By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – Diehard Seattle Seahawks fans undoubtedly remember the way Trent Dilfer came off the bench to help resurrect the team from the dead with back-to-back victories over Jacksonville and Denver.
And they’ll never forget the sight of Shaun Alexander running through, over and around the Oakland defense en route to a record-breaking performance and an improbable win over the Raiders on national television.
Indelible images, certainly. If only Seahawks fans had seen them.
Most local football fans had to rely on a live radio broadcast, television highlights, or a Monday newspaper account of the game, as all three games were blacked out locally because Husky Stadium did not sell out.
League rules mandate that any game not sold out within 72 hours of kickoff cannot be shown in the local market.
Such will be the case again today, when the Seahawks host the San Diego Chargers in a game that won’t be available on local television.
While Seahawks officials understand the rule and abide by it, they don’t necessarily agree with it.
“We would prefer to have the opportunity to lift the blackouts in our market,” team president Bob Whitsitt said in a phone interview Friday. “We feel that can help stimulate interest in the team, stimulate interest in the product and in the new stadium (that will debut in 2002).
“I think it’s an old school way of thinking to say that showing the games on television will decrease ticket sales.”
As archaic as the blackout rule may seem, it’s not changing anytime soon. League spokesperson Greg Aiello said the NFL has not considered changing the rule, which is in place to give teams a better shot at selling out home games.
“There’s less incentive to buy a ticket if you know you can sit down and watch it on TV,” Aiello said.
He added that 86 percent of home games since the beginning of last season have been sold out in time to get the blackout lifted.
Of course, only three of those were home Seahawks games. They sold out games against the Broncos and Raiders last year, then had a home date with Philadelphia on Sept. 23 televised as part of a league-wide blackout lift following the terrorist attacks.
During coach Mike Holmgren’s tenure in Seattle, 11 of 21 home games have been blacked out. He spent seven years in Green Bay, during which the Packers sold out every game.
“I’m not a particular fan of that rule,” Holmgren said of the league-mandated blackouts. “It was in place originally so you could fill the stadiums, come out and watch the games in person. The problem is when you play in a little larger stadium or when you’re in our situation where you’re renters.
“There haven’t been many instances in league history when a renter has filled a stadium. If you look back at the history of the teams that have had to do this while waiting for their stadiums to be built, it’s tough.”
The Seahawks’ problems selling out are a relatively recent pattern. In fact, the franchise sold out every game from 1976 through 1993.
Even the games that weren’t sold out were usually televised following corporate buyouts of the remaining tickets. Whitsitt said those corporations aren’t as eager to soak up 3,000 or 4,000 remaining tickets just to get the games on television.
“This year it’s tougher because of the elements,” he said, “including corporations where times are a little tougher financially.”
Whitsitt would prefer that the league allow individual teams the opportunity to lift local blackouts at their discretion. He admitted that not every blackout would be lifted, but said that the flexibility would help in terms of marketing the team.
“First and foremost, we’d like to sell out every game,” Whitsitt said. “But I think fans should be able to see home games and potential customers should be given the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, I’d like to be there.’
“The rule is what it is, but we would like to see if it could be modified or changed. We accept it, but we don’t agree with it.”
Aiello and the NFL still stand by their rule.
“We believe one of the reasons the NFL is on TV is the excitement of the crowd,” he said. “Anything we do to diminish the crowd will diminish the attractiveness of the television broadcast. We think (lifting the blackouts) could have a negative overall effect on the crowds.”
Making the blackout even more difficult on local fans have been the results of the televised games. While the wins over Jacksonville, Denver and Oakland and a close loss to Miami went on behind the technological curtain, the televised games didn’t provide much incentive for fans to shell out anywhere from $15 to $68 per ticket to see the Seahawks in person. Seattle has a 2-4 record in games televised locally this season, with all four losses coming by 12 points or more.
“It’s a shame that our fans haven’t been able to see some of our best football this year,” Holmgren said.
More than 10,000 tickets still remain for today’s game. Everyone without a ticket will have to wait for the highlight shows – whether Seahawks officials like it or not.
“We all agree that the best case scenario is to have the building full,” Whitsitt said. “It’s whether showing home games on television can stimulate ticket sales or take away from ticket sales. That’s the debate.
“(The blackout rule) is in place for what the league feels is best for the entire league,” he added. “Maybe as times change, we as a league can look at it a little differently.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
