This is not a policy the Washington Wizards would have wanted this past season. Or the Redskins. Or even the Nationals.
But the MLS’ Seattle Sounders did something Sunday that the team could not do Saturday in a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy: score. The points surely will come with the fans. The Sounders announced that any current season ticket holders who renew for next season will get one game free because of the team’s poor effort Saturday.
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Considering the Sounders have 32,000 season ticket holders, it represents a possible large chunk of change they’ll be losing.
“They don’t deserve to be treated to that performance,” minority owner and general manager Adrian Hanauer told the Everett (Wash.) Herald.
Of course, the team is getting a lot of publicity for this move and that could offset some of the future losses of revenue.
It’s not the first time teams have paid back fans. The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and NHL’s Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators all offered a partial refund when their teams failed to qualify for the postseason in 2003.
The Arizona Rattlers offered a full season-ticket refund in 2007-08 if they failed to make the playoffs. They barely did. According to CNBC’s Darren Rovell, it saved them $2.2 million.
We’re not expecting the local teams to follow this lead. But at least owner Dan Snyder gave the fans what they wanted last year. It wasn’t a refund, it was a new GM, coach and quarterback.
