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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See the World Champions - Red Sox Tickets

Always there, always will be -  Yankees Tickets

Is this the year? – Cubs Tickets

Santana bolsters strong staff- Mets Tickets

Solid ballclub can hit – Phillies Tickets

Best lineup, ever? – Tigers Tickets

Balanced experienced- Indians Tickets

National League champs – Rockies Tickets

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

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

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

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

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

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

Major League Baseball National League East Preview

Being born in 1957, I missed that era when Boston was a two team baseball town. Back in my dads days the Boston Braves were a National League entrant and Braves field where BU is now, with it’s not-hole gang was how he as a boy, learned to appreciate the finer points of the game. He then passed down to me the story’s about seeing every great ballplayer from Wally Berger to Babe Ruth who finish his career there. He also went to Fenway Park all the time to see the Sox and the American League. He  took the subway to Kenmore Sq, the same way I did in the 60’s and 70’s when it was ok to be an adolescent alone in the big city, pre crime spree gang infested time. One time so the story goes, the bullpen catcher for the St Louis Browns tossed his old worn mitt to my dad who was hanging on the rail watching his heroes warm up.  He used that round pre modern web mit to catch me on the front lawn and I still have it as my most cherished possession. My only real early exposure to the National League was on Saturday afternoons in the summer time in the mid 60’s when NBC broadcast the game of the week. Dropped off at my grandmothers house when my parents went to work, I spent the mornings tossing a dilapidated hardball against the stone wall foundation of her three decker in imaginary sequences of various lineups formed from my knowledge of Major Leaguers garnered from baseball cards, radio broadcasts, my dads recollections, and of course those Saturday afternoon games. I was Earl Wilson, Dave Moorehead or  Jerry Stephenson then, putting the K on Kaline and breaking Killebrews bat with a fastball up and in.  When I was 7 I could throw pretty good and I already knew how to work a guy in and out, make him chase it when you got ahead. I was a pee wee league ace  and that wall with it’s uneven surface tearing the covers off the ball, sending  it ricocheting all over that little plot of an urban back yard was my oasis, the focus of my ambition, the way I was going to get to the Major Leagues. I wonder if 43 years later the strike zone that I outlined in red paint is still there. As I recall  sometimes there was a double header on, hopefully the Red Sox on the road in the first game, with the second game broadcast from the west coast. My favorite team then beside the Red Sox was the Dodgers, with Koufax, Drysdale and Maury Wills. I remember the game that Roseboro hit Marichal throwing it back to the mound triggering the infamous bat incident. The ball supposedly ticked Roseboro  in the ear and obviously ticked him off as he then proceeded to club Roseboro on the noggin. Boy did the Giants hate the Dodgers or what..Yup, those were the days when I took my grandmothers dime to the drugstore for an ice cream but I always bought 2 packs of baseball cards instead and I actually chewed that stale cardboard bubble gum. I want to know where are my cards now?  Who has my Yaz, my Oliva, my Rose, my Carlton, my Robinson boys, even my Mantle (probably worth a grand!)..are they in plastic, in a book on someones shelf or did someone elses mother toss that shoebox of junk out.  Enough nostalgia you say? What does it have to do with today? Well the fact is that the anticipation of the season is the same for me. The grass is still green, the mound is still 60 ft 6 inches from home plate and little boys still throw the ball against the wall striking out their heroes in imaginary games. So without further ado, here is my rundown of the National League East in the order of how they will finish 162 games later. And for good tickets to all games don’t forget to go to National Ticket Agency, your wholesale ticket broker, not a ticket scalping joker!

The Mets broke the bank and signed the best lefthanded starter of our time. Johan Santana has Koufaxian numbers and if Pedro Martinez can start 25- 30 games your looking at 35-40 wins between them right there. Of course Santana did slip a notch last year and Martinez doesn’t get it up there like he used to but the whole rest of this team is pretty solid . Reyes and Wright are a dynamic All Star duo on the left side and every other position seems solid as is the staff. Note Delgado just today felt pain in his hip and the Achilles heel for this team will be injuries , that said look for them to win 92-96 games and take this division. Mets tickets.

The Phillies will challenge and that’s good news for the long suffering Philadelphia fandom. If they get some breaks maybe they’ll take take the cake. Jimmy Rollins is just the sweetest all around shortstop and Ryan Howard now that Bonds is gone is the biggest slugger in the game, an I don’t want to hear any Big Papi crap, Howards the man. Hammels is a top lefty and if Lidge performs like he has in the past we can overlook the fact that outside of Utley, Rollins, and Howard this team has a bunch of good but not great talent. Phillies tickets.

The Atlanta Braves can never , ever be discounted or counted out. For the last 25 years they have produced ballplayer after ballplayer in a never ending tribute to good scouting and a fine farm system. They mastered the art of integrating kids and veterens and it resulted in some 14 straight divisional titles going back to 1991-2005. This years club has Shmoltz , Hudson, and the ageless Tommy Glavine and if Hampton can hit the high 90’s again pitching is a strong suit. Teixeira , McCann, Francoeur are all top young players so keep your eye on the Braves, they just might slip in there. Braves tickets.

