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.

Major League Baseball American League East Preview!

Most of the teams seem to be pretty well set now so I feel comfortable writing this tonight. It’s possible that a few more player transactions will occur such as the Sox dealing Coco Crisp, but it’s safe to analyze the teams and predict their successes or failures now. Incidentally, I believe that the Sox should keep Crisp as he is a late game defensive replacement for Manny and he is also a switch hitting bat off the bench and a speedy pinch runner. The perfect # 4 outfielder in other words. If Crisp yaps his mouth about not starting I would tell him he needs an attitude adjustment, be a good teammate and chances are his time will come. Statistically it is quite conceivable that between injuries and everything else he could get in 100 games. Oh yes he get’s paid pretty well too… Oh ok, your sick of the Red Sox talk well then let’s see who here can knock them off. They are the defending champs. For tickets to all Major League Baseball games go to National Ticket Agency the best source for affordable seats to all the hot sold out games from sea to shining sea. Or if it’s not sold out and you just want to sit in sweet field box seats give NTA a call at 877-222-3940.

East Division

 Since I am going in the order that they will finish,that makes the dynamic Bosox the first team to review. However since I am from Boston and read the sports sections of The Globe , The Herald, The Providence Journal, and The Brockton Enterprise  I am way over informed and thoroughly saturated with Sox Stuff coming out of my ears and I would never lay it all on you at this time. Suffice to say that the pitching staff even without Schilling is extremely strong and deep. If Lester and Buckholz are for real and a guy like Hanson contributes they may even be the leagues overall best. Watch for ex brewer Dan Kolb to win a job and with Beckert and Dice K at the front of the order and Paplebon at the back end of games this team will win 100 games. As for the offense, Ellsbury should be an ideal leadoff man and then with a fired up Manny and and a healthy Ortiz and Drew having a normal year, even if Lowell and Varitek slip a bit they have the pop. Oh let’s not forget about rookie of the year Pedroia and the bald eagle eye on base machine Youkilis. For tickets to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox without spending an arm and a leg, ( well maybe just an arm) click on any Red Sox link.

 What you say The Blue Jays coming in ahead of the Yankees? Absolutely and I realize that this might piss off some of you Yankee fans but oh well..the truth hurts. Look it will be close and probably come down to the last week or so but the Jays really improved themselves this year. Scott Rolen is healthy and happy and that means that the American League has a new best third baseman. Eckstein brings spark to the infield and team, Overbay can hit and Wells and Rios are studs. If AJ Burnett finally matures to match his stuff and Haliday and McGowen do their things and Ryan closes things out this club wins 90 games but alas won’t make the playoffs. You definitely want to secure good seats now though for all the big games at this Blue Jay ticket link.

Don’t underestimate the impact of losing Joe Torre. Don’t minimize the difficulty Joe Giradi will have. That being said this Yankees team is still  deep and talented. They screwed up and should have gotten Santana, the Sox played them perfectly on that. This staff is a little more suspect than usual. It’s hard to imagine that Wang is the #1 but he has earned it, the guy is steady. Petite is simply a great lefty proving it year after year however he may be a little rattled from all the BS he’s endured this off-season and it ain’t over yet. You assume Mussina will give you 13 or 14 wins but he’s hittable now, and then Hughes and Chamberlin have to do it all year sort of like Lester and Buckholz and it may come down to that too. The offense is potent with the amazing Arod and his 45 dingers, Giambi I believe will hit, he always does, Cabrera, Cano,  Damon and Abreu are just plain damn good and don’t forget about Posada and Jeter , like how can you..Ok maybe this team wins 90 also and ties for second..Yankees tickets are hard to get at reasonable prices as there are too many New Yorkers vying for them but if you click this Yankees link you’ll find your seats.

This is the team that everyone hates to play and when and if they spend a few more bucks and pick up the missing pieces they could contend. They dropped the Devil but kept the Rays in an attempt to change their image and luck. The talent that they have aquired over the years of dumping budding stars like the Marlins do, has made for a bountiful farm system and a dearth of young major league talent led by the old timer 28 year old All Star Carl Crawford who is a pleasure to watch. BJ Upton hit 300 and is in center and Roco Baldeli is healthy ( I think) making this one hellofa speedy outfield. Pena at first can rake and Langoria is supposed to be a can’t miss at third. Scott Kazmir can be, no is,  a lights out lefty and then it starts to get funky..They will improve on last years 66 wins and beat you when you can’t afford it and it will hurt..And they are in a success mode now so they figure to hang onto these guys for a while and give it a shot. For tickets to the Rays games click here

