Getting tickets @ sporting events

[johnnysama]

I remember, more than 15 years ago, the USA Today put out a book called the "Four Sport Stadium Guide" which mentioned a plethora of facts about getting tickets to the big four sports leagues. Well, it's 2012 now, and the books are both outdated.

Here, I'll try to estimate how hard it is to get a ticket in each of the four sports leagues. Any input and experience in this is welcome.

PIECE OF CAKE! (Can be easily had at the stadium box office)

MLB: Baltimore, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Oakland, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington

NHL: Anaheim, Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, NY Islanders, Phoenix, Tampa Bay

NBA: Atlanta, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Sacramento, Toronto, Utah, Washington

NFL: Arizona, Cincinnati, Houston, Jacksonville, Miami, Minnesota, St. Louis

ALMOST NO PROBLEM (Slightly difficult to get, but not all that difficult)

MLB: Arizona, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Minnesota, NY Mets

NHL: Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, NY Rangers, Ottawa

NBA: Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Golden State, Houston, LA Clippers, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Portland

NFL: Buffalo, Carolina, Detroit, Kansas City, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Tennessee

50/50 (Kind of a tough proposition, but you might get lucky)

MLB: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Detroit, Milwaukee, Texas

NHL: Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Chicago, Detroit, Edmonton, Pittsburgh, San Jose, St. Louis, Vancouver, Washington, Winnipeg

NBA: New York, Golden State, Indiana, Chicago, Detroit, Orlando, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Phoenix

NFL: Baltimore, Cleveland, NY Jets, Oakland, San Francisco

GOOD LUCK! (You'll have to go on the internet or a scalper for this one)

MLB: Boston, NY Yankees, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis

NHL: Montreal, Philadelphia, Toronto

NBA: Boston, Dallas, LA Lakers, Miami

NFL: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Green Bay, Indianapolis, New England, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington

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As an aside, I recommend a new website I came across not too long ago: stadiumjourney.com - pretty comprehensive site.

[bigbean24]

Trust me, it is not easy to get Minnesota Wild tickets. They sell out alot and their cheapest tickets on secondary sites are about $40.

http://www.stubhub.com/minnesota-wild-tickets/

[Lee.]

The Winnipeg Jets are sold out for the next two and a half seasons. You might want to make note of that.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I looked into a road trip from Seattle to Vancouver for a Canucks game a couple years back, but decided against it because the tickets were prohibitively expensive, if not unavailable.

Also, haven't the Yankees not been doing so awesome at the new Yankees Field? Or is that just the super expensive seats that stay available?

[BBTV]

I'd put the flyers closer to the "good luck" category, as they're playing in front of 116% capacity this season (according to espn). They're not pre-sold out for the seaskn like they used to be back in the day, but they usually only have a handful of tickets available on game day, and usually those are the ones returned by the visiting team.

[pmoehrin]

Also, haven't the Yankees not been doing so awesome at the new Yankees Field? Or is that just the super expensive seats that stay available?

It's just the super expensive seats that stay available.

Everything else sells out easily so its not do to a lack of fan support. Its a bit of a sticking point in New York because it is hard to get Yankee tickets and those seats are never filled. Even during the playoff games you can see patches of seats in that lower section that are empty.

I'd go as far as to say that's its been a major point of embarrassment for the club. They won't even let people who didn't buy tickets down there for BP and yet the people who actually did buy the tickets don't even sit in them during the game.

[twi]

I've been able to pick up Maple Leaf tickets for $30, day of the game.

[Gary]

With the Cardinals(Arizona) may want to move them out of the piece of cake and into the iffy 50/50 area. Place has been sold out since it has opened in 06. This isn't the Sun Devil Stadium anymore. People love their football here. I also do not see the D-backs anywhere.

[pmoehrin]

With the Cardinals(Arizona) may want to move them out of the piece of cake and into the iffy 50/50 area. Place has been sold out since it has opened in 06. This isn't the Sun Devil Stadium anymore. People love their football here. I also do not see the D-backs anywhere.

I have no idea how the Cardinals played in Sun Devil Stadium for as long as they did.

You simply cannot play day games in that stadium. I'd imagine it also cost them a number of players of the years. I could see alot of players saying there is no way I'm playing in that stadium. Place was hardly ever filled either because honestly who wants to sit out in 100 degree heat to watch a team that at best is going to go 6-10 take on a near equally bad Redskin team?

[speedy]

It is increadibly easy to get Red Sox tickets, with the advent of internet ticket selling you can virtually log on the morning of the game and grab a few.

[Gary]

With the Cardinals(Arizona) may want to move them out of the piece of cake and into the iffy 50/50 area. Place has been sold out since it has opened in 06. This isn't the Sun Devil Stadium anymore. People love their football here. I also do not see the D-backs anywhere.

I have no idea how the Cardinals played in Sun Devil Stadium for as long as they did.

You simply cannot play day games in that stadium. I'd imagine it also cost them a number of players of the years. I could see alot of players saying there is no way I'm playing in that stadium.

