The combination of a bad economy and a traditionally lukewarm fan base is causing plenty of heartburn for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Recently, the franchise has sent an e-mail to former customers, asking them to consider supporting the team again. The e-mail carries the headline, “We miss you and want you back!”
“The coaches and players have been working hard here at the stadium since January to ensure that we return to the competitive level that you have come to expect,” says the message from Steve Livingstone, senior manager of business development. “The front office is committed to delivering a great NFL game day experience. It will be fun to watch this team grow together this season.
“You have been a great fan of our organization and we thank you for your past support -- and we ask that you consider rejoining us for a special year as we celebrate 15 seasons of Jaguars football.”
The problem is that the Jags grossly underachieved in 2008, going 5-11 after a season that culminated in a wild-card berth and a playoff win in Pittsburgh. So while we don’t fault the Jaguars for doing whatever they have to do to sell tickets, it will be difficult to avoid local blackouts -- unless the team comes out of the gates and wins most of its games.
And this struggle to sell tickets makes us wonder whether the Jaguars might be one of the teams that has publicly said “no” to Mike Vick, but that might privately be considering whether Vick’s addition to the roster would pull enough people across the border from Georgia to sell most if not all of the non-tarp-covered seats at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
At a minimum, it would be reckless for the Jaguars not to at least consider the possibility, especially since quarterback David Garrard wasn’t nearly effective in his second year as a starter as he was in his first one.
