The Oklahoma City Thunder will have a season ticket waiting list. Team officials sold the remaining 1,000 tickets on Friday.
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"It's one thing to feel the support and believe the support is there,” said Thunder chairman Clay Bennett. "But to write a check is the ultimate test. I am pleased we were able to offer a reasonable amount of affordable seats. That's important. To have this kind of velocity in sales is remarkable.”
This remarkable: The Celtics, Lakers, Suns and Thunder are the only four NBA franchises with a season ticket waiting list.
"That's overwhelming,” Bennett said. "To actually see it happen, we're thrilled. We're tremendously gratified by the response.”
Select-a-seat appointments for today, Sunday and Monday will be canceled. Those fans will be placed on a waiting list for future season tickets. They also will be placed on a list for eight-game mini packages, in all price ranges, that will go on sale in approximately two weeks.
It was scheduled to be an eight-day process but ended on the fifth day when the team ran out of seats Friday night. In five days, the Thunder sold around 13,000 season tickets, around 14,000 if you include suites.
The most disappointed fans might be former Hornet season ticket holders with weekend appointments, fans who felt they played a key role in Oklahoma City landing a permanent NBA franchise.
Despite making several requests to Hornets owner George Shinn, Thunder officials failed to obtain a Hornet season ticket seating chart. Team officials felt the only fair way to distribute tickets was by using a computer random, lottery-like system.
"There is a limit to the amount of seats that are available,” Bennett said. "Through the years there will be changes in accounts. And we're offering eight-game packages and individual and group sales. We're trying to get as many people in the building as possible. We're just limited.”
Similar to the select-a-seat process for season tickets, eight-game mini packages (maximum four per account) will be offered based on an applicant's original scheduled appointment time.
The Ford Center seats 19,100 for NBA games. Thunder officials also are holding back 4,000 seats for mini-packages, group sales and individual tickets. The team also holds around 1,000 tickets for visiting team needs, the media and the league.
"It's not just a question of us having enough seats in the arena,” said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. "One of the highest demands are for seats around the floor, the most expensive seats. You can add seats, but you can't add anymore closer to the floor. That's how high demand was.”
A handful of fans might still have a chance to purchase season tickets later this month. Several hundred club level seats were unavailable due to pre-existing Ford Center contracts.
"Those seats date back two, three, four, even five years and are still being negotiated,” said Brian Byrnes, senior vice president of ticket sales and services. "They were sold by the Ford Center for first right of refusal for events at the Ford Center. Those contracts are now being managed by us, so we're still in the process of negotiating.”
Thunder officials won't know if any of those mid-court, club level seats might become available for a couple more weeks.
"There is a scenario where somebody owns a club account that will elect not to buy Thunder season tickets,” Byrnes said. "If that happens, that seat becomes available.”
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Good Luck to everybody buying tickets. I saw Santana on Tuesday night and I couldn't wait to get out of there because of the TINY NO LEG ROOM Seats. I won't go back to the Ford Center - VERY POOR DESIGN!!
I have to agree with Chris in Newalla. Although I did not have Hornets season tickets myself, I know several people who did. I know that three of those who I have spoken to were not able to purchase Thunder season tickets because their appointments were too late. They too were quite vocal in supporting the Ford Center/Practice Facility tax and actually one was influential in causing me to change my mind and vote yes. I was able to purchase tickets as my appointment was the second day, and I am thankful for that, but this just doesn't seem right. These people were fanatics and are neighbors of mine. Their kids painted themselves up, dressed in Hornets clothes and I even remember them going to a game in an ice storm because it was to be nationally televised and they didn't want OKC to look bad because of an empty arena. They said that would hurt our chances of getting our own NBA team, so they "HAD TO GO." And now they like Chris and his familly who sound every bit as loyal are left out. It's a shame. Why doesn't the Thunder at least take some of those seats that they are saving for group sales and try to do something for the Hornets fans? I am going to offer my neighbors my seats for any games that I can't attend, but they want to be there every game and I have a feeling that there are quite a few like them out there. I've heard several on the Sports Animal calling in. They all sound pretty heartbroken. Come on Thunder, do the right thing and take care of these people that did as much as anyone to help you bring this team here!
Clay's not in this for the citizens of OKC, (even though they are the ones footing the bill for this fiasco), he's in it for himself. He doesn't care about the little guys that got him here. He's a cheap used car salesman and he'd sell out to the highest (or most foolish, as has been proven) bidder in a heartbeat...
Clay boy screwed this one number one most of us hornet season ticket holders could prove we were or at atleast I could have. Clay and the thunder could have opened up the Ford center for a look around. Then later put up the seats first come first serve as is the custom with concerts on line and in person. Far less blame would have occured. While I am disappointed it appears Clay made sure Mayor and his boys certainly got tickets and I would assume Mayor was not not a random pick, Having sd that I will purchase the 8 pack but SHAME on CLAY !!! THINK CLAY THINK.
