Skybox photo from Orlando Sentinel website. (Now I know why it sometimes rains popcorn!)Thanks to an incredibly talented Magic Basketball team, committed season ticket holders such as myself have been blessed with “front row” seats to the NBA finals. The Super Bowl of professional basketball is happening right here in Orlando in our own backyard – and we don’t have to buy airfare or book hotel rooms. All I can say is, “I told you so…”
But, enough gloating…
As a special prize for footing the bill to build Amway Arena, Orange County and the City of Orlando each get their very own SkyBox. While Orange County officials have donated their finals tickets to charity, most City of Orlando officials are using theirs. The story first broke on ABC affiliate, WFTV Channel 9 on Tuesday, June 9, the date of Game 3, and was followed up with more information on June 10.
The controversy has caused City of Orlando officials to think twice about using their tickets. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer claims he’s passed his free Thursday night tickets on to someone else, but won’t say to whom. Orlando Commissioner Daisy Lynum, who originally would not respond to the query, says she always donates her seats to charity, but refuses to say which one. Another Orlando Commissioner, Sam Ings, said he does use the tickets and doesn’t find that to be a problem. Orange County Commissioner Bill Segal donated his two box tickets to Second Harvest who auctioned them off for $725. Other Orange County Commissioners claim to have also donated their tickets to charity, but no list has been released.
A December 1, 1995 court ethics decision (about reporting the receipt of a free ticket on your taxes) sheds light on numerous details about the government owned SkyBoxes:
- The City of Orlando paid for the construction of the arena and owns and operates it. (Wikipedia states that the arena was completed in 1989 at a cost of $98 million. Sponsors, formerly TD Waterhouse, and currently, Amway, pay roughly $1.5 million annually for naming rights).
- Orange County received the 16 annual Season Tickets Box Seats from the City of Orlando after allocating $50 million in funds toward the construction of Amway Arena.
- The County is free to distribute their 16 SkyBox tickets as they wish, occasionally distributing tickets to the Board of County Commissioners, Florida legislators, other municipality officials, other city employees, and family members.
- If you receive a free ticket, you must report the face value ($105.00 in 1995, much more today) on your taxes. (Is anyone tracking this?)
The whole situation has become a hugely embarrassing public debacle.
So, who’s right? Who’s wrong? What should be done with the tickets?
I actually don’t have a problem with City and County officials using SkyBox tickets.
SkyBoxes are just that – up high, in the sky. While some arenas place sponsor boxes between the lower and upper level (such as in the new Orlando Events Center due to be completed for the 2010-2011 NBA season), the 26 Amway Arena boxes are located above the “nosebleed” seats. According to the official NBA Orlando Magic website, suites retail at $3000 during the regular season, accommodate up to 16 fans (that’s $187.50 apiece, about double that for a playoff game), include programs and stat sheets, 2 parking passes, private restrooms, a private entrance, and allow fans to meet an unnamed Magic celebrity. It’s unclear if the City and County and other sponsorship boxes offer free food, which would raise the value of the tickets. Photos of the Florida Hospital/TG Lee Dairy SkyBox show what looks to be free snacks and beverages (see Orlando Sentinel). A listing for eight “Luxury Suite” NBA Finals Amway Arena tickets for $1,972 each on mycityrocks.com states that suites are “fully catered.” From other websites, I’ve gleaned that SkyBox tickets allow access to lounges, a wait staff to take special food orders so you don’t have to wait in line, and free autographed trading cards.
Except for the extra room to move around, free food, and wait service, there’s not much advantage in sitting way up there. I prefer my seats in the Ozone, where I can scream and holler and make a complete fool of myself with all the other raucous fans. Try doing the wave in a SkyBox.
Also, two free parking passes can be a curse. I bought reserved parking this year and it’s not that great. Sometimes, it takes me an hour to get out of the deck after a game.
So, what should be done with the tickets?
Why can’t my publicly elected official (and a spouse or significant other) use the seats? I appreciate the City and County funding the arena. Would it make you feel any differently if it were Republican Governor Charlie Crist or Democrat President Barack Obama using the box seats? I hold my elected officials in high esteem and am honored that they are coming to the games to join us in supporting our local team. Boxes also offer security.
I would rather have a government official use their own SkyBox ticket than give it to someone who donated or volunteered for their election campaign. Now, that would truly be a major faux pas – if not completely illegal.
I would also rather have another county or city employee, perhaps a sanitation worker who worked overtime; an underpaid teacher who has won an award in excellence; or a clerk who always comes in early or always stays late, use the tickets as a reward for good hard work.
If taxpayer money is the issue, then the tickets should be auctioned off and the money allocated to help fund County and City youth athletic programs, or even help fund the new Orlando Events Center.
Although donating to charity is a wonderful cause, how do you decide which charity is worthy? How is this fair? What about the charities who don’t get tickets?
These tickets belong to the government and to the people of Orlando and Orange County, not to the individual City and County officials. Whatever decision is made, it must be made so that it benefits all citizens equally. Since tickets belong to the public, a list of all of the recipients of the tickets and the reportable tax value must be made available to the public.
