The weather and the end of the season resulted in some
low attendance figures at some of last weekend's NFL games:
MARKET WRAP: In Phoenix, Lee Shappell wrote that the
announced paid attendance of 37,452 for Sunday's Ravens-
Cardinals game gave the Cardinals the "five lowest single-
game home attendances in the NFL going into the league's
closing weekend" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 12/18)....The announced
crowd for Saturday's Raiders-Seahawks game was a sellout of
68,681, "with perhaps two-thirds of that number in
attendance" during windy and wet day at Husky Stadium
(SEATTLE TIMES, 12/17)....In K.C., Randy Covitz reported
that 45,000 "hearty souls" braved nine degree temperatures
for Sunday's Broncos-Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium (K.C.
STAR, 12/18)....In Buffalo, Mark Gaughan reported that the
47,230 "who showed up" at snowy and windy Ralph Wilson
Stadium for the Patriots-Bills game "should qualify for some
kind of Lifetime Die-Hard Fan Award" (BUFFALO NEWS,
12/18)....In Cleveland, Tony Grossi wrote that 35,000 fans
sat through "brutal conditions" for the Titans-Browns game
at Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER,
12/18)....In Dallas, Dave Hinojosa reported, "Officially,
Sunday night's game was the Cowboys' 88th consecutive sell-
out at Texas Stadium with an announced crowd of 61,311.
However, there were plenty of empty seats spread throughout
the stadium, leaving it three-quarters full" (DALLAS MORNING
NEWS, 12/18)....In Charlotte, Scott Fowler reported that
there were 42,206 fans at Sunday's Chargers-Panthers game,
which means "about 30,000 people with tickets decided not to
show up on Sunday." Fowler: "Can you blame them?"
(CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/18).....In Detroit, Mike O'Hara
reported that paid attendance at the Lions-Jets game at the
Meadowlands was a sellout of 77,513, "but there were at
least 35,000 no-shows" on the rainy day (DET. NEWS, 12/18).
BENGALS HIT A LOW? In Cincinnati, Mark Curnutte
reported that "only about a quarter of the announced 50,469
ticket holders showed up" on a nine degree day for Jaguars-
Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 12/18).
The CINCINNATI POST's Sean Keeler wrote that the crowd
"appeared to barely top 20,000" (CINCINNATI POST, 12/18).
Also in Cincinnati, Tom O'Neill wrote, "It's been a wild
year for the new facility: The turf was destroyed; the
Bengals have a dreadful record; just two of the eight
regular season games were sellouts; and there has been a
concerted effort by some fans to abandon seat licenses. It
all raises two questions: Was it worth it? And will fans
come back in 2001?" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 12/18).
NFL NOTES: In Denver, John Rebchook reports that the
NFL is asking CO real estate broker John Hanlon to "cease
and desist" using the Broncos name. Hanlon thinks an acre
of land about a mile from the Broncos' training facility is
the "perfect place for a sports bar" and has put up a sign
stating, "Wanted Broncos Sports Bar On This Site" (ROCKY
MOUNTAIN NEWS, 12/19)....ABC's Dennis Miller, on several
Rams players being fined $90,000 last week for doing the
"Bob 'N Weave" touchdown dance: "The league just fined them
$40,000 for us replaying it. That's how uptight they are
about that" (ABC, 12/18)....Bears President Ted Phillips
said that season-ticket holders "will not be required to buy
season tickets for the '02 season, expected to be in
Champaign, to maintain their status" on the team's ticket
list (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 12/18)....In Philadelphia, Jim
Nolan wrote on security for NFL coaches and personnel and
noted in '96, the Eagles "were one of the first teams in the
league to hire their own security director. Now at least 15
teams have their own personnel. A recent letter to owners
from NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue recommended that all
teams make similar moves" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 12/18).
