DETROIT – Dan Campbell was asked Wednesday about fan frustration over the Detroit Lions raising season ticket prices for next season.
Increasing ticket costs is nothing new for a professional sports franchise, but many Lions fans have expressed frustration over the rate of next year’s increase. Some on social media claim their tickets nearly doubled in price.
It’s unclear how a Lions season ticket price compares to that of other teams around the NFL, but some of the frustration might stem from fans feeling like their loyalty during many difficult seasons isn’t being rewarded.
The Lions are one win away from clinching the NFC North title for the first time ever, and that’s when the announcement about season ticket prices was revealed. At the very least, it’s a bit of a bad look.
Fans who stuck around for decades without a playoff win -- perhaps even for moments like the 0-16 season in 2008 or the entire Matt Patricia era -- might feel like they’re finally being rewarded on the field for the first time. That is, until they received next year’s bill.
Campbell was put in a no-win situation Wednesday afternoon when someone asked him what he would say to fans who saw the price of their tickets increase dramatically.
As the head coach, Campbell has no say in ticket prices. He’s just trying to focus on winning the division. And that’s pretty much what he said to the person who asked the question.
“Don’t put me in that spot,” he said. “Look, I’m not in marketing. I don’t deal with ticket prices. I’m just trying to win games, and so, I don’t know. It is what it is, and I hate to say that, but I have no -- there’s nothing I can do about anything other than just try to coach and give us a winner.”
I doubt any Lions fans blame Campbell for ticket prices. They just want him to beat the Minnesota Vikings this weekend and wrap up the NFC North.
