Oh, We're Half Way There...Bon Jovi Ticket Prices Announced

That's what purchasers of the $39.50 tickets to the Bon Jovi/ Steelers World Championship Celebration Concert will be saying as they trudge off to the far reaches of the upper levels of Heinz Field.

Ticket prices for the concert, which goes on sale at 10 AM on Saturday, April 29 through Ticketmaster, were announced yesterday. In line with prices at other venues, ticket prices will be $95.50, $85.50 and $39.50. Of course, the best price may be free, for those who want to loiter outside Heinz Field.

Of course tickets for this and all Bon Jovi concerts are available on StubHub.

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Single Game Ticket Information for Steelers 2006 Away Games:

Here is preliminary information on single game ticket availability for the Pittsburgh Steelers 2006 Away schedule compiled from team websites:

Arizona Cardinals: (Updated May 5) The Arizona Cardinals have announced that they are instituting a waiting list for season tickets. Individual game tickets for the 2006 season will be made available only to fans who submit a $200 per seat deposit to be included on the waiting list. Waiting list members will be able to purchase 1 ticket for 1 game for each seat deposit received. (Get Arizona Cardinals Tickets on StubHub)

Philadelphia Eagles: The Philadelphia Eagles have a waiting list for season tickets. A limited number of group and single game luxury suite packages are available. (Get Philadelphia Eagles Tickets on StubHub)

Jacksonville Jaguars:(Updated May 12) The Jaguars have announced that no tickets will be available for additional group and individual tickets to the Pittsburgh Steelers game. The Jaguars currently have approximately 3,000 season tickets available, 1,500 club seats and 1,500 regular tickets. (Get Jacksonville Jaguars Tickets on StubHub)

San Diego Chargers: Select home games on sale in late summer. Group tickets subject to availability in early summer. (Get San Diego Chargers Tickets on StubHub)

Atlanta Falcons: "Please check back periodically for information on 2006 single game tickets. For the 2005 season, single game tickets for the entire 2005 season, single game tickets for the entire home schedule sold out in minutes when a limited number were put on sale. (Get Atlanta Falcons Tickets on StubHub.)

Oakland Raiders: No single game information available at this time. (Get Oakland Raiders Tickets on StubHub)

Cleveland Browns: No information. Tickets would become available through Ticketmaster. (Get Cleveland Browns Tickets on StubHub)

Baltimore Ravens: Limited single game ticket availability through Ticketmaster. Expect single game tickets to be on sale at the end of July. (Get Baltimore Ravens Tickets on StubHub)

Carolina Panthers: A limited number of single-game tickets to each Carolina Panthers home game will go on sale on July 29 for prices ranging from $49-$80. (Get Carolina Panthers Tickets on StubHub)

Cincinnati Bengals: No information available at this time. Lower Bowl and Club Level Seating is sold out on a season ticket basis. (Get Cincinnati Bengals Tickets on StubHub)

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Steelers Fans In Jacksonville, News At 11...

First Coast News reports that despite having 5,000 season ticket holders who have not renewed their season tickets this year, the Jacksonville Jaguars are closing in on selling out their allotment of season tickets and are close to instituting a waiting list for season tickets.

Watch the First Coast News Report. The canned video consists largely of Steelers fans at Alltel Stadium the last time the Steelers came to town. And the Jaguars seem as relieved that the scene might not be repeated this time around when the Steelers meet the Jaguars on September 18 (Steelers Jaguars tickets) as they are that their stadium may be sold out for the year.

In addition to the September 18, Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jaguars home schedule features the Cowboys, Patriots and Colts.

My take? There will be plenty of Steelers fans there. Tickets on the secondary market can be had for as little as $95, which is low compared to just about every other Steelers game this year.

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They Play For Keeps Because They Might Not Make It Back

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced today that Bon Jovi and Nickelback will perform at Heinz Field on Sunday, July 23, 2006 in the "Steelers World Championship Celebration Concert."

The concert, of course aims right through the heart of the 'DVE listening, black and gold wearing Steeler Nation.

Tickets will be on sale through TicketMaster at 10 AM, April 29.

