Joe Ticket comments on the NBA, MBL, and even life itself.

To all the folks who wrote and called me while I was laid up with a broken collarbone (don’t worry, Lipshitz, Levine and Cohen are making sure I get my just compensation), I thank you..when your hurt (and miss work)it makes you think about how lucky it is to be unhurt , healthy , and normal. Everyone has aches and pains, I guess that’s normal, but when you have a heart attack and die at age 58 like Tim Russertthat really makes you think. So today think about taking a walk and listening to the birds sing. Think about going to a ballgame with you dad. Think about bringing home some fresh cut wildflowers to your wife. Think about how lucky you are to even have your life in this day in time, in this wonderful free country. We are all annoyed at the price of gas, at political boondogles, the lack of healthinsurance for everyone, the decline in our homes values or even the prospects of maybe losing our homes..but keep the faith, hang in there, it could be worse, you could live in a repressed society, you could be very ill.. All too often we take these days we are blessed with for granted and we bitch about traffic and curse about spilled coffee on our new shirt..big deal, get real..start thinking about what really matters. Its your relationships to your friends and family and how you treat people that you don’teven know. Its about your communications in that private space reserved for you and the lord, its about helping others and in that way you help yourself to a much richer life..what does it have to do with tickets, with sports, with music entertainment..that’s the question for you to ponder today. 

I am not going to say I told you so but the Celtics are on the verge of their 17th world championship leading LA 3-1 in the NBA finals. Doc Rivers has established himself as a top flight coach skillfully employing his deep and talented bench to take advantage of matchups and tempo all season long. Danny Ainge managed to assemble a group of players that have bought into the “Celtics “style of selfless team ball playing. One piece brought another as key contributers Eddie House, PJ Brown, Ray Allen all came to Boston at the beheast of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce who were on a mission for a ring befor the final bell sounded on their brilliant careers. The fact that Rajon Rondo emerged as a fine creative point guard capable of defending and rebounding and knocking down clutch junpers when left alone cannot be ignored. This is what happenns in championship seasons in all sports for the winning teams, things just come together perfectly. This nucleus will be back again next year, Perkins and Davis and Rondo and Tony Allen all a year more mature, so I see the Celtics and the Lakers, if Andrew Bynum regains his mobility, back at it in 09 for one more time. While Kobe Bryant is certainly great he is no Jordan, not now anyway. Obviously I am assuming that the Celtics can win one of three from Lakers and if you want to bet me otherwise please email me , I can use the extra money! Beantown is getting ready for another parade and the hits just keep on comin..Next up The Red Sox, and then The Patriots on this victorious merrygoround., Round and round she goes when it ends nobody knows..

As for baseball, the word is out that instant replay is coming soon to a ballpark near you. I am in favor of it on one condition that it not be used for balls and strikes that it only be used when the umpires have a consensus that maybe the call needs to be reviewed like on a homer down the line or a play at the plate when the ump isn’t in good position. It should not be on demand by the managers, those guys always think the ump blew the call when it goes the other way. Surprise teams The Florida Marlins and The Tampa Bay Rays continue to play exciting ball in front of sparse crowds wilst having the lowest payrolls in the game, proving that you cant buy love and happiness or guarantee victory between the lines. In a sign of the times both clubs developed superior young talent often acquired form other clubs in trades of their emerging stars who would have commanded salaries exceeding their teams capacity to pay for them. They also are signing their young players to longer contracts in essence tying them up for the extra one or two years when they will be hitting their prime..its a winning formula and to the clubs that overspend on aging, questionable talent..smarten up and yes that includes the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Mets and in fact it appears that those clubs are taking the hint. The Red Sox best production on the hill has been from Lester, Buckholz, Papelbon, etc and this kid Masterson looks real good too. On paper the Sox seem to have the best ballclub and manager Tito Francona usually knows how to play his cards by now.  JD Drew is finally comfortable at the plate and playing great all around ball in right. Coco Crisp is the best 4th outfielder in the league, Ellsbury is the real deal if .285, 70 stolen bases and an acrobatic catch a game wets your whistle and Manny is well Manny and even though Ortiz is on the shelf they wont miss a beat. I will not insult my Yankee readers( although my Sox readers want me too, ) with a beat down, lets just say SEE YA…there are a few other good ballclubs in the AL for sure- the Angels are solid as long as Vlad gimps it out and the Ozzie whipped White Sox come to mind..I still want to see the Tigers take batting practice but a theoretically thumping lineup doesn’t translate to wins. Good pitching beats good hitting in the long run. The Phillies, the Cubs and the Diamondbacks are all playing well and even though the slugging stick thin Soriano is out for 6 weeks, I see them going all the way in the National League, setting the stage for what would be a historic Championship Series between the Red Sox and the long overdue Cubbies. I for one will be trying to make it to at least one game in each city and of course with my connections I’ll in the front row as Uke would say. It will be chilly in October in Boston and Chicago but I think everyone should be sufficiently fueled up to stay warm.  But for now you can satisfy your urge to see the best baseball on the planet by going to National Ticket Agencies MBL page and clicking on your team and picking out your game…and psssst take your dad!

