US Classic to have WAG and MAG!

[Rich]

thanks i can believe USAG wants you to pay to watch replays

 

[gtu07]

They are probably desperate for $

 

[RedBirdie]

Judging by ticket prices, they’re trying to squeeze every single dollar out. Backfired with Classics. The crowds were astonishingly small, and many people said they decided not to go because tickets were so expensive.

 

[irichluck21]

I did notice some new sponsors:
American Cruise Line and Angi (formerly Angie’s List).

 

[Indy]

I did notice some new sponsors:
American Cruise Line and Angi (formerly Angie’s List).

The camera cut off the back half of OOFOS sometimes during floor and all you could see was “OOF” That made me giggle

 

[Denn]

Did Wong previously do the double arabian piked + stag?


Last year at Worlds, she did not.

 

[tempest]

she did in the 2019 season

 

[JaJa]

Rosen’ is def VT/FX girl, but her UB and BB have improved considerably since her move to TCT.

Loving Katelyn Rosen

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

It’s interesting how wrong they seem to have got this. I hope it’s a one off and not the start of a general trend whereby they price themselves out of the market.

 

[irichluck21]

 

[KristyJ]

Holy crap. It didn’t cost near this much in the past, did it? I recall it being much, much less the couple of times I went when it was in Chicago, though that was about a decade ago.

 

[irichluck21]

I mean on top of the rising prices, Covid is on the rise again too.
I have begun staying away from larger crowds, while I am vaxxed and boostered and already got COVID once, the new variant is pretty uncomfortable. Multiple friends have contracted the new strain and have been miserable for 1-2 weeks or more. All of them expressed difficulty sleeping at night which make things worse. While there are antivirals to take and while the chances of being hospitalized have significantly decreased, it is still not at the common cold/ flu stage yet. I have started socially distancing when I can and will start wearing masks indoors again soon once the weather changes and we can’t be outside as much.

That could have been a factor of low attendance, coupled with the outrageous ticket prices during a period of inflation. A family of 4 would cost over $400 just for one session of tickets, not to mention travel costs and hotel if you weren’t local.

Venues are expensive, but if you have to charge crazy prices for tickets to help pay the costs then don’t hold the event to the public. Take it to one of the gyms.

 

[MaryClare]

Whilst rising covid cases might be a factor, it would affect attendance at all spectator events.

I think the problem is non Olympic year, no big names and competition from the rising popularity of NCAA gymnastics

 

[JaJa]

I think the problem is non Olympic year, no big names and competition from the rising popularity of NCAA gymnastics

I think these are the bigger reasons – more so than covid. While everything rich is saying about covid is totally true there is so much covid exhaustion , at least from what I can see, that people are out and about all the time, movies, theater, restaurants, etc etc I doubt its a major reason for low attendance. Personally I think no big names and no big excitement as a result is the biggest reason.

 

[tempest]

I think the biggest issue is the price… I know that I have not gone to events close to me lately due to the prices and I am only 1 person! It would be quite expensive for a family to go

 

[RedBirdie]

No big names plus high ticket prices in a market not exactly starved of quality gymnastics. If i took my kid to a bunch of Utah meets, why should I plunk down the money for this particular Classic meet?

 

[KristyJ]

My impression, having road tripped (carefully) across the country last month, is that COVID isn’t taken that seriously by the majority of people in much of the middle of the country, alas.

 

[irichluck21]

No big names plus high ticket prices in a market not exactly starved of quality gymnastics. If i took my kid to a bunch of Utah meets, why should I plunk down the money for this particular Classic meet?

Which is the point I think Greg Marsden was making with his Twitter post.

 

[RedBirdie]

I don’t see it taken seriously anywhere. I’m at an airport in North Carolina right now and the number of people masked up can be counted on 1 hand.

 

[makam]

The price would have given me pause but the fees would have noped me right out. Build that into the price or drop the price to compensate. I had to pay 20 dollars in fees on every ticket to a concert (including a fee to print or downlaod my own damn ticket). I sucked it up because they were gifts, but it pissed me off, i tell you what…