Lower prices at Stubhub.com, just click on the title of this post.
Scalping in Birdland?
By DAVE DAVIES - Phillynews.com
daviesd@phillynews.com 215-854-2595
Redskins faced similar issue in '05
LINCOLN Financial Field's scalping policy, as stated on its Web site, prohibits "the resale of an event ticket at a price higher than face value, regardless of the price paid for the ticket and regardless where the resale occurs."
But when the Eagles' Web site - separate from the Linc's - announced June 14 that single-game tickets for next season had sold out within an hour, the story ended on this hopeful note: "Still looking for tickets? Go to RazorGator.com where fans can buy or sell tickets... "
Indeed, thousands of tickets are advertised there, but at prices that violate the 25 percent markup limit under Pennsylvania's anti-scalping law.
Cowboys-Eagles tickets, for example, average around $400 apiece on RazorGator, with some running as high as $900. The face value of the tickets runs from $65 to $80 for seats in the stands and as high as $350 for the enclosed Club seating area.
The lack of access to tickets except from scalpers has left more than a few Eagles fans mighty ticked off.
"When this happened, we got a flood of calls from people who said the ticket sales [from the Eagles Web site] were closed in a matter of seconds, literally seconds," said WIP-AM sports-talk host Angelo Cataldi.
"Now regular Joes can't go see a game unless they pay four or five times the value, and the team is actually suggesting that they go to scalpers," said Tony, a longtime Eagles fan who declined to give his last name to the Daily News.
He and others who vented their fury on talk shows and Internet sites wonder if the Eagles shoveled tickets this year to RazorGator in return for a piece of the scalpers' action.
The Eagles insist they did no such thing. "This is crazy," said Eagles president Joe Banner.
"The same number of single-game tickets were available this year as last year, and it's more than when we were at the Vet," Banner said. "What was different this year was that, in response to fan complaints, we made them available through the Internet as well as Ticketmaster, so they went that much more quickly."
While no evidence has emerged of an improper relationship between the Eagles and RazorGator, the quick sellout of tickets and the Birds' promotion of the site clearly have touched a nerve.
The controversy in part reflects fans' schizophrenic attitude toward ticket-scalping: We hate getting gouged for seats, but at times will pay a fortune to anybody willing to part with a ticket for the big game.
And while ticket resales at more than a 25 percent markup are illegal in Pennsylvania, they are widely practiced - and authorities say an out-of-state Web site like RazorGator is probably beyond the reach of state law.
Banner sees nothing mysterious or unusual in the Eagles' relationship with RazorGator, a national ticket-resale exchange based in Beverly Hills, Calif. It's simply an advertiser in the Eagles' stadium, in the team's publications and on its Web site, Banner said.
And while the Eagles give RazorGator and other business partners a small number of tickets for their own use, the Eagles don't give them tickets for resale and get nothing from RazorGator's marketing of tickets, Banner said.
"The cynicism and distrust in that question is offensive," Banner said, "and I wonder why it's not asked of anyone else."
Banner noted that several teams have marketing arrangements with sites like RazorGator and StubHub, and that expensive tickets for concerts and sporting events everywhere appear on Web sites for sale.
Still, the distrust persists. WIP host Glen Macnow said he got 25 to 30 calls on his Saturday show from fans who wonder how so many tickets ended up on RazorGator so quickly.
"What's difficult to believe is that hundreds and hundreds of Eagles fans independently would decide to sell their tickets for the Cowboys game, the biggest of the year, and by coincidence sell them through RazorGator," Macnow said.
But even if RazorGator is nothing more to the Eagles than an advertising partner, many see hypocrisy in the Eagles promoting the resale of its tickets.
"My biggest complaint about this is that they've gotten in bed with a scalper," Cataldi said.
Asked if promoting RazorGator is inconsistent with Lincoln Financial Field's anti-scalping policy, Banner said, "I think we're playing with semantics here. We accept advertising from a variety of places - including, in this case, a Web site."
The deals available on RazorGator and other Web sites would be illegal if the resales occurred in Pennsylvania, but a transaction through an out-of-state Web site is a murkier issue, according to Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Barry Creany.
Some fans regard scalping as a time-honored tradition and a useful service for those who want to splurge on a game now and then.
"OMG [Oh my God,] People! This is crazy. The Eagles are a hot team, who sells their tickets fast and markets their product well," wrote one fan on an Eagles Internet bulletin board. "If you did not get tickets (and I am one of you by the way) then that's that. Watch it on TV or buy them at inflated prices. Just stop the damn crying."
