Week 13 doesn’t appear to be the National Football League’s lucky number as photos of stadiums across the league still show an awful lot of empty seats. Meanwhile, the sad in-person attendance mirrors the continually plummeting TV ratings.
With last week’s Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football broadcasts closing out Week 12 with new lows in metered markets, and despite the nearly $90 million in social justice spending for players to end their constant, anti-American protests during the national anthem, Week 13 began with tens of thousands of empty seats in stadiums everywhere.
To note just a few…
Met Life stadium, for one, didn’t show too much life as the New York Jets faced down the Kansas City Chiefs in a close 38-31 game.
https://twitter.com/track1408/status/937378712101773315
Chiefs-Jets #NFL RT @jringler29: @[me] Jets fans fed up? pic.twitter.com/4UqosgFq40
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
(2/2) RT @lowboymtl: tranquille la paix @[me] #Jetsvschiefs pic.twitter.com/CgT31jnEEG
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
Lots of empty seats at MetLife Stadium midway through the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/MMMsqbIb5h
— Frank Lockwood (@LockwoodFrank) December 3, 2017
Then, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, as the Dolphins defeated the Denver Broncos, it seems fans weren’t very interested in coming out to see the 35-9 blowout. Empty, green-backed seats are seen everywhere in these photos:
#Broncos take the field at @HardRockStadium against the #Dolphins. pic.twitter.com/TqprQRJhme
— Ian St. Clair (@IanStClair) December 3, 2017
@VonMiller leads the #Broncos defense on the field for warmups prior to the #Dolphins game. pic.twitter.com/Poxbln9SaZ
— Ian St. Clair (@IanStClair) December 3, 2017
This is a good looking stadium. BTW, rocking my @TomJackson57 #Broncos jersey. pic.twitter.com/iwwmUB0tS1
— Ian St. Clair (@IanStClair) December 3, 2017
#DENvsMIA RT @jackramseyy: @[me] its about 50/50 Broncos/Fins pic.twitter.com/Y7RaYZF2Qt
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
At least one Twitter user was saying that seats for the Dolphins were selling for an unheard of $19 a piece:
End of 1st wtr Broncos @ Dolphins. Everyone who is gonna be here is already here, about 40K out of 65K seats (~60% attendance). Lots of empty seats, selling for $19 (say our seatmates). @NFL @NFLPA kneeling = $millions lost revenue. #HowToKillASport @EmptySeatsPics pic.twitter.com/MybTUgYJQl
— JamesMa75511555 (@JamesMa75511555) December 3, 2017
Chicago fans stayed home from the Bears’ Soldier Field despite the fact that the temperatures in the Windy City seemed more like Spring than Winter. The San Francisco 49ers barely squeaked by to top the Bears 15-14 and played to a lot of empty seats:
There are some empty seats here at Soldier Field. It looks like the Lions game two weeks ago: pic.twitter.com/rEfsrT0hD9
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) December 3, 2017
Empty seats at kickoff of a gorgeous day. pic.twitter.com/upLz3jiJwN
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) December 3, 2017
A lot of empty seats in the upper deck today. #Bears pic.twitter.com/eqdnpdDbl7
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) December 3, 2017
Good amount of empty seats in north end zone. pic.twitter.com/YQJwnpvwGv
— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) December 3, 2017
I know that I am a goat, but do I smell that bad? 49ers at Bears. Media deck. @EmptySeatsPics pic.twitter.com/7JiTEczWXh
— prof. goat (@ProfGoat) December 3, 2017
When the New England Patriots came to town to maul the Buffalo Bills 23-3 at New Era Field, not many fans were present to take in the glory.
A lot of empty seats came out to see the Bills play the Patriots today @EmptySeatsPics pic.twitter.com/NgGSwdEkqP
— Darin Weeks (@DarinJWeeks) December 3, 2017
Pats beat man re: Bills crowd RT @MikeReiss: Game underway. Not a packed house at New Era Field, as upper deck shows. pic.twitter.com/rOnf7emgov
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
Also, the Detroit Lions took a hard loss to the Baltimore Ravens in a 44-20 final at M&T Bank Stadium, but, they played to many empty seats.
Early minutes of the battle between 6-5 teams in Baltimore. #NFL #DETvsBAL (https://t.co/drLjKUwCtb) pic.twitter.com/QlZyq0VunL
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
I'm shocked at the number of empty seats here at the Ravens game. Wow, I've never seen it like this before in Baltimore.
— Scott Abraham (@ScottABC7) December 3, 2017
Even though the Minnesota Vikings blanked the Atlanta Falcons 14-9, fans found better things to do than to turn up at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Empty red seats were plentiful.
Lots of empty seats for the biggest game of the NFL week… pic.twitter.com/kQDZySMFtU
— Brian Handke (@brianhandke) December 3, 2017
Atlanta #MINvsATL (1/2) RT @MinnesotaMisery: @[me] falcons fans a little late to the game against the Vikings. pic.twitter.com/lurpcc3u0Y
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
Caption: "What’s up with ALL the empty seats? 30% empty? Could it be tix are too expensive? Fans don’t want to pay the PSL?" (https://t.co/ceK9VSHPuT) pic.twitter.com/ZftCoDwwr8
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
(2/2) RT @jrfortner: Kickoff in ATL. cc @[me] pic.twitter.com/qkpMMKyXSH
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
In Tennessee, as the Houston Texans visited the Titans’ Nissan Stadium, the Titans gave fans a 24-15 win. But almost no one saw it happen.:
I'm really surprised there are so many empty seats. Titans are hot and tied for first place. It's a gorgeous day. This stadium should be full!
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) December 3, 2017
Go #Titans!!!!! #TitanUp beat the Texans!!! pic.twitter.com/D2cnr9ZNUU
— Jared Plushnick (@JaredP_WKRN) December 3, 2017
Nissan Stadium, home of the Titans.
Nosebleeds, home of @omarcanuck pic.twitter.com/9HxzMvcSNz— Omar A (@omarcanuck) December 3, 2017
The Jacksonville Jaguars may have taken the “W” from the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Field in a big 30-10 final, but there were a lot of cold blue seats left in Tennessee.
Pic via an Indiana talking head #INDvsJAX RT @cliffWISH8: 💺 available for the Jags playoff push. I repeat. pic.twitter.com/XfcVfkh5EJ
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) December 3, 2017
What are those? pic.twitter.com/SYqmwKZyBl
— Jags Ghost (@Battle4Duval) December 3, 2017
@BrentASJax
Lots of empty seats pic.twitter.com/olzyCcQRpq— SC_Trojan (@FL_TrojansFan) December 3, 2017
Finally, a fan video of the crowd shows a good number of empty seats as the Los Angeles Charges played at home against the Cleveland Browns. With the game just starting, not many fans seemed interested. The video shows a lot of empty seats peppering StubHub Center.
Here’s the crowd at the Stub for #Chargers #Browns with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/RHdACGTdeG
— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) December 3, 2017
Perhaps the seriously failed attempt to raze the Pontiac Silverdome, the former home of the Detroit Lions, is emblematic of the league these days.
Still. Standing.
The implosion of the Pontiac Silverdome, the former home of the @Lions, didn’t go as planned this morning.pic.twitter.com/5NrSDBwA6G
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) December 3, 2017
There is a lot of failure going on around the NFL.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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