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..

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.

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.

Some sports and concert ticket talk

Well my NE Patriots almost fell last night to the fired up Philladelphia Eagles. Asante Samual proved he’s worth the big bucks picking off two and basically saving the game. It’s not that the Pats were that bad , actually Brady’s stats were pretty impressive and Wes Welker was in the right palce at the right time like 13 times, but the Eagles led by Jay Feeley looked damn good. A win is a win is a win as they say and the streak continues. Belicheck had them out there today when usually they get Mondays off so you can bet that they will be tuned up for next Monday nights Ravens game. Notice how that Patriots are on national TV like every week,  I mean good for me I can watch at home rather than have to trek to the local watering hole and mix it up with the NY boys..I should have been a batboy, the Red Sox full shares were worth over 300k and 44 were voted full, 14 were partials and even the batboys got some cash , it pays to win….By now you know the Celtics lost and there goes they’re undefeated season, darn it..Tonights Monday night game should be good, lets see if Miami can avoid being shutout by the Steelers ha , better let’s see if Ricky Williams can still run, hmm maybe I will watch it for a while..Missouri is No. 1 in the BCS  and the underdog in the Big 12 title game. You figure it out. If BC wins the ACC I would like to see them play Hawaii it would be fun to see Brennnan and Ryan air it out. The over would be 60 pts. News flash Sean Taylor shot bad in his home, wtf..I know he was kinda a jerk but alot of 21 yr olds with talent and money are, but he had settled down and was a damn good hard hitting safety but more had matured was a father and was growing, it’s a shame..ban them handguns please..Is Devin Hester electricity in cleats or what and how do you kick the ball to him when he just torched you.

Hey catch Van Halen, they should be playing at a town near you. They have added alot of dates and it is belived they will tour right through 2008.  They still rip it up and I’m still hot for teacher.

After closing out his 2007 calendar with concerts in Europe and South Africa, crooner Michael Buble willl return to the North American tour circuit early next year. He puts on a terrific show, even your parents would approve.

Bon Jovi the beautiful just keeps rockin around the world selling out shows and pleasing his fans with hit after hit. He will be playing near you and this is one show not to miss as he still hits all the high notes.

Hannah Montana is in the midst of her sold out tour and the tickets are the hottest on the market. National Ticket Agency has seats reserved for you. What better Christmas present could you give your kid than to take them to this show that they will remeber for the rest of their life.

The Spice Girls are hopscotching back and forth over the Atlantic and after playing a bunch if shows in London will be back in the states to tantilize your musical palete. Definate eye and ear candy that is one treat you won’t want to miss.

Look for Rascal Flatts to add more shows in 2008. The country band played to sold out arenas and earned rave reviews in 07 and is sure to satisfy your ole country bones when they hit your town.

WEEKEND CONCERT TICKETING

What I am about to do may be considered unconventional in that Joe Ticket is a blog that is associated with an after market ticket agency, National Ticket Agency. I am going to list the tickets and the dates and times that they will be going onsale at Ticketmaster! And I am going to do it every Friday or Saturday. Why would I do that? Well frankly I know that you are not going to get any anyways, well maybe a few, but very few and very lousy seats as well  due to some very good reasons. First off you may or may not be in a position to access the Ticketmaster ( or Live Nation) website at precisely the time the tickets are going on sale. Secondly even if you were the chances that you would get through to actually select and purchase tickets is slim and none as you are competing against tens of thousands of online buyers all trying to access the site at the same time. Most of them are hopeful fans but many are professional ticket brokers with perhaps 10 or 20 computers in the office all open to the Ticketmaster browser. Thirdly the major ticket agencys have the system rigged with sophisticated dialing software and programs to bypass the type in security code which was designed to prevent this very action but believe me programmers are well paid to stay ahead of it. They are literally able to make it appear as if the computers are individually at diferent IP addresses and all sorts of other tricks. Fourth there still is corruption at the venue level and maybe even at Ticketmaster ha ha where large blocks of tickets are funnelled out and don’t even appear in the system. Back in the day I had a girl at the local outlet pull 8 for me on every big show before the door was even openned. Fifth a goodly number of seats are also blocked out to be given to the bands, radio stations for promotions, other media and what not. Sixth many bands have already distributed large lots of tickets for pre sale for fan club members or other type subscribers. So you see it’s probably futile to try but by all means if you have the time and patience go for it. You might get lucky. If you you get tickets and can’t go you can always sell them to a broker like National Ticket Agency for at least face value and probably more. The system is rigged, it’s not fair you say? Well not fair is the American way. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s called supply and demand , a tenant of our capitolistic system. All is fair in the marketplace as long as it’s legal and if you can justify it morally theres really no problem.  Nowadays the reselling of tickets at over the face value which used to be and is still sometimes called scalping is legal and the secondary ticket market is a robust industry and completely legal in almost all 50 states. It’s so good in fact that Ticketmaster themselves have set up an “after market shop”.  Many sports teams do it and with Ebay and Stub Hub there’s ways for the average fan to act as a broker and sell there own tickets too. That being said I am not worried about it as National Ticket Agency is busier than ever. That’s because I take the stress, the hassle, and the guess work out of the ticket buying equation. I give you  personal service and will search myself for you to get you the best tickets at the best price. In other words I give you added value. You do what you do for work and I bet your good at it and I’m good at what I do, that’s finding you the tickets that you really want at a price that you can afford. Will you pay more than face value , of course , I have to eat too you know, but I spare you the frustration of spending time online and on the phone in vain. The pain of combing through impersonal cookie cutter websites and the potential disaster of buying counterfit tickets from unscrupulous dealers and individuals listing seats in classifieds like craigslist or on Ebay. You can call me or shop at my website at your leisure 24 hrs a day , 7 days a week, even holidays and you have my expertise and advice that I am always willing to share as to what games , what venues , what shows are worth it. I can even arrainge travel and transportation to big events like the Kentucky Derby and the Daytona 500 or even the Super Bowl.

