Cheap Seats
The grand scamming of them all
If you’re interested in taking a family of four to the Rose Bowl, it’ll cost you $300 just to get in the gate. That’s right: $75 a pop for a Rose Bowl ticket - a $27 increase from a year ago.
“We thought our tickets were underpriced in comparison to bowls like the Fiesta and Sugar, plus we wanted to get our payout more in line with theirs,” said Jim Muldoon of the Pacific-10 Conference. “Strangely enough, nobody’s booing. The price of a ticket is the least concern for people who travel.”
But what about the students? “With Northwestern and S.C., we’re not talking about poverty kids,” Muldoon said of the private institutions.
So if Washington State makes it, you’ll drop ticket prices? What do you mean, “When hell freezes over?”
You wouldn’t want to be in Tark’s shoes
The players’ feet hurt at Fresno State, and it’s got to be the shoes. And now it’s a headache for coach Jerry Tarkanian, who recently got miffed at Nike and crawled into bed with Adidas for a $100,000 a year.
“They are,” said one Bulldog said of the new shoes, “the worst sneakers I’ve ever put on my feet.”
Even Tarkanian is frank about them: “By the end of the day, I can’t even wear them.”
This isn’t exactly the marketing campaign Adidas envisioned. When Fresno plays, three of five starters wear either Nike or Converse. Rahsaan Smith at least covers his swoosh with tape.
“I didn’t want to get Coach in trouble,” Smith said, “but I’ve got to be able walk when all is said and done.”
But an Adidas rep called the Bulldog basketball office and let it be known Tark wasn’t being paid for his players to wear other brands.
“Hey coach,” Smith yelled over to Tark at a practice, “the shoes are no good.”
“Yeah,” Tarkanian laughed, “but the money is.”
Never mind that you don’t get any, Rahsaan.
Maybe if Phil Jackson made a home visit
The Sam Bowie Sweepstakes is on. He announced his retirement last year and is the most brittle 7-footer in the land, but the former Kentucky star is still valued by both the Bulls and Lakers.
Bowie likes retirement and doesn’t need the money, but there is such a shortage of backup big men in the NBA that the Lakers have reportedly offered a two-year, $6 million deal.
“This is somewhat like college recruiting days all over again,” said Bowie.
Except the dough was better at Kentucky.
The Church of Mike Holmgren
It’s Christmas Eve, and the Packer fans from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Green Bay have a choice. Special services or the final NFL regular-season game between the Pack and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Rev. John Parlow is keeping the faith.
“I’m quite certain that it’s not Brett Favre and Edgar Bennett who will determine what happens to their eternal soul,” Parlow said.
The last word …
“If I were given only two weeks to live, I think I’d go to Reggie White’s doctor for a second opinion.”
Michael Ventre, Los Angeles Daily News
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo