According to the Bakersfield Jam majority owner Stan Ellis, the nation’s looming recession, subprime mortage crisis and general financial challeges were the reasons for the team slashing ticket prices earlier this week.

Well, one out of three isn’t bad. At least, they were right about general financial challenges. But I’m sure the financial challenge is more on the team’s end, rather than the consumer end.

The Jam lowered the highest-price tickets, baseline to baseline, from $27 to $15. Also select corner sections went from $22 to $10, and end zone seating went from $11 to 7. Upper bowl tickets will stay the same price at $5. Students and military, with proper I.D., can now buy upper bowl tickets for $1. No discount was previously offered.

I'll give the owners and management credit for finally lowering the ticket prices. But don't blame the national economics for lower than expected attendance figures. C'mon, it's not the recession. Just be honest and say, "We overestimated the value of our product, and the community's interest in minor-league basketball."

I'm theorizing, -- I try not to guess – management/owners looked
over the books for the first season and the first half of this season, and realized they were in the red. Not a light pink, probably more along the lines of heads-will-roll-blood-red.

It was time for a change and the Jam spin doctors – my brother is in media relations for a large auto insurance company, so I know all about spin – decided to blame the recession for the woes.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think the Jam is a great product. But until it has a proven record as a winner or at least a .500 team, don't charge customers and potential customers an exorbitant price. No one wants to pay "discretionary income" to watch a bad team.

No, I don't have a business degree, but here are my thoughts on building a financially viable product. Lower the tickets price to well below what management/league perceives the value is for first two years. Expose people to the product and re-coop some investment through concession sales. Create atmosphere, build enthusiasm.  Then, raise ticket prices after you build a fan base.
 

"If you build it, they will come," only works in the movies.