Touchdown Marketing?

I've grown accustomed to receiving recorded phone calls from political campaigns but I was surprised to receive one the other day from the Miami Dolphins quarterback. The NFL player is urging fans to come out for the teams next home game on October 19.

Florida has been hit especially hard by the mortgage crisis and many are watching their spending. The cheapest ticket to the game is more than $40, parking is extra, and the team, while improving, isn't going to be very competitive this year. Last week slow ticket sales almost forced the NFL to blackout local TV coverage of the game, something that hasn't happened in 10 years.

I'm not sure if this kind of marketing will pay off for the team. In the message I heard, there was no irresistible offer that would make me want to buy, other than a desire to support the team. The opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, is 2-2 on the season and probably isn't a huge draw at the gate.

The NFL has enjoyed a lot of popularity in recent years but for teams in economically hard hit areas, teams may see fans miss more and more games.