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You are seeing this happen more and more.
Opposing fans taking over the home stadium by purchasing tons of tickets on the secondary ticket market.
The Los Angeles Rams are concerned about this happening for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between San Francisco and the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
It happened in Week 18 when the 49ers traveled to Southern California for a game with the Rams.
It also has happened to the Jets quite a bit the last few years, like when they played the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. It’s happened on other occasions as well, like when they played the New England Patriots at MetLife.
Obviously there isn’t much you can do about people selling tickets on the secondary market, but another issue at times is the size of some stadiums.
The Dallas Cowboys have a huge fan base, but their stadium holds 100,000 people, and since it’s so enormous, this leads to a lot of opposing fans getting their hands on tickets. There is a lot of supply.
And this brings us to the Jets and their stadium that holds 82,500 people.
It’s probably a little too big, and from what I hear, something might be done about that in the next few years.
From what I hear, the Jets and Giants might be looking to reconfigure the stadium, in part due to the World Cup coming to the United States in 2026.
The plan would be similar to what the Miami Dolphins did with Hard Rock Stadium, making it look more like a European Stadium, like adding a canopy that provides more weather protection and sun shading for fans.
Part of the plan, according to a source, is to reduce the capacity of the stadium, perhaps to the high 60’s, and create more space for other amenities and areas, like clubs, to mingle, and watch the game, standing up if you want, and to party with friends in a more spacious setting.
I’m not sure of all of the details, but I hear this is seriously being considered by the Jets and Giants, and would be ready by the World Cup in 2026. Also, I hear, that the old racetrack clubhouse, which housed Pegasus, would be knocked down.
Let’s be honest, MetLife Stadium is probably a little too big, and not particularly charming do its enormity, and with more people choosing to watch from home, especially what COVID-19 did to a lot of people’s mindset about attending public events, it might be a good time to downsize the stadium.
And if the Jets agree to do this with the Giants, obviously they would be committing to MetLife for the long term.
The Jets have an escape hatch in their MetLife lease in 2025, and some fans had hoped they would use this to try and build a stadium in New York, and move back to their original home.
However if they decide, along with the Giants, to undertake these renovations, they are committed to New Jersey for the long haul.
January 27, 2022
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