.
Yankee_In_TX
Dance Lindsay!
The crowd had been getting bigger and bigger each game. The game before the Cowboys game was also pretty out of control. The Cowboys game was the straw that broke the camels back.
Can you imagine the parking lot if we're in a playoff bound year without that policy?
texanfan2002114
Veteran
I couldn't say it any better! And thats exactly what was happening and finally exploded during the Cowgirls game.
Yankee_In_TX
Dance Lindsay!
/thread
C
Ckw
Guest
Let me clarify something. I'm not in favor of having a scene like what we had last year for the Cowgirls game. It was completely ridiculous how things went down for that game, and I was not happy with the number of lowlifes that were at the game. I don't think the parking lot should just be an open invitation for anyone that wants to come party. This is where you guys just seem to be viewing everything as black and white and refuse to acknowledge the gray.
If only season ticket holders were issued these passes, it is not like we are saying any and everyone that wants to come can come to the Reliant Stadium parking lots to come party. We still are talking about very limited access with season ticket holders having full control of who can come just to tailgate. I think the policy was an overreaction. There needs to be more control over the matter and the biggest problem for the Cowgirls game was the number of people that ONLY bought a parking pass and brought a car full of people to come tailgate. With what I propose, this would no longer be possible since someone has to have season tickets to get a tailgate pass, and MOST of the riff raff that destroyed things at the Cowgirls game were not season ticket holders nor did they know anyone that was.
If only season ticket holders were issued these passes, it is not like we are saying any and everyone that wants to come can come to the Reliant Stadium parking lots to come party. We still are talking about very limited access with season ticket holders having full control of who can come just to tailgate. I think the policy was an overreaction. There needs to be more control over the matter and the biggest problem for the Cowgirls game was the number of people that ONLY bought a parking pass and brought a car full of people to come tailgate. With what I propose, this would no longer be possible since someone has to have season tickets to get a tailgate pass, and MOST of the riff raff that destroyed things at the Cowgirls game were not season ticket holders nor did they know anyone that was.
texanmojo
Shotgun 30 Time
No one is being left out under this policy. All 70,000 fans with a game day ticket can come into the parking lot and tailgate. No extra pass is needed. If they don't have a parking pass...thats ok...they park somewhere else and walk over and join in on the fun.
While it may have appeared like a knee jerk reaction b/c of the Cowboy game...it wasn't. The Texans had been monitoring the situation for quite some time prior to the Cowboy game. This policy was likely to come at some point...the Cowboy game simply escalated the process.
Sure...I miss just inviting some of my friends out to my tailgate party...but I understand...and respect...the decision. I want to continue to have the ability to tailgate for each game and if these rules help allow me to tailgate, so be it.
C
Ckw
Guest
And if it is a choice between no tailgating or these new rules, then obviously these new rules are the way to go. I'm just not so sure I believe this is just about safety and is just a way to keep tailgating alive; I believe this is nothing more than a money grab. You can choose to believe differently.
What about the folks invited to the tailgate to "meet up" with the folks they're getting the tickets from? That's right, they can't get in. If you're in a convenient position, you can pass them through the fence. If you have an extra and were hoping to sell it off at your tailgate? You are pretty much out of luck. Both of those scenarios played out in the Blue Crew after these new rules were initiated. In case one, sometimes they got their ticket, sometimes they didn't. In case two, the season ticket holder lost $.
I could've bought the safety excuse until they came up with their new numbers. The potential number of tailgate passes FAR exceeds the worst crowd the Texans have ever seen.
I've also never seen the written guidelines that stated ONLY non-ticketed fans may get into brawls on-site. It's funny, most fights I've seen were from fans EXITING the stadium.
Well for what it is worth, if they were going to be selling them to someone who was coming, I would have assumed that they would have had each other's numbers to call when they got near the gate. I have walked from my spot to the gate to give others tickets when they got there.. Sure, a little hassle, but not the end of the world, and I will say, from where I tailgate to the gate it is a little bit of a walk. For the Blue Crew'ers, ya'll are right there so you can hand them thru the gate..that should never have been a problem. Now if you were looking to sell them to someone who might have been looking for a ticket, well yeah, that's just a chance we all take, and from my experience, I have never been upset about not being able to unload one extra ticket.. it's the cost of being a season ticket holder.
