SonicsGate and the NBA
Oct/090
When the Sonics left Seattle to move to Oklahoma City I decided that I was done with the NBA. I didn’t watch any games except for the few that were on TV when I was at a bar. The only game I went to was one that was free from work because I won’t spend my money on the NBA. I don’t want them to profit from me because in my opinion David Stern screwed me. He has all of the owners in his back pocket and when it was time to vote on “Is it a good idea to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City?” Only two voted no. When in reality nobody would ever vote to move anything from Seatte to Oklahoma City. Why would you want to go from the 13th largest market in the country to a place where tumbleweeds are a common occurence during rush hour? It’s stupid. Which is to say, it’s all about money. (By the way, the only two owners to vote against this were Mark Cuban and Paul Allen. Which should be all you need to know. The only smart one and the only one who loses a rival (that was probably his favorite team before he bought the Blazers.))
I’ve kind of let this drift and last season I watched a few more games, mostly to see Lebron James. The thing about basketball is that the people playing it are the greatest athletes in the world. I firmly believe that Lebron James could play ANY sport. That commercial where he joins the Browns? That could really happen and I wouldn’t blink an eye. An NBA player, a great one, is the height of athleticism. They can do things that other humans can’t, simple as that. After baseball it’s probably my favorite sport to watch just for this reason. I’ve started to realize that and despite the Sonics thing which kills me to this day, I should watch some NBA. This led me so far as to even look at ticket prices for the Cavs in Milwaukee this season (unbelievably overpriced), but then something happened that changed my mind. I watched SonicsGate.
SonicsGate is an EXCELLENT documentary on what happened to the Sonics. It doesn’t miss a beat and actually covers a few things I forgot about. It made me remember how much I hate Clay Bennett, Mayor Nickels, David Stern, Wally Walker and Howard Schultz. It made me remember how completely fucked out this entire thing was. It showed me, once again, how little the NBA actually cares about the cities they have teams in. Say what you want about baseball, but no league is as ruthless and money grubbing as the NBA. It’s sickening and I can’t wait til the NBA goes on strike in two years. This movie hits the nail right on the head and they have re-affirmed my belief that the NBA doesn’t deserve my money. I might watch a game on TV, but I won’t be buying any tickets. Screw them. Which is ultimately the highest praise I can give this movie, “I was ready to forgive the NBA for the Sonics thing, but now I say screw them again.”
You can watch the whole movie on their website or check out the trailer right here.
Sonicsgate Trailer from sonicsgate on Vimeo.
Aloha Mahalo Da Kine
Sep/091
I found this book that I haven’t read in a long time and I was leafing through the pages and I found the one way plane ticket to Hawaii that I bought way back when. Looking back it’s been three years since that flight and it’s crazy how much has changed. In some ways I don’t even feel like I’m the same person, in other ways I feel like I am finally doing what I was trying to do way back then.
When I moved back to Wisconsin in 2005, the plan was to stay at my dad’s for awhile and make some money. Once I saved up some money I was going to move to either Seattle or LA. The idea being that I was going to start my screenwriting career. I thought Wisconsin would be a great place to go because the winters fucking suck and I could just sit home in the cold all the time and just do some writing. This, of course, never happened. You start hanging out with some dudes and you just end up drinking way too much like always. I think that I’ve always had some really good ideas and if I ever sat down and wrote them that I could be a screenwriter, but I am a master procrastinator and if I get the chance to go and get drunk instead I usually take it. Anyways, time goes by and I don’t write a thing. I don’t save a thing and I really have no idea what I am doing.
Then I meet this girl.
Man, I love the Brewers
Dec/080
Seriously, I love the Brewers. They are just so well marketed and they want all my money but they earn it by giving me stuff. I just got this email and I have absolutely no idea what this guy is talking about.
Dear Vincent,
Thank you for your group ticket purchase last season.
As you may already be aware, one of the benefits of purchasing group tickets is the ability to redeem a gift certificate for two free tickets to a future Brewers game. Due to limited ticket availability, we were unable to extend this offer during the second half of 2008.
The Milwaukee Brewers are committed to you as a group customer and are currently in the process of moving the gift certificates and the accompanying survey to a web based system. You will receive an offer via e-mail in early spring 2009, which will enable you to process your online gift certificate.
In order to keep your account current, please contact us with any e-mail address changes as this is the only way to ensure delivery of this item in the future.
We appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing you at Miller Park in 2009.
Sincerely,
Chris Barlow
Director – Group Sales
Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club
I really don’t remember buying any tickets in bulk. I think one time I bought six at the box office with my credit card, but I don’t think I ever bought over four online. Anyways, who cares, two free tickets in 2008. To go along with the two free tickets I am possibly going to get for donating a $15 toy and the 20 game package I own. It’s going to be a very good year.
Brewers tickets
Sep/081
The demand for Brewers tickets is insane right now. I’ve been watching no less than 30 auctions on ebay and tickets in the 400 level are consistently going for $125 and up while lower level seats are going for at least $250 a piece. Stubhub is even worse with bleachers going in the $200s. I haven’t found a face value on the seats, but I am pretty sure it’s marquee price times two though it may be a bit more. If that’s the case people are actually overpaying for cheaper seats as the secondary market price on lower levels (face: $120-130) is only doubled as opposed to nearly tripled (face: $40-50) in the higher ups. You really have to love supply and demand.
I find it funny that game 3 is the high seller right now. Do people think they are going to sweep? Game 3 is historic because it’s the first playoff game in Miller Park history and the first playoff game in Milwaukee since 1982, but still if this team is going to win this series you have to think it’s happening in game 4 or game 5. One guy has two for Saturdays game selling for $220 and four for Sundays game going for $125. Needless to say, I am keeping an eye on that second auction. If they lose on Wednesday or Thursday, their value instantly doubles yet his auction ends today. Silliness, but something I can hopefully exploit. It’s one thing to go to a playoff game, it’s another to go for free.
Brewers tickets
Sep/080
Just looking at ebay and stubhub for tickets to the next few games and I’m really surprised by what I see. There are tons of tickets available. On ebay for the last game of the season right now there are over 100 listings and most of them don’t have bids, a lot of them are severely underpriced. Did the collective Brewers nation give up? Or have the fickle casual fans switched fully into Packers mode? It’s weird to say the least, which is too bad considering we have tickets for auction. I think things will be different if the Brewers win tonight and the Mets drop another to the Cubs.