Sports Column by Brian Hoffman
I never thought LeBron James would keep me from doing something I love, but that seems to be the case.
I’ve been a Philadelphia 76ers fan all my life. In fact, I’m old enough to remember when Wilt Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia Warriors. When I was a little kid I cut pictures and box scores out of the Philadelphia Bulletin sports section and made scrapbooks of the Warriors, who had Chamberlain, Guy Rogers, Al Attles and some other players you probably haven’t heard of unless you’re a big basketball fan and a “baby boomer” like myself.
When the Warriors left Philly for San Francisco the city of Philadelphia was left without a team for the 1962-63 season, but then the Syracuse Nationals moved in and were renamed “76ers.” They debuted in Philadelphia in November of ’63 when I was turning 11 and I’ve been a big fan ever since.
To my delight, the Sixers traded for Wilt Chamberlain in January of 1965 and he returned to Philadelphia and helped them win a championship in 1967. However, most of the time those Sixers of the ’60s finished second to the Celtics in the East, one of the reasons the Celtics are one of my least favorite teams to this day.
My first live NBA game was at Philadelphia’s old Convention Hall when the Chamberlain 76ers played the Bill Russell Celtics. My dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday that year and that was my request. My dad hated driving in the city and wasn’t at all a basketball fan, but he took me to that game for my birthday and it was a great thrill.
For most of the years since, I’ve attended at least one 76ers game and often several. They’ve had some really bad teams and some really good ones, but I always managed to buy tickets to a game or two, and as I grew older I took my kids, and now my grandsons, to Sixers games. It’s been a passion of mine and I’ve never grow tired of it.
This season, however, that tradition might come to an end. Sixers’ single game tickets officially went on sale August 15 and I was sad to see what the asking price was. And it’s all because of the newest 76er, LeBron James.
Last year my wife and I took my stepson and his wife and two grandsons to a game when the Sixers played in Charlotte. The Sixers won, Joel Embiid actually played and we had a great time.
The total cost of six tickets, in the lower bowl in the corner about two-thirds of the way up, was $1,004. Of course, that’s not counting food, souvenirs, parking, a hotel room and gas. Still, it was a once in a season deal and well worth it.
When the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown, then signed LeBron, I knew the price would go up. However, I didn’t know HOW MUCH it would go up.
Last Saturday my wife and I got right on the website at 10 in the morning when single game tickets officially went on sale. We targeted a game in Charlotte at the end of October. It was a perfect time, I wouldn’t have to miss a Friday night high school football game, the Hokies were on the road and the Eagles and Washington play the 8 o’clock Sunday night game, giving us plenty of time to get home from Charlotte. Only thing is, the game was somewhat cost prohibitive.
The tickets in the same area from last year, that cost about $150 each plus service fees, are now going for $450. Instead of the $1,004 I spent last year the new price would be over $2,800 in the very same location. Being on a fixed income as I am, that’s going to be out of my price range, and I blame LeBron.
It’s ridiculous what tickets go for these days. The cheapest seats for that Sixers game in Charlotte are about $100, and that’s four rows from the very top in the upper deck. My grandsons agreed that we’re better off watching the game on my wide screen high definition TV rather than sitting so high that you can’t read the numbers on the uniforms.
Basketball has been, for most of my life, the most popular game of inner city folks. Now, it’s gotten to the point where only the well-to-do can afford to attend a live NBA game. Even your middle class folks can’t afford more than a game or two, with most of the seats being filled by wealthy fans or corporate giveaways. Sort of sad, isn’t it?
I don’t get a break because I bought tickets to the games when Freddie Carter was the best player on the Sixers team. We went every year through “the process” when the Sixers were tanking to get high draft picks. Robert Covington was their best player, and he’s no LeBron.
I can remember calling the Sixers office for tickets (remember when you could do that?) and asking if there were still seats available, only to be met with a chuckle on the other end. One year when they were really bad you could buy an entire second in the upper deck for under $100.
Oh well, such is life for the average guy. I told my grandsons if I win the lottery the first thing I’m going to buy is front row tickets to a Sixers game, maybe even next to Allen Iverson.
I’m not holding my breath. And can you imagine if you paid that price for a ticket and LeBron doesn’t play?
