As a Sacramento Kings fan and resident of the Sacramento area, times are tough right now. The team is threatening to move to Anaheim due to declining attendance and the inability of the city to get a new arena built. The owners have requested an extension to file for relocation to Anaheim for next season, so the entire Kings fanbase sits on the edge of their seats awaiting the owners' decision. The fans have finally seen the error of their ways and have begun a campaign to try to buy more tickets and support the team like they did when the Kings were one of the best teams in the league.
Now, what does this have to do with the Jaguars, you ask? I'll tell you.
The Team Teal campaign was a huge success in 2010. Jaguars fans stepped up and were able to prevent blackouts for every single home game. However, these were not all sellouts; they were simply not blacked out. In the NFL, sellouts are king; teams that don't sell out every game are mentioned as possible relocation candidates by the national media, however misguided those reports may be. Wayne Weaver has never considered relocating the Jaguars; he is committed to Jacksonville. The only way the Jaguars could ever move is if Weaver sold the team to an owner without that same commitment to the city of Jacksonville. Weaver has said that this would not happen; he has said he would only sell the team to someone committed to Jacksonville. Just because he's said that, though, doesn't mean fans shouldn't take action.
The best way to ensure that the team doesn't ever leave Jacksonville is to buy tickets. Take it from someone involved in a struggle to keep his team in a different sport: the only thing you can do is passionately support your team. So do that! If you don't have season tickets, get a quote and try to fit it into your budget; you'll be glad you did. If you can't afford season tickets, figure out how many games you can attend and buy your tickets right away. If you can't afford to buy any tickets, see if you can get involved selling or distributing season tickets or promoting the team to try to attract potential ticket-buyers. Even if you don't have any money, there's always something you can do to try to fill the stadium.
At the game, wear your teal and bring your signs (if they're allowed). Scream as loud as you can for the Jaguars. Do whatever it takes. The fans are the lifeblood of a team. I barely have enough funds to support my hometown Kings, but I scoop together what I can and try to get to as many games as possible. If I lived in Jacksonville, I'd be doing the same for the Jaguars.
Steve Cottone of feeltheteal.com (Twitter: @feeltheteal, Facebook: facebook.com/feeltheteal) works with the Jaguars Champions Club selling tickets, and can help you out if you're looking to get tickets to Jaguars games this year. If anyone else works for the Jaguars or has info on buying tickets to share, please share in the comments.
It's on you, Jaguars fans! Buy your tickets, get other to buy tickets, and get to the Bank and scream your head off! Go Jaguars!