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Bucs-Giants Tickets Still Available

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 3, 2008

Updated: 01/03/2008 04:53 pm

TAMPA - The Bucs still have not officially announced that Sunday's NFC Wild-Card playoff game against the Giants is a sellout.

Although it's expected to be sold out, fans have not exactly flocked to buy these tickets. As of 3:30 p.m., tickets in the $250 and $350 range were available on ticketmaster.com.

The game, however, will not be subject to the NFL's blackout. Bucs spokesman Jeff Kamis said the team sold enough tickets before Tuesday's blackout deadline.

Several factors probably are responsible for the fact tickets still remain:

* The weak economy and the fact that fans had to buy tickets for two possible home playoff games

* The cost of those tickets, which ranged from $100 to $545 apiece.

* The fact that the Bucs have been here before, having played a first-round playoff game two years ago.

* Losses in three of the final four games by Tampa Bay, possibly dampening playoff fever.

Since moving to Raymond James Stadium in 1998, every Bucs home game has been sold out.

Meanwhile, Ticketmaster and the Buccaneers backpedaled Thursday following a call from New York state's top lawyer.

They initially said they'd only sell tickets for Sunday's game to Floridians. That policy, instituted last week after the playoff schedule was released, would have kept New Yorkers from getting seats.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he contacted Ticketmaster today about potential legal problems with the prohibition. Ticketmaster agreed to eliminate the Florida residency restrictions ''the same day,'' Cuomo said.

''It raises issues, interstate commerce issues,'' the attorney general said in a phone interview. ''There are constitutional prohibitions against states discriminating against other states' residents or impeding business by other states. There are possible discrimination issues.''

"Earlier today we received a request from Ticketmaster to open sales outside of Florida for the remaining 500 tickets," Kamis said. "It was determined that due to our long relationship with Ticketmaster and numerous requests from our Buccaneers fans out of state, we would honor their request."

Ticketmaster released a statement that said the Buccaneers had asked to restrict ticket sales for the game.

''We see no legal issue with a team or venue choosing to make certain tickets available only to local residents for a particular event; however, with our client the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' permission, and as a goodwill effort, we lifted the restrictions earlier today,'' spokesman Joseph Freeman said in the statement.

Cuomo said he was also concerned that the ''virtually unprecedented'' restrictions would lead to consumer fraud and schemes as Giants fans looked for other ways to get their hands on tickets.

Tampa Bay won the NFC South Division with a 9-7 record while the Giants finished second in the NFC East at 10-6.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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