Oh Lord what hath you done..this once proud franchise of yesterday decimated and dismantled. And Baltimore has always been a baseball town. This must hurt long time faithful Orioles fans. Where have you gone Cal Ripkin , our city turns it lonely eyes to you…. boo hoo hoo..They traded their two best players. I happen to agree with dumping the slumping Tejada and I do think he was a ” user” but anyways that’s for another day. Bedard was arguably better than Santana last year and they traded him, ouch. By the way The A. Jones in center field isn’t Andruw. Markakis , Scott and Mora are decent enough and Millar is a great dude but this team is physically as in ability challenged. The back end of the staff is young and the front ain’t got enough. They might lose 100 games which balances off against the Red Sox. Camden Yards is still the bomb though so if you are planning a road trip this summer include it on your east coast swing. Hey all you Yankee and Red Sox fans for Orioles tickets click here. 

Check back for the AL Central preview over the weekend and by all means don’t be shy please leave a comment if you feel like it. All comments and opinions, in good taste of course are appreciated.

How To Write A Sports Blog That Draws Readers In

Now that I have your attention the first rule is that the title has to be compelling…Naw I’m just kidding around, the purpose of my Joe Ticket blog is simply to let off some creative steam, my personal sports juice. Surprisingly even to myself I have some lucid and worthwhile insights to impart occasionally. I have been told in order to gain a following and to have this blog become a useful tool for my business National Ticket Agency, I need to post fresh content much more frequently than I do, perhaps as often as 3 times a week. I have found that when I do post and tag with relevant keywords that I get decent traffic and some of it even swings readers over to NTA and every once in a while converts into a sale of tickets or of products advertised on the site. So I am hereby committed to giving it a shot, not a three pointer but a 12 foot jumper which I know I can hit with regularity. In order to do this and have it be not full of rubbish I will have to type out my thoughts on a variety of issues in the sporting arena. It won’t be hard I read 3 or 4 newspapers a day and go to several other blogs or other sports sites frequently. I also of course get proprietary news and info from my sports and concert ticket networks and they have given me the green light to relay this information to you Joe Public.  From Joe Ticket to Joe Public, nice.

So we begin this journey into sports land with a comment about the upcoming baseball season and what baseball means to me. When I was younger and living in the frigid northlands of New England, ( I can only imagine it being worse in Buffalo, Milwaukee, or Canada) I used to dream about the snow melting away and giving way to puddles of mud which eventually dried into a surface suitable for dry sneaker footing and thus playing catch. Then eventually the grass grows , the jackets come off and just like that it’s baseball season! And no one has to remind anyone that the summer time is endless and that baseball is timeless, from my grand dad to my dad to me. Every day we play catch and hit grounders and this is how I got my strong and it also why my arm now is dangling and shot. Of course I like football, basketball, hockey, and anything sporting but I really love baseball, only baseball. And being from New England I root root root for my home team the Red Sox. Tony C  is forever my favorite, for when he came to the plate in those first couple years before his tragic encounter with fate, you held your breathe, he had a bat speed and hand to eye long before anyone coined those phrases. Back then I used to get tickets for single admission twi night double headers, that was my favorite,  and right from school hop on the bus from the suburbs to Mattapan Square, where I would catch the trolly to Ashmont then get onto the green line to Kenmore.  A kid of 10 could actually safely do that back in the late 60’s, imagine! Then I would maturely step up and buy my Reserved Grandstand el cheapo ticket for maybe 7 bucks and enter the hallowed grounds of Fenway Park, aware that my dad and your dad and his dad did this very thing and felt the very same way, so excited to be in the presence of greatness, the big leauges, my heroes just inside and already on the field loosening up. I go up the ramp behind home plate and am happy that no-one is here yet. In those days they were lucky to draw 15,000 fans and for the first game most of them were still at work so I had my pick of any seat. Naturally I sit in the first row behind the Red Sox dugout and watch the visitors batting practice. Boog Powell, Frank Robinson, Harmen Killabrew, Tony Oliva, Frank Howard…wow…when Robinson connects the bat sounds like a combination of a lihgtening strike and a bell chime. It rings, and he launches line drive after line drive still rising as it clears the net in left. Oh Lord I have never seen to this day a man hit a baseball that way, not even Manny.  So that was my indoctrination and the basis for this life long affair. My own background is Little League catcher and pitcher on alternate days, same in Babe Ruth league, winning 5 championships in 6 years,  then settling on catching in High School, playing some second base and outfield in local semi pro leagues and absolutely going to the wrong colleges and thus not playing any more than fall ball.  Like any good catcher, I am a student of the game.  I can analyze the hell out of a swing, can pick up a tipped off curve ball, pontificate on strategy, and basically spot a good ballplayer from a mile away.. I was Theo Epstein before Theo Epstein was Billy Bean..Now I love to go to Spring Training  games down here in always sunny and warm Florida and scout the rooks and then I go to the Class A games in the broiling summer heat  and pick all these young pros apart..Deep down I know that with the proper coaching and conditioning that it could have been me.. To be continued………..I must eat something soon or pass out…..