 

First the Boss, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band continue to assemble their US spring jaunt, one date at a time. On-sales get underway Saturday (11/17) for planned shows in Rochester, NY; Anaheim, CA; and Atlanta. Monday (11/19) on-sales are set for Hartford, CT; and Buffalo, NY.

Next Eric Clapton reunites with Steve Winwood  for three concerts in New York City, set for Feb. 25, 26 and 28 at Madison Square Garden. Tickets for all three shows go on sale to the general public Monday (11/19) at 9 a.m. EST.

 

Matchbox 20 will greet 2008 with its first North American outing in more than four years, hitting the road with Alanis Morissette. On-sales begin Saturday (11/17) for the tour’s stops in Hollywood, FL; Tampa; Atlanta; Charlotte, NC; Auburn Hills, MI; Milwaukee; Fairfax, VA; Verona, NY; New York City; Niagara Falls, NY; Reading, PA; Kansas City, MO; Omaha, NE; Grand Prairie, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Broomfield, CO; Seattle; Reno, NV; Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Sunday (11/18) on-sales are set for San Jose, CA.

Avril Levigne is finally is hitting the road next spring to support for her April release, “Best Damn Thing.” Tickets hit the market Friday (11/16) for Lavigne’s upcoming show in San Diego. On-sales begin Saturday (11/17) for her planned appearances in Rosemont, IL; Auburn Hills, MI; Pittsburgh, PA; Cleveland, OH; Uncasville, CT; Manchester, NH; Fairfax, VA; Hidalgo, TX; Dallas; Selma, TX; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Anaheim, CA; Universal City, CA; and Santa Barbara, CA

 

Celine Dion will to hit the road in a big way, embarking on a nearly year-long international outing to support her new album.  Tickets hit the market Friday (11/16) for Canadian stops in Vancouver, Edmonton and Winnipeg. On-sales begin Saturday (11/17) in Sacramento, CA; Tacoma, WA; Salt Lake City; Birmingham, AL; Montreal and Toronto. Monday (11/19) on-sales are set in Boston; Washington, DC; Newark, NJ; Uniondale, NY; New York City; Atlantic City, NJ; Columbus, OH; Cleveland, OH; Auburn Hills, MI; Minneapolis; Chicago; Indianapolis; St. Louis; Kansas City, MO; Omaha, NE; Denver; San Jose, CA; Anaheim, CA; Los Angeles; Glendale, AZ; San Antonio, TX; Nashville, TN; Atlanta; Raleigh, NC; Miami; Tampa; and Sunrise, FL.

Coming up will be a bigger list of hot concerts to warm the fall nights. Plenty of bands are touring as frankly that is the major source of their revenues today. That and merchandise sales outstrip the revenue from the sales of recorded music.

Turning to sports, the Celtics and the Patriots remain undefeated..who will lose first? Great tickets to both Boston teams are available. Believe it or not I see that Red Sox 2008 tickets are now showing up on the ticket network big board. Hey makes a great Christmas present. In fact for a stocking stuffer tickets can’t be beat!   JT

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

Beantown Rundown

WARNING! Do not read if you are anti Boston (or from NY. ) By now most of you know that I grew up in the burbs, South Shore, and have a bias for Beantown and even though this blog is national in scope as the official blog of National Ticket Agency, I’m going to allow myself to bask in the glory of our time for no one knows what tomorrow may bring, right now I feel like a king.

