LAKERS CHANGE TICKET RULES OFFICIALS ISSUE WRISTBANDS FOR 2-DAY PROCESS.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Staff Writer Lakers See Lake poets fans waiting for a shot at buying tickets to the NBA playoffs The NBA Playoffs is a four-round best-of-seven elimination tournament between sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conferences (called Divisions, pre-1970) of the National Basketball Association, ultimately determining the league champion. at the Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. said the process on Saturday was more organized but the mood no less tense than last week's, when a melee postponed ticket sales until today. The plan on Saturday was to hand out wristbands to the first 500 people who showed up at the downtown venue after 6 a.m. But by 5:30, the line in the parking lot had swelled to more than 600, and by the time 6 o'clock rolled around, it had grown to 978 people. Organizers quickly moved on to Plan B - a lottery on top of a lottery. They handed out raffle tickets for a drawing to give out the wristbands - which in turn will be used for another drawing today to determine a place in line to actually purchase the tickets. Fans who had arrived downtown at 1 and 2 a.m. said the wristbands should have been first-come, first served. ``What happened to the early bird gets the worm?'' said James Ramirez, who arrived at 2 a.m. and was among the first in line. ``We were here last week to be abused, and we're back today to get abused again. We were here lined up orderly, and when they saw the line getting bigger, they change the rules. That's not fair.'' But Michael Roth Michael Roth (born February 15, 1962) is a former West German handball player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the West German handball team which won the silver medal. He played two matches and scored two goals. , director of communications Director of Communications is a position in the private and public sectors. The Director of Communications is responsible for managing and directing an organization's internal and external communications. for Staples, said it was the safest and most fair process when so many people had a legitimate claim to being there at the posted time. ``We were not going to give any advantage to people here before 6 o'clock,'' Roth said. ``If people wanted to line up a little before, that's fine, but they were not going to get an advantage over people who were here at 6 o'clock.'' Some fans agreed. Armen Agakiyanest, 26, of Glendale said he and his sister Meganush Agakiyanest, 18, arrived at the center at 5:30 a.m. and found they were behind about 600 people. ``I would have been mad if they'd given it to the first 500,'' he said. ``If the people who broke the rules got the tickets and those who didn't are left out, that wouldn't have been fair.'' Whether they walked away from the center with a chance for tickets today or not, one thing all the fans could agree on: Staples Center officials should have taken responsibility for the disturbance last week and not blamed the skirmish on unruly fans. Witnesses said that although there had been an orderly line in the beginning last Saturday, the scuffle began when a security guard called people out of line, saying he was going to give them a hand stamp a small stamp for dating, addressing, or canceling papers, envelopes, etc. - Ezek. xxxix. 9. See also: Hand . Witnesses said someone then tossed out numbered slips of paper to determine places in line, and fans clawed claw n. 1. A sharp, curved, horny structure at the end of a toe of a mammal, reptile, or bird. 2. a. A chela or similar pincerlike structure on the end of a limb of a crustacean or other arthropod. b. through the crowd to get at the numbers. Staples officials said if they had to do it again, they probably would give the hand stamps and numbered slips to people in the line that had already formed. ``In hindsight hind·sight n. 1. Perception of the significance and nature of events after they have occurred. 2. The rear sight of a firearm. it probably would have been better,'' said Brenda Tinnen, Staples Center vice president of event and guest relations. Since getting tickets is a two-day process, several fans who received wristbands said they weren't celebrating yet. They have to be among the lucky ones picked today to stand at the head of the line to buy tickets. ``We still don't have tickets,'' said Steve Ma, a wheelchair-bound Laker lak·er n. 1. A fish, such as the lake trout, that lives in a lake. 2. A ship used on lakes. fan who traveled with his mother from their Woodland Hills home. ``I hope we're lucky again. It's all about luck.'' While handing out the wristbands, organizers took down names of the 500 recipients to prevent fans from selling their chances overnight. A wristband wristband An identifying bracelet attached to a Pt's wrist at the time of admission to a health care facility, which may be the only identifier used during a person's stay in a hospital , however, still does not guarantee a ticket. Another random lottery will be held today to determine a place in line to approach the box office, and ticket buyers will compete for seats with Ticketmaster customers online and over the phone. Wristband wearers are expected to begin lining up at 8 a.m. The random numbers for line positions will be drawn at 9 a.m., and tickets will go on sale everywhere at 10 a.m. The Lakers, which have the NBA's top record, are scheduled to begin the playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. season on April 21 or 22. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Lakers security manager Joseph Oliveri, left, explains to fans about the new playoff ticket lottery at Staples Center. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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