Bears Ticket Policy For Playoffs

[SunMo]

me

[Sgt PSN]

actually its them telling us to farg ourselves...and who wouldnt love their team to do that to opposing fans

To me, it's the team saying that if you don't live in the immediate area then you aren't wanted in the stadium.  And just as the article points out, what about a legit Bears fan living in California who wants to go to the game? 

It's been over 10 years since I lived in Philly.  Do you really think it'd be a fair rule if the Eagles said that I can't buy a ticket directly from the ticketing office because my credit card doesn't have a local zip code?  I know I can always go through Ebay or hubstub or whatever but why should I automatically be subject to paying over face value for a ticket?  Why should a fan of an opposing team be eligible to purchase a ticket if he/she happens to live locally?

I've got a really good friend who lives in KC but is a die heard Bears fan.  Why doesn't he have an opportunity to call the Bears ticket office and buy a ticket for the game? 

Luckily for me, it's not really an issue I'd have to contend with since I have a credit card that still has a local zip code attached to it.  So if the Eagles did anything stupid like that, it wouldn't apply to me.  But I'd bet that close to 50% of the regulars on this board alone live outside of Philly and probably don't have a local credit card and I think it'd be really farged up if the only option they had to get a ticket to the game was to go through a "ticket broker." 

[Wingspan]

if the eagles did this, ice grillin you would not be allowed to attend eagles games.

[Sgt PSN]

if the eagles did this, ice grillin you would not be allowed to attend eagles games.

No biggie.  Then he'd finally have enough time to get to all the taterskins games anyway. 

[ice grillin you]

if the eagles did this, ice grillin you would not be allowed to attend eagles games.


negative on that chief


and i dont give a rats ass if it effects a few out of town bears fans...its a middle finger to all the opposing fans and i love it....again if you wanna go that bad youll be there

[Mad-Lad]

If the Eagles play the Bears in the NFCCG and anyone wants to go - looks like you're SOL.

Good thing my credit cards billing address is in Chicago.

[Geowhizzer]

If the Eagles play the Bears in the NFCCG and anyone wants to go - looks like you're SOL.

Good thing my credit cards billing address is in Chicago.

Madlad's buying for all of us! 

[ice grillin you]

postgame pic i took in chicago 2004

[Mad-Lad]

i was there.  i was also floored on how much green was in the crowd.   

[ice grillin you]

actually i was surprised how few eagles fans were there...but im comparing that to other eagle road games ive been to not to other chicago home games

[Mad-Lad]

It was the only NFL game i have ever attended.  I didn't know what to expect.

[DH]

The only place Ive been to where I was dissapointed w/ the amount of fans was Green Bay back in 03'.

But considering the city owns the team, I guess thats acceptable.

[SD_Eagle5]

Link

Chargers shut out Pats fans
Only Southern Calif. residents to get seats

By Bruce Mohl, Globe Staff | January 10, 2007

The San Diego Chargers are trying to solidify their home-field advantage against the New England Patriots Sunday by restricting the sale of tickets to Southern California residents only.

Several Patriots fans who went looking for game tickets on Ticketmaster were stunned to learn that their money was no good.

"The San Diego Chargers have restricted sales to the Divisional Playoff game to residents of Southern California and the surrounding area only," Ticketmaster warned. "Residency will be based on your credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside of southern California will be canceled without notice."

Lynda Frank , a Patriots fan from Tewksbury, thought the sales restriction is unfair, if not outright illegal.

"Who do they think they are?" she asked. "Our reputation must have somehow preceded us and made us part of the fear factor associated with our team at playoff time."

Bill Johnston , a Chargers spokesman, said about 1,000 tickets went on sale Monday and sold within minutes.

"Our goal has always been to fill our stadium with Charger fans and supporters of the team. This also helps give our team the best home-field advantage possible," he said.

Johnston said the same ticket policy will be employed if the Chargers defeat the Patriots and advance to the American Football Conference title game. The hometown-fan-only restriction was not in place for regular season games of the Chargers.

The Chicago Bears also restricted sales to the team's game this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks to fans from Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Greg Aiello , a National Football League spokesman, said he is not aware of how many teams restrict ticket sales to local fans. "There is no league policy that would prohibit it," he said.

Ticket industry officials said tickets are revocable
licenses issued at the discretion of a team or venue.

Lawyers consulted by the Globe said such sales would be legal unless specifically prohibited . Excluding minorities or women from ticket purchases, for example, would raise legal problems because there are laws against discrimination of such groups.

Officials with the Patriots said they received a handful of complaints from fans about the Chargers' ticket restriction. Stacey James , the team spokesman, said the Patriots have never restricted ticket sales to their games.

"There's certainly logic to it," he said. "No team wants to fill their stadium with fans from the other team."

The only other option for Patriots fans wanting to see the game in San Diego is to buy tickets from a ticket reseller, but the prices are steep. Ace Ticket of Boston yesterday was selling $95 upper-level seats for $285. StubHub Inc. of San Francisco yesterday listed $95 end-zone upper-level seats for prices ranging from $214 to $295.

"Tickets are available. We have been getting lots of calls, and it seems to be a fair amount of Patriots fans are going to the game," said Jim Holzman , president of Ace.

Frank, the Patriots fan, said she doesn't think the hometown ticket restriction will do the Chargers any good because the Patriots play so well on the road. The team this season is 7-1 away from home.

Frank's prediction for Sunday? Patriots 35, Chargers 21.

There are so many Boston transplants in that city that they're stupid if they think this is gonna do any good.

[Eaglez]

The teams have discretion to limit the offer to purchase tickets to anyone they want. They don't have to offer to the public-at-large if they don't want to.

It does suck for true fans of either the Bears or Chargers who live outside those area codes, however. They don't have the option to purchase tickets at face value as other true Bear fans do. So essentially, a diehard fan, like Sarge said, will be out of luck in purchasing tickets at face value, but a so-so fan or maybe someone who doesn't care one way or another but is going to the game because they thought it would be cool to attend a playoff game will have the opportunity to purchase at face value because they are within those specific zip codes.

It could easily backfire. I know if the Steelers implemented such a policy they would get hell for it. A lot of Steelers fans are dispersed around the country after a large percentage of steel mills closed and Pittsburgh went into a downward spiral economically. Not allowing those fans to purchase tickets, because they aren't in the specified zip code, and considering that those fans are willing to also incur substantial travel expenses in order to watch the game, is a stupid policy.

[ice grillin you]

i hope everyone knows we are talking about a couple hundred tickets here....so at most it might effect a few dozen people

its the intention and spirit of the rule that is important...not its results