Sports Ticket Deals!

http://livingonthecheap.com/sports-ticket-deals/

Sports and concert promoters hate it when seats go unsold. Consumers hate it when we get slapped with egregious “handling” and “processing” fees by ticket retailers like Ticketmaster or LiveNation that can cost almost more than the ticket itself. LOTC now has a Sports Ticket Deals page featuring discounts and deals on tickets to professional and college sports including baseball, basketball, soccer and more.

Currently most of our deals are through ScoreBig, a website that promises users will save 10% to 60% on professional sports, college games and concerts. They aren’t a ticket broker or scalper (run, don’t walk, away from these guys), but work directly with venues, teams and promoters to move extra tickets. You’ll also find savings through Goldstar. Our Sports Ticket Deals page includes promo codes for extra discounts off the face value of a ticket, guaranteed.

Dolphins 2012 Schedule

SunSentinel.com


"If anyone still cares" The Miami Dolphins have known their 2012 opponents -- home and away -- since the end of last season.

What's changed is how interesting some of Miami's games have gotten in the offseason.

Previously ho-hum games with the Rams, Jaguars, Colts and others, are now worth watching.

Jeff Fisher, once courted for head coach, will roam the Sun Life Stadium sidelines with St. Louis. Chad Henne could be the Jaguars starter when they travel to South Florida. And will Miami see Andrew Luck in a Colts uniform? Jets games are always interesting, no add the Tim Tebow factor.

Here's the Dolphins 2012 schedule and beat writer Omar Kelly's take on each game.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/fl-miami-dolphins-schedule-0417,0,450988.story

If your looking for a Printable 2012 Schedule check out the link below:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/acrobat/2012-04/69448917.pdf

Everyone Defending Ozzie Guillen Needs to Shut Up and Respect Capitalism

 By Kyle Munzenrieder (blogs.miaminewtimes.com)
 

"I wasn't going to comment on this subject but let's just say I couldn't stay away"

Anyone familiar with Miami wasn't surprised that Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen's comments about Fidel Castro set off a fire storm. But certain folks in the sports world were off on the sidelines scratching their heads or muttering things about how baseball managers aren't diplomats. Some are even defending Guillen. That said, some should shut up. Guillen got off pretty lightly for what he said, and the public controversy and suspension is just the work of good ol' American capitalism at its finest.

Deadspin's initial report about the comments came with a detached tone and dismissal of any ensuing controversy.

"This whole episode is nothing more than 'Exhibit Z' in the case of Ozzie Guillén against smart things said, and if you are taking this guy seriously, you deserve whatever stress he causes," Sean Newell wrote.

"Who is Guillen? A diplomat? An elected official?" Paul Whitefield wrote for the L.A. Times before concluding that Guillen got "jobbed" worse in Florida than Al Gore.

On social media, scores of users are shouting things about censorship and how they thought this was a free country.

I'd wager that the majority of those people have not had to flee their own country -- a country, led by a murderous dictator, where things such as blogs, a free press, and social media don't exist. Good for them. Neither have we. But they do live in America, and they should be familiar with capitalism. Capitalism informs just about every aspect of American life, including (or perhaps especially) professional sports.

Only under capitalism could a guy who coaches a baseball team, a job where the demands apparently don't interfere with getting hammered at a hotel bar every night, make $2.5 million a year.

The Marlins, like all pro sports teams, are able to pay Guillen his princely sum because they (A) provide entertainment and (b) people associate pride in their corporate sports team with pride in their local community. The economics of professional sports rests on the fact that people who live in the community represented by a team actually, you know, like that team and feel a bond with it.

The Marlins are walking a tricky tightrope of popularity right now. No one forgets the two times the team won the World Series and then sold off the crown jewels from their roster. No one forgets the crappy rosters the team pretended was a pro team for the rest of their years. No one forgets the messy public financing drama that paid for their new park.

The new stadium and roster have provided some excitement after all of that drama, though, and the Marlins now have to do everything in their power to keep that good feeling flowing. Of course, what happened with Guillen is one of the worst things that could have happened.

