I’d like to believe that there are two types of people in this world; Those who know and understand that being at the big game is an experience within itself, and those who try and argue that “it’s just as good to watch it on television.”

The difference between the two? Those that choose to stay home have never been to the big game in person. Either they’re too cheap, don’t know how to get tickets or bitch and moan about how the “real fans” get screwed.

The cheap argument is a valid one, especially when tickets for the Super Bowl are sold for thousands of dollars above face value. The BCS Championship Game and Final Four work along the same lines with second-hand tickets starting at a thousand dollars for a seat to the Florida-Ohio State tilt in January. And those Red Sox and Yankees fans in Florida aren’t going to fork over big bucks to purchase an 81-game season-ticket package for guaranteed rights to postseason tickets.

As for the “real fans,” I’ve come to find that many die-hards don’t get shut out of big events because they understand the concept of supply and demand. Many of the Tigers fans I met at the World Series last October weren’t going to let broker prices in excess of $400 a ticket stand in the way of watching their team compete for a title. The same goes for White Sox and Red Sox fans who forked over thousands to watch eight decades of bitter frustration and futility end in person.

The “real fans” hope, they plan, they budget and in the case of Philadelphia Eagles fans at Super Bowl XXXIX, they’ll even refinance the mortgage on their own homes for a ticket. Now that’s dedication!

But there are some tips and tricks for those who aren’t willing to go that far. Or, in the case of most of our readers, the flat-out poor. Get the pencil out and take notes, stick a new ink cartridge in the printer, because the following just might help you land the golden ticket to watch your team play for a title.

NCAA Final Four and Frozen Four Tickets

The NCAA allocates approximately 10,000 tickets at the Final Four for the general public through a lottery. Check www.ncaasports.com on or about March 15th to apply. People are allowed to enter up to 10 times, paying face value (approximately $150) per ticket for each entry. Successful applicants are notified during the fall and tickets are sent out during the following season.

There are three things you should know about Final Four ticketing;

1. The tickets given to the general public are what’s known in the industry as “get ins”, meaning you’re in the building but that’s pretty much it.

2. While the four schools end up getting the best seats (lower level), they only get a limited number of seats. This is a problem, especially at large public universities that use such an event to attract big-time donations. Students, more often than not, get left out in the cold.

3. Two schools (and their fans) are sent packing after Saturday’s National Semifinals. It isn’t too hard to trade-up and upgrade your seat if necessary. Though, with Atlanta being the host site and its geographi proximity to both Florida and North Carolina, that might not be the case this year.
 

Super Bowl Tickets

The NFL holds a random drawing for an undisclosed number of tickets (approx. 500 pairs) each fall. Entries must be postmarked from Feb. 1 to June 1 by certified or registered mail and can be sent to:

Super Bowl Random Drawing
P.O. Box 49140
Strongsville, OH 44149-0140

Unlike the NCAA Final Four lottery, there is no cost to enter the Super Bowl ticket drawing. Face value for Super Bowl tickets range from approximately $500-$800.

There are two things you should know about Super Bowl ticketing;

1. The NFL only accepts entries sent by certified or registered mail. This involves, in most cases, going to the post office and paying a few bucks. Don’t expect to drop a 3x5 card and a first class stamp in the mail and expect to get lucky.

2. While the two participating teams get a good number of tickets, there is never enough to satisfy the demand. Remember, clubs must satisfy employees, family members, sponsors and suite holders before season-ticket holders get their crack at tickets.

Golf Tournaments

Volunteers play a huge role in helping to pull off many PGA events. For many tournaments these hard-working individuals pay a small fee ($50-$150) and not only get outfitted but get to enjoy the tournament with an all-access badge while they aren’t on duty. Check the individual tournament Web site for more details.

Things you should know about golf tournaments;

1. This is the best way to get “inside the ropes.” If Tiger Woods is playing, that’s an experience all by itself.

2. This is also the best way to land a ticket to see a Major Championship like the U.S. Open or PGA Championship. Since the location of those events switch from year to year, there isn’t the volunteer carryover seen at most PGA events.

