The Seahawks on Thursday said that tickets for the '13 season have "now sold out -- with a franchise-record 98 percent renewal rate." In Seattle, Nick Eaton reported even though prices "increased -- as they always do -- from 2012 to 2013, nearly everyone who held season tickets last season has renewed." The Seahawks also announced that "just 2,000 of the team’s 12,000 Blue Pride memberships remain." Blue Pride members for $100 per seat "get priority slots for purchasing future season tickets" (SEATTLEPI.com, 6/20).
TAKING THEIR TIME: The Raiders have yet to announce a replacement for former Chief Exec Amy Trask, and CSNBAYAREA.com’s Andy Dolich said, "The clear focus is to get better on the football side. But they have so many significant business issues, revenue generating issues, you would think that they'd have somebody in place by now, either internally or externally." Dolich: "I've actually talked to some people that have talked to (Raiders Owner) Mark Davis about the big position, but nothing's happening, and you have to have strength on the business side and strength on the football side to be successful, especially when you're competing with what the Niners are doing right now, where they've got it jammed both on the business and football side" ("Sports Talk Live," Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 6/20).
NEEDLESS NAME CHANGE? CHARLOTTE magazine's Markovich & Brown debated the pros and cons of the Bobcats changing their name to the Hornets for the '14-15 NBA season. Markovich, who took the pro side, writes, "Dumping a bad name happens all the time. ... Really, when was the last time we had a god long conversation about NBA basketball in Charlotte?" Brown, who took the con side, writes Bobcats Owner Michael Jordan "hasn't guaranteed the return of Hugo or purple-and-teal jerseys." Brown: "So what's in a name? History. Right. Because Charlotte cares so much about that. ... There are thousands of newcomers who never knew the Hornets. What about the last decade of kids who grew up with Gerald Wallace posters?" (CHARLOTTE magazine, 7/'13 issue).