Well its time to put down the pen and do my rehab in the pool down here in sunny South Florida. I should mention that the NFL season is right around the corner and tickets to all games for all teams are allready on sale and actually moving quite well. Baseball is the national pastime but football is king..at least in the ticket industry. Get your sports and concert tickets at the lowest priced ticket agency on the internet, National Ticket Agency. Cheers – and I promise to write more often as I feel up to it..

NCAA Down to Four, The Real Baseball Opening Day & Baseball Tickets

Just a quick post to say that I was wrong and the experts that chose the brackets and the seeds for the NCAA tournament were right. All four number one seeds and favorites have advanced to the big dance , the final four. Davidson the Cinderella team led by Stephen Curry the  sharpshooting son of a sharpshooter just couldn’t get by Kansas in a nail biter Sunday night and thus we have a rarity in that all the teams that were thought to be the best really are the best. Actually if Curry had just had a decent game rather than a below average for him game they would have done it..So now it’s on to San Antonio where Memphis takes on UCLA in game 1 of a doubleheader and North Carolina meets Kansas in game two on Saturday night. The finals will be played Monday night. I still say North Carolina baby..tickets for the games are still available. Final Four semi final tickets 4/5/2008.  And tickets for the finals 4/7/2008. 

OK as you see the link does not go to National Ticket Agency that is because Ticket Network the broker network that we subscribe to has offered us a special discount to pass on to the fan – you , by going direct to them..You save money by getting the tickets at the practically wholesale price and I get a small fee for turning you on to it. Win Win.

Why I say that today is the real opening day is because that mid March phony opening day fiasco in Japan should never have happened. Remember it was early last week, I think, in the middle of the night for you West Coaster’s and 6 Am for us in the Eastern US,and  the Red Sox and the A’s played a pair of games that actually counted. Both teams then returned to the states and finished out their exhibition season. The Red Sox and Dodgers playing a game at the LA Coliseum that set an all time attendance record for a baseball game as it was a celebration of 50 yrs of MLB in LA.  Anyways back to my thought. Playing in Japan is cool. Our major league teams routinely raid the Japanese professional league of their best players and in return, the Japanese people follow MLB and buy tons of merchandise of their favorite players who are considered heroes in their baseball crazy country. Lately with the dollar falling lots of Japanese folks have been vacationing in the US and coming to the ballpark and buying our hot dogs and beer. We owe them the courtesy and I have no problem with teams going to Japan even though it is a long, long, did I say long flight. However we should be playing Japanese teams in exhibitions, maybe even do a short world exhibition tournament and invite the Chinese the Koreans and the Venezuelans, um no  scratch that, the Mexicans. The attendance was actually better when we played them rather than we played our-self. In my mind last nights game between Washington and Atlanta was the seasonal kick off and a fine one at that. Today 28 clubs are scheduled to play in what has to be the real baseball opening day. Heck I think it should be a holiday!  

Most tickets for most MLB teams can be had without too much problem and extra expense unless you want to sit on top of the dugout. The following teams however are as we say in the business, “in demand” or “hot tickets” and in order to see the perfectly manicured green grass of these clubs you will need to buy seats on the secondary market. Forget Stub Hub, people are crazy in their own estimation as to how much gouging they can get away with, forget all the local brokers in your town, they have to mark things sky high to cover their overhead, forget Ebay it’s all those same creeps..Your best bet is to buy direct from the source. The leader in ticketing technology, the leader of all the broker networks, Ticket Network. Below I will list your direct link to the tough to get teams tickets.

See the World Champions - Red Sox Tickets

Always there, always will be -  Yankees Tickets

Is this the year? – Cubs Tickets

Santana bolsters strong staff- Mets Tickets

Solid ballclub can hit – Phillies Tickets

Best lineup, ever? – Tigers Tickets

Balanced experienced- Indians Tickets

National League champs – Rockies Tickets

I will put up links to all the clubs in all the sports as the week rolls by. Also all the top concerts will be reviewed and direct links will be given to their schedules. Remember these are your best prices on the Internet or anywhere else! Direct from the Network no middle man, no added costs. Peace.