3. Often times the perks outweigh the cost. Most tournament sponsors offer a generous discount on equipment and in some cases free rounds of golf.

The Olympic Games

CoSport is the official distributor of Olympic tickets to U.S. citizens and sells tickets through their Web site at www.cosport.com. Ironically enough, it is quite easy for Americans to land tickets to major events like basketball, hockey and figure skating when the Olympics aren’t in an American city.

While there were more tickets allocated to Americans for the Olympics in Atlanta and Salt Lake, there was also far more demand, with tens of thousands of people entering a public lottery for tickets for the same coveted events.

General tips:

School is cool: Almost every college has a computer lab with the latest Internet equipment. These labs really help in trying to land high-demand tickets immediately after they go on sale. The more computers you have, the better your chances are. The problem for most students lies in the fact that many ticket on-sale times are on Saturday morning. Ouch.

Ticket Futures: These work like the stock market. An individual puts down money on a team to make the World Series, Final Four, Super Bowl, etc., and if said team makes it there, you’re going to the game. If they crash and burn beforehand, you’re out the money.
It is a fantastic buy for the Super Bowl, BCS National Championship and the Final Four. It really depends on the individual team for other events; For instance, at 35,000+ seats, it is a lot tougher to land a World Series ticket at Fenway Park then it is at 56,000 seat Yankee Stadium.
 

Check out www.theticketreserve.com or www.yoonew.com for more details.

Ticket Brokers: Sometimes a broker is the only way to land the big ticket. You know the Mike Tice ticket jokes? Who do you think he sold his Super Bowl tickets to? It wasn’t the guy in a sweat suit on a street corner but a business that specializes in selling premium tickets at market prices.

The difference between scalpers and brokers is that brokers are legally certified to sell tickets and thus won’t sell you an illegitimate ticket or else it’s their ass. It isn’t the cheapest way by any means, but what is made up in price is a guarantee that you’re getting a legitimate ticket and not a bogus counterfeit.

Check out Razor Gator (www.razorgator.com), Stub Hub (www.stubhub.com) and Ticket Solutions (www.tickets4u.com) for more details.

Ticket Scalpers: For bigger events like the Super Bowl, scalping is a dangerous proposition. There are more bad deals than good ones. But scalpers can be found for most any event, especially involving pro and college teams at their home arenas. If you find a good scalper, they’ll be both knowledgeable and have a good understanding of the market value. Obviously prices are negotiable in most areas. (Always lowball the first offer.) It helps to say something like, “I only have XX dollars on me” and never, ever make an ATM trip to deal with a scalper. 

If your team is in the tank and you’re looking for a good night out, scalpers may be the way to go. They’d rather take ten cents on the dollar then nothing at all.

EBay and Craigslist: I’m not a fan of buying tickets on EBay because the site is too popular. It might be the greatest site in the entire world but everybody and their grandmother knows how to use it. While the odds of getting scammed are a lot higher on Craigslist, there are some pretty good last-minute deals from people looking to dump tickets.

Stadium and Arena Web sites: Madison Square Garden and TD Banknorth Garden send out an email newsletter with the latest event and on sale information. Often times, these newsletters include promotions, last-minute ticket updates, ticket deals and access to special presales held before the general public. For more information, check out the Web site of a local arena near you.

The Tickets.com Trick: An oldie but goody. It is possible to open up multiple windows at the “Virtual Waiting Room” screen by going to “FILE - NEW - WINDOW” on your browser or by using “CTRL + N”

Ticketmaster: During a Ticketmaster on-sale, DO NOT use the recommended phone number. Most tickets can be purchased either at a local Ticketmaster outlet in person or through any Ticketmaster phone number, (i.e., for an event in New York City try calling the TicketMaster Hartford number) including a national automated number. Check out TicketMaster.com for a listing of outlets and numbers in your area.

Team Numbers: Most teams allow you to access the box office through the back door by calling the team’s main phone like and asking to be transferred to the ticket office during the on-sale date. It helps to know the extension number in advance as often times it will be an automated system making the transfer. This can be most helpful if your team doesn’t use Ticketmaster or Tickets.com to sell tickets.

Happy Hunting!