How Carefully Are You Reading Those Pick 13 Plan Emails?

As any of you on the Season Ticket Waiting List know, the Cubs have been in full-on assault mode over selling their Pick 13 Plans. I kind of grazed over the first few emails, but when I actually sat down and read this morning's... well, I was a bit surprised to see the verbiage that the Cubs have resorted to in hopes of selling more tickets.

Personally, I think this is a pretty bold marketing strategy. But the Cubs gotta do what the Cubs gotta do to put more butts in the seats.

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over 1 year ago Schwa 28 comments 0 recs |

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First, No I did NOT hack in and write the copy

Second, glad to see someone has a sense of humor.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Jan 12, 2011 11:19 AM CST reply actions

Ha..

As I was reading it I was thinking to myself that this was something you’d enjoy. Figures you are here first.

by katie casey on Jan 12, 2011 11:43 AM CST up reply actions

Jessica definitely came to mind, no doubt about it.

Twitter: @brandonrifkin
The Hot Glove – Parsing Sports, Gambling and News… With a Hot Glove
Big 10 Fan? Love those overplayed HBO movies? Check out my posts at THG

by Schwa on Jan 12, 2011 11:47 AM CST up reply actions

FYI has this always been up or it new?

I confess I did not click on the offer so I have no idea.

Even you guys suspected me you must know I don’t even have the tech skills to post a photo, let alone hack a site, though it would have been fun.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Jan 12, 2011 11:53 AM CST up reply actions

Let me ease your confusion:

I made this this morning. I definitely had your ticket rants in my head though.

Twitter: @brandonrifkin
The Hot Glove – Parsing Sports, Gambling and News… With a Hot Glove
Big 10 Fan? Love those overplayed HBO movies? Check out my posts at THG

by Schwa on Jan 12, 2011 11:57 AM CST up reply actions

Not enough coffee for me today.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Jan 12, 2011 12:00 PM CST up reply actions

Yep you won't see me buying that package

Keep that Q Train rollin' in '11. Let's win it for Ronnie.

by mikegncb34 on Jan 12, 2011 11:54 AM CST reply actions

nice

if I lived in Chicago, owned a business and wanted a way to impress some clients I would definately buy this, otherwise looks like I will still be waiting for 2014 to go back to Wrigley

by hansman1982 on Jan 12, 2011 12:13 PM CST reply actions

Well if that were the case, you would just buy tickets to the marquee games (Yankees/Sox/Cards).

I can’t imagine a half-empty stadium on a 35 degree night in April will blow clients away. Unless they just really, really wanna try a bison dog.

Twitter: @brandonrifkin
The Hot Glove – Parsing Sports, Gambling and News… With a Hot Glove
Big 10 Fan? Love those overplayed HBO movies? Check out my posts at THG

by Schwa on Jan 12, 2011 12:16 PM CST up reply actions

those bison daogs are pretty good

just sayin

by El Borto on Jan 12, 2011 12:41 PM CST up reply actions

I'm sure they are.

I had a bison sausage at Hot Doug’s and it was great. I’d love to try one at Wrigley.

Twitter: @brandonrifkin
The Hot Glove – Parsing Sports, Gambling and News… With a Hot Glove
Big 10 Fan? Love those overplayed HBO movies? Check out my posts at THG

by Schwa on Jan 12, 2011 12:47 PM CST up reply actions

Do you have a spare $8?

At least they come with some chips.

"Easy on the words, brother,'' Quade said.

by RiskyBusiness on Jan 12, 2011 12:50 PM CST up reply actions

I havent looked at what dates they are

from what I understand is you get Yankees, White Sox and Cards tixs as well

by hansman1982 on Jan 12, 2011 2:09 PM CST up reply actions

You do. I guess if you have the money and don't want a hassle, you can buy this plan for just those 3 games.

Because no way you get any decent money for the rest of the tickets here. But you could probably scalp/Craigslist/StubHub tickets to those 3 games and end up spending less than you would with the Pick 13 Plan.

