FromThisSeat Blog

 

Welcome to the FromThisSeat Blog.

Here our editors will bring you plenty of news coverage on tickets, ballparks, stadiums and arenas as they pertain to the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA.  If you have any questions or suggestions pertaining to the articles, feel free to 'Contact Us' via the navigation bar.

Photo of Chicago White Sox players meeting together on the pitcher's mound of U.S. Cellular Field.

Image Credit: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Many familiar faces headline the top of the Major League Baseball payroll for the 2012 season. More than 9 teams have a payroll of more than $100 Million. See how much money your favorite baseball team spent on payroll for the 2012 Major League Baseball season. 

Photo of Colorado Rockies players standing during the national anthem at Coors Field.

Image Credit: Jennifer Linnea (CC BY 2.0)

Payroll in Major League Baseball is often a strong topic of conversation among rival baseball fans. Some Major League teams have a legitimate and constant edge over other teams in terms of the type of talent it can afford. How much money did your favorite Major League Baseball team spend in 2013? 

Photo of St. Louis Cardinals players meeting on the pitcher's mound. 

Image Credit: Charles Edward Miller (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Payroll in Major League Baseball is one of the main indicators of the well-being of a franchise. Teams with small payrolls are often seen as non contenders. However, under dogs often pop up from time to time. See how much money your favorite Major League Baseball team spent on payroll for the 2014 MLB season. 

Photo taken from the courtside seats during an NBA game. 

Image Credit: Bari D (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Yes, the phrase "ticket broker" can sometimes be a fancy way of saying "ticket scalper". But if you think about it, they operate no differently than a car dealership or a businessman that buys, improves and flips houses. Once you purchase something, you own it and can do whatever you want with the product afterward, especially if there is a market for it. 

Stock photo of event tickets that have been purchased on Ticketmaster.

Image Credit: Nerdy Girl (CC BY 2.0)

When it comes to purchasing sports or concert tickets, there is no brand out there more recognizable than Ticketmaster. When a hot act like Sam Smith or Bruno Mars announces their tour schedule , how and when to purchase tickets on Ticketmaster is often the next thought to come to mind.

Craigslist.org headquarters in San Francisco, California. 

Image Credit: Anne Cloudman (CC BY 2.0)

I myself have purchased tickets off of Craigslist twice, both for NFL games and had no troubles. Both sellers were season ticket holders that had tickets in hand that they just wanted to get rid of at the last minute. I met them within the city limits with cash and the rest was history. Would I recommend that other fans go this route?

Photo of baseball fans waiting in line at the will call office at Oracle Park. Home of the San Francisco Giants. 

Image Credit: Antony Mayfield (CC BY 2.0)

So when is the best time to buy your tickets to sporting events? The day they go on sale? Weeks in advance? The day of the game? After the game has started? First, let’s consider what some of the largest ticket retailers are saying. 

Ticket Monster Logo.

Image Credit: TicketMonster.com

September 28, 2014

We are happy to announce an ongoing partnership with ticket industry newcomer 'Ticket Monster'. Founded by entrepreneur Brian Lefton during the summer of 2012, the company has picked up a lot of momentum during the last year as they're now providing strong competition to companies like Stubhub and TicketNetwork.  

Photo taken from the lower level of the Prudential Center during a New Jersey Devils game.

Image Credit: Bari D (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The 2013-2014 NHL season was the first season of the new realignment featuring only four divisions of teams instead of six. This was prompted after the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg to become the Jets. The season also featured a number of games played outdoors including the Winter Classic, the re-introduction of the Heritage Classic and the introduction of the Stadium Series. Sidney Crosby was both the top scored and league MVP after managing to stay healthy most of the season. The Los Angeles Kings won their second Stanley Cup in three seasons after defeating the New York Rangers.

Here are the attendance numbers for all 30 franchises during the 2013-2014 campaign. See where your favorite team came in.

Photo of a game between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins at Joe Louis Arena.

Image Credit: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The 2012-2013 NHL season was a short one due to the lockout over the collective bargaining agreement. Instead of beginning in October, the regular season didn't begin until January and ended in April. Nevertheless, the season turned out in typical fashion with Alexander Ovechkin winning the league's MVP and two Original Six teams in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Chicago Blackhawks went on to beat the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup.

Here is what the NHL attendance numbers for all 30 arenas looked like for the 2012-2013 season. 

Photo of a game between the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils at PNC Arena.

