In Green Bay, Richard Ryman reports the Packers "will offer 300 standing-room-only tickets" for Sunday's divisional playoff game against the Cowboys. The team will "make available 300 tickets in the stadium's 400 level in the South End Zone" for $105 each. VividSeats yesterday offered tickets in the "upper reaches of the South End Zone (the 700 level sections) for $165 to $211 each," while StubHub "listed seats in the same sections for $199 to $278 each." Seats in the 700 level "cost $85 each during the regular season and are the lowest-cost seats in the stadium" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 1/6).
FLIGHTLESS BIRDS: In Baltimore, Campbell, Wood & Anderson note Ravens fans "face a number of obstacles" in traveling to Foxboro for Saturday's divisional playoff against the Patriots. Ticket prices "are soaring to nearly $3,000 in the stadium club level" and some flights "are already fully booked." Ravens PR Manager Patrick Gleason said that there are "no plans for a team-sanctioned sale of tickets." However, the Ravens are "planning another week of purple festivities building up to Saturday's game" (Baltimore SUN, 1/6).
MEET ME ON THE MIDWAY: In Chicago, Adam Jahns cited sources as saying that the Bears’ preference to hire a GM before a coach "remains strong." Sources said that Chiefs Dir of Player Personnel Chris Ballard, who worked for the Bears for 12 seasons, "is the front-runner" for the GM position. Ballard was "expected to interview" over the weekend (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/4). Also in Chicago, Rick Morrissey wrote Bears fans "won’t have any peace of mind" knowing that the same people who hired former GM Phil Emery -- Chair George McCaskey and President Ted Phillips -- are "in the process of hiring his replacement." The franchise hired former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi "as a consultant in the selection of a GM and a coach," but to many, "all of it appears to be more of the same" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/3).
PILOT'S LICENSE: In N.Y., Brian Costello writes Jets Owner Woody Johnson is going about the team's coach and GM search "the right way," contrary to "what some will have you believe." Johnson hired former NFL GMs Ron Wolf and Charley Casserly to advise in the search, and in doing so "did something he's been criticized for not doing in the past -- he admitted he knows what he doesn't know." Instead, he "brought in 'football men' to hire his football leadership" (N.Y. POST, 1/5). Also in N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote this is Johnson’s "best chance, and maybe only chance for a while, to look like a real owner." It is "why this is the moment for the Jets owner to look like something other than another rich guy, smart in business, who is completely out of his depth running a football business" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/4).
NOT HORSING AROUND: In Indianapolis, Mark Alesia noted the Colts "do not operate the concessions at Lucas Oil Stadium, but they certainly profit from it." Records "show payments" of $5.2M to the Colts from concessions for the '13 season. The team's stadium lease with the city's Capital Improvement Board says it "receives the 'profit portion' of concessions sales from games." But Colts COO Pete Ward said the $5.2M figure does not include "expenses we incur year-round relative to concessions ... unrelated to our games." Labor costs for Colts concessions, including part-time workers, are "deducted from gross sales before arriving at the payment owed to the team" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/2).