Guillen said, "I love Fidel Castro." (As a side note, we'd bet, say, if Joe Philbin, Al Golden, or Eric Spolestra said the same thing, the protests would be even larger, because, well, people actually care about those teams down here.) Nothing alienates Miami's Cuban-American community faster, and even the non-Cubans understand the stupidity and insensitivity of that remark.

Let's not make lazy equivocations. We're talking about different types of evil here. But imagine if an MLB manager said, "You know, I respect Adolf Hitler" or "that Osama Bin Laden was a helluva guy." No one would be left scratching their heads when that manager was promptly fired. The emotions concerning Fidel Castro in Miami are similar.

So if you're a sports team desperately trying to sell your revamped product to Miami citizens, a large chunk of whom are Cuban-Americans, from a controversial outpost in Little Havana you do not want one of the public faces of your organization saying things like, "I love Fidel Castro." It's not good for business. It's not good for the bottom line. It's not good for the American capitalist way. So you have to do something. You have to make the guy apologize in a highly dramatic news conference. You have to send down some form of punishment.

Anyone who thinks Guillen should have escaped this episode without any bruises simply doesn't understand the economics of pro sports. The guy might be a rambling blabbermouth, and thoughts concerning Cuba in Miami might be evolving, but there's just no room for anyone who wants to do any business down here to express love and admiration for Fidel Castro. You can't alienate your customer base, folks.

Isn't that taught in Business 101?

Top 9 Food Choices at Miami Marlins baseball park

By Rochelle Koff | rkoff@miamiherald.com (www.miami.com)
 
Eat your way through Marlins Park one inning at a time! Only in Miami!

The Miami Marlins season officially opens Wednesday, April 4 and fans will finally get to experience all the hoopla over the new, $634 million ballpark. That also means checking out the new lineup - the culinary lineup.

Any stadium can serve hot dogs and hamburgers (and those will be here), but how many fans can order plantain chips with garlic sauce? Lime n’ Lobster rolls or fresh-shucked oysters?

There’s even talk of sustainability and herbs (from Paradise Farms). Team execs boast of tomatoes from Homestead, shrimp from Florida and buzzwords that foodies, if not fans, will appreciate, like cage-free chickens, Niman Ranch ground pork and Paradise Farms produce.

You’ll find more than 100 menu concession items, including corned beef sandwiches at the kosher stand. There’s a cover-all-the-bases approach, but the big power hitters represent the team’s new location in the heart of Little Havana. Taste of Miami, on the Promenade Level by third base, features items from three Miami restaurants: Papo Llega Y Pon, Dom Camaron and Latin American Grill, chosen from 43 candidates. They’ll serve everything from ceviche to Cuban sandwiches.

Even transplanted fans can get a taste of home at Burger 305, which will be selling fare representing visiting teams, like bratwurst when Milwaukee’s in town or cheese steaks for the Phillies, along with patties we’re told are hormone and antibiotic-free.

All the ballpark fare can be washed down with a choice of six beers on tap at 10 stadium bars. The list expands in the Diamond and Dugout Clubs and The Clevelander (a South Beach outpost) will be bringing in craft beers (and making signature Marlins cocktails).  If you don’t want to fork over a bundle to feed the fam, the Kids Shack offers a $3.75 combo (with a hot dog, soda and sliced apples).

Hate standing in line? You can use MLB’s “At Bat” app on your smartphone to order food from one of seven concessions, pay from your seat and find out when it will be ready (pickup is at an express line). Service is now free but will have a nominal fee by June, with expanded locations inside the park.

So let’s get back to the food. Here’s our game plan, a dish for each inning (not ranked by quality) to take you from the first pitch through the home stretch.

1st - Ceviche ($10)
The Miami Marlins are off to a fresh start, and so are we, snacking on bites of bracing tilapia, yellow corn, chopped onions and chips from Don Camaron in the Taste of Miami section. His other choices include fresh-shucked oysters, ceviche and fish sandwiches

  2nd - Helmet nachos ($15)
Kids will love the souvenir helmet, you’ll love the crunchy concoction, with lots of pico de gallo, shredded cheddar, scallions, sour cream, sliced jalapeños and chipotle cheese sauce (lighter than the usual yellow goop).

