I'd be curious how this policy compares to how other NBA teams or sports franchises operate. As pathetic as it seems on the surface, perhaps it is simply how they roll.
On another note, my uncle who lives in the Seattle area had season tickets, tickets he was on a waiting list for several years to obtain, on the first row and they actually took his team away. Now that would suck.
I'm personally shocked anyone in the Seattle area thinks they have any chance of loving again. I'd feel so burned that I couldn't imagine trying to start over. I'd oddly feel the same way if the Jazz left Utah even though I don't live there and have few remaining connections to the area.
Sir, do you have the name of the person who is dealing with all this at the Jazz? I have a good relationship with some people that are involved in ticketing, I went to school with them, so i'd be happy to reach out to them for you.
And don't even think about calling Gepheart. I wish another news group would expose that fraud. He likes to reach out to local business and request an outrageous amount to be "Gepheart approved" and when you say no implies he will be looking into your company anyway. Practically blackmail.
LJ, you're a boss. I've asked my uncle if he can remember and i'll PM you if he gets me a response. To be honest, there are more pressing issues related to the estate right now (it's complex) so I think trying to mend fences with the Jazz is low priority for him right now. He was upset enough that I don't think he'd be inclined to pay full price at this point even if he was offered the exact same seats.
Although he did correct me on one point. The prices did go down briefly in the early-to-mid 80s when it was widely believed the team would be moving and were playing some home games in Las Vegas. They also went down (for one year) on a per-game basis following the 1999 lockout. I retract my "not even once" statement earlier regarding price decreases.
First of all, sorry for your loss. Death sucks.
Now what is important is the well being of those still living, and you won't be very "well" feeling entitled to basketball tickets that may not be legally yours. It seems the tickets were technically your grandfather's and not your family's, as the title of the thread says. If that is true you can't let yourself be angry over what big business is going to do with thier asset. He'll, PCMR just lost thier ski resort to Vail after sending in thier almost 50 year grandfathered lease in a couple of days late.
Lose the anger and hold on to the fond memories of the deceased.
Sports has a different consumer/business relationship than virtually any other entertainment business. The business literally depends on user investment. If you're not rooting for anybody you have no reason to watch. This is why municipalities feel pressure to use public funding to "keep" privately held sports teams. It is disingenuous at best and evil at worst to encourage concepts like "Jazz Nation" and run "support our team" campaigns while using the language of keeping the Jazz in Utah as a public service to the state and then simultaneously revert to the cruelest private property concepts when convenient. The Jazz, just like any other sports team, are not in the same relationship with their customers as Best Buy or Wal-Mart.
I really want to feel bad for you, but your family has had the privilege of experiencing something that most never will. These are white people problems.
White people problems are complaining that your bruschetta didn't come with enough bree or that kiwis aren't kept at your local Trader Joe's year round. Having a key family intersectionality tell you to **** off in the wake of a prominent death is a different ballgame.
Brings a tear to my eye.
I <3 your gramps
Another Gramps Jazz story: In the early 1990s my grandmother tried to get him to stop swearing. (Spoiler Alert: It didn't work). She essentially created a swear jar where Grandpa had to pay me a dollar every time he cursed. This meant that I listened extra closely. One summer David Benoit bought me a game boy.
Maybe another Jazz season ticket holder can chime in here because my understanding is that there is a PSL (personal seat license) associated with purchasing season tickets - Jazz are one of a handful of NBA teams that do this. This essentially means you own the rights to your seat. Or maybe The Jazz handle PSL's differently from other franchises.
PSL's are a big deal here in NJ because the new Met Life Stadium charges exorbitant PSL fees to season ticket holders for Jets and Giants. But the flip side to it is you own your seat and can sell it to someone in the open market like any other private asset.
I looked into this. Jazz PSL's aren't descendible and the transfer would have required my uncles to pay for the PSL using the Jazz-Approved trading service at a fair-market price and paying the Jazz-approved service a commission during my grandfather's lifetime. In sum: a PSL is another way for someone else to make money.