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Oregon man pursuing tickets in Arkansas Sunday, Mar 4, 2007 By Harry King LITTLE ROCK - Talking ticket distribution for '08 NCAA basketball in Arkansas, the contact man mentioned an inquiry from Oregon. It didn't make sense that Jim something-or-other, 1,750 miles away, wanted to buy some tickets for the first- and second-round tournament games March 21-23 in North Little Rock. Nobody knows the bracket for 2007, much less who will be where a year from now. Turns out, Jim Chasse and his wife have been doing this for a few years, piggybacking basketball and education. A year in advance, they buy tickets to two weeks worth of games and zero in on some cheap airfares. To get from the first-round site to the site of the Regional Finals, they rent a car. His reason for calling Arkansas was simple: "We've never been to Arkansas," he said. A 64-year-old accountant from the Portland area, Chasse went to high school a few miles from where he lives and he still takes in some basketball games on Friday night at Jefferson High. Friends and neighbors vacation in Seattle or Vancouver, or do the tourist thing in Washington, D.C. That, he said, "totally limits our perspective of the country." He never played basketball - "I wasn't good enough" - and he's not a hard-core nut. The NCAA Tournament only facilitated the selection of a destination and when there is a Regional in Portland in 2009, the Chasses will leave town for another site. They struck out for the first time in 2002, scarfing up $200 tickets to Orlando. From there, they drove to Greenville, S.C., where they were fascinated by the Citadel cadets in uniforms and the students' recitation of school history. After the first two rounds, they motored to Lexington, Ky., where Indiana won the regional. For the next couple of years, they settled for high school tournaments in Sacramento to celebrate a birthday with his aunt who was in her 90s. They returned to the road in 2005, flying to Charlotte, N.C., and then driving to Syracuse. Last year, it was Philadelphia and Washington with a side trip to Baltimore. This year, they'll be in Sacramento and then motor halfway across the country to St. Louis. The way Chasse figures it, he and wife Pamela will be in Texas on March 19 when the Alltel Arena tickets go on sale, so he'll find a library, download the forms and send in the money. Once on a scene, there is no formal plan. Intentionally, they "get lost" in a city. "I'm a city person," he said. "I don't feel uncomfortable getting lost." In Monmouth, N.J., they discovered a revolutionary war site where Gen. George Washington and Maj. Gen. Charles Lee led American Continental troops. In Lexington, the lesson was culinary - the original KFC was only a couple of miles from their motel. His wife played basketball in high school, but most of their seat companions know more about the nuances of the game than he does. Each game, husband and wife choose sides. Two years ago, he backed North Carolina against Iowa State and, once he sorted through the accent, joined his young seatmate in "Go Heels." Two days later, the young man was confused when Chasse cheered for Villanova because his wife picked the Tar Heels. They have always been able to buy tickets, but they have no interest in the lottery for Final Four ducats. Chasse is philosophical about the cost of the trips. His son doesn't need the cash and he'd rather spend the money than save it for some long-term care facility. Like every other NCAA Tournament site, Alltel must set aside a specific number of tickets, including 550 for each of the eight teams, 60 for the NCAA, 20 for the basketball supplier, and six for the committee evaluating game officials. Arkansas-Little Rock season ticket holders can buy in advance and so can those who participate in the Save Your Seat program at Alltel. Still, there will be thousands for sale to the general public at $167 for the six games and the NCAA will be watching to see if it's a sellout. ---- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