Of course, Bon Jovi's ties to Pittsburgh are deep. After all, who can forget the grainy black and white footage of the Bon Jovi tour bus passing over the Fort Pitt Bridge in the video to Wanted: Dead or Alive.

On July 15, Bon Jovi will play a concert at Philadelphia's Citizen's Bank Ballpark in the "Eagles Survived T.O. Concert."

Update: Lots of people want to know how much these tickets are going to cost. While there has not been an official announcement, if tickets for the 7/27 show at Gilette Stadium in Foxboro (The "Adam Vinatieri Farewell Celebration") or the 7/21 show at Soldier Field ("The Kyle Orton Rocks Roundup"), face value will be $45 for upper level seats and $95 for seats closer to the action.

While official ticket prices have not been announced, tickets for The Bon Jovi Steelers World Championship Celebration are already on sale on StubHub.

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Wah! Having Steelers Season Tickets can be such a chore...

Gerry Weber of Camp Hill, PA, which is up the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Harrisburg writes to the Post-Gazette today...

"...night games or the 4:15 games are not convenient for fans who must travel three-plus hours...With only one 1 P.M. game before November 12, it is a bad schedule."

Wait...it gets better...

"This comes on the heels of the low number of tickets available for the Super Bowl. With 20 season tickets for over 30 years, not being able to get a ticket without paying $3,000 scalper's price is just not fair."

To which I say, Wahhhhhhh, booooo hooooooo hoooooo.

You control 20 tickets! 20! That's a big number. You spend $20,000 per year on Steelers tickets. (OK so maybe I agree with you in spirit on the Super Bowl tickets. That's a lot of coin for a lot of years.)

With thousands on the outside on the Steelers season ticket waiting list, complaining about the start times of games makes you sound just a little bit whiny. At a time when most fans (and players) are looking at prime time games and 4:15 starts as showcases and rewards for being Super Bowl Champions, you are complaining about making the 200 mile drive on the turnpike at night.

Gerry, let me be the first to invite you to sell your tickets on StubHub. You'll be able to watch those nasty late games while tucked in your cosy bed, with a full wallet, secure in the knowledge that someone is enjoying themselves in your seats more than you would.

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Can't get tickets to see the Pittsburgh Steelers play football?

Try getting tickets to see them play basketball.

Gateway Newspapers reports that the Chartiers Valley Alumni will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in basketball on April 28, at 5:30 PM at Chartiers Valley High School. Proceeds will benefit the Nathan S. Arenson Fund for pancreatic cancer. Admission is $5, see Hoops For A Cure for more information.

..or softball.

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports that the Steelers and Penguins will participate in a celebrity softball game on Sunday, July 9 as part of Pittsburgh's All Star Game festivities (Find tickets on StubHub).

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The Fear In Cleveland: Browns Single Game Tickets Available to Steeler Fans

The Repository of Canton reports today that the Cleveland Browns, while excited about their offseason free agent acquisitions, still have many season tickets available and are afraid (the horror!) that there may be single game tickets available for Steelers fans to purchase when Browns single game tickets are put on sale in July.

Search for Steelers Browns Tickets: StubHub, ebay

"Browns Management is eager to avoid a repeat of Christmas Eve, when Cleveland Browns Stadium looked like Heinz Field Lake Erie Campus at the end of a 41-0 Steeler win."

The Browns join the publicly fearful Jacksonville Jaguars who are afraid the Steelers @ Jaguars tickets will be purchased by members of the Steeler Nation and not by fans of the home team.

Search for Steelers Jaguars tickets: StubHub, ebay

It is also well known that other teams, most notably the Chargers and Bengals have attempted to control the number of Steelers fans attending games in their home stadiums by requiring the purchase of tickets to 2 or more games in order to purchase tickets to the Steelers game.

Search for Steelers Bengals tickets: StubHub, ebay

Coming soon: a team by team breakdown of single game and season ticket availability for the Steelers entire 2006 schedule.

P.S. It's nice of Steve Doerschuk and the Rep to work on selling those Browns season tickets.