The Celtics and The NBA’s Stretch Run To The Playoffs- Eastern Conference Outlook

Although the the Hornets beat the Celtics last night one cannot argue that this last roadtrip now over was a smashing success. The Celtics smashed the Rockets streak, beat San Antonio and also the Mavericks to complete a Texas trifecta, very difficult for any club to pull off. The Celtics play team basketball in a manner and style that conjures up the Celtics teams of old and makes the ghost of their legendary coach Red Auebach smile from above. It would be obvious to say that Kevin Garnett, a perennial All Star big time, big man is the main reason but the emergence of unheralded little Rajon Rondo is equally important for without a defensive minded point guard who has elevated his offensive production what good is the rest of this club? Danny Ainge is a shoe in for executive of the year, not only did the oft maligned in the past GM trade for a franchise center, he parlayed the nucleus of Pierce and Garnett to pursued slick Ray Allan, classy guy and another lights out perennial  All Star shooting guard to join the fold. Continuing to build the depth he added sharpshooter Eddie House, team player James Posey, heady steady veteran Sam Cassell, all supported by the young front court trio of Leon Powe, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis. This past week they added 15 year top flight defender, rebounder PJ Brown. Who did I leave out? Oh Tony Allen, not bad eh. This is the best ballclub front to back in the NBA in years. They still may not win it all. That’s never a lock. Guys like Kobe,  T Mac, LeBron, AI, and Nowitzki can break anyone down and pile up points. Missed free throws, a twisted ankle, a bad call down the stretch etc and hey you lose, so Celtic’s fans lets not hang number 17 prematurely but this year has been alot of fun for sure. And the playoffs should be and I gaurantee will be exciting. Folks the reemergence of the Celtics, the most storied franchise in the NBA, is great for basketball here and abroad. All  Boston is revelling in pro sports success this year and at the top of the hub sportswise with the Patriots, the Red Sox, Celtics and yes even the Bruins who are on the verge of making the NHL playoffs.

Ok well as long as I am rambling on high about the Celtics, let’s take a look at the NBA Eastern Conference as a whole. While the Celtics have already clinched the number 1 spot being  equally successful at home and on the road,  the Detriot Pistons are holding steady in the second slot some 5 games behind the C’s and 5 games ahead of number three Orlando. Detriot is led by Chauncey Billups and Richard Rip Hamilton both averaging almost 18 pts per contest. The starting five rounded out by  Wallace, McDyce and Prince are really good but a pretty average bench is what seperates them from the leagues elite this year. The Orlando Magic have also clinched a spot and feature a monster in the middle in Dwight Howard who is averaging 21 pts and 14 rebounds and is a younger version of Kevin Garnett. Hedu Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are great scorers too at 19.9 and 18.3 and Jameer Nelson is a nice point guard but then things drop off alot and the bench is weak. When I say that, it’s not demeaning because this is a great club having a fine season but it’s relative to the other top tier clubs. And BTW they have great looking cheerleaders…The Cleveland Cavaliers are  solid at number 4,  6 games behind the Magic but a lock for this spot. When LeBron James was in high school he was a man among boys. In the NBA today he is the man among men. He does what he wants on offense with strength and grace, inside and out. He also defends, rebounds, runs the court and dishes off unselfishly. He is the modern day Oscar Robertson, but better. Sorry O, it’s true. He will ultimately be on the NBA All-Time team , maybe even a starter. Zydonis Ilgauskas pardon me if I spelt it wrong , it is getting very international isn’t it, is a gret player and at 13.6 and almost 10 rebounds he compliments James well. The rest of the Cavaliers though have shortcomings and while Gibson is a good shooter and West is ok but really they only going as far as King James goes.  The order of the next 3 teams is uncertain but it is certain that they will make the playoffs. Currently the Washington Wizards led by Antawn Camison and Caron Butler are  hanging on to the number 5 slot by a thread over the Raptors and the 76ers. If Gilbert Arenas comes back this week as anticipated and can pump in 20-25 pts as is his usual they could be a surprise team. The Toronto Raptors have a sweet player in the paint in Chris Bosh, and I know that Prker, Calderon, Tj Ford and Barganani are good ballplayers but I don’t see them getting past the first round. The Philadelphia 76ersare right there record wise and definitely in the mix but again they are not going to beat a really good team in a series. Andre Iguadala and Andre Miller are both scoring well 19.8 and 17.1 respectively after that it’s a bunch of who’s that guy which either means I am not following the fantasy stats which means knowing every single player or they just haven’t made names for themselves outside of say Philly. Which brings us to the number 8 and final slot which is the one that is anyones guess between Atlanta, New Jersey, Indiana, and Chicago. These teams are 8 to 13 games below .500 so I will spare you the details.

Generally speaking you can still get some sort of tickets for all the teams even the Celtics for the last few games. In the old days of the Garden they had obstructed view seats which I used to score and then just wander around standing along  the rails or sneaking into a vacant seat. The arenas of today are alot nicer, cleaner (no rats) and no obstructions so even nosebleeds are ok. If you want to sit in good loge or court-side seats though and you have the dough visit National Ticket Agencywhere you’ll find all the available after market seats. These are seats that brokers own or season ticket holders have sold to brokers including National. Reality is that between the seats, say two of them, parking , food,  it will set you back 3 or 400 bucks but you are guaranteed to have a ball as in basketball. The game is exciting , the athletes are phenomenal and you should make it a point to at least attend a game or two and root for your team as we get down to the nitty gritty. If your lucky enough to have seasons tickets you will get first dibs on the playoffs and what many ticket holders do is sell off half the games to pay for the rest. It makes sense. In any event use your head and don’t over drink and drive please. it’s tempting to get caught up in the excitement but honestly it’s so not worth it to ruin your life over another couple beers. Cheers!