Here we go, on to the Super Bowl: Patriots vs Giants

  Well I was wrong. Eli Manning is better than I  thought, way better in fact. He displayed poise and threw the ball like it was just another ho hum winters day, though the reality was that it was hellishly cold if I may allow myself that literary mismatch. The Giants, affectionately known as the G men, thanks Chris Berman, opened up at 14 point underdogs but since common sense has prevailed and Tom Brady was seen with das boot the line is now an almost as ridiculous 12 points. This is the Super Bowl folks…It’s going to be a close game. These are the two best teams left standing. Granted on a dry field in warm weather the Patriots may revert back to the dominance offensively that they had displayed for most of the season. Randy Moss ought to line up 3 steps back to get a running start and avoid getting chucked at the line. (That’s my tip to Mr Bill , you saw it here first.) I just feel that the Giants are on a roll have alot of confidence with their late season streak. Hey they almost shoulda coulda beat the Patriots in the regular season finale. Of course they didn’t and the Pats are underfeated. And let’s face it the Pats are better. Better personel on both sides of the ball overall and they have that X factor , that been there before, done that before factor. They also have the Bradychick factor. No not that chick wise guy, but Belichick. The killer B’s. Two certain Hall of Famers at the two spots you need it most. So why don’t I predict that Patriots to beat the spread,  butter em up and wipe them out. Because in football you never know. There is no sure thing. The ball bounces funny sometimes. a pass gets tipped at the line. The quarterback goes down. A guy coughs it up. And oh ya these Giants are tough. Tom Coughlin demands that. You might not like him as a player but you respect him as a coach and you play 110 % or you are out on your ars. Most of the better coaches are like that. In fact that’s how Belichick can get a guy that has a spotty past to play hard, (well that and some choice words from the veterans like Bruschi in the locker room..) Parcels is like that too. You give him lip and he may give you like a few hours to pack your stuff or maybe not even. I could it break it all down for you Maroney stepping it up the last few games, looking like a little Corey Dillon putting his head down and sticking his shoulder pads in a cornerbacks gut for the extra 2 yards. Rodney Harrison just smelling out the plays etc As well Hobbs and Cobbs shaky on the corner, the line bending a little too much. And on the Giants side the reemergence of Plaxico Burresss as an absolute stud, Jacobs pounding it up the middle and Bradshaw almost making everyone forget about Tiki what’s his name, and obviously Manning coming of age etc I could go on and on and on and on    OK OK enough already I know that your over media hyped and saturated allready and you wish the game was this Sunday , me too! MY PREDICTION  drum roll Ringo…..Patriots win 33-23!

Tickets for the Super Bowl are going for record prices. The fans from the frigid northeast are shelling out outrageous prices to bask in the desert sun and soak up the essense of Americana. The Super Bowl has taken on a mythical status as the event of the year in the USA.  Average price is $4500. The cheapest seats are $3200 for upper end zone. Good sideline seats are in the $10,000 range.  A ticket broker can make a years salary on this one game alone. Of course my friends at National Ticket Agency are humble and understanding. They understand the average mans plight. They will be watching at Bru’s room in Boynton Beach. Big screen , lot’s of beer and wings..see ya all there and take care , drive safe..

And for goodness sakes bring on the baseball season..Spring training countdown as of this second  courtesy of the Boston Globe 21 days : 10 hrs : 12 mins : 11 secs

The Brady Bunch

Is Tom Brady really human. I am beginning to wonder after watching him break the All Time record regular season or playoff game record for completion percentage. And don’t snort that they were all dump offs. He hits guys perfectly with sweet spirals that have just the perfect velocity right on the numbers, right in their hands, hard enough to get it in there, but soft enough to coral. Not only is he the greatest quarterback to ever play ( now playing at the highest level ever seen) but he is a very humble guy who his teammates say studies the game plans day and night. It’s a wonder he has time to date. (He did however  find the time to mate. The lucky dog!) I guess that fact that he is so handsome makes it all seem so unreal. It’s like these girls that have unbelievable voices , can play the guitar like a rock star and happen to be gorgeous. Damn! What I want to know how come these super beings seem to have it all and a poor shmuck like me still gets zits at 39, can’t lose my love handles, and since my shoulder fell apart can’t throw overhand anymore, nor can I play the guitar or sing. Not fair.  

