Cardinals Game is a Sellout

You can rest easy if you are not going to the game on Sunday. It will be on television.  The Arizona Cardinals, predicted to be on blackout watch pretty much each week this season, has survived week one.  It is the Oakland Raiders they are playing, however I suspect there are a few reasons why this game extended the sellout streak and why I think the streak is still in jeopardy.

Why this game is a sellout:

• It’s the home opener
• Fans still are on the fence with this team and will give the Cards a chance
• It’s the Raiders, who have a huge following here in Arizona

Why the streak is still in jeopardy:

• We don’t know what we have in the Cards yet
• After this game, the next one is probably a sellout against New Orleans, however Tampa Bay is after that
• Ticket prices are high, even if they are amongst the lowest average in the league

This is still a tough economy we live in and the Phoenix area was one of the hardest hit.  Kudos to the fans for still making it out to the games despite all of that.  The tailgating atmosphere I suspect has a lot to do with it.  The novelty of the stadium is still somewhat there, even though it has been open for four years now.

We may be talking a different tune last this season if the Cards are out of it.  I suspect games against Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and Seattle will be tougher sells.  My guess is we should be fine with New Orleans, San Francisco, Denver, and Dallas no matter what the Cards record is at the time.