It was late August 2025. Busch Stadium, usually a sea of red, looked more like a scattering of sprinkles on a very large, very gray doughnut. For a franchise that considers "Best Fans in Baseball" a trademarked personality trait, the optics were brutal.
Joe Buck was there. He wasn't behind a microphone for a national broadcast, just a guy sitting in the stands of his hometown. And he didn't like what he saw.
The Tweet That Shook the Lou
The longtime voice of the World Series—and the son of the legendary Jack Buck—took to social media to voice what everyone else was thinking. He posted a photo of the sparse crowd during a Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. His caption didn't pull any punches: "Welcome back to the 70s. This is what it used to look like. I was there. Pre-Whitey. Buying shag carpet asap."
Ouch.
To anyone under 40, "Pre-Whitey" refers to the era before Whitey Herzog arrived in 1980 to save a stagnant organization. It was a time of polyester, empty seats, and mediocre baseball. By invoking that specific era, Buck wasn't just commenting on a bad Tuesday night turnout. He was sounding an alarm. He basically said the Cardinals were sliding back into irrelevance.
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Honestly, the numbers backed him up. That specific game saw an announced attendance of just 17,675. For context, Busch Stadium III holds about 46,000. It was the lowest non-pandemic crowd in the history of the stadium since it opened in 2006.
It's Not the Fans, It's the Product
When a high-profile figure like Joe Buck reacts to the St. Louis Cardinals' poor attendance, people often get defensive. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) pushed back, asking if he was blaming the people of St. Louis.
Buck's response was immediate and clear. "Oh to be clear I am NOT blaming the fans," he wrote. "The fans have sent a loud message and I’m hopeful it’s resonating."
He’s right. St. Louis isn't a city that just stops liking baseball because it’s humid outside. They stop showing up when the "Cardinals Way" starts looking like a dead-end street. The 2025 season was a slog. The team was roughly 18 games out of first place in the NL Central when Buck made his comments. The roster felt stale. The pitching was "fine" but not dominant. The offense was inconsistent.
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Fans aren't just staying home because the team is losing. They’re staying home because they feel ignored. Ownership, led by Bill DeWitt III, has faced increasing heat for prioritizing "sustainability" and profit margins over aggressive roster building.
Why the 2025 Attendance Drop Hit Different
In previous years, the Cardinals could always bank on 3 million fans. It was a given. Like the Arch or toasted ravioli, it just existed. But 2025 saw that streak snap hard. The average attendance plummeted to around 28,000 per game, a massive drop from the 35,000+ they were pulling just a year prior.
- The TV Mess: The bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group and the mess with Bally Sports Midwest made it harder for people to even watch the games at home. If you can’t watch them on TV, you lose that daily connection.
- Pricing: Tickets aren't cheap. Parking isn't cheap. A beer and a brat will set you back a twenty. When the team is 10 games under .500, that "experience" loses its luster.
- The Chaim Bloom Factor: Buck explicitly mentioned Chaim Bloom in his posts, hoping the former Red Sox exec would have the "leeway" to reshape the organization. It was a subtle dig at the current front office leadership under John Mozeliak.
Is This the "New Normal" for St. Louis?
Buck’s reaction sparked a massive debate in the 314. Is St. Louis still a "baseball town," or was that just a 40-year fever dream fueled by Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina?
The reality is that the Cardinals are in a transition phase that they haven't navigated well. For years, they relied on a "retool, don't rebuild" philosophy. It worked—until it didn't. The farm system dried up. The "devil magic" of finding random utility players who hit .300 in October vanished.
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When Joe Buck talks, the front office usually listens, even if they won't admit it. He is the bridge to the greatest era of Cardinals history. His father was the Cardinals for half a century. When a Buck says the stadium looks like the 70s, it’s not just an observation; it’s a brand crisis.
What the Cardinals Must Do Next
You can't just lower the price of a hot dog and expect 40,000 people to return. The message from the fans—and the reaction from Buck—is about trust.
- Transparency in the Rebuild: If the team is going to be bad for a year while they reset the payroll and the farm system, just say it. St. Louis fans are smart. They can handle a "rebuild" if they know there's a plan.
- Roster Identity: The current team lacks "stars" that people will pay to see regardless of the score. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt are legends, but they are in the twilight of their careers. The team needs a new "face" that isn't just a placeholder.
- Address the Downtown Issue: Attendance isn't just about baseball. It's about the perception of downtown St. Louis. High sales taxes and safety concerns have made the "trip to the ballpark" more of a chore for families in the suburbs.
Joe Buck’s "shag carpet" comment was funny, sure. But it was also a warning. A major rebuild of the roster and the trust between the team and the city isn't just a suggestion anymore. It's a requirement for survival in a modern sports market.
To fix the attendance, the Cardinals need to stop acting like a legacy brand that's "too big to fail" and start acting like a team that has to earn every single seat. Until then, those rows of empty red plastic will continue to be the loudest thing at Busch Stadium.
Practical Next Steps for Fans and the Organization:
- Monitor the Front Office Transition: Keep a close eye on how much autonomy Chaim Bloom is actually given during the 2026 offseason. If the "old guard" is still making the final calls on payroll, expect more of the same.
- Check the Secondary Market: If you're looking to attend games, the attendance drop has made the secondary market (StubHub, SeatGeek) a goldmine. You can often find field-level seats for the price of a bleacher ticket from five years ago.
- Demand Media Clarity: Push for a definitive answer on how games will be broadcast in 2026. Accessibility is the first step toward rebuilding the fanbase.