The New England Patriots most assuredly are clearly Brady’s team. They are Brady’s Bunch. This team is so bright that diamond sparkles fly when they smile after scoring  touchdown after touchdown. And the Belacheat scandal only makes them even more appealing , everyone likes the perfect kid to be a little bad boy sometimes, right. What can I say in a blog that hasn’t been written about a hundred million times by professional writers from here to Timbuktu. Watching the Patriots chew up everyone and spit wins is not the least bit getting old, for me anyways. Granted I am a long time Patriots fan and a Bostonian, so yes I have a bias but even you must agree Joe Football Fan that what we are witnessing is historical, entertaining and a marvel. Like I always say I am a football fan first and these guys just blow me away. Bring on the high flying San Diego Chargers . Unfortunately for them 3 of their best star players are gimpy. Gates is only 90%, Rivers may not play at all and LT is limping. While I do respect the other two backs especially little Sprowls and the offensive line, Billy Vogel just isn’t going to cut it at QB against the Patriots smart as hell secondary. Is it too late for the Chargers to summons Doug Flutie for some magic? (Yes I know he is from Boston but he did play for the Chargers too. ) The Chargers defense is pretty decent too and Meriman is a force for sure but the Patriots will lick em like a a doggie lappin up soup de jour. Patriots 35- Chargers 13.

And in the NFC sorry Eli but you ain’t the second coming. The Giants,Brandon Jacobs is a load but he can’t carry the ballgame for by himself. Armani “Brain ” Toomer been playing great but the Super Bowl is not the G Men’s fate.  The Packers are at home in the sub freezing weather on a frozen tundra with the spirit of Lombardi they will roll. And Brett Favre who is on the roll of his life has a chance to reach center stage. Packers 28- Giants 16. And we will see you in Phoenix, Arizona for some ice tea and a Super Bowl.  If you dont have your tickets left there are a handful, but they will cost you your left arm and right nut. Check out the latest ticket listing at www.nationalticketagency.com. For a mere $325,000 you can have 20 friends party in the private end zone loft suite. $325 grand for end zone , please I’ll watch it at home!

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.

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!

National Hockey League Team by Team Rundown

 Hockey NHL style, is arguably the fastest, most intense, physically demanding sport. Requiring lightning fast reflexes with a toughness equaled only by football , australian that is you have to see it live to really feel it! Oh to pass the puck and put it right on the stick for a one timer. Being from the burbs of Boston, I learned to skate on the ponds of my little town and watched as the big bad Bruins of yesteryear led by the incomparable numba 4 , Bobby Orr whirled around and skated the length of the ice in magical displays of skating skills combined with hockey finess. I idolized the Bruins of old. Those were the golden years of Espo and Hodge, Cashman, Stanfield, Bucyk, Awrey, McKenzie and the turk Derek Sanderson and Cheevers in goal , then came Vadnais and Park from the Rangers and Terry ORieilly and then Cam Neely and then.. well nothing… It’s been nothing for a very long time. C’mon Bruins get it in gear! 

Please allow me now to completely rundown all the teams in the NHL and let you know in all sincerity that hockey is one game that  “better” tickets do matter. You can hear the players call to each other , you can hear the ice being sprayed when they stop, the puck banging off the boards, bodies rattling into the boards,  and even the ring of a slapshot off the crossbar. I recommend sitting near center ice about 20 rows back, that’s where it’s at and National Ticket Agency can make it happenn. Check out the link associated with your team and secure your tickets early to avoid being shutout. Teams listed by the order that I think they will finish in each division…..Today we look at the Atlantic,  Northeast and Southeast divisions.

NHL Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

 Pittsburgh Penguins  The Penguins are locked and loaded to win the Stanley Cup this year. They feature MVP Sidney Crosby and All Stars Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staahl . They added Petr Sykora and Darryl Sydor. You have to see Crosby live to believe how good he is at such a young age. Get tickets here > Pittsburg Penguins tickets.

