Remember when it was almost impossible to buy Detroit Lions season tickets for Ford Field?

Boy howdy, have things changed in 9 years…

I had the following press release arrive in my email inbox today:

LIONS OFFERING NEW FLEXIBLE SEASON TICKET PACKAGES

Multiple options create greater value for Lions fans

Allen Park, Mich.– The Detroit Lions are offering several, flexible season ticket packages for the 2009 season. Along with the Full Season Plan that includes all 10 Lions home games, fans can now purchase Half-Season Plans, “The Roar Zone” Plan, and the “Pick Your Games” Plan.

Along with the new flexible, season ticket packages, the Lions are offering the “All You Can Eat” Seat. This option is being made available to Detroit sports fans for the first time in this market in regular stadium seating areas.

“One of our most important business objectives is to present our fans with several options to attend Lions games at Ford Field that provide great value,” said Lions President Tom Lewand. “We recognize that this is a tough economic environment for all fans, and increased flexibility is necessary to respond to that environment.”

But there’s more than just half season (Which does include one preseason exhibition game, making it a 5 game package, and less of a true deal), pick your game, and for the uber-cheap asses, the $30 “Roar Zone”, ticket packages available. This is the ticketing option I find most fascinating…and scary:

The All You Can Eat Seat!

• 5,500 available seats in special “All You Can Eat” sections that
  will be offered with season tickets, group tickets and individual game
  tickets.
• Includes for one price: game ticket and unlimited hot dogs, bratwurst, chips, popcorn, nachos & cheese and soft drinks.
• Access to special redemption centers at east and west end of Ford
  Field (nearby “All You Can Eat” sections) for “All You Can Eat”
  customers only.
• Season tickets start as low at $73 for “All You Can Eat” tickets.
• Tickets for individual games (available at a later date) for “All You Can Eat” tickets start as low at $85.

Anyone else think it could get real ugly sitting in a section where your typical drunk, out of control, highly emotional Lions fan can break out their inner Joey Chestnut? Thank GOD beer isn’t on the unlimited list.., 
 
It’s nice to know the Lions //sarcasm on// care so damn much about the economic hardships many of us are dealing with in SE MI //sarcasm off//
they are allowing fans to buy partial season ticket
packages…something the Tigers and Pistons have been doing for quite
some time.

To be frank, the Lions wouldn’t have ticket selling issues if they had played anything even closely resembling NFL football since moving to Ford Field. Play good football, and the fans will come…prices be damned. (Well, most of the time. Just ask the Red Wings)

What will be interesting to watch is how the Lions handle season ticket sales once they become a decent NFL team again. (Hey, it could happen!)  

Once you give fans the option to buy mini-season ticket packages,instead of forcing overpriced full season packages down their throats, will they be able to close that mini-package door without a fan revolt in the future?

Still, I have to say this is a positive step for the Lions in repairing fan relations, as we’re all cheap SOB’s at heart, right?