The Jaguars clinched the AFC South on Sunday and have "announced a sellout" for their first home playoff game since '00, according to Mike Kaye of Jacksonville-based WTLV-NBC. An opponent is still to be determined, but Jaguars Senior VP/ Sales & Service Chad Johnson said the response from fans has been "nothing short of outstanding.” A limited number of additional tickets "may become available over the next several days." Kaye noted at EverBank Field there are currently tarps on portions of the upper deck "being used for sponsorships." The Jaguars said that as of now, the tarps "will remain, as the sponsorships are sold for the season" (FIRSTCOASTNEWS.com, 12/27). The sellout was "posted less than two hours after the remaining tickets became available to the public" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 12/28). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Michael David Smith notes the tarps at EverBank Field are removed when the stadium "hosts the Florida-Georgia game every year and sells out with 84,000 fans, many of them in temporary seats put in just for that game." So there is "no question that the stadium can hold more fans." But the Jaguars have "capped capacity at about 65,000 and aren’t planning to change that." Perhaps winning a Super Bowl would "create the kind of buzz around the Jaguars that would let them get rid of the tarps for good" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 12/28).
PARTY SCENE? A FLORIDA TIMES-UNION editorial states Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is "right to push for a major entertainment district" in the area around EverBank Field. It is an idea that is "working well" in peer cities like St. Louis and K.C. Jacksonville "shouldn’t be a straggling NFL city when it comes to developments around its stadium." The editorial: "Though we don’t know many details, it’s important for city leaders to get on board with the train of progress. It’s on the tracks and the mayor is the conductor" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 12/28).
