Renewed!

Well, I did it. Last Monday I made my way to the Wizards renewal suite and committed to another year of Wizards basketball as a season ticket holder. I know a lot of people who are making a different decision.

This season has been more difficult for me as a season ticket holder than any other. This may not have been the first season I've written this about but this one truly tested my patience and dedication as a fan. I attended fewer games than I have ever attended as a season ticket holder since maybe my first or second year when I was flying solo and genuinely had a difficult time getting people to go with me to games for free. I wavered as recently as last weekend on this decision and almost packed the whole thing in and decided to walk away.

Ultimately, four things kept me in the club.

First, the decision by the team to not raise prices this coming season was important. I get that prices of tickets are probably lower in some areas of the building than in corresponding arenas around the league but you so is historical performance. I think was an important gesture although ultimately, I probably would have renewed if there were a slight increase in price. Like a couple of bucks or maybe four at most per game.

Second, I ditched my upper deck tickets which at $40 per seat per game are way above market value. There's no way the team should be charging season ticket holders this much for this product. If the Wizards would not have let me sever those tickets from my package, I would not have renewed. I've been carrying two sets of tickets for a number of years now and the reason I first started doing this is no longer valid. Took me a while to cut the cord but ultimately, this reduced my cost by more than $3,000. Next year will be the first season I will not have upper deck season tickets. 

Third, I made a season ticket referral under the team's Sixth Man Referral program which cut $800 or so off the cost of my tickets. This, along with the ability to lose the 400 level seats, was huge. I've been sharing my ticket plan with a friend for the past 17 years and he decided the Wizards' performance this year was too much to take. This cost savings along with the deletion of upper deck tickets actually allows my first cost next year to be lower than this current season. I won't have this discount next year.

Finally, next year is season 20 for me and to make it that far is an emotional milestone. Next year, just like the $800 discount, this won't apply. The team performance better soar next year. I have absolutely no faith it will, meaning there's a good chance I won't be back for number 21. New management and a new head coach would do wonders for my mindset here.

I waited longer than usual to make this decision this year, primarily because I was out of town on the other side of the globe for two weeks. The emails from my account representative during that time were interesting. The standing offer of $200 of concession credit was supplemented by an on court free throw opportunity after a game, then by a pre-game happy hour with two free drinks then the concession credit offer got upped to $300. Waiting helps, I guess. I won't renew early ever again.

These little paper bands make me so happy. Give me a couple of these a year and I'll be way happy.

Finally, if there are season ticket holders who have not yet renewed, your deadline is March 29 which is this Friday, although I would anticipate that date being flexible. I don't see this renewal period coming anywhere close to 100% renewals.

I know it's too late to offer this advice but don't ever renew on line if you can make it to a game during the renewal period. There's always an opportunity to pick an envelope with a prize in it after you hand over your credit card to the team. Like we have a few times in the past, we managed to get wristbands allowing us access to the Etihad Lounge, which if you know me at all, you know I love. I'm a moocher at heart and free food and especially free beer always goes over well with me. It was the first and only time I had access this year. Thanks to my friend Mike for picking the right envelope. The photos on this post are courtesy of that access.

I also was offered the opportunity to become a human bobblehead during a timeout for an opportunity  to win a trip to an away game next year. I declined. I already had the free beer offer and it's likely a trip to Philly which I've already done. And yes, I know a little alcohol would have helped me in the contest but I figured someone else would get more out of it than me so I passed. 

Just a couple more games this year then it's on to season 20 even though more than half of the rest of the NBA will still be playing.

Human bobblehead contest. The dude on the left won. Congrats, buddy! Enjoy Philly!