Yankees' Dumb Ticket Policy Turns Soccer Match At Yankee Stadium Into A Ghost Town

from the papers-please dept

You may recall that we discussed the New York Yankees' bumbling attempt to institute a new ticket policy for Yankee Stadium that disallowed print-at-home tickets. Dressed up as a policy designed to combat fake tickets being sold by scalpers, the policy was actually designed to be a warm hug to the team's partner Ticketmaster and a slap to Ticketmaster rival StubHub, as well as all of the other secondary market resellers out there. Still, some people probably shrugged, assuming that this would only have an effect on Yankees fans, a group that might find the soil of sympathy barren.

But of course that assumption isn't true. Aside from representing a potentially virulent precedent that could be adopted by other teams, the Yankees aren't the only team that plays in Yankee Stadium. The local soccer (football) team, New York City FC, not only plays there as well, but the team hosted a match recently, and that match was likewise governed by the new ticket policy. So, how'd that work out exactly?

Thanks to member [Albany] for the pic. 8 minutes out! pic.twitter.com/wqaKJ9UmQ2

— NYCFC Forums (@NYCFCForums) March 13, 2016

Now, it's a bit confusing from the tweet, but that picture was taken shortly before the match was to begin, during warmups. It was not, as some had interpreted, taken with eight minutes left in the game. Which isn't to say that the results of the new ticket policy were anything short of disastrous.

Entry to the @NYCFC game at @Yankees Stadium is a DISASTER. Everyone in line has a paper ticket and is being turned away. @YankeesPR — Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) March 13, 2016

Yankee Stadium doesn't care about its customers, the ticket-holders. overtly disrespects them. @Yankees @NYCFC pic.twitter.com/pQOCmT0Jud

— Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) March 13, 2016

And the Deadspin post has a rolling series of tweets, including more pictures of crowded lines of pissed off fans, with reports that getting in was a massive problem, fans were being turned away, and everyone involved was generally aggravated.

Now, some will retreat back to the safety of the assertion that any new policy will breed some confusion and take time before all things go seamlessly. And, hey, that's true. However, this fustercluck also is a wonderful reminder of just how full of crap the Yankees were when they rolled out this policy. Were fraud to be a massive issue in need of addressing, why then is there so much overwhelming demand from fans for the use of print-at-home tickets? If the secondary market were a cesspool of fraud and abuse, that demand would cease to be. Yet, there was so much of that demand for this NYCFC match, that the ticket gates were mobbed by the angry. Not the best of starts for a fan-friendly ticket policy, methinks...

Filed Under: baseball, lines, printing tickets, secondary market, soccer, tickets
Companies: yankees