Very true, mix in with the Bidwells being super cheap in the past and the reason why the Cardinals and their woes. Someone who watched many games in Sun Devil Stadium in °100 degree heat in September it's absolutely horrendous.

[crashcarson15]

Uh, the Blues are playing to 98.3% capacity. You definitely can't call that a "piece of cake" ticket.

[pmoehrin]

It is increadibly easy to get Red Sox tickets, with the advent of internet ticket selling you can virtually log on the morning of the game and grab a few.

Easy yes. Cheap no.

I know plenty a person that would rather drive down to Baltimore (especially if your bringing multiple people) in order to see a game then pay to go to Fenway because of the cost. Even standing room tickets I've seen go for over $100 for certain games.

[FiddySicks]

Not a bad list, but I'll add a few details due to pricing, mainly.

I'd put the San Francisco Giants closer to the good luck category. Last season it was almost impossible to get in the building for less than $50. They sold more tickets last season than they ever have in team history. If that continues really banks on this season. If they make the playoffs, that'll continue. If not, they'll revert back to what they were. Really good crowds, but not an impossible ticket to get. As a fan, I'm not quite sure what I want to see. Cheap ballgames or an overpriced contender

Flyers: BBTV is right. One of my best friends lives in Philly and its staggering what she has to pay for Flyers tickets.

Red Sox: Definitely impossible. I ordered tickets to a mid July game vs the Orioles last season the day they were released for sale and I got wait listed.

Phillies: I had absolutely no issues getting tickets to the last game of the 1st half last season vs Atlanta. I think I just got lucky though.

Niners: I've never had any issues getting Niners tickets. I've gotten playof tickets for cheap the weekend of the game.

Raiders:They fluctuate. If they're good, it's impossible to find tickets. Saw them play the Bucs the first time they matched up after the Super Bowl and ended up having to buy a six game package. Sold all of those tickets with ease, though. Lately, they've been competing with the A's for empty space. Can't tell you how many times I've turned down Raiders tickets lately.

Buccaneers: yeah, they're easy to get now. A few seasons ago the waiting list for season tickets was nuts. Pretty sure that's no longer the case. Way to go Malcolm Glazer.

Sharks: By far the hardest ticket I've ever tried to get that wasn't a college bowl game or a World Series game. I went to see them play the Red Wings with my cousin a few years ago and paid nearly $100 per ticket for nose bleeds months before the game.

[GatorHunter]

The OP is making a list of how easy it is to get tickets, not how expensive they are.

The only one I know of is the SA Spurs, PIECE OF CAKE!

[FiddySicks]

The OP is making a list of how easy it is to get tickets, not how expensive they are.

The only one I know of is the SA Spurs, PIECE OF CAKE!

Sure if you're a baller and money is no object. For the rest of us though, price absolutely does go hand in hand with how easy tickets are to obtain. Ease and price have to go together, because frankly, if you're willing to pay anything, there isn't a sporting event out there you can't get tickets to. I got World Series tickets in 2010 and had no issues at all getting them, but I still ended up paying close to $600 a ticket for them. Same thing with the Rose Bowl. Having to shell out a good chunk of your paycheck for tickets is absolutely harder to do than paying what you would for a movie ticket to do so.

[GatorHunter]

I agree, price and ease of getting tickets go hand in hand, if the OP wants a accurate list, it should include the price. For instance, last year i went to a SA Spurs game, a nose bleed section ticket cost $8, but if you want in level 2 is $100, and court side your looking at $200 or more. I was just making a statement that the OP was just stating how easy tickets are to get.

[BBTV]

Uh, the Blues are playing to 98.3% capacity. You definitely can't call that a "piece of cake" ticket.

Well kinda it is piece of cake then. If its not sold out, then you can easily get a ticket. Now sure that's an average, so I'm sure some games are sold out and others far from, but still.

As for red sox, I went to a game at Fenway in May 2010 and got my ticket on stub hub for less than 50% face, saw people getting rid of tickets on the t for below face, scalpels selling tickets below face, and people walking up and buying returned tickets. Certainly one game does not make for a good evaluation, but that was my one experience.

Full disclosure - it was unseasonably cold, the opponent was Toronto, and the Celtics had a playoff game at home the same night.

[speedy]

Exactly Vet, StubHub and Ace Ticket offer some great deals if you have patience.

[crashcarson15]

Uh, the Blues are playing to 98.3% capacity. You definitely can't call that a "piece of cake" ticket.

Well kinda it is piece of cake then. If its not sold out, then you can easily get a ticket. Now sure that's an average, so I'm sure some games are sold out and others far from, but still.

As for red sox, I went to a game at Fenway in May 2010 and got my ticket on stub hub for less than 50% face, saw people getting rid of tickets on the t for below face, scalpels selling tickets below face, and people walking up and buying returned tickets. Certainly one game does not make for a good evaluation, but that was my one experience.

Full disclosure - it was unseasonably cold, the opponent was Toronto, and the Celtics had a playoff game at home the same night.

By that logic, Montreal would be a "piece of cake ticket." If a team's drawing near 100%, that means a good segment of the games are sellouts.

Hell, even Columbus manages to sell out like, twice.