Second Coming Sends Fans Of His Airness Into Frenzy

Forget the home team. The fans want Jordan.

Michael Jordan’s announcement that he would return to the Chicago Bulls lineup in a nationally televised game against the Indiana Pacers today quickly touched off a case of Jordan fever.

The game at 16,530-seat Market Square Arena had been sold out for more than a week, but fans still were trying to get tickets or anything bearing the Jordan name or likeness.

“I will pay up to three times the face value,” Tony Hughes, 25, of Indianapolis said Saturday outside the arena as he tried to get tickets.

“Even if I have to wait until after the game starts (and buy a ticket from a scalper), I’ll get in that way. I WILL get in.”

Whether they planned to go to the game or watch it on television, fans were cheering Jordan’s return.

“I’m very disappointed at not being able to get tickets,” said Jed Bineba, 26, of Indianapolis, also at the arena trying to acquire tickets.

Fans also were seeking Jordan T-shirts and hats.

“Everybody was very anxious. They’re real excited he’s coming back and wanting to see if he can still play as well as he did when he went out,” said Jennifer Shelton, manager of Sports Fanatics, a sporting goods store. “People want … anything with Michael Jordan on it.”

Chandra Templeton, a cashier at Indianapolis Sports, said the sporting goods store was full of fans.

“Everybody of all ages is talking about it,” she said, adding that 32 of the 34 Jordan jerseys the store had in stock were sold by midafternoon.