Fans have long complained about “paying the same ticket prices for their preseason games as they pay for regular-season games,” but it still seems many fans “can't get enough of training camp," according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell. The Dolphins had "more empty seats than any NFL team this past season,” but more than 22,000 fans showed up to a scrimmage Monday and 46,000 fans “gave their name to the Dolphins by filling out the required registration for showing up at training camp.” That is a “lot of prospective buyers giving the team their valuable personal information." Rovell noted no NFL team charges for training camp tickets after a "failed attempt" by Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder several years ago. However, that does not mean there “isn't good money to be made in the preseason.” The Chargers are among a few teams that “limit some practices to season-ticket holders only, hoping that might lead to more fans buying season tickets" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 8/1).
SHAKING THINGS UP: The NFL on Wednesday announced some significant changes to the Pro Bowl format, and columnist Kevin Blackistone said it "sounds like they're putting in training camp rules" for the game. Blackistone said the idea of the captains picking the Pro Bowl teams "worked out well for the NHL, so I guess that's the page that they're stealing from." Denver Post columnist Woody Paige said, "I love the changes in the Pro Bowl, anything to get more people interested in this game." ESPN's Pablo Torre noted the NFL could "put a football on a table and point a camera at it and get ratings," but he credits the league "for being creative" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 8/1). But CBS Sports Network's Jim Rome said the "only entertaining part of the Pro Bowl is watching the league fall on its face trying to fix it" ("Rome," CBSSN, 8/1).
