The bleeding might finally be over for the Cardinals. For two years, watching the ticket sales numbers felt like watching a bad interception—just painful and totally avoidable. But the latest numbers show we are finally finding some ground. It isn’t a massive win yet, but at least we aren’t falling off a cliff anymore.
According to STLtoday, the team is seeing some “progress” by stopping a steep two-year drop in ticket sales. That is the big news. We aren’t seeing the same level of decline that hit us recently. However, the actual rank isn’t exactly something to throw a parade for. The team is expected to finish around 19th in the majors in average attendance, which is a similar spot to where they were last year.
The Stats Don’t Lie About Our Rank
Being 19th in the league is not exactly “championship caliber” energy. I know, I know, I’m being harsh. But look at the math. The team is basically stuck in the same middle-of-the-pack position as last season. We stopped the downward slide, which is great, but we haven’t actually climbed the standings in terms of how many people are showing up to Busch Stadium.
It is easy to get excited because the decline stopped. I get it. I love this team. But we can’t just pat ourselves on the back for not getting worse. If we want to be a powerhouse again, the stands need to be full. We are still sitting way down in the rankings compared to the rest of the big leagues.
Stopping the Slide Is Just Step One
I look at this like a defensive coordinator. You can’t celebrate a stop if you’re still losing the game. Stopping the two-year decline is like preventing a touchdown, but we still have to move the ball down the field to win. The “progress” mentioned by STLtoday.com is a start, but it’s a bare minimum. We need more than just a lack of decline to get fans back into those seats.
We are still looking at a finish that mirrors last year’s rank. That tells me the excitement hasn’t fully returned to the city yet. We need more than just “not getting worse.” We need to be the team that people can’t wait to see. Until we move up from that 19th-place spot, we are just treading water.
