Tom Talks: A Super Bowl tickets primer

If I ran the NFL, every fan that loves football would get a shot at a Super Bowl ticket. The lottery would be crazy. It would be like the lottery for the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion at London’s 02 Arena, and I know what it was like to lose that.

But at least you’d get a chance to buy a face-value ticket to Super Bowl LIII. You’d have to go to the game, though, and why wouldn’t you, being the fan you are? You couldn’t sell the ticket.

I don’t run the NFL. I went to 12 Super Bowls, and one of the more interesting preliminaries was watching the mad scramble for tickets. A friend of mine scalps tickets, and 10 years ago I accompanied him on his rounds. We went from hotel lobbies to hotel rooms, from outside the stadium to a quiet place with walls on three sides.

The business has changed markedly since. Buyers are much savvier. Many of them deal with secondary ticket exchanges such as StubHub, Vivid Seats and TickPick.

You’ll almost certainly pay more than if you deal with a scalper. But the sale is corporate, and it saves you from standing in a hotel lobby and dealing with a stranger. It also saves you from going to the Super Bowl city.

The secondary exchanges don’t always deliver what they promise. They can’t; they get stiffed, too. But to save the brand, they make good. In other words, they might not get you the ticket, but they won’t stiff you. Your money will be refunded, usually will include a make-good bonus.

The reason some fans still buy from scalpers – there ought to be a more respectable term for them – is the immediacy. You want your tickets now? Here they are.

The danger is that the tickets will be counterfeit. If you have time, hang around the hotel lobbies where the scalpers work their trade. If you see them a few days in a row, you know they’re almost certainly legitimate. The counterfeiters will engage in hit and run. Hit the victim, and get out before they suffer the consequences.

Tickets are tough to come by through legitimate means. About 75% of the 71,000 tickets at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium go to NFL teams.

The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, who will play Sunday in Atlanta, each receive 17.5% of the tickets. The team in the host city collects 5%. The other 29 teams each collect about 1.2%.

That leaves about 25% for the league. The league has partners. It also allocates tickets to the NFL On Location Experience. You can buy a ticket, rent a room and get access to invitation only parties.

The NFL also has a ticket exchange. If you went through the exchange Tuesday, you found seats ranging from $3,295 to $22,000.

Secondary market tickets, meanwhile, ranged from $2,297 to, in the SunTrust Club, $26,000. But SunTrust is my bank, so maybe I could talk them down to $25,800.

But if you have the pull to skip the NFL ticket exchange, and buy directly from the league, tickets start at $900 and go up to $5,000 (although club seats will cost more).

Where do the tickets come from? My friend doesn’t name names. But one source is NFL players. Some affluent players want to be more affluent. Also, not every NFL player has money, and not every NFL player is guaranteed a job next season. So, some sell their tickets, and avoid, if they choose, having to rent a room in the Super Bowl host city. If they do this, they can honestly tell relatives, “Look, I don’t have tickets.”

The market in Atlanta fluctuates. What’s true on Tuesday might not be true on Thursday. If interest is high, it’s because of New England. New England fans travel well, although many spent big to follow the champion Boston Red Sox to Los Angeles for the 2018 World Series.

The Los Angeles Rams do not travel well. They don't even travel well in Los Angeles. If you were in the ticket selling business, the best match-up would have been New England and the New Orleans Saints, or Kansas City-New Orleans.

Because of the Rams’ fans reluctance to travel, the market for tickets has been soft. That’s good for buyers, and bad for sellers.

Let’s give Rams’ fans a break. Their team played in Los Angeles, played in Anaheim, moved to St. Louis and moved back. They’re still new, and they still aren’t in their new stadium.

Also, in a just world, the Rams wouldn’t be playing in Super Bowl 53. The Saints were victimized by one of the worst big-game calls in the history of professional sports.

A friend of mine went to the last Super Bowl held in Atlanta, in 2000. The guy she sat next to didn’t arrive until midway through the first quarter -- being Atlanta, maybe it was the traffic -- and spent most of the game looking at his phone.

