My story today comparing the business of the Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays elicited all kinds of thoughts from readers on why attendance at Marlins games isn’t better.

Figured I’d share a few of your thoughts:

You said it’s just too hot to attend games at Dolphin Stadium, a football stadium with no roof, while the Rays play in an air-conditioned dome, Tropicana Field. If the Marlins played in the American League East, like the Rays, they’d sell out games against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox routinely.

Tickets are too expensive. So is beer. Ditto, food. The upper deck is rarely open. It costs $10 to park.

Luis Vera of Sunrise suggested the Marlins should follow the example of the Rays by offering free parking for cars carrying four or more people and allowing fans to bring food to the stadium. He also suggested: “Just as they have the mermaids- hire ‘Hunks’ to usher the ladies to the club section.” He also said, “Cash in on the fact that the Marlins have won two World series by making a jersey of the series wins.”

Some also wonder why the Marlins focus only on marketing the weekend games, which have less attractive opponents this season, and essentially ignore weekday games.

Any other thoughts?

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The Heat is offering fans a chance to meet the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft with its “There Can Only Be One” online sweepstakes. The play on the league’s popular playoff ad campaign is about the hype over who the Heat will draft on June 26.

Fans can log into the team’s Web site through June 25 for a chance to choose who they think the Heat will pick. All fans who are South Florida residents, who make the correct pick, will be entered into a drawing to meet the player at a future event. The team will choose 20 winners for the honor.

Meanwhile, leave it to creative marketer Brett Yormark, CEO of the New Jersey Nets, to come up with a useful way to reward season ticket buyers.

The Nets hope to give away more than $250,000 worth of free gas to season ticket buyers. The team is dangling free gas cards worth 10 percent of the price of full season ticket packages to buyers, who purchase packages through June 26.

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While most Panthers season ticket holders will pay the same as or slightly less than they did this past season for their 2008-09 season tickets, individual game ticket buyers who want to see the league’s most popular teams are being socked with an extra $25 a ticket charge.

That’s up from the $10 per ticket individual game ticket buyers spent last season for games against opponents such as the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and for games that fell on holidays. That’s a 150 percent increase. That means a $17 ticket in the terrace level of BankAtlantic Center will cost $42 for a premium game.

Panthers President Michael Yormark said there was no pushback to the extra $10 fans paid for the “high demand” games last year and so the team is trying to push the value of season tickets even more and “maximize supply and demand.” Interestingly, the team did not publicize the $10 premium last year or put out a ticket pricing press release.

“It’s all about supply and demand. Those are the biggest game on the calendar,” Yormark said. “We saw no price sensitivity last year. We wanted to create more value for our season seat holders. We thought it was very appropriate. Those games sold the best whether it was the Rangers or the day after Thanksgiving.”

Variable pricing – charging higher rates for desirable matchups or weekend games – goes on across sports. And the Panthers are trying to encourage fans to buy season ticket plans – full- or half-season or 13-game plans. The Marlins charge more if you buy your ticket the day of the game and especially if it’s a Saturday. But you get more on Saturdays: the potential for two giveaway items along with postgame fireworks and a concert.

Clearly the idea is to convert casual fans to season ticket buyers. The Panthers sold about 9,500 season tickets last season, Yormark said.

What do you think of the idea of charging so much more for individual game tickets? Will that convince you to buy season tickets? Or go even less?

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Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun and defenseman Mike Van Ryn are busy on the phone this week. They’re calling season ticket holders who have yet to renew for next season.

Goalie Craig Anderson and center Stephen Weiss did the honors last week, along with team executives and broadcasters.

It’s not unusual for teams to enlist players to help sell tickets. Last month, injured Heat players made calls to sell season tickets during halftime of a game. In February, University of Miami baseball players called season ticket holders to thank them for their support and also encouraged those who hadn’t yet renewed to come back.

Obviously, the teams hope a chat with a player will convince reluctant season ticket holders to renew. The Panthers provided this testimonial:

“I was very surprised when Stephen Weiss called me last week regarding my renewal,” Pompano Beach resident Dennis Purcell said in a statement released by the team. “Stephen provided me with great insight for next season and answered the questions that I had. It was very nice that he took some time out of his day to make the call and it proved to me that the organization was headed in the right direction, so I decided to renew on the spot.”

Have any of you gotten calls like this from the teams? Did you renew?

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Heat guard Dwyane Wade and a growing list of other injured players will be pressed into service, helping to sell 2008-09 season tickets during halftime of tonight’s Heat-New Orleans Hornets game.

