Raining Texas QBs
Texans don't raise ticket prices for the first time in forever: Bob McNair deserves some credit
Coming off that horrific 2-14 season, the Houston Texans are not raising ticket prices for the first time in three years.
This means the average price of a Texans game ticket will be $86.93., which ranked 12th in the NFL in 2013 and will likely drop further down next season (many teams haven't announced their ticket prices for the 2014 season and a number will certainly raise prices). Considering the demand for Texans tickets and the fact Houston is the fourth largest city in the country and the nation's 10th biggest TV market, that ranking hardly seems astronomical.
It'd be easy to say the Texans' unfathomable struggles this season forced the organization to hold the line on prices. But in truth, with new coach Bill O'Brien in place, the hype that accompanies the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft on the way and Houston's unquenchable love for pro football, the Texans easily could have increased ticket prices again.
The ticket decision is not earth shattering. But it still means something.
Owner Bob McNair deserves some credit for considering the fans.
From his "I'm ready to kick 2013 the hell out the door" comment at O'Brien's introductory press conference, to his interactions at games (McNair frequently seeks out Texans fans at road games to shake their hands), to this decision on ticket prices, it's clear McNair has a pulse on the real anger of Texans fans over how badly a legit Super Bowl scheming season went. And McNair's clearly empowered O'Brien to make any changes he thinks need to be made.
The ticket decision is not earth shattering. But it still means something.
And with a host of Texas reared quarterbacks (Robert Griffin III of the Redskins, Nick Foles of the Eagles, Andy Dalton of the Bengals and Andrew Luck of the Colts) set to roar into Reliant Stadium next season, demand for ducats to Texans games will, if anything, only increase. Houston will also host Baltimore, Buffalo, Tennessee and Jacksonville and play on the road at Dallas, New York (Giants), Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee in the 2014 regular season.