NBA in OKC: Two ticket hot lines are open

By Darnell Mayberry

Published: July 4, 2008

"Thank you for calling the Sonics in Oklahoma City. My name is Debbie. How are you today?”

This is the first step fans are taking to secure tickets to Oklahoma City's new NBA team. About 11,000 people have added their names to the team's ticket request list since the relocation became official late Wednesday.

They're calling from Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Ada and Ardmore, Norman and Bethany. But the soon-to-be-named franchise is also fielding requests from states like New Jersey, Georgia, Arizona, Texas and Kansas.

"It's great that they're coming to you guys,” said Ashley Webster, 24, of Hutchinson, Kan. who added her name to the list Thursday.

The team got so many calls within the first 24 hours of the announcement that the original call-in line, (888) 618-HOOP, became overloaded and temporarily stopped functioning. A second local number, 601-0975, was added to handle the volume.

Both numbers are now fully functional, and fans can also join the request list on the Internet at okfordcenter.com or at supersonics.com.

"I was just amazed how early it started,” said Ford Center Director of Marketing and Sales Tim Linville, who is overseeing the operation. "Since 7 o'clock in the morning it's just been insane around here. You can tell when people are getting off work or when they're on their lunch break because it just gets crazy.”

The team's temporary call center is set up in a TV production room high above the Ford Center arena floor. Thirty to 40 Ford Center employees have been brought in to answer phones, rotating shifts while the team's sales staff transitions from Seattle.

All that's needed from callers is basic information such as names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Operators then inform callers that a customer service representative will be in touch in coming weeks.

Tickets are not yet for sale and no deposits are being taken. The team hasn't finalized prices but is expected to do so soon.

In the meantime, fans who add their names to the request list will be entered into a database the team will use to provide contact information for future season ticket sales and other information. The request list is not a priority list.

Team chairman Clay Bennett said Wednesday, however, the team is looking into ways it can reward former season ticket holders of the New Orleans Hornets, who played the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons inside the Ford Center.

"It's going to be very difficult to say that if you had a seat at the Ford Center for the Hornets that you can have that very seat again with a new team and a new building,” Bennett said. "But rest assured we are cognizant of the passion that the Hornets fans had and have and want to try to find a way to somehow reward that and recognize that as we move forward.”

Bennett also said Wednesday that fans can expect an increase in ticket prices from what they grew accustomed to paying for Hornets games.

"They're going to be higher,” Bennett said. "We will still have affordable seats. We are going to commit to making sure affordable seats exist throughout the building. We're going to focus very hard on making sure that everyone in this city and state that wants to go to a game can go to a game.”

Ronnie Roller, 51, of Ada, said he has "pretty strong” interest in purchasing tickets once prices are finalized. Roller, a former partial season ticket holder for the Hornets, said he has been looking forward to this moment since the Hornets' final game here.

"I was thrilled with the announcement,” said Roller, who wants two season tickets for himself and his 18-year-old daughter. "I was surprised by it, but I'm ready to get it on.”

Toolbar sponsored by: David Stanley Ford

Comments