400G JETS TICKETS THE PRICIEST EVER GINGER ADAMS OTIS and RICH CALDER Posted: 4:00 am October 19, 2008 The worldwide financial crisis didn't deter a Manhattan mortgage mogul from shelling out $400,000 for the most expensive football tickets on earth. The fat-cat fanatic ponied up a record $200,000 a pop for two "personal seat licenses" - a one-time fee giving him the right to buy the two best Jets season tickets at the team's new Meadowlands stadium that opens in 2010, said a source who witnessed the sale. He must now also fork over another $14,000 per year for his actual season tickets. The press-shy exec outbid everyone during an "auction preview party" at The Four Seasons Thursday night hosted by team owner Woody Johnson and attended by 200 well-heeled guests, including Jet legends Joe Namath and Curtis Martin. Official bidding begins today on the PSL licenses for the Jets' 2,000 much-hyped Coaches Club seats directly behind the team bench. But the team did put the two very best ones - front row, at the 50-yard line - on the block at the posh party with stunning results. Most experts had predicted the top PSLs would command no more than $70,000. The jaw-dropping price shattered the previous PSL record - the $150,000 the Dallas Cowboys commanded for the best seats in their new stadium. Many longtime Jets season-ticket holders were shocked to learn how much green was spent on the seats - or that the seats were even up for sale so soon. Art Kravetz , a Jets season-ticket holder since 1971, said it was downright scandalous for a select few to be allowed to bid on the best seats before the auction even kicked off. Not that Kravetz plans to participate in today's auction. He's giving up his four 50-yard-line seats, 11 rows up from the sideline, to relocate to cheaper seats. "The whole auction is a scam to screw the true fans who've supported this team in all its bad years in favor of large corporations with big wallets," he said. Bidding on Coaches Club seats starts at $5,000 and runs today through Oct. 27 through an online auction at stubhub.com. Fans can even get financing from the team to pay off the fees over a span of five to 15 years. Beside the PSL cost, tickets for the Coaches Club seats will go for $700 a game. The most expensive Jets tickets in the current stadium are priced at $115. The new seats come with a separate entrance to the 82,500-seat stadium, a parking space, and a full spread of free food and non-alcoholic drinks at a posh restaurant. But what may entice fans most is unprecedented team access - including the right to step out onto the field behind the Jets bench during games and attend postgame press conferences. The Super Bowl Champion Giants, who will share the new stadium with the Jets, aren't auctioning seats. The team is selling its Coaches Club PSLs for a flat $20,000. gotis@nypost.com
that is pretty cool, i would love to have that kind of team access, being on the sidelines with the team would be soooo cool! that being said is it really worth $5,000 plus $700 a game? for a one time shot, maybe the $700 is worth it. but over the whole thing, it just is way to much money in a horrid economy. besides i live in Brockport NY, kind of a long commute per game...
what hurts more then anything else reading that is that the "manhattan mortgage mogol" could drop 400k. Maybe i misunderstood the news...Isn't his market in general...kinda weak right now? what's the over under on how long it takes until some paper finds out that exec just got bailout money?
Wow, well that opens the floodgates for some expensive seats. Woody and Co. must be giggling like schoolkids right now at the money coming. I know I would be.
This kind of public display of greed during a time when most Americans are in financial trouble is kind of sickening. It's time for middle class fans to walk away and send a message. I haven't spent a dime on official NFL gear in decades. I enjoy watching the games but these kind of displays especially today has to give any sane person pause. This is practically criminal.
yea but there is nothing we can do. You know we are Jets fans, and would still jump at the chance to go to a game. We will watch from afar, while corporate parties go on at the stadium, with people that could care less about the Jets and more about hob nobbing for business.
If everyone stopped buying the NFL licensed goods and most of the season ticket holders walked away from their tickets things would change.
Sports is all about greed and status. Honestly, I can afford to buy season tickets (not $400,000 ones :wink: ), but you couldn't pay me to go to another professional football game. Let's see, I'm going to pay a small fortune for the honor of sitting there for three hours, listening to some drunken, foul-mouthed, screaming, inconsiderate fools, just to watch about 16 minutes of action. And that's on a good day, I won't even mention the fights and intimidation I've seen. I would never take my young children to a football game. I'd much rather sit in the comfort of my home and enjoy the game on TV.
This is digusting...if this jackass spends $400k on Jets tickets, I hope to God he is spending about $4 million to help a charity, or someone not as fortunate as him. Thats a joke...JEEEZ
Ranking on the guy for being rich and successful? I'm willing to bet that you don't donate a percentage of your yearly salary.
Well, thats where you're wrong. I do donate part of what I make to charity...So what point are you trying to make exactly? You find zero wrong with spending $400,000 on football tickets? And if you don't, thats fine...Just don't attack me for having an opinion, got it?
that's the only benefit i see of the psls. the higher the psl, the better the chance that u're in a crowd where it's safe to take ur family...i.e. if one can afford it.
I don't find anything wrong with it at all, as he can obviously afford it. You're knocking the guy for buying tickets to his favorite team, and getting the best ones in the house. You're pissed that he doesn't go ahead and donate the money instead, which is something you should probably think long and hard about the next time you buy a ticket to a game.
Im not getting into an argument on this site about this event...It's pointless. Enjoy the game today.
I doubt you donate part of your weekly allowance and lunch money to charity. Cartons of milk and cookies aren't cheap, nowadays.