Other fans say that they aren't troubled by a season-ticket holder selling a game or two, but that too many season tickets go to people or brokers who aren't fans but predators, buying them just to make a killing.
Should the Eagles pick and choose to whom they sell? In an unusual step last year, the Washington Redskins revoked the season tickets of an undisclosed number of people who were auctioning them on the Internet.
Since the team knew who had which tickets and the seat numbers were on the Internet auctions, it wasn't particularly hard detective work.
"It was pretty obvious which blocks of tickets were up for sale again and again," said Redskins spokesman Carl Swanson.
Eagles fan Tony said if the same thing were done in Philadelphia, more tickets would become available for real fans.
"This is a crazy theory," Banner said of the idea that the team should crack down on scalpers. Discouraging the resale of tickets would actually make fewer tickets available to the public, he said.
Banner also wondered why fans (or reporters) are suddenly obsessed with scalping Eagles tickets when the practice is so widespread in other sports and entertainment events.
Indeed, scalping prosecutions are rare, and in 2001 the city of Pittsburgh decided to permit scalpers to hawk tickets around stadiums as long as they bought a $250 license and wore it around their necks.
The city later decided to limit scalping to a small area between Pittsburgh's football and baseball stadiums.
Creany, the deputy attorney general, said one of the few recent enforcement actions against a large scalping operation occurred in 2000, when the AG's office sued the Ohio-based ticket dealer Front Row for hawking tickets to shows by the Backstreet Boys and John Mellencamp at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.
Creany said the action was prompted by complaints from operators of the center, and it was legally possible because Front Row advertised tickets in Pennsylvania newspapers.
Web sites outside the state are much harder to prosecute, Creany said.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Virginia LB Ahmad Brooks To Visit 49ers For Physical June 28th - Dolphins Interested Too
This is from the 49ers / Scout message board
"Scot McCloughan will be on hand when former Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks works out for scouts Thursday in Charlottesville, Va.
Brooks will then fly to the Bay Area on June 28 and have a physical with the 49ers the next day.
[Sacramento Bee]
Really hope we go after this guy. Will be the next Ray Lewis."
Here's the report on Miami's interest:
Dolphins GM meets with linebacker Ahmad Brooks
BY JASON COLE - MIAMI HERALD
jcole@MiamiHerald.com
The Dolphins have taken an interest in former University of Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who is considered by many the top player available in the NFL's supplemental draft on July 13.
Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller and director of college scouting Ron Labadie were among those who attended Brooks' workout Thursday.
Mueller and Labadie met with Brooks after the workout.
In addition, the Dolphins sent Brooks to Michigan last week to meet with Lon Rosen, a psychologist and longtime friend of Dolphins coach Nick Saban, agent Greg Williams said Friday.
Rosen does character research on players for Saban.
Williams also said he presented information to scouts, coaches and executives in attendance, showing that Brooks has passed drug tests taken on a regular basis over the past two months. Williams acknowledged that Brooks had ''issues'' with drug use during college.
Brooks was arrested in March 2003 on a marijuana possession charge.
According to two sources, Brooks failed multiple drug tests for marijuana use during college.
That led to the school's dismissal of him from the team this winter.
''Ahmad knows that he has to make good decisions in the future and change the people he hangs out with if he's going to take advantage of the athletic talent he has,'' Williams said. ``He's a good kid who wants to get this turned around and be an example to kids about how someone can change for the better.''
Brooks weighed 260 pounds, down approximately 30 pounds from two months ago. The weight issue is another question for NFL teams.
Brooks was considered one of the top high school players in Virginia history before going to college.
Some scouts have said he has the talent to be a first-round pick.
However, the off-field issues could drop Brooks into the fourth or fifth round of the supplemental draft.
This You Tube Video From Emmalina Gets Seen - Alot
Why is this video -- and all of her videos -- so popular? Perhaps you can offer some views.
San Francisco 49ers Family Day
The San Francisco 49ers hold an event called "Family Day" annually to kick off the start of the NFL training camp period and the football season. Family Day's been held at a variety of venues, from Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco's Financial District, to Kezar Stadium, and now Monster Park, where the team plays.
I must admit I was skeptical that the stadium was the best place for it, but the Niners organization did a real good job of mixing activities with players and locker room tours. The event -- which went from 11 to 3 PM -- was a lot of fun. The weather was super, and there was a feeling of optimism in the air.