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Steelers 2006 Schedule is the NFL's 5th Toughest

The Tennesseean reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers 2006 Schedule is the 5th toughest in the NFL, behind only the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The differences between the Bengals schedule and the Steelers schedule are:

• The Steelers play the Jacksonville Jaguars (away) and Miami Dolphins (home).
• The Bengals play the New England Patriots (home) and Indianapolis Colts(away).
• The Bengals play away games against the Broncos, Saints, Buccaneers, and Chiefs, the Steelers get thos same teams at Heinz Field.
• The Steelers play away games against the Panthers, Falcons, Raiders, and Chargers. The Bengals play those teams at home.

Search for Steelers Bengals Tickets on e-bay.

Most of the winning percentage difference is in the difference between playing Miami and Indianapolis, although, arguably the Dolphins were the hottest team in the NFL at the end of the 2005 regular season.

The Steelers should be much happier about playing their road games against the Jaguars, Falcons, Panthers, Raiders and Chargers, especially having games against the Jaguars and Chargers.

Find Steelers Jaguars tickets on StubHub.

Chargers games at Qualcomm Stadium and the Jaguars at Alltel Stadium do not have the reputation of being the intimidating environments that Arrowhead Stadium is for the Chiefs or Invesco Field does for the Broncos (Pittsburgh's recent success not withstanding).

In fact, the prospect of the Steelers receiving a friendly reception already has the Jaguars thinking, and last year's pro-Steeler Monday Night Footbal crowd in San Diego came despite efforts to control the sale of tickets.

Find Steelers Chargers tickets on StubHub.

On paper anyway, the real difference between the Bengals and the Steelers schedule is the venues.

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Rooney Expects To Maintain Road Field Advantage in 2006

High Demand For Steelers Away Game Tickets

"Obviously, [NFL Teams] can market their own fans and put the effort out to get their own people in the building. But we just felt like, once they put the tickets on sale to the general public, they shouldn't be descriminating against Steelers fans." Steeler President Art Rooney II, --Pittsburgh Tribune Review, April 6, 2006

Steelers President Art Rooney III continued his crusade against NFL teams limiting direct sales of single-game tickets to Steelers fans, either by requiring the purchase of 2 and 3 game ticket bundles or refusing sales from telephones and ip addresses in the 412 and 724 area codes.

Of course, as I've mentioned before, the only thing this practice does to stop Steelers fans from getting tickets to away games is to ensure that the NFL owners get a cut of the money that would otherwise got to ticket brokers or fans who choose to sell their tickets on outlets like e-bay or StubHub.

Tickets for 2006 regular season games have been on sale since before the end of the NFL Playoffs.

Fans that want Steelers vs. Chargers tickets have several viable choices.

First, The Chargers played to 93% of capacity at Qualcomm Stadium last year. That means that there are single game tickets available to be purchased for many games. Fans can wait for individual game tickets to go on sale sometime in the summer, and hope that some tickets for the Pittsburgh game to be available.

Second, Steelers fans (especially California Steelers fans) can put together a group, subject to the rules esatblished by the Chargers.

Third, fans can purchase Chargers season tickets, which cost as little as $600, not a bad deal when you consider that the Steelers game is selling for nearly $250 on ebay.

Fourth, fans can purchase in a fan-driven ticket market place like StubHub or ebay.

Fifth and finally, fans can purchase through a traditional ticket broker.

The best part is that the market is transparent and efficient. If you want to see the Steelers on the west coast and Steelers Chargers tickets are too high, you can look at Steelers Raiders tickets. If those are too high, you can settle for Steelers Cardinals preseason tickets. You can see asking prices and recent sales on e-bay to evaluate what a ticket to any NFL game is worth.

The transparent trading of tickets makes more tickets widely available to more fans than ever before. The box office doesn't close when a team's sold out sign goes up, and that's why you see more black and gold in the stands at Steelers away games than ever before, occasionally giving the Steelers an oddity in professional sports, a "Road-Field Advantage."

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2006 Regular Season Schedule Announced

The market for 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers regular season tickets kicked off in ernest yesterday with the release of the complete 2006 regular season schedule. Because they are the defending Super Bowl champions and Pittsburg Steelers tickets are certain to be among the hottest in the NFL.