She thought of all the fans she knew who would have given almost anything to occupy the man’s seat, and she asked him why he was there. He said his boss told him he should go.

Tickets for nothing, football for free.

When Charlotte lost its chance at Anthony Davis

Most of the sportswriters I know neither pull for nor against the teams they write about. They pull for the best story.

I still do that. The best story is: The Charlotte Hornets win half their games, make the playoffs and win at least one playoff game, and perhaps two or even, improbably, three.

How do they improve next season or the season after so that they are one of the teams that win not only playoff games but a playoff series?

Head coach James Borrego has to develop his young talent. That was Borrego’s reputation as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs and, based on what I’ve seen, his reputation is earned.

General manager Mitch Kupchak must continue to draft well. He nailed his first draft.

The Hornets sign a free agent who, while not a big name, because big-name free agents sign with other teams, favorably impacts the team. Kupchak’s predecessor, Rich Cho, was adept at finding valuable pieces in late-season trades.

And if the Hornets, who play in the 17^th biggest city in the U.S., really want a dose of pragmatism, they should move to the biggest U.S. city that lacks an NFL team. That city, San Diego, is the country’s eighth biggest.

It was disappointing to hear this week that Rich Paul, who is Anthony Davis’s agent, told New Orleans general manager Dell Demps that Davis wants to play for a team that can compete for a championship, and will not sign an extension. The trade deadline is Feb. 7.

It was disappointing because New Orleans, like Charlotte, is a mid-market team. And while some mid-market teams might be accomplished at acquiring talent, they tend to be less adept at keeping it.

Davis can go to a team with another major star such as the Los Angeles Lakers, the team for which LeBron James plays. He wants, finally, to win.

So, yes, I winced when I heard that Davis wanted to leave New Orleans. But I winced even more when New Orleans drafted him.

In 2011-12, the Charlotte Bobcats won seven games and lost 59. Their winning percentage was .106. And they weren’t comical the way some horrendous teams are. They were just sad. There was Kemba Walker, a rookie fresh from leading Connecticut to the NCAA championship, running and hustling and losing.

The lottery would be Charlotte’s reward. The team threw a party the night the draft order was determined, and I asked if I could join it, and the team said yes. Team owner Michael Jordan was there. Everybody in the organization with pull was there, as were sponsors.

We watched on flat screen TVs as the draft order was announced. The Portland Trail Blazers would draft sixth, the Sacramento Kings fifth, the Cleveland Cavaliers fourth, the Washington Wizards third.

Wow. This was tense. The team that drafted first would select Anthony Davis, who played only one season at Kentucky and would unquestionably be an NBA star. Only Charlotte and the New Orleans remained.

The Pelicans had finished 21-45. They had the same record as Cleveland, had won one more game than Washington and 14 more than Charlotte.

Here was the announcement. The room quieted, the team ready to receive the wonderful news it so desperately craved.

Picking second in the 2012 draft would be – Charlotte.

The room deflated. Few talked. Many departed.

With the second pick, the Hornets would draft Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who like Davis played one season at Kentucky. New Orleans was the lucky mid-market team -- until this week, when Davis said he wanted to leave.

No, Davis has no reason to come to Charlotte. Even with Davis, he Hornets would not compete for a title, although it would be fun to watch them try. And who would they give up? Who would the package of a top draft pick and talent include? And because of the big contracts on the books, how would they pay Davis?

I’d love to see him in a Charlotte uniform. But Davis and his agent again would sing the mid-market blues.

The NBA has a soft salary cap. Teams can twist it, alter it, exceed it and all but ignore it. The league’s commissioner, Adam Silver, is the best in major sports. If he were able to impose a hard salary cap, teams would be unable to collect stars.

But didn’t we enjoy watching LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh together with the Miami Heat, and didn’t TV ratings prove it?

