Dolphins' ticket sales are down slightly from recent years, but still above levels from '12 and '13getty images
The Dolphins are off to an 0-5 record amid a well-publicized rebuild, but team management "isn't concerned that this season will damage the team's brand," according to Jackson & Beasley of the MIAMI HERALD. Television ratings in South Florida for Dolphins games are the "lowest they've been this century," while Sunday's game against the Redskins marked the "first time that Hard Rock Stadium did not sell out ... since the team shrunk stadium capacity" before the '16 season. Dolphins Vice Chair, President & CEO Tom Garfinekl said that ticket sales are "down a little bit from where they've been the last couple years." However, he added they are "still significantly higher than where they were" in '12 and '13. He cited "two reasons for the drop in attendance." Garfinkel: "Team performance has something to do with it. It's also a consequence of having four of our first five games at home where there's been a saturation in that time period. It's hot. They've been to a couple already. That's part of it." He said that season ticket prices for '20 "have not been determined" and that he does not know of any fans "asking for a refund this season" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/17).
TANK FOR TUA STILL IN PLAY: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell yesterday indicated that he is "not concerned about teams sacrificing a season for a high draft pick and diminishing the NFL's competitiveness." He added that he "doesn't believe competitiveness would be improved by a lottery for draft picks, and such a change hasn't been proposed by owners" (AP, 10/16).