Of course, the Steelers 2006 opponents have been known for a long time. The only suspense was the timing and sequence of the games.

After seeing the schedule, here are 3 things that jump out right away.

First, the AFC North Division opponents are weighted very heavily at the end of the season. Just 1 of the Steelers first 9 games is against an AFC North team, Cincinnatti at Heinz Field on September 24. Of the final 7 games, 5 are against the AFC North.

Second, there are 4 night games on the schedule, including 3 of the first four: at home, on September 7 at home against Miami, on September 8 at Jacksonville, and on October 9 in San Diego. If recent history is any indication, the Jacksonville and San Diego games should have large crowds of Steelers fans.

Third, the Steelers will get a lot of rest early in the season, with 10 days between the Thursday night Miami opener and the Monday night Jacksonville game, and a bye-week following the Cincinnatti game in week 3. Later in the season, the Steelers will have jus 4 days to rest between the December 3 game against Tampa Bay and the December 7 , Thursday night game against the Cleveland Browns. At least both of those games are at home.

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2006 Schedule:

Steelers 2006 Preseason Schedule

Date Opponent Time (TV)

Saturday, 8/12.... at Arizona....4:05 p.m. (KDKA)

Saturday, 8/19.... MINNESOTA.....8:00 p.m. (KDKA)

Friday, 8/25.....at Philadelphia....8:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Thursday, 8/31..CAROLINA......7:30 p.m. (KDKA)

Steelers 2006 Regular Season Schedule

Date Opponent Time (TV)

Thursday, 9/7.....MIAMI.............8:30 P.M. (NBC)

Monday, 9/18......at Jacksonville...8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Sunday, 9/24......CINCINNATI........1:00 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 9/1........Bye

Sunday, 9/ 8........at San Diego......8:15 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday, 10/15.......KANSAS CITY.......4:15 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 10/22.......at Atlanta........1:00 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 10/29.......at Oakland........4:15 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 11/5........DENVER............4:15 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 11/12*......NEW ORLEANS...... 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, 11/19*..... at Cleveland......1:00 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 11/26*......at Baltimore......1:00 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 12/3*.......TAMPA BAY.........1:00 p.m. (FOX)

Thursday, 12/7......CLEVELAND.........8 p.m. (NFL Network)

Sunday, 12/17*......at Carolina.......1:00 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 12/24.......BALTIMORE.........1:00 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, 12/31*......at Cincinnati.....1:00 p.m. (CBS)

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Steeler Ticket Market Report

With the NFL about to announce the remainder of its 2006 regular season schedule on Thursday, April 6, with a 2 hour show on the NFL Network and NFL.com, I thought it would be a great time to look at the offseason market for 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Tickets on ebay.

In the last 15 days, 166 tickets to 2006 Steelers games changed hands on ebay, for a total market price of $36,155.91, an average of $217.81 per ticket.

Steelers Pre-Season Tickets: $2,247.62 and 26 tickets to Pittsburgh's 4 preseason games traded hands. Preseason volume was driven by demand for Pittsburgh's first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals in the first ever game in Arizona's new stadium.

Steelers Regular-Season Tickets: $33,908.29 and 140 tickets, an average of $242.20 to Pittsburgh's 16 regular season games were traded. The market was driven by demand for the Thursday, March 7 opener vs. the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field with 40 tickets with an average selling price of $385.68 changing hands.

Steelers Home Game Tickets: 66 tickets to Steelers home games were sold for a total of $18,982, and average of $288 per seat. Steelers Dolphins tickets had the highest average selling price and market volume at 40 tickets and $15,427. Tickets to the Steelers pre-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings had the lowest demand at 2 tickets for $100 each changing hands.

Steelers Away Game Tickets: 100 tickets to Steelers 2006 Away games were sold for a total of 17,174, an average of $172 per ticket. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Diego Chargers had the strongest demand, with 34 tickets sold for a total sale price of $8,574.96, $252.20 per ticket. The regular season game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium is the only Steelers game that did not have a single transaction in the past 2 weeks.