I must admit that I have been so caught up in the Beantown mania that it’s effecting my work , my marriage , my lawn etc. It’s the greatest of times for all who hail from New England. The Sox, Pats, Celts , Bruins and BC Eagles are all riding high at once. I have incredible satsfaction in the Boston College Eagles success, being currently solidly entrenched (well at least till next saturday, lol) in the number 2 slot in all the national rankings for NCAA Division 1A football. They have always been good and do indeed  produce great offensive lineman like Penn State produces linebackers but now they are great. We all remember the magic of Flutie and it looks more and more especially after Thursday’s  come from behind win at VT that Matt Ryan has an inside shot now at the Heisman trophy and that if the Eagles run the ACC table they could be in line for a National Championship. WOW! My next source of elation is the Boston Red Sox, who after drubbing the Colorado Rockies last night in Colorado are but one game away from sweeping their way to a  second World Championship in 4 years. As a longtime sufferer, someone who took the green line to Kenmore on those days of twi-night doubleheaders to be able to sit behind the Sox dugout for 5 or 6 innings, hoping to get a glance from Hawk Harrelson or Yaz or Rico,  I am so proud to be a member of Red Sox Nation. See baseball is special to New England kids who stare out the window at the snow and dreamed of the green grass of early spring and first days we could play catch without a heavy jacket on. Praise and glory to Theo Epstein the boy wonder from Brookline who learned his math well and knows that to work a count deep gives you the chance to see a good fat pitch to hit and also runs up the pitch count getting you into the opponents bullpen earlier in the game. Theo couldn’t hit a lick but he knows his sh_ t and he  took the heat when Pedroia didn’t hit and Lugo didn’t hit and Drew looked like a bust and Manny a clown and Lowell past his prime. He rolled the dice with Matsuzaka effectionatly know as Dice K and stay chill with Schill who pitches now on guts alone , had faith in Lester who battled cancer, and Ellsbury who injected speed. And my thanks to Coco for being cool, Big Papi for raking the yaaad with creaky knees and to Varitek the captain who steers the ship. Lest we forget the Okie from Muskogee , Japan Okijima who was practically perfect and to Papilbon for putting out the lights and putting the opposition to sleep. This isn’t quite the impossible dream but this is truly a great team. Ok so get out the brooms it looks like a sweep and if not then it will be a street paarty when they wrap it up in Kenmore square.

Let’s give some credit here to the Boston Bruins whom I have lambasted with regularity for many years I mean how to you bring a kid ( Joe Thornton) up at 17, wait for him to mature into an AllStar center and then just trade him and about 10 other screwups but heck Tim Thomas has been lights out in the net and Phil Kessel is a snifty as it gets. Keep up the good job boy’s and maybe someday another flag will fly from the rafters. i should live to see the day!

Not to forget the New England Patriots, I mean how could we that’s all anyone anywhere is talking about. Today the try and mow down the Washington Redskins. The Pats have firepower the Redskins have toy bow and arrows Patriots 28- Skins 10, they beat the spread yet again.

Finally we get to the Celtics, the new and improved Boston Celtics that is with the big 3,  of Allen, Pierce and KG. Garnet is showing why he is a perenial all star of the finest magnitude, he’s a monster on the boards and a natural shot blocker and possibly the finest passing big man in the game with 20 foot jumper range. Last week I said they would win 60 and I was scoffed at but I stick to that as I see now that Glen Davis aka Big Baby is a valuable board banging inside scorer and Posey looks goods and Rondo is kicking it around. This team has depth and plays team ball like the Celtics we all remember. The season starts this week and I need to give you the rest of the league briefs but thats on hold till tomorrow as I must run to ABC’s and grab a bottle of champaign glee to pop the top on that baby when Paps sets them down tonight 1, 2, 3.

Don’t forget to support your favorite ticket supplier Joe Ticket the man behind the goalie mask at National Ticket Agency who promises you personal service and vows to get you the best seats at the best price. Let me do all the dirty work of sorting the seats and compairing the prices as I am an All Pro at this. (Or is that Old Pro.) Call me at 877-222-3940 and I’ll hook you up with good seats and hot tickets to every concert and sporting event in the country. And folks if your not from New England, don’t sweat it, your day will come too – I don’t know when but heck we’re all friends and we all love live music and watching sporting events in person because that’s the best! Remember , National Ticket Agency has you covered!