 3rd - Mahi mahi tacos ($12)
We’re hooked on these grilled fish tacos, not at all greasy, with chunks of dolphin plus pickled red onions, cilantro slaw and chipotle aioli.

 4th - Lobster Roll ($17)
The good news: This sandwich is a winner. Squeeze lime slices onto big chunks of succulent Maine lobster with Key lime aioli and chives, stuffed into a toasted sliced bun. The bad news: It’s sold in the Club Level. If you don’t have anyone to smuggle you a sandwich, take a break this inning or pig out the old-fashioned way, with popcorn, peanuts and Cracker Jack.

 5th - Cuban Sandwich ($14, with chips)
Head to the Taste of Miami section for the classic sandwich, with layers of ham, cheese, pork and pickles, from Miami Lakes’ Latin American Grill.

 6th - Sir Pizza ($10 cheese, $11 pepperoni)
Time for ballpark comfort food - your own 8-inch personal pizza - but expect lines. Fans bought 1,100 pies during the Marlins exhibition game with Florida International University.

 7th - Magnum Hot Dog ($12)
It’s the seventh inning, so of course you want a hot dog, but not just any dog will do. The Clevelander will be serving half-pound, foot-long, Kosher “all beef,” bacon-wrapped dogs just 12 inches from the turf. These are Chicago style with pickles, tomatoes, onions and sauerkraut.

 8th - Pork Sandwich ($7)
An ‘Only in Miami’ treat. Julia Alfonso and her family have been making pork sandwiches at Papo Llega y Pon for 33 years. She’s no stranger to high demand: On Saturdays alone, she usually sells 500- 600 pounds of pork in her Allapattah “hole in the wall.” She’ll also serve chicharron (fried pork rinds) and tamales at the park.

 9th - Black bean burger ($8)
Wind down with a grilled veggie burger. Marlins President David Samson (an avid distance runner) calls eating all other stadium food “an occupational hazard” but not the food at his ballpark. The veggie burger, he says is a “perfect post-run” snack. Maybe it will help you make a faster dash to your parking space (wherever it is).

The 411 on Parking at Marlins Park!

Planning on attending a game - ARRIVE EARLY AND HAVE A PLAN!!!

The Orange Bowl had crowds of 70,000 fans with just over 3,000 on-site parking spaces. Marlins Park will only hold 37,442 fans at its maximum capacity, and will feature close to double the amount of on-site spaces! Everything you need to know:

http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/mia/ballpark/marlins_park_parking.jsp

With Politicians' Help, Marlins Are Screwing Stadium Neighbors

By Luther Campbell (miaminewtimes.com)


With the Marlins 16 days away from opening their new home, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County are still finding ways to screw over taxpayers and residents while team owner Jeffrey Loria laughs all the way to the bank. A couple of weeks ago, Loria's arrogant stepson, Marlins president David Samson, was caught on camera admitting to the Beacon Council what we already knew: Greed is what motivates him and his Daddy Warbucks.

But Sampson was right when he said that "the people who are running for office around the country really are not the cream of the intellectual crop."

If Miami city and county commissioners had any common sense, they would have put the stadium on the site of the old Miami Arena. That was the most logical location for a ballpark. It would have been easily accessible by Metrorail and there's plenty of parking in the area.I recently took a tour of the stadium. It looks like they put the Taj Mahal in Little Havana, but it is an architectural wonder that belongs in downtown Miami.

County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro and City Commissioner Frank Carollo haven't done a damn thing to help their constituents, who didn't ask to live right next to a 37,000-seat baseball stadium. Over the past couple of weeks, the poor residents who live around the stadium have gotten a taste of how horrible the traffic and parking will be during the 82 Marlins home games.

Barreiro and Carollo, whose districts include the $500 million stadium paid for by taxpayers, should be ashamed of themselves. How can they allow the Miami Parking Authority to suddenly start handing out $50 tickets to the residents who have no choice but to park on the streets? By abusing the ballpark's neighbors, the city and the county are trying to make back some of the money they gave away to the Marlins.

