The world according to Jim:
• Is it surprising at all that tickets for the FIFA Club World Cup tournament, which begins Saturday night in Miami and will feature 48 pool-play games in 11 cities, are not exactly hot sellers? It may be an example of greedy behavior receiving its just reward. …
• Background: This once was a small tournament, held usually in December somewhere in the United Arab Emirates, that involved the champions of seven regions including CONCACAF (whose representative usually came from Liga MX). It did crown a world champion, but the process was skewed in favor of Europe and South America, the representatives of which would get a bye into the semifinals.
But never let it be said that the people at FIFA weren’t true to their code, which historically translates to “More games, more money.” They still hold the December tournament under another name, but federation president Gianni Infantino and his people created this 32-team mid-summer monstrosity and modeled it after the real World Cup, which itself will land in the U.S., Canada and Mexico one year from now with its own expanded field, to 48 teams.
(Who knew, when that tournament was first awarded, that the geopolitical makeup of this region would change so much.)
Naturally, FIFA decided to bring this one to the U.S., partly as a test event but mostly figuring all of those big crowds from previous August friendlies would translate to big crowds for a first-time tournament no one was familiar with.
America’s reaction: Yawn! …
• Apparently none of the early-round games are close to selling out, and if Ticketmaster’s website is any indication many sites have slashed ticket prices and blocked out “unavailable” seats to reduce capacity. According to The Athletic, in a desperate attempt to fill Hard Rock Stadium for Inter Miami’s opener Saturday against Egypt’s Al Ahly, students who buy a $20 ticket can get up to four more for free. Bring your friends, indeed.
Inter Miami is in this tournament ostensibly because it won the MLS-invented Leagues Cup – but mostly because of Lionel Messi. It’s not helping, and maybe Miami fans are smart shoppers. On Ticketmaster’s site, the low ticket Thursday was $78 – and may even go down between the time you read this and Saturday’s 5 p.m. (PDT) kickoff. …
• Same with the six games at the Rose Bowl, where the only game with a low ticket above $50 is Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico de Madrid on Sunday afternoon. Ticketmaster listed the low “verified resale” ticket price for that one at $74.57 as of Thursday afternoon. Basically, the games involving big-name teams carry higher prices, but (a) those aren’t selling either, and (b) there are maybe a handful of those among the 32 teams in the field.
The idea that the three MLS entrants, Miami, Seattle and LAFC, aren’t driving ticket sales should be particularly worrisome given that the first two are playing matches in their home cities. I suspect members of the 3252 will be few, if any, for the LAFC games scheduled Sunday in Atlanta, Thursday in Nashville and June 24 in Orlando. …
• And the current policies of the United States – a travel ban affecting overseas visitors from a number of countries, and ICE enforcement actions that have some residents wondering if it’s worth the risk of going anywhere lest they be snatched off the street and taken to a detention center – certainly aren’t helping. LAFC fans’ own in-game protest during a home game last Saturday made a silent yet profound statement. …
• Infantino, for his part, expressed no concerns about the possibility of ICE agents prowling around game sites. But do you think maybe this wasn’t the best time to invite the world to our doorstep? …
• Elsewhere, last summer the Lakers stumbled for a while before securing a coach. (Remember the Dan Hurley rumors?) This summer, the NBA’s dysfunction junction has moved to Manhattan, where the New York Knicks keep asking permission to talk to coaches and keep getting turned down. …
• This week’s quiz: Which Hall of Fame athlete has a major roadway named after him in San Diego county? Answer below. …
• Indiana Pacers radio voice Mark Boyle had an interesting rant in the waning moments of Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals, lamenting how the league has done markets like Indianapolis and Oklahoma City a disservice with its national telecast emphasis of the big markets and historical favorites.
He’s not wrong. But, as he noted himself, it’s not going to change. …
• More fallout from the situation in downtown Los Angeles: The SFGate website reports that hotel business in the one square mile or so area affected by the city’s 8 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew is way, way down. Giants fans wanting to make the trek from the Bay Area for this weekend’s series at Dodger Stadium probably could get a room easy enough, but according to the report the hotels haven’t been proactive in informing prospective guests about the curfew. …
• Quiz answer: Ted Williams, who grew up in San Diego and became a Hall of Famer in Boston (and was the last player to hit .400 over a full season, hitting .406 in 1941). One quirk, however: Ted Williams Parkway is the continuation of State Highway 56 – and that number, as those of a certain age know, is identified more with Joe DiMaggio, and his record hitting streak, also in 1941.
So shouldn’t they at least redesignate the Ted Williams Parkway as Highway 406?
jalexander@scng.com
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