I don’t know what Silver should do. Charlotte’s problem hasn’t been keeping talent. Charlotte’s problem has been acquiring it. Before this season, the Hornets/Bobcats missed on too many high first-round players. Look at where they drafted and the players for whom they parlayed those picks.

The Hornets hit on the most recent draft, with first-round pick Miles Bridges and second-round pick Devonte’ Graham. But they have only one star, and that’s point guard (and starter on the Eastern Conference All-Star team) Kemba Walker.

Fortunately, Walker loves this town, and this team, and wants to stay and play in Charlotte. The Hornets’ goal has to be to add and develop players who someday will be as coveted as he is.

And Tom’s Super Bowl pick is ...

Before the season, I picked the Saints to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

On most gambling sites, New England was the preseason favorite. The Saints were seventh. The Philadelphia Eagles were second, the Green Bay Packers third, the Los Angeles Rams fourth, the Pittsburgh Steelers fifth and the Minnesota Vikings sixth. The Carolina Panthers were 15^th.

I really did want to get this one right. But the Saints were undone by a horrific no-call and, let’s admit it, a poised and opportunistic Rams’ team.

I’d like to see the Rams win. Seeing the Patriots in the Super Bowl is like seeing a vehicle in front of you on I-485 whose driver is unfamiliar with the concept THE LEFT LANE IS FOR FASTER TRAFFIC. This again?

But no matter how you feel about New England, the Patriots are a testament to sustained excellence. Yes, you can fill their resume with misdeeds. But they have the best coach in football and they have the best quarterback. They know how to win.

Most of the season, this edition of the Patriots did not exemplify the super teams we’ve come to know and detest. At times, they played old. At times, their defense played slow. The Patriots were, for them, a pedestrian 9-5.

They then ended the regular season by beating Buffalo by 12 and the New York Jets by 35.

They began the playoffs by beating the Los Angeles Chargers by 13 and the Kansas City Chiefs by six.

The Chiefs were 8-1 at home, losing only a one-point game to the Los Angeles Chargers in December. They won those eight games (which includes a playoff victory against the Indianapolis Colts) by an average of 16.7 points.

The Patriots beat them by six on the road in the AFC championship. Because of an unfortunate rule, the Chiefs didn’t touch the ball in overtime. But that’s the NFL’s fault, not New England’s.

I like the Rams. I like their coach, offense, defense and – even though I was pulling for New Orleans – their calm in the Superdome, such a loud, jarring and tough place to play.

The Rams will go Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the noise won’t be a problem for anybody.

I’d love to pick them.

But I can’t. I just don’t see Los Angeles stopping New England. The Patriots are 5-3 in the Super Bowl with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

On Sunday, they get to six.

New England 30, Los Angeles 24.

Take a Super Bowl bet, any bet

According to the America Gaming Association, we’re expected to bet $6 billion on Super Bowl LIII. Some of the bets are prop bets, which are designed for people who don’t bet, and have little or nothing to do with the outcome of the game.

A prop bet is a novelty bet. You can bet, for example, on the color of the liquid that will be poured on the winning coach.

You can bet on what Gladys Knight will wear when she sings the National Anthem, how long she’ll take to sing the anthem and whether there will be a touchdown drive that takes less time than the anthem. Not sure if there are any prop bets involving Pips.

You can bet on how many times CBS broadcasters say “Ted Rath.” Don’t pretend you don’t know who Rath is. He’s the strength coach for Los Angeles, and on game day his job is to prevent head coach Sean McVay from going onto the field and getting in the way of officials or whomever else happens to be running out there.

You can bet on the predominant color of the shirt that Adam Levine will wear during Maroon 5’s halftime show.

You can bet on the number of times President Trump will Tweet on game day, Feb. 3.

You can bet on whether the winning team will visit the White House.

You can bet on whom the MVP will first mention in his post-game speech.

You can bet on the number of commercials that will be shown, and which will be shown first.

