In Seattle, Bob Condotta reports the Seahawks' final 1,200 tickets for the NFC Championship Game against the Packers were "snatched up quickly after going on sale Tuesday morning." The tickets were "available only at the CenturyLink Field box office," which was "a switch from last year, when the team made tickets available online but restricted sales to buyers from the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Alaska and Hawaii." The change came as the team "continues to search for the best way to make sure its fans have a fair shot at tickets" (SEATTLE TIMES, 1/14).
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY: In Memphis, Zack McMillin noted Grizzlies President of Business Operations Jason Wexler on Monday "tweeted out a photo of the trophy" awarded to the team for winning the NBA's Game Experience Satisfaction Award. The league "conducted a thorough survey, in all 30 of its markets, and the Grizzlies were one of the four teams in the top percentile." McMillin writes the award is "another sign the Grizzlies are matching the on-court performance with strong off-court fundamentals" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 1/14).
HOT HOT HEAT: The Heat yesterday were named NBA Team Retailer of the Year by the league for the fifth time at the annual NBA Team Retail Summit in Las Vegas. The award follows a season in which the Heat achieved the highest retail sales total in league history. "The Heat continue to do everything well and they are experts at integrating marketing and promotions at retail," said NBA VP/Global Retail Development Brian Keegan (Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large).
USING INDOOR VOICES: AFL Commissioner Scott Butera said that the league "would like to have a team in the Pittsburgh market and is in the process of looking for prospective owners." In Pittsburgh, Craig Meyer notes the league's "desire to have a team" in the market exists "despite a relatively discouraging track record" for the AFL in the area, including the Pittsburgh Power ceasing operations in November after only four years. However, Butera said that the league "doesn't view past issues in a market as a 'harbinger of things to come.'" He said that a new franchise "would not begin play" until the '16 season "at the earliest" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 1/14).
