Golden One;842107740 said:
Because this promotion breaks the "contract" that the AD has with ESP seat holders. I'm own 2 ESP seats, and I'll be pretty pissed if this promotion continues indefinitely. It's simply a mechanism whereby non-ESP seatholders can obtain ESP seating through friends and relatives who are ESP participants, thereby bypassing the long-term commitment required of ESP seatholders.
Not that I don't see your perspective, but I'm inclined to disagree with your conclusion, although I don't dispute the basis of your facts.
I think this short-term program represents long-term thinking by the AD in light of the current situation. Those who enjoy the seats enough will buy into the program for the long-term; maybe the finances are just not working out at the moment for individuals, as is the case for many people in the last few years. It is also a way to generate incremental revenue and provide a (hopefully) better experience for all by increasing the density of the crowd.
On the flip side, I can see a pessimistic viewpoint of the clubs and such being more crowded or the "freeloaders", for lack of a better term, getting out of a long-term commitment. Additionally, the seats might end up falling into the hands of the opposing teams' fans -- but I think this is more a risk with long-term seats, than short-term -- or that we may start to see more riffraff in the sections.
However, in the end, I don't share the view of many who say that people will drop out of their long-term commitments after a few years, just because they are unwilling to pay more for whatever reason and are able to drop out without penalty (and I have mentioned reasons for this in other threads, which I will not repeat here). Therefore, I also think that seat sales, however slow, will increase each year -- especially after the years of one of the worst recessions in many decades -- and these short-term tickets will become more and more scarce, however long the program continues.
I will qualify this by saying that I am much, much younger than the typical ESP seat holder and it is my doe-eyed perspective which informs these views. I also enjoy dense crowds, standing for long periods (although I do respect those around me), and making lots of noise frequently -- in a non-vulgar, but unapologetic manner -- which I understand are interests not shared by the majority in these sections. I do hope to change this culture, however slowly, and get people to participate more, as when they were younger.
