National sports pundit drags Cardinals fans through the mud

It's been well documented that attendance at Busch Stadium these past two years has been down. Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals are no longer showing up in droves like they used to.

The organization reached a high-water mark of 43,854 fans per game in 2007, the year after the club won the World Series. From 2005 through 2023, Busch Stadium averaged more than 40,000 tickets sold per game outside of two years: 2011 (a year in which they won the World Series) and 2021 (when mandates limited the number of fans allowed in a stadium). Throughout that span, total attendance never dropped below three million fans in a season.

The Cardinals consistently finished number two, three, or four in National League attendance ratings. The moniker "Best Fans in Baseball" was well deserved for a fanbase that consistently out-drew its city population.

Since 2023, tickets sold, and more importantly people in the seats, has plummeted.

Mind you, those are the numbers strictly for tickets sold. In-game attendance is down dramatically and pales in comparison to those figures, particularly on weekday games at Busch III. The 2025 figure is dropping with each series as well.

For the last two years, fans have been outward about their lack of desire to go to games and support an ownership and front office that hasn't been willing to invest in the team. Those calls to boycott are now beginning to show.

National pundits and writers are now starting to take notice of this drop in attendance, even those who rarely, if ever, cover baseball.

National sports voice Colin Cowherd takes note of the drop in attendance at Busch Stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cowherd has been one of the most prolific radio and TV voices in sports for over two decades. He mostly discusses the NBA and NFL, but Cowherd will occasionally dabble in other major sports when it's convenient or a hot topic. He recently took to Twitter/X to speak about the drop in attendance.

Fans have shown their frustration with the organization by not going to games, and now national media members are taking note. Cowherd hints at the St. Louis faithful no longer being faithful. What he fails to acknowledge is how the last decade of baseball has gone in St. Louis. Outside of 2015, 2019, and 2022, there's been little to celebrate regarding the team.

How can the Cardinals win back fans? That's the million-dollar question.

A change in leadership will rejuvenate some fans. With Chaim Bloom set to take over as president of baseball operations after the season, some fans who grew tired of John Mozeliak may return.

It's also on the ownership group to do two things. They must first show that they are committed financially to the team. The Cardinals haven't had a true superstar since 2022. Adding a heart-of-the-order bat or an ace will go a long way towards endearing fans back to the team. Second, ownership must enhance the in-game experience for fans.

Bill DeWitt III was tasked with this order, and the experience within Busch has already been modified to make fans enjoy the atmosphere within the stadium and Ballpark Village. Fans are putting their money where their mouths are; the ownership group should do the same if they want a full stadium once more.

Ultimately, winning and having postseason success is probably the quickest way back up the attendance charts. The only time the Cardinals failed to have 40,000 fans in games from 2005 through 2023 came in 2011. The club won the World Series, and attendance immediately skyrocketed up to 40,273 in 2012 despite the departures of key players and staff.

Fans have put their money where their mouths are, and the organization's bottom line is being affected. Who will budge first, the fans or the owners? Only time will tell.