Jacksonville, Florida – at a point in time in history – had stated that they could not support a professional football team. However, ticket sales for the Jacksonville Jaguars have proven otherwise and have successfully supported the NFL franchise for years. Jaguar fans are dedicated and continue to purchase tickets and show up to all their home games regardless of their season record.
The NFL was looking for a city to start a new franchise in back in’92. They had their hopes on Charlotte, NC, St. Louis, MO, Baltimore, MD, Memphis, TN, or – their last choice – Jacksonville, FL. Florida already had two pro-football teams; there was really no need to add another.
Jacksonville, Florida was not a favorite pick for the NFL, for many different reasons. Besides the fact that Florida was full of professional sports teams, television ratings were low, the city was small, and it Jacksonville just did not quite match up to the other cities. Residents; however, were thrilled at the idea and bought 10,000 season tickets within a 10 day span. This event proved that Jacksonville was the best spot for the new franchise.
After 16 years on the field, the Jacksonville Jaguars still have not made it to a Super Bowl game, although they have come close. In’96, and again in’99, the team played for their AFC Division title – they did not win, but they played hard. In their first four years as a franchise, they made it to the playoffs three times, and NFL record.
The 2007 season proved to be another profitable year for the team as they closed the season with only two losses. Everyone expected this streak to carry into the next season – 2008 – but were proven wrong. The 2008 season ended up being the teams’ record worst and is one they wish they could replay.
Fans expected to see their team in the Super Bowl in 2008, or at the least, in the playoffs again. With multiple injuries and the players just not working as a team, it became apparent that the team was not going to get far this year. What closed the deal on this was when the Jaguars lost against the Bengals, who had not won a game all year. Sad thing is, they only lost by three points, which was even more devastating to the team.
Just because the team experienced a rough year does not mean they did not play hard – they did – there were just opportunities to be taken that were continually missed game after game. The entire team took a beating in the 2008 season, so much so that it gave them an adrenaline boost by the end of the year. They were able to beat the Detroit Lions – by a field goal – at the last minute, which also happened to be one of their last games of the season.
With a 5-11 record the Jaguars hung their heads and moved on. The 2009 season brings back many injured players, along with some new blood. Fans are hopeful that the combination of these two advantages will give the Jaguars the edge they need to get back into the game. Ticket sales are expected to be as high – if not higher – as normal, and those who do not rush to the box office may miss their chance to see the Jaguars play – live.
By Matt Ryan, sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells , sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets, and more to just about any event in the world.
