Bucs pressured to back off ticket stance

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — 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 wild-card game between the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers 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 on Thursday 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."

Ticketmaster released a statement that said the Buccaneers had asked to restrict ticket sales for the game at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium.

"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.

Ticketmaster made the request known to the Bucs, who agreed to change the policy.

"Earlier today we received a request from Ticketmaster to open sales outside of Florida for the remaining 500 tickets," spokesman Jeff 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."

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

Comments

[frank c. costanza]

This makes the Glazers look foolish.

[Jerry]

cuomo shuomo

[michael radnor]

Frank,

This dosen't make the Glazers look anything but awsome. I appreciate the fact that they did everything they could to ensure their fans had a chance to buy tickets. If the Giants don't like it, maybe they should have won more games to earn the right to a home playoff game. The only problem was the game didn't sell out the day it went on sale as it should have.

[Steve]

Regardless of the ridiculous measures the Bucs tried to take, Giants fans will be taking over RJS Sunday.

[George Costanza]

Forgive my dad...he hasn't been right since Seinfeld quit the show....Serenity Now!

[Damien]

Steve, I agree -- I attended the 2005 playoff game, where we hosted the Redskins. Roughly 45% of the crowd were 'Skins fans, and I believe that directly contributed to our loss that day.

At any rate, I applaud the Bucs for taking the stance they did, but the other side of that coin is that our fans should be clamoring to keep their fans out of our house.

[John P]

It doesn't matter that the restrictions were lifted - the tickets are already mostly bought by Bucs fans. I think the Glazers dropping the issue when they did was clever - since there weren't any left to sell anyway.

[DR]

I heard on the radio sportscast that the Giansts did the same thing years ago and got away with it.

[DR]

I heard the Giants did the same thing the last time they went to the playoffs.

[Mike]

This is nothing new. The Packer fans used to reign supreme at the old Sombrero - so much that Rich McKay instituted this same policy.

Michael, The Giants did win more games than the Bucs. They were just unfortunate to be in a real football division, and not a joke division like Tampa is in.

[Jefferson Davis]

Ya' got Joey, Sal, and Vinny. How you doin'?!

lol

New York smell like urine and hot dog water. Stay up there with your terrible weather.

I saw one Giants game in Ray Jay, but it wasn't against the Bucs. It was Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens THUMPED the Giants and embarrassed their fans. I hope the Bucs do the same.

[Laura]

The only reason there may be more giants fan is because all you New Yorkers move to Florida. But I think there will be far more Bucs fans in our stadium. And oh yeah New Yorkers..the left lane is the fast lane...if you can't do the speed get to the right lane

[GoGMen]

See ya'll in Dallas,you rednecks!