In Minneapolis, Kent Youngblood reports the T'Wolves experienced an "intense uptick in calls and e-mails" into their ticket office Thursday following a report that G Ricky Rubio plans to join the team next season. T'Wolves Senior VP & CMO Ted Johnson said that Thursday was the "busiest the team's offices have been in weeks" or even months. Johnson did not have a specific figure, but said that a "number of season tickets were sold." Youngblood notes "less quantifiable is the buzz that comes from Rubio trending high on Twitter, blogs and reports of the Spanish guard having agreed to terms to play for the Wolves next season" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/3).
WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? In Green Bay, Tony Walter reports ticket brokers who sell Packers tickets are "continuing to do business but at a different pace than other years." Wisconsin-based TicketKing's Josh Anderson said, "It’s slow. People are buying and selling but as soon as the strike is over, it’s going to be busy." Still, ticket prices for games at Lambeau Field "aren't sagging." Wisconsin-based Titletown Tickets' Bill Wenzel: "Prices game-to-game are higher than last year. We’re Super Bowl champs. The games are either going to be cancelled, or they’ll play them. If they play them, with the team we have, tickets are going to sell" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 6/3).
SPANISH IMPOSITION: In Philadelphia, Marc Narducci notes the MLS Philly Union will play host to La Liga club Real Madrid on July 23 at Lincoln Financial Field, not PPL Park. Union CEO & Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz noted that "if a friendly is held at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles are the ones who assume the financial risk," and if it is at PPL Park, the Union does. A source indicated that Real Madrid will receive a $2.3M guarantee for playing the Union, and the Eagles "are the ones responsible" for that payment. Eagles President Joe Banner would not confirm that figure, but noted that a "lot of tickets would have to be sold in order to break even" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/3).
LOOKING GOOD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: In St. Petersburg, John Romano writes Tampa Bay is in the "golden era of sports owners." The Buccaneers, Rays and Lightning "have never been in better hands," and what the Glazers, Stuart Sternberg and Jeff Vinik have done, respectively, is "stop the comedy." Romano: "For the most part, what the current owners have done is hire some of the brightest young executives in sports, and allowed them to run the franchises with minimal interference" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 6/3).