Wow, I see Paul still posts! He has such passion! What drives this mysterious man to read and post so obsessively on a site with people he hates? Masochism? His discipline and devotion to his painful cause inspires me. I just may make reading Paul's posts part of my daily ritual!
Sean, I guess you missed the press conference where Clay Bennett said that every effort would be made to insure that the Hornets season ticket holders would have a chance to buy Thunder season tickets. Every effort was not made. It would have been pretty easy, even without the Hornets list. One day set aside for the Hornets ticket holders to come in and show proof of their season tickets to make sure that they were not left completely out would not have been that difficult. We've been hearing for months from the fans in Seattle that Clay was not a man of his word. Well...
And as far as the Hornets being tourist and miling us for whatever they could get, I guess you don't live in the OKC area and never saw how much they gave back to the community.
I am shocked at the last post. Take a minute and think about what you just stated, you refuse to be a fan for a team because you cannot get tickets to the games. The Hornets were not our team. Although they likely are the reason we now do have a team, ultimately; they are NOT our team. OUR team is now the Thunder. Everyone is excited about the introduction of a true professional team in our state. I feel for you in not getting tickets as I as well did not get tickets and I was set for a Saturday select-a-seat. Difference is, everyone could have signed up for the select-a-seat sooner, the seats could have been handled differently, but in the end I was happy with a phone call about the mini-plans after the seats being sold out because my take is I am going to support my team in any way I can. If I can't get tickets for any of the mini-plans then I will try and buy individual tickets. If I can't afford individual tickets then I will WATCH our team on TV and get the hell over it.
If you want to make the mistake of following YOUR hornets to some other state have fun. Follow them all you want. The Thunder has fans regardless of your opionions and likely will even if they do terrible because of the simple idea of having a professional team in our state.
And btw, maybe if you were not purchasing so many tickets, I could have gotten tickets for a Hornets game. But then again, I didn't care to see the Hornets, they were only tourists milking our state for all the money they could then leaving.
In the end it will always be a business and to complain about people buying up tickets and selling them at higher prices is absurb. Our entire country is build on capitalism just like that. How do you think Mr. Bennett made the money to buy this team. Supply and demand makes everyones reality and the sooner you accept that the sooner we can all move on and enjoy our new team.
New Orleans/ Oklahoma City Hornets season ticket holders get no preference in ticket lottery! What a mistake!
The first season the Hornets were in OKC my family bought season tickets for our immediate family (4). That season we also had two birthday parties with 20-30 people at Hornets games. Near the end of the season we bought “group tickets” to one game (30) and distributed them to extended family and friends, some of which bought season tickets in year two.
The second Hornets season in OKC we again bought four upper level season tickets for the kids (ages 17-25) and 2 club-level seats for my wife and myself, as well as 25 of the 12 or 15 (I don’t remember exactly what they were) game mini-plans and sold those tickets to extended family and friends so we could all attend games together. We also again bought two birthday party packages the second season.
When the Ford Center tax vote came around we were very vocal in our support for the tax. My entire family was very, very excited about the NBA coming permanently to OKC. But not anymore, we have been left out. Because our select-a-seat appointment is not until Monday September 15th it is obvious that we will not have any opportunity to buy even 1 season ticket. In my opinion, families like ours that packed the Ford Center every night for 2 years had as much to do with bringing the NBA here permanently as did Clay Bennett and PBC.
The Thunder are blaming the Hornets for not sharing their ticket information, however I called my Hornets ticket rep. in New Orleans and he claims he is receiving 20-30 calls a day from his OKC customers wanting to know why the Hornets would do this to the fans that supported them so faithfully for 2 years. He says that the Thunders claims are completely untrue, that the Hornets offered the information to the Thunder and that the Thunder “never even got back to us”.
Needless to say we are heartbroken. I am a life-long resident of Oklahoma City and I would never wish anything bad on the Thunder for that reason, but they have lost what would have been a very loyal family of fans. I will not root against them, but also will not root for them. As far as I’m concerned they don’t exist. How could this lottery have been fair when already, days before our select-a-seat appointment the “ticket brokers” (crooks) are advertising hundreds of tickets at 3-5 times the face value.
Thanks a lot Thunder, so nice of you to take care of the fans that got you here in the first place. I have already made preliminary arrangements for our family to travel to Dallas to see our HORNETS.
I'm amazed at how quickly you Okies resort to name calling and hurling insults when you have no facts to refute something that differs from your own opinions....kind of like a bunch of 4th graders.....
I'm amazed at how quickly you Okies resort to name calling and hurling insults when you have no facts to refure something that differs from your own opinions....kind of like a bunch of 4th graders.....
"You mean it might be something like 15 bucks a month a few years down the line?"..Just one word to remember 007..."indefinite"..keep that one in mind after the 15 months has come and gone and there's another cash cow to be tended to.....take your 15 a month for the Ford, and then your 15 a month for MAPS, and then another 15-30 per month to replace the obsolete Ford..well, I'm sure even you can get the picture....