Wade, Jason Williams, Udonis Haslem, Alonzo Mourning and Shawn Marion, among others, will join Heat dancers and season ticket sales staffers in answering phone calls from season ticket buyers.

The effort is being billed as a "rare opportunity" for fans to speak with Heat players and is part of the team’s new brand philosophy “The Heat Experience. Feel It. Live!”

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Following in the footsteps of other pro teams, the Marlins will offer an all-you-can-eat ticketing option at six Friday night home games this season.

The all-you-can-eat section will encompass about 400 seats on the club level down the leftfield line at Dolphin Stadium and tickets will include unlimited hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn and soft drinks. All tickets will be sold in advance and cost $45 for individuals; $40 each for groups of 20 to 99; and $35 for groups of 100 or more.

The games will be the last Friday home game of each month: April 18; May 23; June 27; July 18; Aug. 29; and Sept. 19.

“We’ve committed to six nights,” said Sean Flynn, Marlins vice president of marketing. “It’s a test that could be expanded if we have success. That could happen later this year or obviously next year, if these seats sell as well as we think they will. Some teams have gone out with a broader approach all season or more dates than six. We felt comfortable trying it at six.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers spurred the latest enthusiasm for tickets that include food when they opened 3,000 bleacher seats as the All-You-Can-Eat Right Field Pavilion last year. The seats included Dodger dogs, peanuts, popcorn and soft drinks and ran $20 for group tickets to $40. They sold 70 percent of capacity for the season. A number of other teams followed suit and according to USA Today, at least 13 teams will have an all-you-can-eat-option this season.

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Joe Zagacki called my cell phone yesterday. Twice. OK… it wasn’t just me, nor was it actually Zagacki.

But the voice of the Hurricanes had recorded one of those promotional phone messages that get blasted to a particular phone list, to encourage University of Miami fans to pack tonight’s UM-Boston College men’s basketball game at BankUnited Center. The calls went out to season ticket holders and individual ticket buyers. Full disclosure: I share general admission season tickets with some co-workers and have purchased single game tickets this season.

The team is hoping to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2001-02 season and could be in with one more win in the next two games. Tonight’s game is the last home game for the Hurricanes this season and Zagacki wants to make sure there’s a full house – he left the Web site address and the phone number for tickets.

We know this isn't a hotbed for college basketball, but given the losing going on among South Florida's pro teams, are you supporting the Hurricanes? Have you gotten these kinds of promotional calls from UM or the pro teams? (I hear Dolphins coach Tony Sparano recorded a message just in time for Dolphins season ticket renewals). Do they convince you to buy tickets?

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It’s renewal time for Heat and Panthers season ticket holders and both teams are offering incentives to entice fans back.

The Heat is lowering or freezing some prices in the upper levels at AmericanAirlines Arena and charging 100 level ticket holders $1 to $5 more per game, although prices could be quite a bit steeper if you had a three-year contract that just expired. The team is still offering one-year and three-year renewal options, with the longer contract including larger savings.

Current season ticket holders must renew by March 21, but if they do so by March 7, they’ll get a limited edition 20th anniversary Heat wristwatch. In addition, the team is scheduling a number of activities for fans who renew, including a “Speak to the Heat: Season Ticket Holder Town Hall Meeting,” during which season ticket holders will get to ask questions of Heat owner Micky Arison, head coach Pat Riley and President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth; a chance to stand with the players on court during the National Anthem; and a series of parties with Arison and Alonzo Mourning in an arena suite.

Those who renew by March 21 will also be entered into a sweepstakes that includes prizes such as two free lifetime Heat season tickets; a 42-inch plasma TV; gift cards for gas, groceries, and Dunkin’ Donuts; a chance to be “broadcaster for a game”; your property tax or FPL bills paid; or a one-year membership to 24 Hour Fitness.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are freezing prices for season ticket holders who renew by March 14. Those fans will also get 5 percent of their investment in “Panthers bucks,” which can be used to pay for concessions at BankAtlantic Center. In addition, the Panthers want season ticket holders to be actual “seat owners” with even more of a say in the franchise.

Panthers privileges include personal nameplates on your seats; a team windbreaker; access to an exclusive “season seat owner” section on the team’s Web site; special team road trip travel packages; quarterly shareholder meetings; and priority playoff benefits.

Are you renewing for either team? Do these incentives make a difference? Are you giving up your tickets? If so, why?

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