Next post will be on the NBA Western Conference  playoff prospects. Also the NCAA march madness will be in full swing and I will report on that as well as the windup of spring training. So much to report, it’s all about sports. Yours truly, Joe Ticket.

How to beat March Madness and pick the NCAA champion

Everyone has their favorite techniques for selecting who will advance and then ultimately who will win the NCAA basketball championship. My cousin tapes the brackets to his dart board, drinks 6 or 10 pints of Guiness and throws, (sometimes he even throws up.) My 8 yr old nephew lines the rabbit cage with the bracket page from the paper and whatever spot the doo doo balls fall is a winner. Myself I use the statistical approach. I look at the history of the conferences and rate that factor 1-5. I use the strength of schedule factor also a 1-5. I see who has played common opponents. Who is on a  hot streak etc. I then calculate the potential matchups by running a mock pre tournament , tournament using a Ouija board and dice tossing, thats a little complicated but trust me it works. I also use the date the college was founded to chart the astrological angle. I then add my personal New England bias and finally I ask my mother who knows absolutely nothing about basketball, college or otherwise and has not ever even seen a full game either on TV or in person except when she had to take me to pee wees (and then all she did was read the newspaper in the stands) to select the winner. After analyzing all this expert analysis I then choose. And I think that I do ok. I have been right a few times over the years. How about you. How do you pick the winner?

Of course tickets for all games are available from National Ticket Agency.I can get you into the arena on the cheap or I can get you courtside. So follow your team and enjoy the ride. And don’t just think NCAA mens basketball is all that there is. How about the NCAA women, how about the NCAA wrestling and hockey tournaments, you know the frozen four, and all the D 2 and D 3 championships in all sports. C’mon get off your keester and support these fine young student athletes. They are our future, not future pro ballplayers but future teachers and coaches and business people, government and non profit workers. Yup they are our future leaders, and good neighbors and they deserve their time in the sun too.

OK I know that you want to know who I really think is going to take the NCAA men’s basketball cake…It’s North Carolina, led by Tyler Hansbrough..Texas, Clemson, and UCLA are the other final four contestants. The final four will be held in San Antonio and tickets to the final four a glorious event are hard to get but found here in abundance at NTA.

The Beginning of My Year End

I guess I am a day late and a dollar short to do a year end wrapup but I can still do a year end review for 2007 in the concert and sports ticketing arena or theatre of operations to use some sad overworn cliche’. As usual your going to get a Bostonian view cause I yam what I yam. Of course this is a total pleasure as ballgames, sports, tickets, concerts and music are not just keywords to boost the  SEO of National Ticket Agency but they are in fact my passion. Likewise since I am still drunk haha with joy over the successes of my Boston sports teams (which continue into 2008) I deam it appropriate to begin this discourse by talking baseball. The Red Sox who broke the curse of the Bambino in 2004 and ended 86 years of anguish by their fanatical fandom and of having to take crap  from the New Yorkers day in and day out. Year after year they reveled in rubbing it in our faces, the effin  Yankees. Well by golly the Sox did it again and brought the championship trophy back to Beantown once more. And I don’t blame the Boston fans for bragging, boasting, and  gloating. 86 years is a long time , eh? It was pretty obvious that the Sox had the best team in the American League this past season with deep pitching bolstered by the additional of 2 Japanese studs one called Dice K with 5 good pitches and the other Okijama a brilliant lefty setup man  and another lights out year from the leagues gutsiest closer Jonathan Papalbon. The emergence of a budding phenom, a legitamate leadoff threat and fearless centerfielder in Jacoby Ellsbury coupled with the usual clutch hitting from David Ortiz and a career year from Mike Lowell balanced off a sub par season from Manny Ramirez. Terry “Tito” Francona did a great job of keeping the team ready to play and GM Theo ” Boy Wonder” Epstein showed why he is a top gun in command of the Sox ship. The guy flat out knows how to build a farm system that is now rewarding the big league team and setting up possible  big trades to keep this club on top year after year. Latest word is the Sox are going to get Johan Santana the leagues best lefty starter! Did I hear myself say dynasty..oh maybe I am mumbling something in reagrds to the Patriots..oh lord I am giddy. Speaking of the Patriots , they finished the regular season 16-0 , broke alot of league and individual offensive records and are poised to go after their 4th championship in 7 years. That my friends is as close to a dyansty in sports as you are going to get. Tom Brady is now considered one of the greatest quartebacks ever by everyone, even you,  and just the whole organization from top to bottom is chalk full of confidence and abilty clearly light years ahead of every other club. The trade of last years # 1 to SF which was the 24th pick for this years SF #1 which is the 7th pick is typical. They also got a 4th last year and that allowed them to trade and get Randy Moss who breaks the TD record of Jerry Rice. Hello!! Then they get Wes Welker, all he does is lead the league in catches…Just brilliant. Guys want to play for them, players take pay cuts and rearrainge contracts to stay with them, it’s remarkable. Now I am not saying that they cannot be beat , they actually should have lost a couple games but hey the great teams find a way to win. Everyone knows though that on any given Sunday..so we shall see. My money is on the Patriots though. Spygate , shmygate Coach Belichek is easily the greatest coach in the game and a sure Hall of Famer. And who has more Hall of Famers than the Boston Celtics, notice how I changed the subject to basketball and the league leading Celtics there. Yes it’s been 21 years since the 16th championship banner rose up to the rafters at “the Gaaden” and the drought and talent gap we expereinced was exceptionally painful for we were spoiled rotten hoop miesters feesting on fade away jumpers from stars gone by like Havlichek and Bird and now I dare say it’s all coming back. The Big Three of Allen, Pierce and KG are surrounded with the most talented supporting cast assembled in the NBA. Danny Ainge you may take a bow. Red must be proud. The team concept of moving the ball around unselfishly and playing great D has always been the Celtics trademark and now they have reclaimed it. My crystal ball sees 60 wins maybe 65 in a my goodness how could this be season that will take them through to the Eastern finals where the Pistons and the Celts will duke it out in a dog fight, apologies to PETA, for the right to play probably the Spurs for the title.

