Ticket Prices

W hen it comes to fan relations, the Orioles sometimes have the touch of a blacksmith. Take their two latest moves: raising the price of tickets bought the day of the game and charging more for 19 "premium games," which include Opening Day and all Yankees and Red Sox games. Here is Cowherd's Primary Theory of Sports Commerce: If your team stinks and you're having trouble attracting fans, jacking up ticket prices is generally not a good PR move. I would say 12 straight losing seasons and another Titanic-like finish last year qualifies as "stinks," wouldn't you?

The National Aquarium's eight dolphins are no longer a show unto themselves. After two decades of dramatic leaps and crowd-pleasing stunts, aquarium officials are eliminating the 20-minute dolphin shows in favor of a more open-ended exhibit. Beginning Friday, aquarium visitors will be able to visit the dolphin amphitheater throughout the day and interact with trainers. Instead of charging a separate admission price for the dolphin show, the aquarium is raising general admission ticket prices.

Ravens president Dick Cass announced Thursday that the team will not raise ticket prices for the 2011 season, in part because of the uncertainty surrounding collective bargaining negotiations. "We looked at it this year and decided it was not a good time to raise prices," Cass said during a season-ending news conference with owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh . The Ravens' protocol has been to raise ticket prices every other year — and 2011 called for an increase.

As part of their season-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of Camden Yards, the Orioles are dropping ticket prices for selected games to 1992 prices. For six specific games, Eutaw Street bleacher seats will be available for $4 each, the same price as when the stadium opened. The six games featured aren't all unattractive matchups either, with the American League East rival Tampa Bay Rays in town for two of them and the two-time defending AL champion Texas Rangers coming in for one. Here's the lineup of the specially priced games, which must be purchased online at CamdenYards20.com : April 27: vs. Oakland Athletics May 7: vs. Texas Rangers July 24: vs. Tampa Bay Rays Aug. 9: vs. Kansas City Royals Aug. 27: Chicago White Sox Sept.

As part of their season-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of Camden Yards, the Orioles are dropping ticket prices for selected games to 1992 prices. For six specific games, Eutaw Street bleacher seats will be available for $4 each, the same price as when the stadium opened. The six games featured aren't all unattractive matchups either, with the American League East rival Tampa Bay Rays in town for two of them and the two-time defending AL champion Texas Rangers coming in for one. Here's the lineup of the specially priced games, which must be purchased online at CamdenYards20.com : April 27: vs. Oakland Athletics May 7: vs. Texas Rangers July 24: vs. Tampa Bay Rays Aug. 9: vs. Kansas City Royals Aug. 27: Chicago White Sox Sept.

The Ravens aren't raising ticket prices for the 2010 season, a team official said Tuesday. The team traditionally increases ticket prices every other season. Last year, seats at M&T Bank Stadium went up anywhere from $5 to $15. The Ravens went 9-7 in the regular season, earning a wild-card playoff berth. They beat the New England Patriots in the wild-card game, then lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

The new National Professional Soccer League franchise in Baltimore has set single-game and season-ticket prices for the 1992-93 season.The franchise will play 20 home games at the Baltimore Arena, beginning Nov. 7.The franchise begins operations today in offices on the third floor of the Arena. Information may be obtained by calling (410) 625-2320.There will be five ticket prices: $13 for seats in selected sections of the lower and middle concourses; $12 for all remaining lower and middle concourse seats; $10 for seats on the stage and behind the goal; $8 for upper concourse seats facing the field; and $4 for obstructed-view seats in the upper concourse.

CONSIDERING the O's share of what baseball owes for its collusionary behavior (about $11 million), think Eli "Cut Rate" Jacobs is having any second thoughts about not jacking up ticket prices?* "Denny the Detonator," the name given to the Blast's mascot, ranks right up there with the worst in American sports.* Talk about bad moves, Anatoly Karpov's end moves of Qg2, Rxa1, Nf4 in his latest draw with Garry Kasparov are easily as bad as Joe Tipton for Nellie Fox.* You have to wonder what kind of computer Jeff Sagarin is using in his college football ratings for USA Today when top-ranked Notre Dame, supposedly playing the toughest schedule in the land, ends up No. 17 this week.

So, you figured maybe the Orioles would not raise ticket prices this once. You figured maybe, after experiencing the real-life fantasy of having taxpayers build them a ballpark and fill it beyond anyone's wildest expectations, the Orioles would have the humility it takes to say thanks in the most meaningful way of all: in the wallet.Well, you were wrong.The Orioles announced a rise in prices for the 1993 season yesterday. They might object to it being characterized as a rise, considering that they also lowered the prices of some seats about which fans had complained.

