The Lightning yesterday announced an average per-game price increase of 1% overall for season-ticket packages next season. The team also announced per-game prices for nearly 1,500 lower-level seats will decrease and more than 5,000 seats will be priced at $18 or less per game on a full-season basis. The team is offering 25% discounts on food and beverages and 35% for merchandise for all full-season seat members. The Lightning also for the first time will offer a “Loyalty and Recognition” program with benefits and amenities for season-ticket holders (Lightning).
TAKING THE BLAME: In Baltimore, Peter Schmuck noted Orioles Exec VP/Baseball Operations Dan Duquette “disputed a published report that owner Peter Angelos was ‘incensed’ that Major League Baseball disallowed the signing of Korean teenager Seong-Min Kim.” Duquette said, "We made the mistake and I apologized for it. Major League Baseball didn't make the mistake. I did, and I apologized for it and I apologized to Peter Angelos." The signing was disallowed because the Orioles “failed to make an appropriate status check on Kim through MLB and the Korean Baseball Organization” (BALTIMORESUN.com, 3/5).
NEW GUY ON THE BLOCK: TNT's Charles Barkely last week criticized Bobcats Owner Michael Jordan for having too many “yes men” around him, but in Charlotte, Tom Sorensen writes that “dynamic changed nine months ago” when Jordan hired GM Rich Cho. Cho “commands respect around the NBA for the player evaluation model he’s developed, and he is not an FOM (Friend of Michael).” Although Jordan is “unlikely to admit that he can’t fix this franchise by himself, he knows he needs help and he knows the help has to come from an outsider and independent thinker.” Sorensen: “If he didn’t, Cho wouldn’t be here” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/6).