Twitter: @brandonrifkin
The Hot Glove – Parsing Sports, Gambling and News… With a Hot Glove
Big 10 Fan? Love those overplayed HBO movies? Check out my posts at THG

by Schwa on Jan 12, 2011 2:12 PM CST up reply actions

I actually just went to the site

and looked at the bleacher plans – there is one where you only have to chose 2 april dates, one of them would be a weekend and both are late in the month….it doesnt look too bad

by hansman1982 on Jan 13, 2011 7:54 AM CST up reply actions

I don't know what plan let you do that

The bleacher plans up now are clearly better than the “bowl” plans but I don’t see any that generous. They still make you buy a ton of April and May dates but the plans in the rest of the park are in fact much worse. If you don’t want to sit in the bleachers you have to buy 6 April & May games , 2 more in May & Sept. ( you can get this to one if you take a thursda day game against the Braves in August) 2 hard to sell game in August and one mediocre summer game. So after you have bought 11 hard to sell games, you get 2 games of Yankees, Sox or Cardinals ( pick 2) It is awful deal, but slightly better than last year.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Jan 13, 2011 8:58 AM CST up reply actions

obviously

these packs are never going to be all ideal games, they are designed to sell some tickets to games that will be hard to sell but packaging them with a few ideal games, again, if you are someone who lives in the city I think they are pretty decent packages…its plan C – you dont get Yankees but apparently those will be easy to come by through the scalpers anyway

Plan B really only has 2 terribly cold games – 2nd or 3rd and 4th or 5th of April but you get Yankees

by hansman1982 on Jan 13, 2011 12:18 PM CST up reply actions

I get what they are intended for and I support it

but the breakdown for bowl games in particular is pretty horrible. Take out two
April, May & Sept games and add two in July & August and it is a lot more likely to sell and still weighed heavily towards the Cubs.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Jan 13, 2011 1:20 PM CST up reply actions

This is supposed to be funny?

Lame.

"It's important in life to not give a shit. It can help you a lot." - George Carlin

by bluemagic9 on Jan 12, 2011 1:07 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

And for my next act, I will explain how Matt Garza is worth way more than 4 wins.

Oh wait. That was you.

But I appreciate the constructive criticism!

Twitter: @brandonrifkin
The Hot Glove – Parsing Sports, Gambling and News… With a Hot Glove
Big 10 Fan? Love those overplayed HBO movies? Check out my posts at THG

by Schwa on Jan 12, 2011 2:06 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

whats funny

is that when the Cubs offered the package for Xmas, all everybody said was that the game choices sucked. They put some good games and teams in there and people still complain. If you dont like it, theres a team on the south side. Go be a Sox fan and quit your whining.

"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical." -Yogi Berra

by imacubman on Jan 12, 2011 3:42 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

I'll probably just watch the Cubs games on TV

GM's are in charge of Managers, not the other way around.

by shoemile on Jan 12, 2011 4:51 PM CST up reply actions

Yes they put in a FEW good games

While forcing you to buy a ton of horrible games. It is a slight improvement over last year and in general I like the theory behind it, but is weighted far to heavily to the worst games and not enough mid range games. The idea of using highly desirable ones to sell lesser ones is in my opinion the best way to sell tickets, but in a very soft market with lots of season ticket holder offering better seats, they should have made it better package.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Jan 12, 2011 7:39 PM CST up reply actions

they arent ever going to give you a big package

with all the good dates, those games will sell no problem

by hansman1982 on Jan 13, 2011 12:20 PM CST up reply actions

Yes but they don't have to make it as bad as it is.

Forget the “big” dates. The package is loaded with the worse possible dates. Per above 2 less April, May & Sept dates and two more in July & August would make it a better, more attractive, more likely to sell package that would still make people buy some very unpopular games but add a few more when it might actually be 70 degrees or more.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Jan 13, 2011 1:22 PM CST up reply actions

plan C of the bleachers and plan A of the bowl

are not bad packages – All plans except plan C Bleachers have 8 of 13 games after May 15th but before Sept 15th, I would say thats warm weather games, maybe a jacket in mid to late May. Factor in as well that all plans of the bowl seating also gets you late season against the Brewers, that could possibly be a series for the NL Central crown (not the highest likelihood but plausible).

Plan C of bleacher – 10 of 13 plus a late season game against the Brewers.

For a package plan, I would say thats not bad, most of those games in most years will be warm weather…and if you want something for the kiddies in the summer, you might want to sell a June 15-August 15 package then.

by hansman1982 on Jan 13, 2011 3:53 PM CST up reply actions