The Washington Nationals are worth watching. Thet are not going to win the pennant but they have a damn good ballclub and lots of good young talent. That equals fun and that equals dangerous. If you don’t take them serious they will hurt you.  LaDuca behind the plate is a winner, who cares about the Mitchel report crap, me I care about basehits. Newly aquired Lasting Milledge and Elijah Dukes are two of the finest young athletes in the sport. Zimmerman is already a great third baseman and the meat hook Dimiti Young is a stick at first. They don’t have allot of pitching so they will finish 4th but give this group another year or two and a couple of free agent signings and it will be interesting. I liken them to Tampa Bay, a talented  upstart in a loaded division. Nationals tickets.

The Florida Marlins are treading water and waiting for their stadium to be built in 2011 before committing to paying for talent. Hopefully for their fans, who don’t bother to show up now, they will keep Hanley Ramirez a super star talent at short. Generally they just develop talent , trade them before they have to pay them and stockpile young minor league talent. Twice it worked out in World Championships so go figure you Cubs and Phillies fans, maybe they know something..Scott Olsen is a fine lefty, Uggla has allot of power for a second baseman. They lost Cabrera though so it could be hard to watch..For Hard to get Marlins tickets.(jus kidding).

Next up the National League Central.

BOSTON SPORTS LOOK : Kudos to the Bruinswho I have ripped for 10 years running, as not giving a crap as long as the owner sold enough beer to turn a profit. They actually are playing superior hockey to date, getting great goaltending from Tim Thomas and Zdino Chara may be the best defenseman in hockey! To be topped only by the Celtics who weathered the loss of Kevin Garnett, made it through the dreaded treacherous west coast road trip and now are back to their winning ways. Rajon Rondo just keeps getting better and better every game and if I say that in 3 weeks from now again he’s an All Star point guard. Their bench with the addition of PJ Brown is the best in basketball period, exclamation point! And folks just chill on the Pats. The Patriots know what they are doing, let these guys walk. If someone wants to over pay them  ie Stallworth, Samual etc. let them. In fact that’s why new free agents want to sign with them. Winning is good for your future paycheck! And the Pats have the depth, the money to retool. I would love to see Ty Law come back and I would love to see them trade down on the pick and get a LB and another DB. Ok I am off to see some college baseball on a scouting mission to FAU. Other stops this week include PBCC and a maybe Park Vista HS. South Florida is loaded with talent and oh ya it’s 78 degrees and sunny today . Cheers.

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…..

Super Bowl Post – Mortem that is …Ouch, Pat’s get spanked!

I wasn’t quite sure what to title this post. Post mortem maybe? All I can say is that now you see why they actually have to go onto the field and play the game. You can’t be crowned the King or called the Champ based on what you did yesterday or what you did 18 straight games prior to the only game that really matters. The Super Bowl. All the clippings, headlines and record setting performances accumulated over the course of this past season didn’t and don’t mean a damn thing. The Super Bowl was won fair and square by the better team yesterday. My dear friends , The New York Football Giants earned their rings by outplaying, out hustling and out coaching the New England Patriots. Rather than break down each and every play I will just say simply that the Patriots were flat. In fact I noticed that Tom Brady over the last few weeks has been a little down. Maybe his ankle was bothering him , maybe his personal life is carrying over onto the field. I am not sure but he just didn’t play well, didn’t slide and glide in the pocket. Well of course the Giants defense especialy the line was terrific and put alot of pressure on Brady, maybe that was it. I don’t think that the Patriots were outwardly cocky but it seems that they were a bit over confident. And as a followup to last weeks post I might add that Eli Manning sure looked good. Some quarterbacks have more talent perhaps but football is in his bloodlines and he has developed into a real leader. Did you notice Payton up in the booth..hmm I wonder if he was suggesting some plays….Football is such an emotionally charged physical game and the Giants took it to the Patriots and made the big plays. Congratulations. And congratulations are in order also to the Patriots too, remember there are 32 teams and they were better than 30 of them and mark my words they will be back next year as good as ever, fully loaded as usual , and highly likely to be  back in the Super Bowl.

I also want to point out something here that noone that I am aware of has mentioned. The Giants and the Patriots played an exhibition game this year and if my memory is correct they usually run a dual camp for a week or so which gives the players a little taste of someone other than going against a teammate in practice. They also played a whale of a game to end the regular season and my conclusion is the Giants were not intimidated at all by the Patriots , that they in fact new that they were as good athletically, as well coached and prepared as could be and in fact were quite confident that they could compete and win this game. Plaxico was right!  Kudos to Tom Coughlin for finally “getting it”. Everyone learns over time and makes adjustments to their style of coaching based on the particular personnel on your team. He has a reputation for being a stickler for details and a disciplinarian. This year he seemed to be more in tune and in harmony of the inner needs of his players and how to motivate them. He displayed flexibility and showed his human side and the players responded. I have nothing but good things to say about Belichik too, he is an all-time great coach and the Patriots had an awesome season but Coughlin won the big game yesterday and he’s now the man.

So Boston you still have the Celtics leading the NBA, the Bruins on the verge of making the NHL playoffs and of course the

countdown to spring training

Red Sox pitchers and catchers report in …

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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 Beginning of My Year End

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

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

JOE TICKET RIDES AGAIN

Well Happy New Year folks!

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

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

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

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE PART 3- The Pacific Division

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

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

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

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

WESTERN CONFERENCE PACIFIC DIVISION

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

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

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

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

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

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