A Tale of Two Tickets (My own personal episode of "24")

by haildablazer on Apr 22, 2009 7:10 PM PDT

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

I am, of course, refering to what happened this morning, 10:00 am sharp to the Blazers ticket site.

I typically don't usually use this expression, as it is so overused that it has almost lost all meaning. I feel, however, that if it does not apply here, it doesn't apply at all: epic fail. Don't get me wrong here. I have my tickets when plenty have been left out in the cold, so to speak, but not the ones I had originally. I have read multiple posts here today about the difficulty of obtaining any tickets, so here is a breakdown of my morning.

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9:00:

I wake up, still delirious from the big win the night before. I feed my pets and brush my teeth.

9:30:

I call the Rose Garden box office. Yes, I know that Mike Barett said last night that tickes "will be available exclusively online." Not being completely unanteligent, I know vaguely what the word "exclusive" means, but I figure it's worth a confirmation call.

9:31:

Exclusive apparently means exclusive. Who knew?

9:45:

Log on to the Blazer's NBA website. I open two windows, one at the opening page, before you clicked on "Get Tickets" and one at the "Choose Seats" screen.

9:45-9:59:

Click. Nope. Reload. Click. Nope. Reload. Click. Nope. Reload.

10:00:45:

I'm in!!! Feeling, wierdly, a bit like James Bond I select two tickets in the "Orange" section. Corner, 200 section, $39 each.

(I almost wanted to buy 4, and then sell the other 2, but I am not a comlplete donkey like a lot of people apparently)

FYI, the screen that worked for me was the one one with "Purchase Tickets", page 1. I tried twice with the other, then clicked through with that one and it worked

10:01:

Those babies are in my shopping cart!!! One click!!!

My thoughts:

"Hmm... What's this "Cart Will Expire In" thing?"

"HOLY HELL!!!!"

I suddenly feel EXACTLY like James Bond.

10:02 (4 minutes 52 seconds to Zero Hour)

STUPID-TEN-DIRTY-WORDS-"WORD-CONFIRMATION"-THING!!!

10:03: (4 minutes 30 seconds)

The server is slow. Surely that could not be because the tickets are "exclusively" available online and there are approximately three million people simultaneously logging on at the same time... Right?

10:03 (4 minutes 5 seconds)

Now the site is asking me to register, as I have never bought tickets online before.

This displeases me.

10:03: (3 minutes, 45 seconds)

The server is so slow, I have filled out my information, CC#, Name, Address, Allergies (joking about that one, but that's how it felt) and have clicked on Submit. Now waiting.

10:04: (3 minutes, 10 seconds)

I finally get through Page 1 of confirmation, only to be greeted by Page 2.

WHO DESIGNED THIS TEN-DIRTY-WORDS-WORDS SITE?!?

10:05 (2 minutes, 35 seconds)

Page 2 completed. Clicked on submit. Still waiting.

10:07 (2 minutes, 10 seconds)

Page loaded. Now it is asking me to confirm my CC# (?!?!?).

10:09 (Time up):

Bomb exploded. Terrorists win. Replay?

Heck yeah.

The page loaded literally three seconds after my cart expired.

10:10:

Find out that the 200 level is already sold out. Kinda bummed, but at least I'm not out a hundred bucks.

Must. Get. Tickets.

10:11:

Now prepared with my own registration, and gettling lucky, I manage to secure two 300 level tickets in my cart on my first try.

10:15:

With (literally) seconds to spare, I get the site to accept my card and am now the proud owner of two tickets in the rowdy 300 level.

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Pride mixed with anger. I could have been in the lower bowl for the first time ever.

In the Playoffs!

Ah wel, I suppose that it was not to be, and I am so grateful I am now going to the game.

Hail.

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Comments

why didn't u register beforehand?

it had a big sign in/register button up the top….
i feel bad for the people who had lots of time but the server timed out on them.
it happened to me but luckily a ticket rep was helpful and found my timed out order.

sadly mistakes like not creating an account early just weed out some of the buyers.

OH! IT'S A LOB TO RUDY!! And he Jams it!
From Sergio; the Spanish Armada hooks up again!

by Portland89 on Apr 22, 2009 7:25 PM PDT reply actions

Cuz I'm an idgit

I didn’t even see it.

Hey, I got lucky.

I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

by haildablazer on Apr 22, 2009 7:29 PM PDT up reply actions

I saw "purchase tickets"

And that was all.

Single minded am I.

I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

by haildablazer on Apr 22, 2009 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions

I didn't even get anything in the 300 level. And I tried at 10:05

This is BS.

by robrun2 on Apr 22, 2009 7:26 PM PDT reply actions

there will be tickets up for face value sale here on the Bedge Tuesday

there have been for the other two games.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Apr 22, 2009 7:27 PM PDT up reply actions

The reason I think it worked

Is persistence. I think that a lot of other people had the same experience, and when their carts expired the tickets opened up again.

Just a thought, but I’m pretty sure that’s why it worked for me.

I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

by haildablazer on Apr 22, 2009 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions

I tried

I tried everything 80 bucks and below, couldn’t even get single tickets. Did anyone have any luck trying the same combination (such as 2 tickets in the purple section), once failing, and then having it work?

My downfall was trying 4 tickets in the sections, and then working down (group of 3, 2, 1..). No singles left, even just a few minutes after 10 were available to me.

by hiccough on Apr 22, 2009 7:40 PM PDT reply actions

I had 4 tickets (none were going to be resold) in the Tan section. in my cart

got the CC number in, hit submit and 10 minutes later after the screen finally loaded “sorry we are unable to secure” crap…….

then I tried every other section and got notta……..

Creator of the "Draft Darius Butler" truth train.

Jailbird is free to spread his wings (don't get banned X)

Visit my blog, The Blazing Yankee

by cbdolphin on Apr 22, 2009 8:36 PM PDT up reply actions

try and try again

It took me thre attmept before their were any tickets available. My first attpemt I tired for 200 level, after that I went for best available. I will be cheering from the Tan section, as that is stil more fun than my living room.

by NWfan on Apr 23, 2009 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions