ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 19, 1997 TAG: 9704210122
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
It didn't turn out to be the best seat in the house
This letter to the editor is for the management and ticket window employees of the Roanoke Civic Center.
Having recently heard a WCW wrestling event was coming to town, I wanted to be sure to get very good seats. So I arrived at the civic center at 4 a.m. When I arrived there I saw I would be the second person in line, because one gentleman arrived at 3 a.m.
Soon after other other people arrived to get in line for wrestling tickets. Shortly before 10 a.m. the civic center let the first four in line go up to the ticket windows to place their ticket order.
The first man in line asked for six seats on the front row, only to be told they were already taken. Being the second person in line, I asked for seats 1-15, front row on the camera side. The lady at the ticket window said that seats one and two were already taken. When I asked who took them, I was told the promoter.
This I learned later to be a lie. The seats were given to a friend of a Roanoke Civic Center employee.
After receiving my tickets I then spoke to the third person in line. He told me he was unable to get the 20 front row seats he wanted. Ten of the seats were already taken.
Having wondered why at least 18 front row seats were already gone, I then called the promoter for WCW, Elliot Murnick. He told me he held back only 10 front row seats, four for a TV giveaway and a total of six for three radio stations. I asked him if he knew any reason why my amount was different from his.
Only until the night of the event did I learn the truth. After going to my seat, I saw two young men, about 14 or 15 years old, sitting in the seats I was denied. I asked them how they got the two tickets for the front row when they were never in line.
One of the young gentlemen said he got the tickets from his grandmother, who got them from a civic center employee named Eddie who saved the seats for them.
All of this can be verified if I am asked to, but I doubt it will because the Roanoke Civic Center management would not want the citizens to know of their holding back of tickets for family and friends.
JAMES SPENCER
ROANOKE
Salem hospitality
Last season our Illinois Wesleyan basketball team made two trips to Salem. We finished third in the NCAA Tournament and went home feeling that the friendliness and hospitality of the people in the Roanoke Valley was wonderful.
This season we were fortunate to return and finish the job right by winning the championship. Again, everyone treated us perfectly and Salem and your Valley will forever be a part of us.
Congratulations on a great tournament, and save us a spot for next year.
DENNIE BRIDGES
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
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P.O. Box 2491
Roanoke, Va. 24010
E-mail: bbern@roanoke.infi.net
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LENGTH: Medium: 72 linesby CNB