Ok tomorrow I talk a little hockey and some music as I see it’s fast approaching my bed time here on the east coast of Florida where it’s always summer time and the girls are so fine! 

JOE TICKET RIDES AGAIN

Well Happy New Year folks!

It’s the height of holiday season and time for me to crow. It is concievable that Boston could have a hat trick. No hissing. No kidding. Three championship teams in one year, actually 9 months should the Patriots sweep through underfeated and the Celtics continue to be the winningest team in the NBA. How is this possible that those maniacal fans from that liberal hippie bastion called New England are on a championship role that is unparalleled in modern day American sports history. And frankly I feel they think they deserve it! Certainly the Red Sox fans paid thier dues for years, perenial patsys they then took a risk going with a kid GM Theo Epstein who’s made a few mistakes, but overall has transformed the farm system, created a winning atmosphere throughout the organization, signed the players that he knew they needed. His efforts have directly impacted the 2 Series banners they now fly as much as the guys he put on the field. The Patriots similarly have created a winning atmosphere where the players redo contracts, the coach is, well a great coach, and they keep running in top free agents and draft picks to restock. The stuff that makes you think dynasty. It’s getting dare I say boring. The talent gap , the coaching gap and the attitudes are way ahead of any other NFL team.   So now we have a basketball team in Boston that is getting the forever spoiled, basketball snobby, Bird lovers back on thier feet at TD BankNorthGarden , still called “the gaaaden” by me. (Hey they still have a parquet floor. ) KG , Allen and Pierce complimented by a Rondo, a real point gard that can hit a J, and 5 other good role players. It’s a recipe for success. The way these guys whip the ball around unselfishly and defend unrelentingly is so Celtics, so Red Auerbach light one up, Johnny Most lose your voice, Paul Silas, Cedric Maxwell, Bailey Howell, Satch Sanders , Larry Sigfried, Bill Walton, Dave Cowens, yes Tiny Archibald and every other Celts vet from all time even Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe and Hank Garfinkle lol be proud again. NOTE: A special thanks goes out to Kevin McHale for playing cards with Danny Ainge and losing and having to deal us KG in order to pay up. It had to be something like that as KG is ridiculously talented and just the player in the post we have longed for since the chief Robert Parish hung them up.

So I am happy as sht and if BC beats Michigan State friday at 5 as a warm up to the Patriots trouncing the Giants sat night. I am popping the cork early! Don’t you just love how when push came to shove the NFL buckled and allowed the nation to witness this historic game.

You want mid season NBA and NHL revues. You want the NFL pre playoff analysis. You want updated concert information. Well you’ll have to wait. Joe Ticket is back in the house but he needs a day or two to warm up! Meantime go to National Ticket Agency and score nice seats to the game you want.

