Weekday Padres attendance down; Slow National sales "stuns" observers

April 17, 2008:

• ..."The average attendance of 22,687 for the six weekday games of the 2008 season since the season opener is the lowest in the Padres' five seasons downtown.

The average is off 21 percent from a year ago and more than 25 percent from Petco's opening season of 2004. Season openers are not included.

• Three of the 10 smallest crowds in Petco Park history, including the smallest turnout ever -- 18,714 for the Astros on April 2 -- have been among the six games this year played on days other than Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Thursday night's crowd of 25,984 was the first midweek crowd this season to surpass the lowest previous average of 25,480 in 2006.

Why midweek attendance has dropped so measurably is open to conjecture."...

• From San Diego Union-Tribune by Center & Posner, "Weekday Petco Attendance Down," 4/17/08***

From the Baltimore Sun, 4/12/08, Fans throw a Curve, New DC Stadium Fails to Draw Large Crowds," by Jeff Barker

• (Please don't be stunned--the team's efforts and new stadium are much appreciated, but the increase in costs of driving have put the occasion out of reach for many). sm

P.S. Life has changed dramatically as the price of oil and food have increased. Many who could afford to go to baseball games can no longer do so. This fact should be talked about every day in baseball broadcasts.

• It's the only way sufficient attention will be drawn to the problem. Second, Americans today are so passive it would take an enormous groundswell to give them the courage to demand a solution to the energy problem. (sm)

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