Surprises? First that there is so much activity before the dates of the games are even known. That being said, I am a little bit surprised by the relatively low pricing for home games.

Several outlets are selling season tickets to Steelers home games for more than $2,000 for 10 home games. A ticket purchased for each home game at the average selling price would net you tickets to every game for a cool $1,593, significantly less than $2,000. Remove the $385 for the Dolphins game and you've bought 9 tickets for $1,200, still expensive but significantly less than $200 per game.

Second, the singularity of demand for San Diego Chargers game tickets. Having attended last season's Monday Night Football game at Qualcomm Stadium, I expect there to be a large group of Steeler fans in attendance. But am a little bit surprised at the strong pricing given that Chargers season tickets are available for as little as $600.

Forecast: I expect the market to heat up a bit next week as specific dates and times become known, especially as prime time matchups are confirmed. I also expect greater supply in the marketplace as tickets will start to become available from places like StubHub that were not selling tickets for games whose date and time had not been announced.

Here are the Pittsburgh Steelers 2006 games ranked by average ticket price:

1. Dolphins (9/7/06) , 40 sold/$385.68/ticket
2. @ Chargers (TBD), 34/ $252.20
3. @ Ravens (TBD), 2 /$242.00
4. @ Falcons (TBD), 2/$233.75
5. Browns (TBD), 4/$163.75
6. Broncos (TBD), 2/$160.01
7. @ Raiders (TBD), 2/$157.07
8. @ Bengals (TBD), 10/$156.50
9. Buccaneers (TBD), 2/$145.25
10. Chiefs (TBD), 2/$142.14
11. @ Browns (TBD), 2/$137.50
12. Bengals (TBD), 2/$133.51
13. Saints (TBD), 2/$122.06
14. Panthers (Pre-season, TBD), 4/$120.00
15. Ravens (TBD), 2/$119.63
16. @ Jaguars (TBD), 14/$112.36
17. Vikings (Pre-season, TBD), 2 $100.00
18. Cardinals(Preseason, 8/12), 18/$78.76
19. @ Eagles (Preseason, 8/25), 2/$75.00
20. @ Panthers (TBD), 0/NA

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The Arizona Cardinals Want You To Know...

The Arizona Cardinals want everyone to know that there will be no partial season ticket plans this year. That's right, the only team in the NFL to draw fewer than 500,000 and 400,000 fans wants you to know that the only way to guarantee seats to four games this year is to purchase a season ticket plan. If there is a Steeler Nation, there must be a Cardinal County.

"Based on the demand we've experienced and how well season ticket sales have gone so far, it's not practical to offer them this year." says Ron Minegar, Cardinals Vice President/Marketing and Sales.

If you want to take this to heart, call the Cardinals at 602.379.0102, but be patient, you might have trouble getting through. I may have to eat my words, but I'm guessing that going down to the box office and buying tickets to 4 games when single game tickets will work too.

Of course they also want to remind us that they will open their new stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 12 (tickets).

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P.S. The NFL is expected to announce the rest of its 2006 schedule on Thursday.

Steelers (Fan Blitz) Tickets Now On Sale

Tickets for the Steelers Fan Blitz are now on sale at Pittsburgh area Giant Eagle Ticketmaster locations, Pittsburgh Steelers Sideline Stores, and the Heinz Field Gameday Ticket Office near Gate A.

Fans will be able to see the Super Bowl XL Trophy, in addition to being able to watch coverage of the 2006 NFL Draft on the scoreboard. Of course, concession stands and the Steelers Sideline Store will be open and the "Steelers Experience" football skills booths will be in operation.

Perhaps most importantly, all fans will have the opportunity to win 4 tickets to the 2006 regular season home opener: the Miami Dolphins vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. Steelers Dolphins tickets are already in extremely high demand on e-bay and StubHub, and this could be a great opportunity to win tickets for free.

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A U.S. Army Generals' Legacy: His Steelers Tickets

From today's Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

What was Army General Michael V. Hayden, the U.S. principal deputy director of national intelligence, thinking about while in a bunker in Iraq? Hayden, a Pittsburgh native said:

"I must admit that I also wondered who would get the Steelers' season tickets."

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