Sunday, September 21, 2014

BEER FACT CHECK: KTAR's FAILED Claim That Beer Prices At Arizona Cardinals' Games Are "Pretty Decent Deal" & "Cheaper Than League Average"

Arizona's Politics was pretty happy to see the KTAR Tweet yesterday proclaiming that beer prices at Arizona Cardinals' games are cheaper than the league average; while we won't be at today's game against the Niners, we try to make it to at least one home game/year, and the games always go better with a cold one.

The article - written by the "KTAR Newsroom" - even goes one step further and declares in the lead that you are "getting a pretty decent deal".  The Cardinals charge $7.25 for a 12 ounce beer.

Unfortunately, the sole basis for that - other than the obvious desire that beer purchasers at many events want to reassure themselves that it is a "pretty decent deal" - is a survey that BusinessInsider.com reported on of the NFL stadium concessionaires.  Teams self-reported the prices and sizes of the smallest beers - of whatever quality or lack thereof - on the menu board.

BusinessInsider.com gave the appropriate context and did not try to inappropriately compare a 12 ounce beer at one stadium to the 21 ounce "small" beer at another (hello, Pittsburgh!).

Perhaps because KTAR is the radio home of the Cardinals - or perhaps because the author (authors?) had already had a few small beers - the localized article contained no such wisdom.

The only reason UOP Stadium's small beers are below the league average is because only 7 stadia offer a 12 ounce beer, and the Phoenix 12-oz. is the 2nd highest of those 7. Those bums in Philly charge $8.50 for a 12 ounce beer; no wonder the fans are angry. The other five cities charge $4.50 or $5.

It only took Arizona's Politics a couple of minutes to calculate the league average PER OUNCE, for the smallest beer offered at each stadium.  That average is $0.45/ounce.  The Cardinals? $0.60/ounce.

In other words, the Cardinals are soaking us 33% more than the average NFL team is, for a small beer.  And, the Cardinals' small beer is THE SECOND MOST COSTLY - PER OUNCE - IN THE NFL!

I mentioned yesterday that the lesson is to buy the larger sizes.  More likely, the correct lesson is to either TAILGATE or to NOT DRINK BEER.

Regardless, KTAR was completely soused when they tried to localize the data, and that has us SEEING RED!  An "F" for KTAR, and they owe us all a beer!





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