Comments on: Want to See Money Waste? Attend an NFL Game.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:23:32 +0000

This is why sometimes it’s just better to watch a minor league sports team play. Still very good athletes and competition – less divas – and sometimes it is BYOB!

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:16:03 +0000

I recently went to my first Broncos game, this after 13 years in residence in the area. My husband and I bought tickets from a co-worker with decent season ticket seats for something like $70 each (I can’t remember exactly). We took the bus, which was $8 and no parking hassle, compared to the lots we saw going for $25 with a mile long walk or more to the stadium. But I tell you what – we did spend money on food. Part of that was our fault – I assumed we couldn’t bring food in, which was incorrect. Part of it, though, was sheer gooberness. I haven’t had stadium nachos probably in 20 years, and dammit, I wanted some. We ended up getting popcorn and a couple of sodas as well. I’m not one to drink beer often and especially not in the middle of the day (I’d have to take a nap), so going the soda route was no biggie for me.

Frugal? No. But I suppose if I go to a football game once every decade and a half, I can splurge on my crap food.

Regarding drunks in the stands though – we had one behind us, a woman with a particular brain piercing voice who spent the whole game telling the players and refs they were idiots while downing one beer after another.

By: Matt @ Steadfast Finances

Matt @ Steadfast Finances — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:40:09 +0000

My favorite would have be the $7 bottled water at Turner Field, Atlanta. Of course, this was something like 5 years ago on a hot Saturday afternoon.

By: Mr. ToughMoneyLove

Mr. ToughMoneyLove — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:10:09 +0000

MGL – I don’t put the beer in precisely the same category as the tickets. If you want to see live NFL football, you have to buy a ticket. If you want to drink beer, there are lots of better and more affordable places to do it. I hear you about beer and football going together. If I had to watch the Bills, I probably would be drinking the beer as well!

By: MoneyGrubbingLawyer

MoneyGrubbingLawyer — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:35:49 +0000

If I’m going to shell out the money for a ticket to an NFL game (but for a REAL team, like the Bills), I’ll usually splurge a little and have an overpriced beer. It’s part of the experience, and I accept that I’ll pay through the nose for it. To me, beer and football go together perfectly, and I’m willing to spend extra to enjoy that. You acknowledge that the tickets are objectively wasteful, but you’re willing to spend the money because you see enough value in the experience. I view a beer at the game in the same way. But $5 at the ATM? No way.

By: Mr. ToughMoneyLove

Mr. ToughMoneyLove — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:42:11 +0000

I may have paid $7 for a microbrew draft beer at some point but it is definitely not par for the course and certainly not for a domestic light beer in a plastic bottle.

By: dogatemyfinances

dogatemyfinances — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:26:49 +0000

$7 for a beer is par for the course (while talking sports) at a nice place in a big city. I buy $7 drinks all the time at nice places–bars or restaurants.

I don’t spend money on expensive, dirty, loud stadiums watching millionaires move around balls. So, to each his own.