Remember that scene in “Casablanca” where Claude Raines’ character claims to be “shocked, shocked” by gambling at Rick’s Café, then quietly pockets his take?
In today’s remake of the classic, we find our Denver Broncos shocked, shocked to find that some season ticket-holders have been reselling tickets they can’t use — without paying the Broncos for the privilege.
Last April, the local franchise of the Socialized Football League sent letters to fans sternly warning them against reselling their tickets through private ticket-brokers or — heaven forbid — through such infamous outlets as “newspapers, Internet or any media.”
The Broncos insist fans can only resell their unused ducats at face value (minus a 10 percent service charge) through the franchise’s authorized reseller, Ticketmaster. Reselling the tickets in any other manner means the Broncos will refuse to let you renew your season tickets next year.
This is roughly akin to buying a new Honda and discovering after you’ve paid it off that you won’t be able to capitalize on that brand’s high resale value because your sales contract only allows you to trade your old car in on a new vehicle at well below its book value.
Honda doesn’t operate that way, of course. The company is part of the free enterprise system and has to be sensitive to its customers.
It is, in short, quite different from the Socialized Football League, which calculates it can gouge its customers all it wants because it enjoys a monopoly sanctioned by Congress and plays in stadiums subsidized by taxpayers.
These recipients of corporate welfare owe a certain deference to those taxpayers. They don’t have the right to force you to sell your $50 ticket to their monopoly resellers for $45 when free-market vendors might be willing to pay you $65. And, no, their rules aren’t designed to stop price gouging because Ticketmaster tacks a $17 service charge atop your ticket’s face value, reselling it for $67.
Of course, the Broncos get a healthy share of that mark-up. Price gouging is fine, in the Broncos’ view, as long as they share in the winnings.
State Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Adams County, has a different view. She also has a bill, SB 24, that would stop this rip-off and let Broncos fans resell their property to whomever they please. It is expected to be heard at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Senate State Affairs Committee.
Unless the lawmakers want to hear some Rocky Mountain Thunder directed their way, we suggest they pass Tochtrop’s bill in a two-minute drill.
As for our Broncos, there were more than a few games last year where they should have given fans refunds for their tickets.
