The offseason is usually a time for unbridled optimism, as NFL fans assume the best-case scenario for each of their team’s key acquisitions.
In such a parity-driven league, it sometimes works out. The Jaguars and Seahawks were expected to finish near the bottom of the NFL barrel in 2022 and both made the playoffs.
But even before the calendar has flipped to April, there is a profound sense of resignation among Arizona Cardinals fans.
DraftKings released its projected win totals for each team in the NFL over the weekend, and Arizona tied with the Houston Texans for dead last at 5.5.
The “under” is the -130 favorite on the Cardinals’ wager, while Houston sits at -110, which means Arizona has the lowest win-total expectation in the league for 2023.
When I posted it on Twitter, a cascade of “take the under” replies filled up under the original message, and that has been the constant drumbeat over the last several weeks.
It’s a noticeable shift in mindset. Before the 2022 season, I wrote an article predicting the team to finish 7-10, and Cardinals fans unsurprisingly took exception to it.
I knew the onslaught was coming, and it should be like that, because fans deserve to have hope going into each season.
This year, though, there will be none.
When Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill spoke with the media on Jan. 9 following the departures of Kilff Kingsbury and Steve Keim, he said “I don’t know that we’re as broken as maybe people think.”
But clearly new general manager Monti Ossenfort disagreed, as he has stripped the roster down to its studs, allowing defensive tackle Zach Allen and cornerback Byron Murphy to leave while still dangling All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins in trade talks.
Which brings me to this point: How can the Cardinals justify a season ticket price hike heading into a dead-end campaign?
Arizona had just one victory at State Farm Stadium last season – one fewer than the Kansas City Chiefs – and a 3-5 home record in 2023 would actually feel like an accomplishment.
The atmosphere is going to be dead, unless you count teams like the Cowboys and Seahawks loading their fans into the stadium for a quasi-home game in Glendale.
Some season ticket holders have told me their fee was being increased by 20%, and many are choosing not to renew.
The Cardinals can claim inflation, or point out that their season ticket prices are still among the lowest in the NFL.
But is that really a good explanation? Arizona has a far lower cost of living than New York, California, etc. and the Cardinals are much less competitive than the teams that play in Green Bay, Jacksonville, etc.
The season tickets should be dirt cheap, especially this year, when the possibility is ever-increasing that Colt McCoy will be the starting quarterback for the first handful of home games.
The Cardinals are a private company, and have every right to charge whichever price they choose for season tickets. Likewise, though, the fans have every right to decline a season-long charge for a team that is projected to be the worst in the NFL.
In a state like Arizona, teams must work to satisfy their fans, or risk them spending their money elsewhere.
New Suns owner Mat Ishbia has done a marvelous job early in his tenure, trading for Kevin Durant and skyrocketing the team into NBA championship contenders.
If the Suns raise ticket prices, fans won’t bat an eye because the experience will be worth the cost.
Can the Cardinals say the same?
