by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
The fan-friendly movement by the Jacksonville Jaguars will hit fans where they sit: the team will install cup holders in all 76,000 seats for this season.
“We’ve been out in the community since February and we’ve heard what the fans think about us,” said team owner Wayne Weaver, speaking Tuesday at the Chamber’s quarterly Cornerstone luncheon. “One thing was clear — they didn’t like people spilling drinks on their shoes.”
Weaver reviewed the team’s present status and the future hopes before about 600 people at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, saying “we’ll have a very different team this year. I can see the electricity in the locker room.” He also alluded to problems in the past: “Twelve players made up 67 percent of our [salary] cap money. Sometimes, when things are out of balance, people start saying ‘me’ when they should be saying ‘team’.”
He also revealed that fans would be able to buy better seats for a lower price through an installment plan.
“We’ll have focus groups on June 12 and roll it out later in the month,” said Weaver. “A person will be able to get a good seat for $20.”
And, he said, he will hold Mayor John Delaney to a promise made last year.
“In the hot September games, the coolers in the stadium had warm water and the rest rooms were hot,” said Weaver. “The mayor promised that the coolers would have cold water, so people wouldn’t think we were trying to stick them for $3 for a bottle of water, and that there would be fans in the restrooms.”
Weaver also revealed that the National Football League owners will meet here next summer, and that a cruise ship will be brought in to house the meeting. Cruise ships are to be used to make up the rooms needed for the 2005 Super Bowl, and some have doubted that it will work.
“It’s going to be a success,” said Weaver. “We only need 8-10,000 rooms, and we can have 26,000 rooms on cruise ships available.
“We’ll show the owners and media how it will work next summer.”