Scalped NBA Finals Tix Cheaper in Miami than OKC

For all the talk about the excitement in South Florida about the Miami Heat, the pro basketball team still has a bit of work cut out for itself. Today's online edition of the Miami Herald ran an entertaining, interesting article comparing the supply and demand for scalped tickets to the NBA Finals between Miami and Oklahoma City. Surprisingly, ticket scalpers are getting more money in Oklahoma's state capital than in South Beach. Oklahomans who can't buy their way into home games are flying to Florida, taking advantage of off-season hotel rates, and scooping up Finals tickets.

Don't get me wrong: the tickets are mighty expensive. However, NBA fever has seized Oklahomans and transformed a notorious football state into one where the round ball most fervently matters. Miamians also know that Oklahomans know the way to South Florida. The OU football team was a frequent participant in Orange Bowl games on New Year's Day. The Oklahoma Sooners were characterized as a team that "traveled." In college football parlance, that means the team's fans will attend a bowl game, and spend a lot of money.

It appears that Oklahomans have found a new reason to "travel," support the South Florida economy, and get their money into circulation.

Hollywood-Style Accounting Masks NBA Miami Heat's Bonanza

American Airlines Arena, Miami

Today's online edition of the Miami Herald includes a fascinating story about the NBA franchise Miami Heat's money trail. One intriguing angle is how the Heat's revenue sharing, rent, and other financial configurations has managed to leave Miami-Dade holding an empty money bag.

The Herald article noted how fan spending dramatically increased at the Heat's home arena once LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined superstar guard Dwayne Wade to form "The Three Kings." However, that increased revenue did not reach the Heat arena's landlord, the Miami-Dade municipal authorities. Instead, the Herald noted, "the surge in revenues during the Three Kings era has not yet offset the losses recorded in the first years of the waterfront arena...As a result, Miami-Dade has yet to collect rent on the county-owned facility, which is governed by a 1997 profit-sharing arrangement."

The entire story goes into detail about the financial maneuvering, and strongly suggests that Heat owner Micky Arison is raking in the cash on this deal. It's also a cautionary tale about pro sports in general, and how following the money almost always leads to some very interesting, and occasionally dark, areas that ownership and municipalities alike would prefer kept out of the light.

Miami Fans Put HooDoo on Big D

When the New Orleans Saints made their Super Bowl run a couple of years ago, a few stories emerged about certain locals' use of voodoo to help their team win the championship. Of course, the Crescent City has an historic association with these "underground religious practices," as Wikipedia characterizes it.

Miami's version of the dark arts comes from Haiti, and is called vodou. Now, fans of the Miami Heat are buying vodou items to help the team win the NBA title. It's a breath of fresh air in a sport dominated by footwear endorsement packages.

The Miami Herald has the story. The photograph is by my wife, the fine art photographer Amy Becker.