Seat Licenses

For the second season in a row, the Washington Redskins have the highest average ticket price in the NFL, and the Ravens have the 10th highest, according to an annual review of fan costs.Team Marketing Report, a Chicago-based newsletter, calculates the average cost of a family of four attending a home game for each NFL team. The report does not account for the one-time cost of permanent seat licenses, required by the Ravens and some other teams to buy season tickets. Nor does it include the prices charged for premium venues such as skyboxes.

Article on MSA, Ravens had erroneous conclusions The Maryland Stadium Authority disputes the conclusions of a Dec. 8 article in The Sun's sports section("Ravens may owe state $14 million") by Jon Morgan. There was no "critical" review of the stadium authority's financial management, nor is there an "investigation" by the state attorney general's office. The Office of Legislative Audits conducted a routine periodic review of the stadium authority, as it does for every state agency. As a matter of policy, the purpose of a legislative audit is "to provide constructive recommendations" concerning an agency's operations.

Overlooking the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill is more than a prominent piece of Baltimore geography. The hill is deeply rooted in this city's history, particularly for its role as a military installation during the Civil War when Union forces kept watch over a Confederate-sympathizing city. Small wonder a considerable hue and cry arose when it was discovered that the Under Armour logo had been painted billboard-like on the grassy hillside amid the memorials and American flag including the company's familiar slogan, "Protect this house."

Stocks? Forget 'em. Bonds? Returns too low. Permanent seat licenses? Now you're talking. The licenses that the Ravens and some other National Football League teams require fans to purchase to buy season tickets - often to help pay for stadium construction or renovation - have gone from being what many regarded as an extortionary annoyance to what some now consider a dandy investment. For instance, when the Ravens' stadium opened in 1998, a permanent seat license ranged from $250 to $3,000, depending on the location of the seat covered by the license.

I'm as big a proponent of hometown loyalty as the next chap, but I can't muster any outrage at Ravens ticket holders who are flipping their ducats to Steelers fans for tidy profits. Look, the economy is bad, worse than it has ever been in my lifetime. And the holidays, with all their gifting obligations, are upon us. So if mom and dad are strapped enough that mortgage payments are tough, and they want to sell their tickets so junior can have his Wii, who am I to wag my finger? I might be exaggerating by planting images of Tiny Tim, heartsick over a lack of Guitar Hero, in a discussion about football loyalties.

Dislikes what he seesI thought that I disliked the [Ravens] name until I saw the colors and logo. Is it too late to send them back to Cleveland?Mark S. WebnerBel AirDiMaggio's injuryReading Brad Snyder's article about Joe DiMaggio's move to first base reminds me of a few things.The real reason DiMaggio retired at age 36 after 16 years of playing center field for the Yankees was an injury.During the World Series against the Giants in 1951, DiMaggio, in his effortless stride, was going for a fly ball when Mickey Mantle, playing his first season in right field, collided with him. It injured his leg badly enough that he left the game.

Estella Yellowdy was so eager for four single-game Ravens football tickets that went on sale at 9: 40 a.m. yesterday that she showed up 24 hours early, sleeping on the concrete Friday night under the watchful eye of a couple of rowdy guys from Odenton.In contrast, Rick McAlister and Robert Geller arrived from Essex and Dundalk at 10 a.m., after sales had begun, hoping to buy two seats to any of the seven regular-season games on the schedule.In between were hundreds of fans, mostly men with young children in tow, awed by the commotion, music and dancing of the Ravens band and cheerleaders along the shady Russell Street side of the huge new stadium.

The public will have its first opportunity on Saturday to buy single-game tickets for the Ravens' season when the team opens its ticket office at the new stadium.Separately, the team is negotiating with Aretha Franklin to give a free concert outside the stadium on Sept. 5, the eve of its regular-season opener.This Saturday, only tickets to the preseason games will be sold: Aug. 8 against the Chicago Bears and Aug. 24 against the Philadelphia Eagles.Single-game tickets for the regular season, which begins Sept.

As the process of closing down Memorial Stadium for the last time begins, the new football stadium downtown is quickly taking shape."We're about 65 percent complete," said Alice Hoffman, the Maryland Stadium Authority's project manager for the Ravens stadium.The $220 million project is on schedule for a planned opening next August for a preseason game. With the majority of the contracts already awarded, the stadium authority believes it can avoid any more overruns on the project, which had been initially projected to cost $200 million.

IF AMERICANS exude a greater passion for something besides its sports teams, we're at a loss as to what it could be. Discussion of politics and regional problems might glaze folks' eyes, but they can debate for weeks whether Cal should play third.Such fascination translated yesterday into thousands of people packing the Gallery at Harborplace to see Baltimore's new National Football League team unveil its new helmet and uniforms. When strapping quarterback Vinny Testaverde trotted out in his purple and gold regalia, a roar erupted from the crowd as if they'd been cheering Mr. Testaverde and the Ravens half their lives.