Image Credit: NC National Guard (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The 2011-2012 NHL season would mark the return of the Winnipeg Jets to Canada due to the team's struggling attendances in Atlanta as the Atlanta Thrashers. The Los Angeles Kings made their 2nd ever trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and defeated the New Jersey Devils in six games. The popularity of the annual Winter Classic also continued to explode with the Flyers taking on the New York Rangers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Here is how the 2011-2012 attendances shaped up for each of the 30 NHL teams.

Photo of a Washington Redskins versus Philadelphia Eagles game at Fedex Field.

Image Credit: Matthew Straubmiller (CC BY 2.0)

The 2013 NFL season ended with the Seattle Seahawks dominating a Peyton Manning anchored Denver Broncos team. It was the first Super Bowl victory for the Seattle Seahawks. 2013 was also the year for the first ever Super Bowl played outdoors. And what better place to host it than New York City and at Metlife Stadium?

Here is how many fans turned out to each of the 31 NFL stadiums in 2013.

Exterior photo of Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio was the fifth ballpark on our staff's quest to see all thirty Major League ballparks. The Indians were hosting the Kansas City Royals in a game that had plenty of meaning with the Indians trailing the Royals by only 2 ½ games in the AL Wildcard race.

Photo taken from the outfield bleachers of AT&T Park during a San Francisco Giants playoff game.

Image Credit: Randy Chiu (CC BY 2.0)

The 2013 was an unpredictable year. Fueled by the Boston Marathon bombings, the Boston Red Sox went on to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. The Houston Astros switched over to the American League to join the West division, giving each league an even 15 teams. This led to more Inter-League play which excites many baseball fans.

Here is how the attendance for each Major League Baseball team shaped up during the 2013 season. 

Photo of Qualcomm Stadium before a San Diego Chargers home game.

Image Credit: SD Dirk (CC BY 2.0)

The outcome of the 2012 NFL season was anything but dull. The San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens both returned to their former dominance by earning a trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. For the first time ever, two brothers would coach against each other in a Super Bowl (Jim and John Harbaugh). The Baltimore Ravens went on to win their second Super Bowl since 1999.

Here is how each team fared in attendance for the 2012 NFL season. 

Photo of a Toronto Blue Jays versus New York Yankees game at the Rogers Centre.

Image Credit: Joel Dinda (CC BY 2.0)

The 2012 season was a historical one for Major League Baseball fans. It included the addition of two additional Wildcard teams to the playoff format. It was also the 100th Anniversary of the opening of Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The San Francisco Giants were the World Series Champions after narrowly sweeping the Detroit Tigers in four games.  Here are the attendance numbers for all 30 teams during the 2012 Major League Baseball season. 

Photo of a Philadelphia 76ers home game at the Wells Fargo Center.

Image Credit: Kevin Burkett (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The 2013-2014 season ended in spectacular fashion with the San Antonio Spurs avenging their NBA Finals loss to the Miami Heat from the previous season. Kevin Durant was the league's MVP averaging 32 points per game. This season also marked the end of the Lebron era in Miami as he chose to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the upcoming season.

Here are the attendance numbers for each of the 30 NBA teams for the 2013-2014 NBA season.

Photo of a Cleveland Cavaliers home game at Quicken Loans Arena.

Image Credit: Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0)

The 2012-2013 NBA season was much like the 2011-2012 season in result. The Miami Heat repeated as NBA champions by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in game 7 of the NBA Finals. Lebron James was once again, crowned the league's MVP and was the Eastern Conference player of the month in all but one month.

Here is how all 30 NBA teams fared in attendance during the 2012-2013 season. 

Photo taken from the upper level of the United Center during a Chicago Bulls home game.

Image Credit: Fuzzy Gerdes (CC BY 2.0)

The 2011-2012 NBA Season began on Christmas Day with 5 games as the result of a lockout shortened season. The Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in game 5 of the NBA Finals and Lebron James was voted the league's MVP and the Finals MVP. Here is  how each team's attendance numbers turned out for the 2011-2012 NBA season. 

Photo of Zack Hample with his baseball collection.  

Image Credit: Zack Hample

See that guy in the photo with the buckets of baseballs? That's Zack Hample. Looks just like your ordinary baseball fan that you'd encounter in any 1 of the 30 Major League ballparks on any given night. But he's not just your average baseball fan. Far from it.

Photo of the NHL Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orachard Park, New York. 

Image Credit: Falling Heavens - Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The NHL has proven that outdoor hockey games are a winning idea. In fact, the outdoor games are perhaps part of the formula that has recently helped the NHL overthrow the NBA in terms of popularity in the United States. Hockey, after all, originated on frozen ponds where there were very few rules (hence, the fighting).