Please don't let Paul give Yukon a bad name. I grew up there and now attend OSU; on that note, I think that I might be the only person w/ Thunder gear at OSU or at least the only one who shows his colors...
"won't even consider acknowledging the long term ramifications of this, but they will, and it'll be sooner than they think...."...You mean it might be something like 15 bucks a month a few years down the line?...Start clipping your coupons Nancy
"It will be much better for them to ensure 100% attendance in the beginning, raise ticket prices in subsequent years"...Umm...They did jack up the prices for year 1...Considerably...Kinda kills your theory John
Hey pauly, thought you were in the military. Your tour should be over in five years and you will hopefully be gone. I'm sure you can find another city to whine about somewhere.
In 5 years when the Thunder are still packing out the Ford Center, paul will still be a low paid flunky at Tinker, stuck in a dead end job and I'll be here to remind him what a loser he is.
yeah just like clockwork, Larry and Paul from Yukon are out raining on everyone's parade. Must be nice trying so hard to bring everyone else down to their level.
david wrote: "Well it's just a fad. Something new. That is the only reason it's selling out." "Once people see they suck, they will stop supporting the team." Some of the supporters of the team are already saying this as the reason why we don't need to increase the seating capacity to the Ford. From an earlier article it looks like we could easily fill a 26,000+ seat arena (instead of the 19,000 mol Ford). I don't agree with those statements though. Maybe we can maybe we cant. If they are right (a position it doesn't look like you agree with) then this is the correct course (except for the fact we are making the seating capacity smaller instead of larger). If I am correct (and the numerous articles about season ticket sales indicate that I am), we are wasting this $100 million. Only time will tell who is correct.
The Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday will host auditions for people to sing the national anthem and game entertainment, including halftime acts.
Auditions will be held in the Cox Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E. National anthem auditions are from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Entertainment performer auditions are from 1-2 p.m. For more information, call (405) 208-4802.
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Now you should put aside a few coins and get a real logo designed by professionals and fire that crew of talentless clowns they call Ackerman McQueen.
And as far as the Hornets being tourist and miling us for whatever they could get, I guess you don't live in the OKC area and never saw how much they gave back to the community.
If you want to make the mistake of following YOUR hornets to some other state have fun. Follow them all you want. The Thunder has fans regardless of your opionions and likely will even if they do terrible because of the simple idea of having a professional team in our state.
And btw, maybe if you were not purchasing so many tickets, I could have gotten tickets for a Hornets game. But then again, I didn't care to see the Hornets, they were only tourists milking our state for all the money they could then leaving.
In the end it will always be a business and to complain about people buying up tickets and selling them at higher prices is absurb. Our entire country is build on capitalism just like that. How do you think Mr. Bennett made the money to buy this team. Supply and demand makes everyones reality and the sooner you accept that the sooner we can all move on and enjoy our new team.
New Orleans/ Oklahoma City Hornets season ticket holders get no preference in ticket lottery! What a mistake!
The first season the Hornets were in OKC my family bought season tickets for our immediate family (4). That season we also had two birthday parties with 20-30 people at Hornets games. Near the end of the season we bought “group tickets” to one game (30) and distributed them to extended family and friends, some of which bought season tickets in year two.
The second Hornets season in OKC we again bought four upper level season tickets for the kids (ages 17-25) and 2 club-level seats for my wife and myself, as well as 25 of the 12 or 15 (I don’t remember exactly what they were) game mini-plans and sold those tickets to extended family and friends so we could all attend games together. We also again bought two birthday party packages the second season.
When the Ford Center tax vote came around we were very vocal in our support for the tax. My entire family was very, very excited about the NBA coming permanently to OKC. But not anymore, we have been left out. Because our select-a-seat appointment is not until Monday September 15th it is obvious that we will not have any opportunity to buy even 1 season ticket. In my opinion, families like ours that packed the Ford Center every night for 2 years had as much to do with bringing the NBA here permanently as did Clay Bennett and PBC.
The Thunder are blaming the Hornets for not sharing their ticket information, however I called my Hornets ticket rep. in New Orleans and he claims he is receiving 20-30 calls a day from his OKC customers wanting to know why the Hornets would do this to the fans that supported them so faithfully for 2 years. He says that the Thunders claims are completely untrue, that the Hornets offered the information to the Thunder and that the Thunder “never even got back to us”.
Needless to say we are heartbroken. I am a life-long resident of Oklahoma City and I would never wish anything bad on the Thunder for that reason, but they have lost what would have been a very loyal family of fans. I will not root against them, but also will not root for them. As far as I’m concerned they don’t exist. How could this lottery have been fair when already, days before our select-a-seat appointment the “ticket brokers” (crooks) are advertising hundreds of tickets at 3-5 times the face value.
Thanks a lot Thunder, so nice of you to take care of the fans that got you here in the first place. I have already made preliminary arrangements for our family to travel to Dallas to see our HORNETS.