SheTexan
Hall of Fame
I didn't purchase any of the tailgate tickets, and I never will. You don't have a ticket to the game, you don't go WITH ME to the tailgate. IMHO tailgating should be for season ticket holders, or fans with a ticket to the game, not a bunch of questionable fans who just want to hang out on a HOT parking lot and drink beer. We pay a hell of a lot of money for tickets, and there should be SOME perk for that, such as tailgating without all the rif-raf, and without worrying about who's going through your stuff while you're at the game. JMO!!
C
Ckw
Guest
Yes. I don't hold the PSL though.
To be quite honest, this has nothing to do with me, currently at least, at all. There is no one I would want to bring to the game just to tailgate. I just think the rule as it stands is nothing more than a money grab. Just my opinion.
On that note, I'd like to apologize if I offended any of you with my tone in earlier posts. I don't think it is stupid to require people to have some form of a ticket to tailgate. I just think it is stupid to charge season ticket holders, or worse yet PSL holders, for a tailgate pass. In fact, I'd be more ok with it if they made season ticket holders that don't own the PSL have to pay for tailgate passes as long as PSL holders got them for free.
C
Ckw
Guest
I totally understand your perspective. To be honest though like disaacks said, you have as much to worry about with fans that actually have a ticket as you do with fans that don't. I think you guys are kidding yourselves if you think this policy magically makes the rif-raf disappear.
texanfan2002114
Veteran
See this is what I don't understand here. The Texans aren't charging me for a tailgate pass because I have tickets to the game. They are charging guest who want to tailgate so it doesn't cost me a dime.
We had a group that when we started off was about 15-20 and grew to 100 plus each week. After they put in the new rules, our tailgate dropped back down to 25-30 but after 2 pre season games our numbers are growing again. We had 45 people for the Jets game and had 70 for the Saints and I expect to have 80-100 for the Colts game.
We thrown one hell of a tailgate that people don't mind paying the $10 tailgate pass fee. I do believe that part of it was a money grab but I also believe it had to do with the saftey of season ticket holders.
SheTexan
Hall of Fame
Well, at least you can HOPE that if people pay a wad of money for a ticket, they will go to the game, and not lotter on the parking lot. Sure, fans will let their $8 a bottle beer get the best of them and get into fights, it's happened every year, and it will continue. Security has enough problems taking care of the 70,000+ fans that have tickets to the game, why should they have to focus on people on the parking lots that are there just to party, NOT watch a football game. Guess I'm just a little old fashioned in that I go to support my favorite football team, not hang out on the parking lot looking for trouble. There will always be rif-raf, jerks, instigators, thieves, people who get a kick out of keying a car, breaking windows, or knifing tires, etc. I just don't see adding to the problem.
I'm really not that much of a hardass. I understand some folks like to watch the game on the parking lot, visit with friends, and just relax and enjoy the tailgating experience, maybe because they can't afford the high priced ticket, but, still want to be a part of the TEXAN gameday experience. It's just sad that the rif-raf spoils it for these good people.
FWIW: 10 tickets per season ticket holder is way to many. JMO! If they were actually concerned with limiting the problems on the parking lots during the game, rather than making money, they would cut this in half at least, if not more. I think I'll just continue to do what I do and not take anyone who does not have a ticket to the game. That way I just don't have to worry about them.
C
Ckw
Guest
Fair enough. Sounds like a fun tailgate!
Your last two paragraphs nail it IMO. In your first paragraph, you make it sound like the only people that want to show up just to tailgate are all thugs and low-lifes when I would venture to guess that the thugs make up a VERY small percentage of the tailgate only crowd. The thugs just seem to get the most press. You then rectify that apparent accusation in the next paragraph and honestly if they only gave out say 2 tickets per season ticket holder, or maybe even better only give them to PSL holders, then I bet essentially all of the people that went and only tailgated would be the people you describe in paragraph 2.