Many people believe the 49ers will be better this year, even if the team's won/loss record is just eight-and-eight. In this video, I get to interview KNBR and 49ers commentator Joe Starkey, who's best known for his dramatic call of "The Play" in 1982.
I also present NFL alums like Steve Kinney and Jeff Bayer, the Gold Rush Cheerleaders, and poke my camera in on various goings on, from 49ers First Round Draft Pick Vernon Davis' playing with a little girl running the 40-yard dash, to the sudden collapse of a very long fence as Manny Lawson, the Second Pick In The First Round's clowning with a young fan.
On the matter of how the event could be improved for next year, one way is to better use the jumbotron screen. At this year's family day there were videos posted from someone running around with a camera. Frankly, not many people paid attention to it. What's better is to have scenes from the 49ers great moments of the past: "The Catch," Steve Young's famous weaving touchdown run in against the Vikings 1988, and other plays.
Another improvement is to have each 49ers player wear polo shirt with their name and jersey number on their left chest. See, causal fans only know the players in uniform. At family day, as one person in the video remarked, many people don't know who the players are.
Another problem was that fans were not informed of the "bag rule" where bags, purses, and backpacks that were below a certain size were not allowed to be brought in. I personally saw one family fall victim to this information as we were standing in line to get in. The mother elected to stand in line, while the father and daughter ran back to the car. Not good.
But in general, the event was a success. I think Monster Park was a great place to have it.
I must admit I was skeptical that the stadium was the best place for it, but the Niners organization did a real good job of mixing activities with players and locker room tours. The event -- which went from 11 to 3 PM -- was a lot of fun. The weather was super, and there was a feeling of optimism in the air.
Many people believe the 49ers will be better this year, even if the team's won/loss record is just eight-and-eight. In this video, I get to interview KNBR and 49ers commentator Joe Starkey, who's best known for his dramatic call of "The Play" in 1982.
I also present NFL alums like Steve Kinney and Jeff Bayer, the Gold Rush Cheerleaders, and poke my camera in on various goings on, from 49ers First Round Draft Pick Vernon Davis' playing with a little girl running the 40-yard dash, to the sudden collapse of a very long fence as Manny Lawson, the Second Pick In The First Round's clowning with a young fan.
On the matter of how the event could be improved for next year, one way is to better use the jumbotron screen. At this year's family day there were videos posted from someone running around with a camera. Frankly, not many people paid attention to it. What's better is to have scenes from the 49ers great moments of the past: "The Catch," Steve Young's famous weaving touchdown run in against the Vikings 1988, and other plays.
Another improvement is to have each 49ers player wear polo shirt with their name and jersey number on their left chest. See, causal fans only know the players in uniform. At family day, as one person in the video remarked, many people don't know who the players are.
Another problem was that fans were not informed of the "bag rule" where bags, purses, and backpacks that were below a certain size were not allowed to be brought in. I personally saw one family fall victim to this information as we were standing in line to get in. The mother elected to stand in line, while the father and daughter ran back to the car. Not good.
But in general, the event was a success. I think Monster Park was a great place to have it.
This video was originally shared on blip.tv by zennie2005 with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
San Francisco 49ers Family Day - Event Provides Fun With Niners Draft Picks
The San Francisco 49ers hold an event called "Family Day" annually to kick off the start of the NFL training camp period and the football season. Family Day's been held at a variety of venues, from Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco's Financial District, to Kezar Stadium, and now Monster Park, where the team plays.
I must admit I was skeptical that the stadium was the best place for it, but the Niners organization did a real good job of mixing activities with players and locker room tours. The event -- which went from 11 to 3 PM -- was a lot of fun. The weather was super, and there was a feeling of optimism in the air.
Many people believe the 49ers will be better this year, even if the team's won/loss record is just eight-and-eight. In this video, I get to interview KNBR and 49ers commentator Joe Starkey, who's best known for his dramatic call of "The Play" in 1982.
I also present NFL alums like Steve Kinney and Jeff Bayer, the Gold Rush Cheerleaders, and poke my camera in on various goings on, from 49ers First Round Draft Pick Vernon Davis' playing with a little girl running the 40-yard dash, to the sudden collapse of a very long fence as Manny Lawson, the Second Pick In The First Round's clowning with a young fan.
