Seahawk Addicts Ticket Buying Guide

by: Michael Steffes

I decided to undertake this project at the request of a reader. Hopefully this will provided a guide to those either from out of town, or with out season tickets, to making sure they get inside the gates at Qwest.

Due to the success of the team it is now more difficult than it once was. However, I hope this guide makes it a little easier for all those concerned to find their way into the noise factory this season

TO BEGIN....


Season Tickets

All of you know by know that there is a waiting list to get season tickets. However, if you think eventually you may want season tickets, or even if you don't there are some benefits to being on the list. You get entered into drawings to get single game, playoff, and even season tickets. You also get a discount at the pro shop. It costs a $100 deposit per ticket. It is refunded whenever you pull your name off the list.

Many will attest, even if you are out of town, move, etc, it is worth holding your tickets. It is the absolute easiest way to make sure you go to the games you want, and it is very easy to get rid of the tickets you can't use. Consider putting yourself on the list if you have a $100 stashed somewhere.

Single Game (HOME) Tickets

Tickets to individual games go on sale for the Hawks on Mon, Aug 4th at 10 am. The tickets are only on sale over the phone or online. YOU CANNOT BUY TICKETS IN PERSON.

In recent years the single game ticket have sold out in approximately 10-15 minutes. During this time it is very hard to get through to Seattle Ticketmaster. However, there was tip shared by one of the Sullivan brothers. If you are out-of-town, simply call your LOCAL Ticketmaster and you can still by Hawks tix. If you are in town, you may want to find an out-of-town Ticketmaster. They can still help you and the line shouldn't be nearly as crowded.

If you don't get tickets on Aug 4th, there seems to be several remedies. I will cover each of these and their positives and negatives briefly.

FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE GAMES

The Seahawks ticket office, and one reader mentioned that going to the box office at Qwest field on a Friday night can get you tickets. Often, they release extra tickets, and sometimes when there is a big demand, the team will put bleachers up in the endzone area upper deck to add more seats. Sometimes this is decided late so the team can release extra tickets. Call the ticket office during the week and see if they anticipate having more tickets released. Then check back on Friday before the game.


STUB HUB~~

Stub Hub is the premier online, second market retailer of tickets of all types. One thing you can always expect from SH is that you WILL be paying more than face value. That is just the way it is. However, here is what you can also expect. First, absolutely no hassle. They are very, very professional. Second, you will get to pick where you sit, much more so than other methods. Third, Stub Hub will have tickets for sale as soon as the games are announced. If you like to plan your trips early, and you aren't willing to take the chance of not having tickets first, use Stub Hub. Stub Hub is also a Seahawk Addicts affiliate. I will put their link back up so you can support the site if you choose to use this method.

EBAY

I didn't see much info on EBAY in my initial data gathering, however, I have used it with great success. The key to using EBAY is patience. You have to be a value hunter. Auctions come and go, and right now, season ticket holder haven't even received their tickets, so it is mostly brokers. However, once normal folk have tickets in hand, you can find good values, you just have to check it regularly and follow tickets you like, waiting for some to sell in your price range. Me, personally, I watch auctions and bid at the last minute. I have found that this helps me win more often. The other good thing about using Ebay, is that if you follow their guidelines you are fairly well protected from being scammed.

CRAIGSLIST

Hopefully everybody knows what Craigslist is, if not you consider moving out of the cave you live in. Craigslist is basically an updated online classified ads site, separated by city. In my experience, and I have sold a lot of tickets and other stuff via Craigslist, is that it is for people who don't want to hassle with the whole auction process. The benefits with Craigslist are that you can simply buy what is available at the set price. This also allows for more last minute deals. Some of the best/cheapest tickets I have ever gotten are the morning of an event off Craigslist. Sometimes when people's plans change they even post free tickets. Also, it is pretty hard to get ripped off if you are buying because you usually meet the person and inspect the tickets. This is part of the downside though. Often you have to find some time and place to meet, and usually this means paying only by cash. Occasionally you can pay someone through paypal and they will send them, but there isn't much protection if they rip you off.

SCALPERS

I don't have much to say about scaplers, except they get a bad stigma. They are not all bad. It is much like Craigslist, you pay cash, and you can see the tickets ahead of time. At Qwest they often hang out down by Safeco Field on the South Side, and over by FX McRorys on the North. One tip that came from the readers is too wait until kickoff, then the prices drop big time. Often the scalpers want to go in, or just get home and watch etc. Anyway, if you don't mind missing the first 5 minutes of the game, you can get some deals. Be weary though, I DO NOT know the law fully on scalping, and I suggest you research if there are any laws about buying scalped tickets. The last thing you want is to hand your money over and get pinched.

WHERE DO YOU SIT?

The consensus seems to be that there really isn't a bad seat at Qwest. Some are better than others, some are more expensive than others. It really depends on what you want. If you are a rowdy drunken maniac, the endzones are great places to stand and scream. The most civil of all places is probably the club section, although, I a can personally attest that people stand up and scream their butts off there too. The bonus with Club seats is that they have Sunday Ticket and better food and top shelf booze inside.

As for view, the standard answer is that the closer to the 50 you are the more of the game you will actually see. If you are at one extreme or the other, you will see half the game up close and the other half on the screens. But that is the beauty of Qwest, there are TWO beautiful, huge HD screens. One on each side. If you can't see something up close with your own eyes, you can see it on the screens in replays. Personally, I like to sit above the field, because I feel you can watch the players moving around like a chess match. It is something you don't get watching the game on TV.

Also, if you bring your children, PLEASE get them earplugs. Seriously, it is that loud.

WHAT GAMES TO ATTEND?

The game you are attempting to go to is going to effect the ease in getting tickets. Somebody mentioned that the Jets game will be a good one. This is true. In the past, the game on Christmas Weekend is always a good one, because people are out of town. More tickets are available from people, and less people try an buy this game. That works for Thanksgiving sometimes too, but not this year, because the team is in Dallas.

Obviously the toughest/most expensive games are often the prime time games. In the past, due to logistics, I have always unloaded my Monday Night tickets, and I am amazed at how much people get for tickets to those games. This year, the toughest game will undoubtedly be the Patriots. It is a Sunday nighter against last years superteam. Good luck. Opening day is another hard ticket. In fact, other than the Jets, I think all the games this year will be pretty popular. If you put some effort in though, I am sure you can get in to whatever games you want.

AWAY TICKETS~~

Just a reminder, most of these principals apply for away games. The one thing I don't have much knowledge about though is scalpers and scalping laws around the country. That said, i suggest you get tickets before leaving anyway, you will want an address for them to be sent to. Even if you use Craigslist, make sure you arrange the deal before you leave. It is just smart business. Most teams have already sold out their tickets to season ticket holders. The road games that most likely have tickets available at face value are Miami, San Fran, and St. Louis.

Hope this helps a few of you. Thanks for the idea Ben in AZ. Here at Seahawk Addicts we aim to please, and anything we can do to make life easier on the most diehard fans on the planet, well it is my pleasure.