And let's hear it for excitement ...
Those people who used their tickets to tonight's Chargers-49ers game? They won't see Philip Rivers or Antonio Gates, either. Norv Turner opted to hold out his starting quarterback and tight end, as well as LaDainian Tomlinson.
In an e-mail sent to selected media this afternoon (although, for some reason, it never made it into This Space's in-box), Charger public relations director Bill Johnston said Turner decided to shelve his biggest offensive weapons because he wanted to look at some other people.
Interesting that they waited to make that call until people had already decided whether to use their tickets or not.
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Incidentally, the mention of StubHub in this morning's game advance brought a response from a publicist for the ticket firm, Joellen Ferrer, expressing her appreciation for the plug and also pointing out that one ticket-buyer purchased two upper view level seats for tonight's game for a penny each.
(With shipping and handling charges, the total bill comes to $16.98 for the two tickets. We'll let you provide the punch line, since this one should be pretty easy.)
According to Ferrer, "a sizable percentage of tickets sold for under $10. On the average, people have paid $29 for tickets to tonight's game."
Twenty-nine dollars for the chance to see Andrew Pinnock as the No. 1 running back. Again, you supply the punch line.
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Oh, and by the way: This is Salute to the Military night at Qualcomm. But when it came time for the flyover? Two helicopters.
It is an exhibition game, after all.