Barreiro and Carollo need to protect their constituents. How hard is it to hand out parking stickers to the people who can prove they live next to the stadium? The Miami Parking Authority should have begun issuing decals months ago instead of waiting until last week, after residents complained. Let's face it: The trollies shuttling fans from the Metrorail and off-site parking lots are just a Band-Aid.

Those poor residents will see more cars in one season of baseball than they saw during all the football games in the history of the Orange Bowl.

Manning Picks Broncos, Tebow-to-Miami Rumors Imminent

By David Hill (nbcmiami.com)

With Tim Tebow suddenly on the outs in Denver, could Miami snatch up the former Gator?

Peyton Manning has made his choice, and will play for the Denver Broncos in 2012 according to a report from ESPN. This can only mean one thing: Dolphins fans will have to endure a string of Tim Tebow rumors in the coming days and weeks.

Contract discussions between the Broncos and Manning are underway, and Tebow could be on the trading block as soon as a deal is finalized. The former Heisman Trophy winner and Florida Gator started 13 games (including 2 playoff starts) for Denver last season, leading the team to its first playoff win in years in the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs.

It is not known whether the Dolphins are actually interested in adding Tebow, but considering the fact that free agent quarterbacks are shunning Miami at an alarming rate, they may have no choice but to at least think about adding Tebow.

Not that such a move would come without controversy. Tebow is one of the most polarizing players in the NFL, as his mechanically unsound throwing motion and poor completion percentage are dismissed by his backers in favor of his won-loss record and running abilities.

Tebow completed 46.5 percent of his passes in 2011, the worst among starting quarterbacks in the NFL. His 123.5 yards per game was also last in the NFL. But those bad stats were partially overshadowed by his late-game dramatics. Tebow led Denver on 5 fourth-quarter comebacks last season, including a 18-15 overtime victory in Miami after the Dolphins had a 15-0 lead late in the fourth quarter.

But the Dolphins still might consider adding Tebow if only for a boost in ticket sales. There are plenty of Gators fans in Miami with fond memories of Tebow's time at UF, when the school won two national championships with his help. Tebow would not provide the kind of marketing boost Manning would have, but he would certainly sell more tickets than David Garrard or Matt Moore.

Regardless of what happens with Tebow, Manning's move to Denver likely means Alex Smith will not be joining the Dolphins. San Francisco had a three-year offer on the table for Smith before emerging as a contender for Manning last week. Smith made a visit to Miami over the weekend to hear the Dolphins' sales pitch, but the 49ers are likely to rekindle talks with Smith and lock him up soon.

One thing is for certain, though, the Dolphins are running out of options at quarterback. Barring any kind of miracle, things could get even uglier in Miami before they get any better.

 

They built it perfectly; will fans come?

FanFest is a hit for Marlins fans – but what about the rest?

The biggest question of the Marlins Get your Marlins Tickets now! — bigger than Josh Johnson's arm, bigger than Hanley Ramirez's mind — came through the gates Saturday morning when Marlins Park opened all its doors for the first time.

Up the new ramp, past the shiny concourse, down the virgin aisles, the fans came. Thousands at the start of the first FanFest that mattered. More than 40,000 by day's end, many in new-logo jerseys with newly signed names.

A father and son immediately went to section 3, row 20, seats 19 and 20, sat down and admired the view from their season-ticket seats. First-base side. Miami skyline staring from the outfield.

"It's absoutely beautiful,'' said Roger Kobert, a Hollywood native when the Marlins began in 1993 who now lives in Miami.

"Perfect,'' said his son, Jonathan, 14.

If you build it right and true and — yes — perfect, will they come?

That's the final question. For all the public-relations blunders and budget-cutting that have defined this franchise's history, the Marlins' stadium completes an off-season that redefines what the franchise is and took every excuse out of the fans' lineup.

They changed their name, logo and uniform. They spent the kind of money they promised with a new ballpark: $181 million in four days just on Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle. They got bold personalities, led by manager Ozzie Guillen and, evidently, Reyes too.

A fan noted Saturday that LeBron James promised six titles for the Heat, and asked Reyes how many he could promise.

"Six!" Reyes said.

