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Scalper prices as hot as tickets
By Amy Donaldson
Deseret News Olympic specialist
WEST VALLEY CITY — Dick Shannon and his family didn't plan on trying to jam into a sardine-like situation at a West Valley private club to watch the Olympic gold medal hockey game Sunday.
No, the Montrose, Colo., residents hoped to buy tickets from a scalper, but the prices were too high, even after the game started.
So he and his family walked about a block to the only private club near the E Center, The Puck, but it was so full there was a crowd out the door and a sign that said, "one in, one out."
The parking lot had been full for more than an hour. As Shannon asked about the wait, cheering erupted as the USA's Tony Amonte scored the game's first goal. About half of the jam-packed house screamed "USA! USA!"
But the other half of the crowd got their chance as Paul Kariya scored Canada's second goal at 14:50 in the first period. Standing in what would normally be The Puck's lobby, Canadian Ed Huchingson was watching the game on one of the six televisions above the front doors.
"At first the (game ticket) prices were around $1,200," Huchingson said. "But the last offer was $800. I was willing to pay $500."
Huchingson said he wasn't worried about getting tickets from the street salesman because he'd had great luck until Sunday. He got into the bronze medal game for $35, and the Canadian/Belarus semifinal for $100 — both below face value. He got tickets to the Russia-USA game by trading a scalper an extra Canadian hockey jersey he'd brought to sell.
The Shannon family decided to head to Chile's Restaurant in hopes of snagging a better view of the game.
Whatever losses the businesses around the E Center had early in the Olympics, they were beginning to make up during the semifinal and final men's hockey games.
Chile's, IHOP and Applebee's were all full of customers as well as television watchers.
"We were thrilled (the final) was Canada and the U.S.," said Dana Cardwell, area director of Applebee's, which is adjacent to The Puck. "We're full now and we're hoping these people leave after the game and we fill back up with hungry people leaving (the E Center)."
Cardwell said they scheduled their employees around which teams were playing hockey. And while she's not sure they're making up completely for the losses from the first week, she's just happy to have a full house on a normally slow Sunday afternoon.
As for the scalpers, they were stubborn. Even though the prices dropped from about $1,200 to $800 after the opening face off, most wouldn't go lower than $600, even after a full period expired.
E-MAIL: adonaldson@desnews.com
Olympic specialist Brady Snyder contributing.
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February 25, 2002
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