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE PART 3- The Pacific Division

I write this while watching an ESPN inspirational story of a young man named Gunner Esiason who just tossed a touchdown pass in a high school game. Not so remarkable except that he has cystic fybrosis. I am so impressed with  his desire to compete , to live as normally as possible and to succeed despite his severe handicap. It  is quite remarkable. You might recognize the last name, his dad was a famous quarterback in the NFL and is now a highly regarded commentator, ex Cincinnati Bengal Boomer Esiason. Unfortunately illness knows know social bounderies, spares no person rich or poor and is just plain heartbreaking as hell. One thing though that I see more often than not though is the will that these kids have to survive, to deal with it, to improve , to enjoy life and to make the best of things in spite of incredible odds that would destroy the will of most mortals. A kid like Gunner makes you appreciate your own life situation and your individual blessings no matter what your personal lot in life may be. Remember when your broke there is someone that is poorer, when your sick , there is someone dying, and when your sad there is someone who may be heart broken. As we approach the holiday season and our Thanksgiving feast and the Christmas and Hanucka lights shine bright on every city street,  reach deep into your heart as you look around at the world that turns and do the right thing.

 The economy is not good, in fact it’s probably a recession, money is tight, people are losing jobs and homes and charities that do so much good are strapped for cash. It’s so bad that many are folding and that means that people in need will suffer more. We need people like you and me and our neighbor next door to step it up and just plain give more, whether of means or just getting by on a shoestring whatever money you can spare is desperately needed by the charity of your choice.  As a kind and civil  society we have made great strides in finding cures and medicines that ease the pain and provide the ray of hope that keeps dreams alive and something like homelessness can happen to anyone. There are so many vital causes , you surely will find your own personal reasons in deciding where you will lend a helping hand. Just look into your heart. If you have never donated money or time to charity, now is the time.  

Here is a good one to start and for you to consider. www.esiason.org . Every post from now on in will link to a worthwhile charity for you to consider. Also my plans for 2008 are to develope my own online charity site . I have reserved the name www.give123.org. I plan on featuring over 100 underfunded charities that need your help. As well National Ticket Agency will be donating a portion from every sale of event tickets to my favorite charities.

 Ok now then let’s take a look at the the final division of the NBA in my series of reviews. The Pacific Division features alot of great ballplayers led by one Kobe Bryant who is generally regarded to be the most talented basketball player on the planet today and certainly one of the worlds greatest athletes right up there with Tiger, Arod, and anyone else you can think of. Is he a team player , a winner , a good teamate, a good guy well you have to decide that. Personally I think he is a fierce competitor who wants to win, is frustrated when the play around him doesn’t reach certain levels and I would take him on probably 28 of the leagues teams in a heartbeat. I only want him on my team though if he gives it up to charity and not just to satisfy his accountants rants but from the heart..in fact I wish all wealthy professional athletes and successful people of all walks would give more..but I regress. This is about about the National Basketball Association from here on in.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PACIFIC DIVISION

The Phoenix Suns are a powerhouse and could take the title this year. I say this because Steve Nash is still in his prime and he now has another weapon Grant Hill to dish to. Raja Bell, Shawn Marion , and Amare Stoudemire are all super stars making this an All Star team. So barring injuries they are arguably better than the Spurs. We shall see. > Get your Phoenix Suns tickets here.

The Golden State Warriors actaully beat a better Dallas team last post season pretty badly so that makes them pretty good , right. Baron Davis is dynamite and Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson are nice players but I am afraid that should they eak into the playoffs this year they’ll probably get bounced. Still a good take and Baron can really shake and bake. > Get your Golden State Warrior tickets here.

The Los Angelos Clippers are no longer the “other” LA team. They are better than the Lakers and have been for a while now. Problem is that their star center/ forward Elton Brand is out till Febuary and point Sam Cassell may have lost a step. I doubt they can break .500 but that may be better than the “other” LA team. If the two were combined now that would be interesting. > Get your Los Angelos Clippers tickets here.

The Los Angelos Lakers are Kobe Bryant. As goes Kobe so goes the Lakers. He’s that good and he is certainly worth the money to see in person as he’s practically unstoppable. The problem here is that his motivation is questionable and the supporting cast is just average save for Derek Fisher who’s decent and the injured Lamar “Lefty” Odum. Bryant can sinlehandily win games but not enough of them to make a diference in the standings. > Get your Los Angelos Lakers tickets here.

The Sacramento Kings are still woefully shorthanded in too many areas and if they manage to stay above the lottery line that will be a moral victory. Mike Bibby their best player is out for 2 months and that puts the burden on the talented but shall we say troubled Ron Artest. Still though always remember it’s the NBA, the greatest show on earth so don’t be a  no show and go , show your support. > Get your your Sacremanto Kings tickets here.

Hey everyone, buckle up and use your blinkers! Get there in 1 piece. I remind you , National Ticket Agency is always your best place to buy tickets for all NBA and NHL games this winter. The NFL is in full swing, I will refrain from gloating over the Pat’s ( I think I did that already enough) and I remind you that the best tickets for the money , the best seats are from NTA. You know what I say NTA has you covered!