The centerpiece of cultural change is this stadium that offers what Marlins fans haven't had through 18 turbulent seasons: a future with no excuses, questions and thunderstorms on the horizon. The roof closes in 13 minutes.

The baseball biosphere inside is a funhouse, from its cozy 37,442 seats to its wireless availability to the home-run sculpture in left-center field that will cause wonderful arguments.

"It looks like something you'd tattoo on someone's back,'' said Dennis Albert, of Boynton Beach, staring at it.

"It looks beautiful,'' said his buddy, Jim Bagnett. "I can't wait until it goes off after a home run."

These were the serious fans, the ones who came Saturday. Others will have issues. The parking, for one. It isn't perfect. And the first thing we know happens in South Florida for anything new is a line forms to explain what's wrong with it.

The distance from Broward and Palm Beach counties? It's an issue.

"It's longer, but you get in here, it's worth it,'' said Lou Schiff, of Parkland, who attended the first Marlins game in 1993 and has upper-deck season tickets at the new park.

That's what this is, too. It's a park. And while all praise for the design needs to start with the public footing the bill, publicly funded new baseball stadiums for Washington and the New York Mets recently drew shoulder shrugs. This will draw civic, baseball and architectural raves.

"I've got people calling from all over wanting to come with me to games,'' Schiff said. "A friend from Alaska. Another high-school friend from New York is coming. That just covers April, too."

If it doesn't work, it won't be for lack of planning. Stadium chef Jim Abbey cited a menu of normal ballpark fare plus key-lime lobster roll and a marlin-shrimp burger. Plus, he said, all the rolls for hot dogs and hamburgers will be toasted.

For years, the Marlins have sold the smell of grass and the whack of the bat on Opening Day. What else did they have? They even ran out of hot dogs one Opening Day.

Now they're starting over. And they're starting it right. They've made bold moves on the roster, big moves in the marketing and the best move of all into this stadium.

It doesn't mean there are enough baseball fans in South Florida. It just means, once and for all, there's no other reason if attendance remains among the league's worst.

dhyde@tribune.com. Follow at Twitter/davehydesports

 

 

Guillen: 'Hanley is Like Lebron'

By David Hill (nbcmiami.com)

 

 

Ozzie Guillen knows about managing difficult personalities. With the White Sox, he dealt with plenty of players stuck with the dreaded "clubhouse cancer" label, including Carl Everett, AJ Pierzynski and Manny Ramirez. All of them performed well for Guillen.

 

So Hanley Ramirez shouldn't be a problem at all, right Ozzie? 

 

"Hanley Ramirez for me is just like LeBron James," Guillen said Monday. ¿Qué?

 

The key to this analogy, says Guillen, is that Ramirez used to be blamed for every Marlins problem in the past. Not anymore, though. "If something is wrong with the Heat, it’s LeBron’s fault. From now on, every time the Marlins lose it’s Oswaldo Guillen’s fault. It’s not the fault of any of the players."

 

So does this mean that Hanley isn't going bald like LeBron? It's hard to tell what's going on underneath his hat.

 

But beyond Ramirez being the face of failure in the Marlins clubhouse is the question of whether he will play the good soldier and move from shortstop to third base to accommodate new teammate Jose Reyes. Ramirez has said he will accept the switch and be "a new Hanley," but observers remain skeptical.

 

Guillen knows that he has a ways to go before he can say he has Ramirez fully on board. "Hanley? I don't think he's 100 percent on board. Not yet." But Guillen said he expects him to be a team player come Opening Day.

 

"It's about communication, respect and loyalty," he said of dealing with discontented stars. "We improved this ballclub to help you to win," Guillen said his message to Ramirez will be in Spring Training. 

 

"We're going to treat Hanley with respect," Guillen added, "with love — with real love." 

 

Will that be enough to sate Ramirez? Perhaps, but the real test will be whether Ramirez and the Marlins can perform well when the actual games start. Nothing builds team chemistry like winning. If Ramirez returns to form and the Marlins can stay at or near the top of the NL East, we suspect everything will be peachy in the Marlins clubhouse.

 

But if not, there will be plenty of fireworks on full display when Showtime films the team and airs The Franchise later this summer.