I don’t like prop bets because they strike me as sheer luck, and I want an edge. Let’s say you place six bets and win three. You don’t break even. You lose. You lose because you have to pay the vigorish, or vig, a tax you pay for the opportunity to bet.

I picked New England by six. As I write this, the Patriots are a three-point favorite. I lean toward the Patriots, but gently.

Thing is, the game is like the men’s NCAA men's basketball tournament brackets. You want to be in it by having something on it.

But you can you imagine betting, say, $1,000 on the color of the shirt Levine will wear, and putting your money on blue. And then he wears a shirt whose primary color is taupe?

If I had to put a bet down today, I’d go with the Patriots.

Incidentally, I have my own prop bet. Within a year, North Carolina will pass legislation that legalizes betting.

Super Bowl Monday: a new national holiday

The Super Bowl is draining. Think of the time we invest. We cook, we order takeout, we laugh, we argue, and some of us watch the game. We are invested. Therefore, I think the Monday after the game should be a holiday.

First of all, Mondays are a drag. I’m half retired, and I still don’t like them. What do we lose? Productivity? We’ll be fine. We’ll get paid, of course, especially if we work for the government (it's about time). And we’ll work especially hard on Tuesday.

If you’re one of those people who complain every time school is canceled because of bad weather or potentially bad weather, and believes we have too many holidays, go ahead and work. The rest of us ought to get a day off…

Short takes: Curry brothers in 3-point contest. Who you got?

▪ Love the idea that Steph Curry and Seth Curry will compete in the NBA All-Star Weekend 3-point shootout. Did a story once about the family’s shooting prowess. Steph said he was better. Seth said he was better. Seth was more adamant than Steph. Dell said he wasn’t better – now. But when he was young...

▪ I understand that any team that builds a new stadium will get a Super Bowl. But the Super Bowl ought to be a reward. When was the last time anybody said: “Oh, wow, I get to go to Atlanta!”

Warm weather cities should host the game. I’d move it from San Diego to New Orleans to Miami and back. My rotation would be smaller than Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski’s.

San Diego doesn’t have an NFL team, and its stadium, Qualcomm, has long been one of the NFL’s worst. But the city did an outstanding job with the game when I last was there.

New Orleans also does a fine job. Of course, New Orleans does a fine job. The city is adept at handling events. Everything you want is there.

Miami also is a reward. Hard Rock Stadium will host the game in 2020.

I’m from Minneapolis, and I was happy that, despite the miserable late January and early February weather, people got to experience the city during the 2018 Super Bowl. But the Super Bowl should not be about overcoats, gloves and crowded walkways above streets, although in February it beats walking on the street.

Let the Super Bowl be warm. And if San Diego doesn’t work, move the game to Los Angeles. At least you’ll know the locals won’t try to claim all the seats…

▪ Los Angeles Rams’ running back C.J. Anderson could have complained about the manner in which the Carolina Panthers used him, or didn’t use him, this season. But he didn’t. When he talked to a small group of reporters in Atlanta, among them the Charlotte Observer’s Jourdan Rodrigue, he praised the Carolina players from which he was able to learn. He also praised the Panthers for telling him, face to face, what was going on.

If managers learn one thing, it should be honesty. If there’s bad news, don’t hide it, or hide behind it. Step up and say it. Carolina did, and Anderson, who has done great work for the Rams, appreciates it…

▪ I love the way Duke plays basketball. I love the way North Carolina plays basketball. I like the way N.C. State plays basketball. Love the movement and the speed and the quick-twitch approach to the game.

But I also enjoy Virginia. How does coach Tony Bennett recruit top players? Well, he often doesn’t. The Cavaliers play slowly, and employ a tough, physical and cerebral defense. Try to figure out what they do, and how. Try to find high school stars that are willing to play it.

Bennett is one of the best coaches in the ACC, which is to say that the former Charlotte Hornets’ backup point guard (and he wasn’t bad) is one of the best coaches in college basketball. Going to be an entertaining February and March.