NBA SOUTHWEST DIVISION EARLY SEASON VIEW

Before I get into todays preview of the National Basketball Association’s pretty decent Southwest Division I want to comment on yesterdays Patriots – Colts showdown in the dome. It was watched by more fans than any other Sunday regular season game since 1987 and folks were not disapointed. I should have bet the under as both teams have terrific defensive squads sometimes overshadowed by explosive offenses but like in baseball where good pitching generally beats good hitting the same is true in the NFL. Great defense shuts down (or in this case slows down) great offenses. The Patriots proved that they are human and they can be beat, they almost were, but alas they were not and they continue on undefeated and in pursuit of Miami’s undefeated record from 1972. And yes I do remember that far back! Marvin Harrison didn’t play and that was a factor. The Brady to Moss express was just too poweful a force once again and isn’t Wes Welker a wonder returning kicks and finding the seams. When they meet again there will be more at stake and on the line with the winner certain to go to the Super Bowl. If you have the time, the dime, and the inclination to attend what will surely be a historic contest you may want to put your order in for playoff tickets now at National Ticket Agency. We also are already selling Super Bowl tickets so keep me in mind when it’s time. Also a note to all:  NTA is now offering “Gift Certificates” which are a perfect stocking stuffer and a great, if not the best , Christmas gift. The link from the site is not yet up, but if you email me or call I can fill you in on the details. Why guess at where he or she wants to sit and what game to buy, let the super fan in your life pick out their own seats. As always National Ticket Agency has you covered.

NBA SOUTHWEST DIVISION

The San Antonio Spurs are the Champs and they are back with virtually the same team led by future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and the dynamic Tony Parker. Manu Ginobili is a terrific 6th man. These guys are a lock to win  60 games but look for Phoenix to knock them off and prevent a repeat. Just my honest assesment. > Get your San Antonio Spurs tickets here.

The Houston Rockets will surprise alot of folks this year and win a ton of games. Yao Ming is the real deal and real tall and demands serious attention as does scoring machine Tracy McGrady. T Mac is hungry and can fill it up fast and if Shane Battier has a big year this team is dangerous. > Get your Houston Rockets tickets here.

The Dallas Mavericks won a staggering 67 games last season but choked out in the first round. Sorry Marco Cuban, it’s true. And while Dirk Nowitski is like Lary Bird lite and Jason Terry can light it up, they just don’t match up in the middle favorably enough to make a title run but brother they sure are fun! > Get your Dallas Mavericks tickets here.

The New Orlean Hornets can put a sting on you if you are not careful. Chris Paul has All Star numbers at point guard and shooting guard Morris Peterson is a player but they need more help and depth to be serious about making the playoffs. Never the less this club is exciting and the good folks from the Big Easy need to show some love or these guys might be walking to a new city soon. > Get your New Orleans Hornets tickets here.

The Memphis Grizzlies have some issues, mainly scoring and rebounding so you know where this is going. Paul Gasol is talented and look for Darco Milicic to improve and Mike Conley and Mike Miller will be good ballplayers but it’s another lottery season for the Grizzly Bears. Fans should still flock as the NBA is the greatest show on earth and every great superstar will grace their court. > Get your Memphis Grizzlies tickets here. 

Ok the season has started and the Celtics do look for real at a quick 2-0. Garnett is a beast in the paint and Allen and Pierce are patrolling the perimeter and hoisting treys like the sharpshooters they are. The Garden is rockin once again and green is in, most of the good games are selling completely out so be sure to get your tickets now. Boston Celtics tickets available here.

The Pacific is the last NBA Division to be covered but it’s a very balanced and competitive division check back in a day ot two for my take. Till then. JT

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE 2007 PREVIEW

Big NBA question of the week. Will Kobe be traded? I think so, but the Chicago Bulls for one would be foolish to trade away their depth in order to aquire the prolific scoring machine. It’s a fact that teams not individuals win in the NBA. If they could make the deal and retain their core players to compliment him maybe it makes sense in that Kobe must be hungry for another ring and some vindication of the jerk label and in Jordans house he could seal his legacy as one of the greatest of all time. His point totals will certainly be there and we have the highlight films to prove how truly explosive he is going to the basket. Better than Jordan , well ahh that remains to be seen..Look in any case when Kobe comes to your town you can bet that good tickets will in extremely short supply. For hard to find tickets you know that National Ticket Agency ranks very high, like front page Google ,so get off your touchas and give me a call at 877-222-3940 or simply purchase online 247 all the time.

NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

The Denver Nuggets led by Allan Iverson with side kick and fellow superstar Carmello Anthony should take this division and win about 50 games. I always have liked Marcus Camby’s shot blocking and K Mart and Nene fill it out nicely. As in every club rundown,  injuries to a key player can ruin the season but hey these guys are just plain fun to watch no matter what  and when they come to my town I’m there, cause “practice, this ain’t practice”.. > Denver Nuggets tickets for sale here.

