Touchdown: the game is on for tOSU football Tickets!!

Post 34:


Lisa over at Glass City Jungle recently had an entry on the fact that members of our executive and legislative branches of our government often take part in receiving comped football tickets (season) to OSU games. Politics.Ohio.Com had the same basic story. Ohio.com (via the Beacon) has an in depth review of this issue. And last but not least, this website has a review of those who got the tickets last year. Most of these sites featured commentary about the ethics and properness of receiving these tickets as a gift; however, I would like to talk about a few different things involved in getting these tickets, along with the ethics: I didn't get any, Ethical Problems, what about the general public and alumni. There are 102,329 seats open at OSU games making it the 6th largest stadium in the world, Why the hell could I not get a ticket? tOSU tickets; what really grinds my gigantic notched wheels.

I didn't get any:
I entered the student ticket area this year, a bit later than I could have but still about mid-way through the submission window. From what I was lead to understand, anybody who asked for tickets within that window would get them. Low and behold, at the end of April, MIDWAY THROUGH MY WINDOW, they had sold out of tickets. This, to me, is a problem. I pay out off my ass to go to tOSU and the least I expect is the right to buy tickets. Hell, one of the reasons that I went to tOSU to study microbiology instead of UMBC to study marine biology is that they told us that we could get tickets. News flash: we didn't. Not only did I not get tickets (and I am going to be a junior) but the freshmen had no chance what-so-ever. To me this is wrong. All the students should have the chance to get tickets, all should have the chance to get good seats. OSU, if you are going to stop selling student tickets before the window closes, why not keep it open and then lotto them off like you do the BCS tickets - which I am not eligible for this year (but I went last year).

This said, if anybody wants to sell 1-2 tickets to the UM game, please email me (or post a comment here)

Ethical Problems:
Yes, I know, I am jumping on the bandwagon in this one, but I don't really care. There are several ethical problems with receiving anything free as a legislature or executive, even if it is from a public university. Hell, the sole fact that the board of regents can get free tickets is a clear sign of problems. Anytime we allow lobbyists to give free items (1 season OSU ticket is worth $420 (I believe, based on $60 per game)) we risk corruption in our government. Even those who are responsible for overseeing this very organization are given free items by it. I have no issue with lobbyists who take a person out to dinner, or give them pens with their name/company/issue on them; however, I do have an issue with a lobbyist who gives out hundreds of dollars worth of items. It is high time that OSU attempts to set an example and not buy it's way.

What about the general public and alumni:
While I have an issue with not getting any tickets for myself, the new system that tOSU has makes it so that the alumni who have bought for years are unable to get their tickets. Thats right, the people who have been loyal and honest and paid well are being given the finger by tOSU. This is just sad, in my opinion. I know that the tickets given out would not change this, but this is part of the new system that tOSU is doing. Frankly, if I were the alumni association I would call for a boycott for a year. Once tOSU realizes that it can not do this to people they will stop.













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Thanks,
Robert M. Barga,
Editor of http://whalertly.blogspot.com/
barga.24@osu.edu



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