On the matter of how the event could be improved for next year, one way is to better use the jumbotron screen. At this year's family day there were videos posted from someone running around with a camera. Frankly, not many people paid attention to it. What's better is to have scenes from the 49ers great moments of the past: "The Catch," Steve Young's famous weaving touchdown run in against the Vikings 1988, and other plays.
Another improvement is to have each 49ers player wear polo shirt with their name and jersey number on their left chest. See, causal fans only know the players in uniform. At family day, as one person in the video remarked, many people don't know who the players are.
Another problem was that fans were not informed of the "bag rule" where bags, purses, and backpacks that were below a certain size were not allowed to be brought in. I personally saw one family fall victim to this information as we were standing in line to get in. The mother elected to stand in line, while the father and daughter ran back to the car. Not good.
But in general, the event was a success. I think Monster Park was a great place to have it.
I must admit I was skeptical that the stadium was the best place for it, but the Niners organization did a real good job of mixing activities with players and locker room tours. The event -- which went from 11 to 3 PM -- was a lot of fun. The weather was super, and there was a feeling of optimism in the air.
Many people believe the 49ers will be better this year, even if the team's won/loss record is just eight-and-eight. In this video, I get to interview KNBR and 49ers commentator Joe Starkey, who's best known for his dramatic call of "The Play" in 1982.
I also present NFL alums like Steve Kinney and Jeff Bayer, the Gold Rush Cheerleaders, and poke my camera in on various goings on, from 49ers First Round Draft Pick Vernon Davis' playing with a little girl running the 40-yard dash, to the sudden collapse of a very long fence as Manny Lawson, the Second Pick In The First Round's clowning with a young fan.
On the matter of how the event could be improved for next year, one way is to better use the jumbotron screen. At this year's family day there were videos posted from someone running around with a camera. Frankly, not many people paid attention to it. What's better is to have scenes from the 49ers great moments of the past: "The Catch," Steve Young's famous weaving touchdown run in against the Vikings 1988, and other plays.
Another improvement is to have each 49ers player wear polo shirt with their name and jersey number on their left chest. See, causal fans only know the players in uniform. At family day, as one person in the video remarked, many people don't know who the players are.
Another problem was that fans were not informed of the "bag rule" where bags, purses, and backpacks that were below a certain size were not allowed to be brought in. I personally saw one family fall victim to this information as we were standing in line to get in. The mother elected to stand in line, while the father and daughter ran back to the car. Not good.
But in general, the event was a success. I think Monster Park was a great place to have it.
This video was originally shared on blip.tv by zennie2005 with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Getting Closer to Training Camps
It only took us 6 weeks to catch our Breath from the 2006 NFL draft and Guess what?
Here comes the Supplemental draft. July 13th will be the day where players who were ineligible for selection in the regular draft will have a chance to get on an NFL roster. This Draft is not open to un-allocated players from NFL Europe, or former CFL or Arena league players. Some names you might hear-or might not, in three weeks are:
Former U.S. Marine and University of Texas FB Ahmad Hall. Hall Played his HS Ball at Angelton Texas alongside of current S.D. Charger DB Quiten Jammer. Hall is a Combat Veteran of the war in Iraq, but managed to get back to school in time to help the Longhorns "Hook" themselvs a National title.
Another possible player candidate is former Iowa St. DE/LB Jason Berryman. The 6'-1"-235 pounder runs a 4.72 in the 40, 7.38 in the 3 cone drill, has a 32 inch vertical leap, and a 9'11" Broad jump. He also did 17 reps at 225 pounds. Those are his Pro day stats from earlier this month. Not only were several NFL teams' scouts present, but GB Packers Director of College scouting John Dorsey ran the Workout.
Other possible selections are. University of Virginia LB Ahmad Brooks, and Hutchinson C.C. of Kan LB David Dixon.
In some Front Office News- Many in the Press this past week are singing the praises of new Jets Head coach Eric Mangini as Possibly the best new coach in the NFL. I'm not sure how you can base that on two mini-camps, but lets not forget his supporting cast-a Scouting staff that remained unchanged from the prior regime, including former GM Terry Bradway back in the scouting dept. Many suspect that Bradway is only hanging on until the end of his contract or his next job offer, but a source close to Weeb Eubank Hall tells this reporter that While Bradway had little input if any in developing the jets draft board, he was key in generating the scouting reports.
Moving south to Carolina, The Panthers are looking for a new director of college scouting, but might not have to look far. They could tap one of their own in Jeff Morrow, their national scout. Morrow has been around the game of football for awhile, and would be a solid choice for the promotion.