The Utah Jazz have it made. I mean what else could there possibly be to do in the winter in Utah but see the Jazz and shovel some snow. This is a damn good team with Okur and Boozer up front Deron Williams and Ronnie Brewer in the backcourt. If Andrei Kirilenko plays team ball they’ll challenge, if he guns they’ll fall. > Utah Jazz tickets for sale here.

The Seattle Supersonics are led by 2 rookies, silky smooth phenom Kevin Durant and Jumpin Jeff Green so what’s that tell you..that they may surprise and win some games but that it won’t be nearly enough and third place for this year is probably to be considered good. > Seattle Supersonics tickets for sale here.

The Portland Trailblazers have seen better days. The big story is that Greg Oden the manchild franchise lottery coup is out for the year. They have a couple of good guards in  starters Jarret Jack and Martell Webster and I think Josh McRoberts is going to be solid someday but umm that ain’t nearly enough and they’ll have another good draft pick next year too. . > Portland Trailblazers tickets for sale here.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in a rebuilding mode. They just inked big Al Jefferson to a long term deal and they have Cory Brewer to defend, Gerald Green to sky and lots of other green talent. I say that toungue in cheek as they dealt their franchise KG,to the Celtics. McCants, Gomes , Foye are ok. Antoine Walker is the daddy here..lotta fun but a struggle for W’s. > Minnesota Timberwolves tickets for sale here.

NBA Southwest and Pacific divisions conclude this preview in a day or two. Till then start sharpenning your skates , waxing your ski’s, and piling up the wood, and don’t forget to turn back your clocks..winter’s a comin. I’m so glad I’m in South Florida but y’all invited down whenever you can’t take it any more. But seriously if you want to feel the heat grab some good seats, as the NBA can’t be beat. Remember National Ticket Agency has you covered. JT

It’s tip off time in the NBA today

Ok,  I have recovered from the Sox parade! Hail to Big Papi, Paps, Manny, Mike, Yuke, Coco, Julio, JD, Tek, Dustin, Jacoby, Schill, Dice K, Manny D, Tims, Tito, Okie, Wake, Becks and all the rest…What a season it was in Major League Baseball and the Red Sox took the crown!

Now it’s time to snuggle up to the fire and turn on the plasma tv cause baby it’s cold outside! But it’s hot on the hard court as super heroes bounce, twirl and dunk, rebound and defend. It’s time for the National Basketball Association to display the worlds tallest greatest athletes in shorts. The season starts tonight. Last week I scouted out the NBA Eastern Conference Atlantic and Central Division. Tonight we look at the competitive Southeast Division. The league sure is balanced this year as it seems like just about everyone has improved so that translates into a higher level of play. I mean if everyone is better doesn’t someone have to be worse? These guys just seem to get bigger, better, faster, and  more skilled all the time. Is the court too small? Should I stop asking stupid questions and tell you how its going to shake out?

EASTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHEAST DIVISION

The Miami Heat go as far as Shaq and Dwayne Wade stay healthy and take them. Shaq is still a monster force when he is feeling strong. You have to double team him and Wade is lethal taking it to the hoop. Jason Williams and Ricky davis are fine players but the depth on this club is suspect and they will be in a dog fight with Orlando and Washington for top honors. > Get your Miami Heat tickets here.

The Washington Wizards feature perhaps the most unconcious scorer in the game in Gilbert Arenas, he’s better than Bernard King well maybe and Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are excellent too but they are weak in the post and need to rely almost totaly on a perimeter game but hey it works so they win over 40 and maybe take the Division if Shaq breaks down. >  Get your Washington Wizards tickets here.

The Orlando Magic have a man in the middle in Dwight Howard like a younger Garnet, he’s hitting jumpers now too. Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson compliment him well and who knows if the bench comes through they could make a move and conted. Howard is worth the ticket alone. > Get your Orlando Magic tickets here.

The Atlanta Hawks aren’t a good team. I can say that, but then when will they be? Well soon perhaps as Al Horford could be a rookie of the year candite and Joe Johnson can light it up. With a year to season and another top pick and a free agent or so they might be up with the rest of the pack. >  Get your Atlanta Hawks tickets here.

The Charlotte Bobcats had a bad break with both Adam Morrison and Sean May having season ending knee surgery befor the seson even started. Bummer. They can still give you a run with Emeka Okafor in the paint and Jason Richardson firing away but it looks like a lottery pick awaits for the Bobcats this year meaning it’s wait till next year if your a fan. > Get your Charlotte Bobcats tickets here.

Tomorrow we start on the NBA Western Conference. Remember to get your tickets now from National Ticket Agency for the hot games on your clubs schedule. Don’t miss out when superstars like Kobe Bryant, Allan Iverson, LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Paul Pierce, Zach Randolph,  etc perform their high flying feats.