Chris_H_2

I think the closer that you get to the show, the more people will be dumping tickets. Frankly, I don't have an answer to the ticketing system. They could go to will-call, but that would create other hastles for the band (like having to staff more people at the will-call booth) and the fans (what if you can't make the show and want to pass your tickets along). That's a good example. I'm a season-ticket holder to the Cubs. There are games that I can't go to and, admittedly, I've sold tickets above face value. Does that make me a scalper? By the technical term, yes it does. But I al

It really doesn't bother me at all. It also doesn't bother me to call out people who make posts on a whim without facts to back them up and to call a spade a spade. But perhaps I'm a little too blunt for people's fragile sensitivities.

I'm not defending scalping, but I am suggesting that some people need to grow up and get over it. Would I love to be guaranteed face-value tickets to every sold-out event that I want to go? Of course. But I also know that at times it's not possible. And when it's not, I'm not using it as an opportunity to air my dirty laundry about all that's wrong in the industry (and to some people, the world). Like I said, people are criticizing the band for playing such a small venue, and then criticizing the band again for not personally guaranteeing each fan a ticket. I saw the same thing this sum

Well, if those posts where "serious fans" (I'm not sure what that even means) were limited to conveying how upset/frustrated/angered/saddened etc those people are instead of complaining about how poorly and shortsightedly the band handled the ticketing or how ticket brokers (an industry that has existed for a long, long time) are inherently evil and should have their homes burned to the ground, then perhaps they wouldn't invoke the same strong emotions from people that you're seeing. Frankly, I think it's somewhat selfish of people to all of a sudden come out of the woodwork and complain b

But you don't know that. The people that post here make up a relatively small percentage of the fan base. And just because there are x number of people here who got shut out does not mean that if the scalpers had not got their hands on the small percentage of tickets to re-sell them that the people here would have received tickets. You can't account for the other people that were attempting to get tickets for legitimate reasons because you don't know how many there are. I'm not singling you out by any means. But I'm reading an awful lot of people's posts complaining that if it wasn't f

Sure, but like I said, the original assumption is that those that sell on StubHub and eBay represent a significant portion of licensed brokers who bought the tickets for the express purpose of re-selling them on the secondary market (and not simply people who bought too many or can't go and are putting them up for auction). After all, I thought the whole point of people's gripes (like those seeking to ban broker sites) is to cut down or eliminate "scalpers" in the truest sense of the word. You're never going to be able to stop randoms from simply re-selling.

I'm not following where you get "a significant portion of the tickets available." Using the stated Riv's capacity, you have 2,500 tickets for sale per night. If you take the average of all those tickets on the secondary market (on eBay and StubHub -- which typically does not account for all of the licensed scalpers (some are individual ticket purchasers that are just re-selling them for one reason or another)), you have about 250 tickets per show up for sale. So, assuming that those people selling on eBay and StubHub bought for the express purpose of re-selling the tickets on the secondary

There are a lot of fans in Chicago that have no problem going to see Wilco 5 shows in a row. Add that to that the fact that the shows are in Chicago -- the band's biggest breeding ground for fans -- and you have a ticket that's tough to get. Wilco may not be U2, but they're not a garage band struggling to get gigs. It certainly did in 2005 at the 4 Vic shows, and I didn't hear nearly as much complaining about scalpers as I read about now. I think that you're strongly overestimating the amount of scalpers selling tickets to these shows compared to the amount of fans that tried to

I just find it funny that, all of a sudden, scalping becomes an epidemic in the music industry because people complaining about it happened to strike out on Wilco tickets last week. The band can't seem to win. First people pine for the days when Wilco played small venues, and those people wish and wish and wish that Wilco would simply play the Riv. or the Vic instead of Pritzker, and then when the band announces shows at these venues, people complain about not getting tickets. Well, what exactly was expected? Of course they were going to sell out quickly and of course the tickets would no

Of course it isn't. There now exists a quicker, more efficient and accommodating way of buying tickets that wasn't around before about 1995. Frankly, I'll put up with the prospect of quicker sold-out shows and tickets on the secondary market to be able to log on to TM from the comforts of my own place instead of standing in line for 10 hours in 20-degree temperatures.

Sure, but it's also $40 a year to join. They could make this all easier and just have every show be will-call.

Because most major acts chickened out and wouldn't support Pearl Jam in 1995 when they tried to do something about TM.

6 shows in 7 nights, or worse, 7 shows in 8 nights (depending on which night they add) is pretty difficult. I say the chances are 0%.

By the way, I think they were selling tickets at the Vic box office. There were about 5 people out today in line. I asked and they said they were there for tickets.

I got Hannah Montana tickets for my niece this morning. Although I already have a 5-day pass, I still couldn't get 1 ticket for Wilco for Saturday night for my wife. Funny how that works.

Edmonds too? I know Scott Rolen and LaRussa hate each other, but I hever heard about Edmonds. What's their beef with each other?

It's my understanding that players received explicit instructions from the Union not to meet and discuss anything with Mitchell. That's why they had such a problem with Giambi doing it, and why it took so long to work out the ground rules for his meeting.

Wow, that's a lot of money.

But Clemens' attorney's comment about not being able to refute the allegations is misleading. Clemens had an opportunity to meet with Mitchell but refused, instead preferring solidarity with the Union. Whether he could have said anything to change the report is unclear. But nevertheless, he still could have addressed the accusations.

For what it's worth, CNBC has said that this list is bogus and is revising it. Heck, the least they could have done is spelled the names correctly.

Has that been confirmed? I know that their initial offer was for 4 years right around $48 million. But Gonzalez from the Tribune reported that Kenny Williams actually reduced the offer to 3 years (with possibly less money) after Andrew Jones signed his 2-year deal with the Dodgers.

Absolutely not. I just find it funny how Kenny Williams goes on record as saying that the White Sox would be big players in the free-agent market and would land a "big fish" only to come away empty handed. And then he gets furious when people question his moves. Let's face it, after he lost out on Hunter, he put all of his eggs in the Rowand basket. Now they're pretty much screwed in CF, and still have no lead-off hitter. If they are going to have a $120 million payroll, you would think that they would finish more than just a couple of games ahead of Kansas City. Also, it's $12 milli

Hmmm, and from whom have we heard a request for that before?

So the White Sox missed out on: 1. Tori Hunter 2. Miguel Cabrera 3. K. Fukudome 4. A. Rowand Perhaps Kenny Williams shouldn't have pulled his petty crap again when he reduced his offer to Rowand after the Dodgers signed Andrew Jones. Now what? Is Juan Pierre in the White Sox future?

Jesus, I'm just thinking of the songs that I've been waiting to hear live from the full band again: What's The World Got In Store (please let there be a banjo involved), I Must Be High, Nothingsevergonnastandinmyway(again), ELT, etc.