There's no more disgraceful imposition in all of sports comparable to what the NFL continues to do: permitting teams to exploit, or mug, ticket buyers by forcing them to pay regular-season prices for exhibition games. It's a longtime complaint, but only if the public rebels by staying away will the practice be terminated.The league, by its actions, no longer cares about demonstrating any sense of decency or fair play. Fans are being violated. Too bad. It's arrogance in the first degree.This being said, let's hasten to point out that an advertisement appeared in The Sun that was, in a sense, attention-getting for fans.

This week is is lighter on marquee shows than last, when we had both BRUUUCE and Van Halen. We have Rye Rye and Real Estate, plus a Hunx and His Punx and Big Freedia in our regular round-up of the week's most notable concerts. Ticket prices do not reflect any additional surcharges and taxes.  On Monday , hardcore band Converge plays the Ottobar ($15). And the acid jazz band Incognito are at Rams Head on Stage in Annapolis ($35). On Tuesday , several members of Wham City perform at Whole Gallery as part of their new comedy tour, "the Wham City Educational Seminar.

St. Vincent Pallotti High's spring gala fundraiser, "Mardi Gras Madness," will be held Saturday, March 24 from 7 to 11 p.m., at the University of Maryland, Marriott Inn and Conference Center, 3501 University Blvd. east, in Hyattsville. The fundraiser includes a silent auction and a live auction with Scott Wykoff of WBAL radio. Individual tickets are $75, couples pay $140 and a table of 10 costs $650. Ticket prices includes catered dinner stations, including peel-and-eat shrimp, and an open bar. The Pallotti Band will perform jazz under the direction of Niko Iampieri, and there will be dancing with Class DJ's.

Citing already competitive prices and a difficult economy, the Ravens have decided not to raise ticket prices at M&T Bank Stadium for the third straight season. "There were two principle factors: We know that fans are stretching to buy our season tickets in what continues to be a difficult economic environment, and second, looking around the league and where we are right now in terms of ticket prices, we didn't feel that competitive reasons would compel us to raise our ticket prices," team president Dick Cass said today.

Et cetera Russell, Kobiskie stay in stride at Laurel Jockey Sheldon Russell and trainer Dane Kobiskie , who were honored between races Saturday for finishing atop the standings at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course last year, both visited the winner's circle twice Saturday at Laurel. Russell, who leads the 2012 jockey standings with nine winners after the first two weeks of the Laurel winter meeting, won Saturday aboard Promesa Doce ($8.60-third)

St. Mary's City, Md. Grave Matters If you're tired of haunted houses and looking for unconventional Halloween fun, head down to historic St. Mary's City for Grave Matters. Get into colonial character as you watch Maryland's colonists act out a typical day and experience their perspective on topics such as witchcraft, evil eyes and disease. Take a night walk on historical paths, or sit back in a horse-drawn carriage ride to the Brick Chapel to see where Maryland's founders are buried and hear from expert archaeologists.

Dover, Del. Brew Festival at Dover Downs There's something about fall that inspires a craving for good, cold beer. That's what's on tap at the first annual Brew Festival, held this weekend at Dover Downs. The Brew Fest features a wide variety of microbreweries from the Mid-Atlantic, including drafts from Evolution Craft Brewing, Old Dominion and Brooklyn Brewery. Since this year's event has a Wild West theme, Todd "Almost McGraw" Sullivan, a Tim McGraw tribute artist, will be there to keep the party going.

The fans who sit next to Wes Unseld and Michael Jordan at the Capital Centre will pay $40 more per game for their tickets next season.Only 300-odd seats in the top rows of the Capital Centre escaped a third straight hike in ticket prices by the Washington Bullets, who finished with the NBA's third-worst record (22-60) this past season.Hardest hit will be fans occupying sideline seats near the two team benches. They will see their tickets jump from $110 to $150 per game.Tickets that were priced at $45 and $55 per game will be raised $20."

In Silver Spring, they've been waiting for it for a decade: a brand-new music venue smack in the middle of the arts district - a rock counterpart to the dignified AFI Silver Theatre and the brainy Discovery complex. When the Fillmore Silver Spring was finally unveiled this month, scores turned up to watch R&B star Mary J. Blige perform. But the 2,000-capacity theater won't just be a new stage - it has the potential to rewrite the landscape for Baltimore and Washington booking agents as well as music lovers.

Duran Duran is back on tour, fractured hips and all. The band announced a new North American tour today that will kick off September 23. They will perform in Washington at DAR Constitution Hall October 16. The band is touring behind a Mark Ronson-produced album, "All You Need is Now," that was released earlier this year. Ticket information for the Washington date was not included on the release. At other venues, ticket prices have ranged from $89.50 to US $149.50.