Avengers Attendance Up 71 Percent at Staples
May 29, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release
LOS ANGELES -- In their third season of play in the Arena Football League, the Los Angeles Avengers have dramatically increased attendance at home games.
In the first two home games of the 2002 season, the Avengers have drawn a total of 25,103 fans to STAPLES Center. That represents a 71 percent increase over the first two games of the 2001 season, which drew 14,722.
The Avengers are currently averaging 12,552 fans at home, placing them at No. 4 in the AFL in attendance, and it promises to only get better as the team plays its final five regular-season home games on Saturday nights, which has historically drawn L.A.'s best crowds. Both of the home games played this year -- victories over the New York Dragons and Tampa Bay Storm -- were played on Friday night.
On Saturday, June 1, the Avengers will host the Dallas Desperados at STAPLES Center and could break their all-time regular-season attendance record of 13,964 (set on June 10, 2000, against the Arizona Rattlers). A crowd of over 14,000 is expected. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and 7,000 fans will receive a free calendar poster, featuring the "A-Team" dancers.
"During the recent off-season, we created an in-house ticket sales department, which focuses on customer service," said Avenger president and chief operating officer Todd Merkow, who oversees a sales staff of seven. "It has become the personal mission of all our employees to successfully build this franchise one fan at a time and it seems to be working well."
The Avengers have also been a good draw on the road, where their four games have averaged 11,406. Overall AFL attendance, which is averaging 9,897 per game, is up 15 percent over last season.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Ed Hodgkiss, the 4-2 Avengers are off to their best start in franchise history. The team is lead by quarterback Tony Graziani and offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who currently lead the league in passing and receiving yards, respectively.
Avenger season tickets are still available and can be purchased over the telephone at 1-888- AVENGERS or online at www.laavengers.com. Single-game tickets, which start as low as $8, can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets and the STAPLES Center box office.
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