Your final paragraph drives it home, for me, that this is ONLY about money. Safety is not their primary or even secondary concern. They saw it as a chance to jump on something that was an issue at the time, make a big deal out of it, and make more $$$$$. If it was about safety, then you certainly don't give each season ticket holder 10 passes each. Craziness...
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
Well, first off, you get 10 tailgate tickets per account, not ticket. I have 2 season tickets but only get the option to buy 10 tailgate passes, not 20, because I only have one account.
Jamey Rootes said on the Vikings broadcast that there were 64,000 season tickets. That, of course, doesn't mean there's 64,000 accounts. As I mentioned, I have 2 seats on my account and doubt that there are very many with just 1 season ticket. Most accounts are going to have 2, 4 or more tickets on them. That probably gets it closer to your 30,000 number, except I think that is still a little high. I'd put it closer to 20,000 accounts.
Now the question becomes, what percentage of those 20,000 accounts tailgate? Even if it's 50%, that's 10,000 accounts that would even be interested in buying tailgate passes. Granted, that's still 100,000 extra people IF everyone bought and used those 10 tickets. Not everyone will do that. I haven't bought a tailgate pass yet.
So that's going to be a whole lot less than your 370,000 estimate.
...and I'd venture to say the POTENTIAL is quite a bit more than your 100K estimate. Even if it WAS 100K, that would still equal the crowd that caused this entire issue to begin with (Dallas Game). If safety is your priority, you don't leave the kids off the list, you don't allow 10 per account, and you force them to be bought well in advance so that you can staff security appropriately. Anything else invites the supposed "disaster" you're trying to prevent.
Agree/Disagree with the policy to your heart's content, but don't try and tell me "Safety" is the issue here.
BTW - College campuses have dealt with far LARGER crowds (and worse rivalries) for years without resorting to this type of solution. I've been in more than a few of them over the years and never felt "threatened" in any way. (...nor did I walking out last year after the Dallas game)
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
I never said it was about safety. Though I do agree with them not wanting anybody with a cooler just showing up on their property.
You're not going to stop idiots from fighting or causing trouble. Hell, there was a huge rumble about to go down 2 weeks ago after the Saints game WITH all these new rules in place.
You also don't have to allow just anyone to show up on your property. That's what happened for the Dallas game. Half the freaking city showed up to have a huge party on private property. I can understand the Texans not wanting that.
And honestly, ticket holders are paying good money just to park, whether they tailgate or not. And all these people are storming the lots and partying for free? Nah man, that don't jive.
Maybe it's a money grab and maybe by charging $10 they know all of the allotted tickets aren't going to come close to being used. And that WILL keep the numbers well below 100,000.
Joe Texan
Inducted 04
OK lets do it like San Fran. Not
The only people that complain is the people that have no ticket. If you were not such an Ahole to the texans they would probably work with you to accomadate, and paying 72 dollars when they want 100 is a significant savings, better than tipping percentage. We have not had a serious issue, theft fight rummaging through our stuff since the policy went into affect. I am so for it cause my beer stays in my cooler and is cold when I get out after the game is over. If your wanting in the blue crew earlier that the gate opens My truck is in the fiesta parking lot at 6:30 EVERY SUNDAY MORNING THERE IS A GAME. your welcome t jump in the back an ride in with me.
The only people that complain is the people that have no ticket. If you were not such an Ahole to the texans they would probably work with you to accomadate, and paying 72 dollars when they want 100 is a significant savings, better than tipping percentage. We have not had a serious issue, theft fight rummaging through our stuff since the policy went into affect. I am so for it cause my beer stays in my cooler and is cold when I get out after the game is over. If your wanting in the blue crew earlier that the gate opens My truck is in the fiesta parking lot at 6:30 EVERY SUNDAY MORNING THERE IS A GAME. your welcome t jump in the back an ride in with me.