New York Rangers The Rangers picked up Chris Drury and Scott Gomez which should add some firepower. Drury who had 37 goals last year is slated to play on a line with Jaromir Jagr. They will cruise into the playoffs exciting the fans and making Madison Square Garden a place to be unlike the hapless Knicks in B Ball. Get tickets for the Rangers early as the good ones tend to disapear quickly. > New York Rangers tickets.

Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers are a completely revamped team from last years horror show when they recorded a mere 56 points, an NHL worst. Daniel Briere aquired from Buffalo had 95 pts last season and along with  9 other newcomers should make a diference. Philly fans deserve something, don’t they? It’s a good hockey town get your tickets to the big games now. >Philadelphia Flyers tickets.

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils have a hell of a time scoring goals but with stellar goalie Martin Brodeur manning the net they are always in the game. Newcomer Danius Zubrus should help out up front. When hot and mind you he had 12 shutouts last year Brodeur is worth the price of admission. > New Jersey Devels tickets.

New York Islanders The Islanders lost 4 of their top 6 scorers from last year and added only Bill Guerin a top notch left winger but that won’t be enough to keep this team out of the cellar. If you combined the 2 NY teams you might have a shot! Loyal fans though that you are get top notch tickets to all the games here. > New York Islander tickets. 

NHL Eastern Division Northeast Division

Ottawa Senators The Senators will go with mostly the same lineup that reached the Stanley Cup finals last year. Dany Heatly shoots for his third straight 50 goal season. They should challenge for the Cup again and you will want to see this dynamic team when they come to your town or go to Ottawa for a weekend it’s a cool city in the winter. > Ottawa Senators tickets.

Buffalo Sabres The Sabres will have to fill the boots of two top scorers who left via fee agancy but Thomas Vanek is an All Star and this team did tie Detriot for most points in the league last year at 113. They’re still very good and it’s always a  good take. The New years day outdoor game in the football stadium should be a blast! > Buffalo Sabres tickets. 

Toronto Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs were oh so close to making the playoffs last year missing out on the seasons last day. They have added Jason Blake a 40 goal scorer and and a top defensive forward Mark Bell and have pretty good goaltending so look for the Leafs to sneak in this year for sure and for my buddy Matt’s sake go all the way. And as he would say, Go Leafs!  Good tickets available > Toronto Maple Leafs tickets.

Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens led the league in power play goals and in shorthanded goals last year but missed the playoffs. They added a solid player in Bryan Smolinski. The Habs look to rebound and return to some semblance of the glory. It’s always exciting to go to a Canadiens game for in Canada hockey is king! > Montreal Canadiens tickets.

Boston Bruins The Bruins hope that a new coach and a new goalie will bring new results: winning,  but this ain’t the big bad Bruins of yesteryear. Oh numba 4 Bob Orr where art though? There are so many holes in this team that it would take a miracle to make the playoffs. Still the fans in Beantown love their hockey and a good time is had by all. As a side note the Beanpot college tournament is a fantastic take.  Boston Bruins tickets.

NHL Eastern Conference Southeast Division

Carolina Hurricanes The Hurricanes won the cup in 05-06 and then missed the playoffs last year , go figure. Goalie Cam Ward should be better in his second year and forward Matt Cullen is back after a year with the Panthers. Look for this team to rebound and have a strong season. > Carolina Hurricanes tickets.

Tampa Bay Lightning The Lightning have a terrific foursome in forwards Vincent Lacavalier, Martin St. Louis, Brad Richards, and defenseman Dan Boyle. If they get decent goaltending they should top 100 points again this year and contend for the cup. They are an exciting team that can light it up offensively and a good take live. > Tampa Bay Lightning tickets.

Florida Panthers The Panthers should be right on the Lightnings tail. New goalie Tomas Vokoun is rated very highly and together with top gun Olie Jokinen and young stars Nathan Horton and Stephen Weis this team is one to watch. South Florida has many transplants from up north added to a fine fan base. Cool off in the rink and check these guys out! > Florida Panthers tickets.

 Atlanta Thrashers The Thrashers lost 5 players to free agency and Scott Mellanby retired still they have 3 big time forwards in Illya Kovalchuk, Slava Kozlov, and Marian Hossa so look for them to make a run at the playoffs again. Get your center ice seats now and be all set for the season. Atlanta Thrashers tickets.

Washington Capitols The Capitols are led by one of the most exciting players in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin and Michael Nylander returns after a stint with the Rangers. Goalie Olaf Kolzig is solid but it may not be enough to boost this club into the playoffs this season. Check out Ovechkin though as he is really a dominant player. Washington Capitols tickets.