By Walter Dubowec

For next season’s Raptors Home Opener, I will enjoy the basketball game in front of my new 50” Hitachi 1080 Plasma HDTV. Best of all, I don’t have to pay for my widescreen until December 2008 thanks to the good people at The Brick.

Most years I’m sitting at the ACC, Section 119, Row 23, Seats 19 & 20 right on the aisle. Those prime centre court seats have been my season tickets since the day the ACC opened. Well, they won’t be mine for much longer. My days as a season ticket holder go way back to the Sky Dome days, but they are almost over.

After 13 seasons, I will not be renewing my Toronto Raptors season tickets. This week's ridiculous ticket hike, which follows a similar hike last season was the last straw.

Toronto Sun reported my displeasure

For those of you who read the Toronto Sun, you saw an article which reported my impending cancellation (text below). Raptors seasons tickets used to be affordable for me. Now they’re not.

Watching my annual ticket costs almost double over the past decade made me decide its time to call it quits.

                

This latest ticket increase was not necessary. The Canadian dollar trades above its US counterpart, inflation is low, Raptors player’s salaries are in check thanks to the salary cap and the team is benefiting from very strong attendance. Forbes reports record Raptors profits.

Based on these factors, you’d think ticket prices would remain flat – wouldn’t you? Plus, the Raptors are not playing great ball this season. Hard to demand more money for a mediocre product, isn't it?

Of course, we know MLSE too well and they want to squeeze every last nickel out of their customers – so a greed-driven price increase really shouldn’t have surprised any fan.

A tremendous Raptor fan named Scott from the website www.altraps.com looked at NBA ticket prices and discovered that the Raptors now have some of the most expensive pricing in the entire NBA. By the way, Scott is also quitting as a Raptor season seat holder after this season - even though he was there for opening tip at SkyDome.

I suffered through awful basketball

The Raptors begged me to stick with them in the horrible Babcock years and I did as a way to show my support for my team. Back then, I couldn’t give my tickets away, the Raptors were that bad. Now the thanks I get is to pay a ticket price that far exceeds what those in other NBA cities pay. 

It would be easy for the Raptors to offer special discounts for long-time seat holders, like the Argos do. Of course, they don’t and won’t.

The sticker price on my tickets is now approaching $200. To make tickets affordable, I sell many of my unused tickets. Problem is that there is not much resale demand for a pair that costs $400 for a 2-1/2 hour basketball game. Based on history those seats will soon be raised to $500 and then $600 for a pair. Multiply that times 45 games and these are ridiculous numbers.

Imagine if the Raptors ever compete for the Eastern Conference Championship. MLSE will drive prices through the roof.

Ordinary fans are getting pushed out

Sadly, MLSE's greed is pricing ordinary fans like me, Scott and others right out of the lower bowl and eventually out of the ACC. Frankly, I don’t think there is enough corporate support for the Raptors to easily replace the long-time loyal fans who are throwing in the towel. MLSE is making a mistake.

I predict that if Colangelo’s rebuilding plan falters, the ACC will be empty like it was in the Babcock years – if not emptier.

I’m in the business world and I understand the need for profit. But the greed and arrogance that I sense out of MLSE has turned me off. Since the Sun article I have received dozens of messages from disgruntled fans who are not renewing their Raptors tickets for those same reasons.

In the early days of the ACC, I felt like a special part of the Raptor family. I knew my ticket reps and they knew me. Today, I’m just another number in MLSE’s money wheel.

An MLSE senior executive told me that prices went up “because we’re in the business of making money and we having rising costs including the need for $9 million to re-sign Jose Calderon.”

Well, good luck. Just know that I won’t be spending another dime to fund any of it and the Ontario Teachers can retire on someone else’s money.

I love watching a Raptors game at the ACC. Its great entertainment. Unfortunately, the cost of the NBA experience has become ridiculous and rising prices will continue. Its getting tougher and tougher to resell lower bowl seats. And if the team plays poorly, I don't get a refund.

That being said, I'm looking forward to watching the Raptors comfortably on HDTV and saving a ton of money next season and everyone that follows.

Raptors Raise Prices
March 11, 2008

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. wants more from the Raptor faithful, significantly more.

Season ticket renewal packages went out recently, and depending on where in the ACC you are sitting, costs are up anywhere from 10-12.5%.

Walter Dubowec has been a Raptors season ticket holder for 12 years and this latest bump is the last straw for him.

"I was shocked by my ticket renewal package (yesterday). My wife and I decided that we will not renew for next season. The cost has got to the point where it is simply way beyond reasonable for a non-corporate seat owner."

Dubowec says he has been putting up with increases just about every season with the exception of one year when Rob Babcock was GM and the prices held. The maximum increase he recalls was 5%. But in the past two seasons Dubowec's tickets have risen almost 20%.

"My biggest fear is what will happen to the cost of my seats once the team actually becomes an elite team. My $150 ticket will soon be over $200 each. I'd rather get out now than get slammed by increases next year and the year after and so on and so on."