Here comes the Supplemental draft. July 13th will be the day where players who were ineligible for selection in the regular draft will have a chance to get on an NFL roster. This Draft is not open to un-allocated players from NFL Europe, or former CFL or Arena league players. Some names you might hear-or might not, in three weeks are:
Former U.S. Marine and University of Texas FB Ahmad Hall. Hall Played his HS Ball at Angelton Texas alongside of current S.D. Charger DB Quiten Jammer. Hall is a Combat Veteran of the war in Iraq, but managed to get back to school in time to help the Longhorns "Hook" themselvs a National title.
Another possible player candidate is former Iowa St. DE/LB Jason Berryman. The 6'-1"-235 pounder runs a 4.72 in the 40, 7.38 in the 3 cone drill, has a 32 inch vertical leap, and a 9'11" Broad jump. He also did 17 reps at 225 pounds. Those are his Pro day stats from earlier this month. Not only were several NFL teams' scouts present, but GB Packers Director of College scouting John Dorsey ran the Workout.
Other possible selections are. University of Virginia LB Ahmad Brooks, and Hutchinson C.C. of Kan LB David Dixon.
In some Front Office News- Many in the Press this past week are singing the praises of new Jets Head coach Eric Mangini as Possibly the best new coach in the NFL. I'm not sure how you can base that on two mini-camps, but lets not forget his supporting cast-a Scouting staff that remained unchanged from the prior regime, including former GM Terry Bradway back in the scouting dept. Many suspect that Bradway is only hanging on until the end of his contract or his next job offer, but a source close to Weeb Eubank Hall tells this reporter that While Bradway had little input if any in developing the jets draft board, he was key in generating the scouting reports.
Moving south to Carolina, The Panthers are looking for a new director of college scouting, but might not have to look far. They could tap one of their own in Jeff Morrow, their national scout. Morrow has been around the game of football for awhile, and would be a solid choice for the promotion.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS MOVE TRAINING CAMP TO MILLSAPS COLLEGE
Press release printed as presented on NFLMedia.com
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS MOVE TRAINING CAMP TO MILLSAPS COLLEGE
For Immediate Release: June 22, 2006
The New Orleans Saints announced at a morning press conference that they will hold their 2006 summer training camp on the campus of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. The press conference was attended by Saints Owner Tom Benson,
Executive Vice-President/Owner Rita Benson LeBlanc, Executive Vice-President/General Manager Mickey Loomis, Millsaps
President Dr. Frances Lucas, along with Saints Running Backs Deuce McAllister and Fred McAfee. The Saints have held
training camp at the teams Metairie training facility for the last three years.
Jackson will be the sixth different site for training camp since Benson purchased the team in 1985. The team has held camp in Ruston, La. (1985), Hammond, La. (1986-87), La Crosse, Wis. (1988-99), Thibodaux, La. (2000-02) and Metairie, La. (2003-05).
The players will be allowed to report to campus on July 27th with practice beginning the next day. The team will remain in
Jackson until their preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.
Millsaps College is an NCAA Division III school with a student enrollment of 1,123 undergraduate. The scenic campus, located just north of downtown Jackson, will offer the team multiple natural grass fields for practice along with a Sprinturf field, similar to the field used in the Louisiana Superdome.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS MOVE TRAINING CAMP TO MILLSAPS COLLEGE
For Immediate Release: June 22, 2006
The New Orleans Saints announced at a morning press conference that they will hold their 2006 summer training camp on the campus of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. The press conference was attended by Saints Owner Tom Benson,
Executive Vice-President/Owner Rita Benson LeBlanc, Executive Vice-President/General Manager Mickey Loomis, Millsaps
President Dr. Frances Lucas, along with Saints Running Backs Deuce McAllister and Fred McAfee. The Saints have held
training camp at the teams Metairie training facility for the last three years.
Jackson will be the sixth different site for training camp since Benson purchased the team in 1985. The team has held camp in Ruston, La. (1985), Hammond, La. (1986-87), La Crosse, Wis. (1988-99), Thibodaux, La. (2000-02) and Metairie, La. (2003-05).
The players will be allowed to report to campus on July 27th with practice beginning the next day. The team will remain in
Jackson until their preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.
Millsaps College is an NCAA Division III school with a student enrollment of 1,123 undergraduate. The scenic campus, located just north of downtown Jackson, will offer the team multiple natural grass fields for practice along with a Sprinturf field, similar to the field used in the Louisiana Superdome.
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