The Chargers did not sell enough tickets to lift the
blackout for Sunday's home opener against the Panthers, but
because the city "ultimately" is responsible for
compensating the team for unsold tickets, "there are those
who question why the city didn't just buy those tickets up
front," thereby lifting the blackout, according to Barry
Bloom of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Mayor Susan Golding
said yesterday that San Diego "should not be in the business
of selling Chargers tickets." Golding added that there was
not "anything the city could have done to avoid" the
blackout. Golding: "The Chargers have the primary
responsibility of marketing their tickets." Though the city
does guarantee the sale of 60,000 general admission seats,
with a maximum liability of 5,000 seats, for "virtually
every" home game, the guarantee comes in the form of a rent
credit, not a ticket purchase. The city also has thirty
days to reimburse the team (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/12).
NFL NEWS: In Atlanta, Len Pasquarelli writes, "To the
surprise of no one, the league's 72-hour blackout deadline
passed on Thursday with more than 25,000 tickets left" for
the Raiders-Falcons game (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 9/12). More
than 15,000 tickets remain in Indianapolis for the Seahawks-
Colts game. It will be blacked out (STAR-NEWS, 9/12). The
Bucs-Vikings will be blacked out in Minnesota, as 7,500
tickets remained at the deadline (STAR TRIBUNE, 9/12).
OTHER NOTES: The NFL Oilers "two-year layover" in
Memphis, and team VP Pepper Rodgers, are examined by John
Helyar in the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Helyar: "Mr. Rodgers is
... trying to swell Liberty Bowl crowds with young faces: a
'Greek Week' promotion to bus in college fraternities and an
effort to get companies to buy blocks of tickets for high-
school football teams" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/12). Also in
the JOURNAL, Roger Thurow reports that the waiting list for
Packers season tickets now exceeds 36,500. Currently, there
are 26,528 holders of either single or multiple season
tickets (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/12).
