The Timberwolves' Pledge

I'm sure we've all seen it by now, the TV spot featuring Glen Taylor, owner of a beleaguered Timberwolves team, sitting center-court, in a darkened Target Center, telling folks about season tickets for next year. "Season tickets as low as $5 per game" is the marketing ploy for the 2009-10 season ticket campaign.

If you have turned on a Timberwolves game lately, there have been lots of empty seats. And, it's not just four seats here, three seats there that are empty; there are entire sections of seats that are empty.

Think back 20 years, when the Timberwolves, one of the newest expansion franchises in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing in front of very large crowds at the Metrodome. As a matter of fact, in their inaugural season of 1989-90, they set an all-time NBA season attendance record of over 1 million people.

But now, the Timberwolves are changing things up for their 2009-10 season ticket campaign. In a letter penned by Glen Taylor (and also mentioned in the TV spot), the Timberwolves have reduced prices on 95% of the seats in Target Center. I looked on the Timberwolves website, they have reduced ticket prices dramatically. Glen Taylor's letter to the fans can be found at http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/tickets/200910_Glen_Taylor_Letter.html .

Don't get too excited, however. The $5-per-game tickets are way up at the top of the arena, on the ends. And, those are season ticket prices; not single-game prices. What's more, the "Early Bird" deal, as they are calling it, lasts only until July.

This might be a bad thought, but I wonder whether or not the Timberwolves are lowering ticket prices to match the product on the court. Gone are the days of the NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Gone is our beloved Kevin Garnett, who for so many years got us to the playoffs. Now. it seems as though they're starting all over again.

Perhaps, in this bad economy, which is cited as a main reason for the ticket price reduction, that's exactly what the Timberwolves should be doing from a PR standpoint. They aren't asking for a billion dollars to build a new arena; they are trying to get their fan base back. What's more, they are trying to do that amidst a bad economy and a poor team.

Another part of this new campaign is the "no-risk pledge." This confused me at first. The pledge was, that if you lost your job, you wouldn't have to pay for the season tickets; you'd get your money back. According to the letter and the website, folks who lose their jobs will be refunded the money from the unused tickets. It's unusual, if not unprecedented in professional sports. But, I'm happy the Timberwolves have made that pledge.

In this world of billion-dollar stadiums, skyrocketing ticket prices, and the increasing luxury that is professional sports, it is refreshing to see a professional team make a PR move like this. I hope that this campaign is successful for the Timberwolves. I also hope that it will set a standard for other teams to consider; instead of always wanting more from their fans, to give a little back.

In my opinion, that is what keeps a fan base.