The Demise of the Paper Ticket: Basketball

Two venues for which I don’t have ticket stubs – The Spectrum in Philadelphia and Boston Garden – merit coverage for their significance. I attended both in my college days and both have been demolished.

The Spectrum is notable for the one 76ers game I attended and one that I didn’t. Back in the day, the NBA thought nothing of scheduling consecutive Friday-to-Sunday games. The Bulls, in their second season, were the first of three Sixers’ weekend opponents on February 9, 1968, falling 118-113. It appeared the Sixers kept some in the tank – they would travel to New York on Saturday and return home to face the Western Division leading St. Louis Hawks on Sunday. Wilt Chamberlain had a triple-double: 20 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists.

I had planned on accompanying three fellow Lehigh freshmen to the first game of the Eastern Conference finals vs. the Celtics in Philadelphia on Friday, April 5, 1968. Tragically, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated the day before; I figured the game would be postponed. When it wasn’t, one of my friends and I bailed; the other two drove to the game. Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo vowed there would be no riots in Philadelphia and, as my friends related, armed National Guard troops lined the length of Broad Street to the Spectrum. With several players – including Chamberlain – strongly opposed to playing the game, the show went on, and the Sixers lost 127-118. They would win the next three, then lose the next three, giving the Celtics the road to another NBA championship.

Beginning with the 1959 -1957 season, the Celtics won 11 NBA titles (including 8 consecutive) and 12 Eastern Conference championships, ending after the 1968 -1969 season. I attended several games during the last championship season (tickets were not difficult to buy). My first was vs. the Seattle Supersonics on November 8, 1968; not only did Bob Rule scorch Bill Russell for 37 points but Russell missed a last-second tip-in, resulting in a 114 -112 loss. The last was the Eastern Conference finals on April 18, 1969, where, despite a 4^th-place, the Celtics vied with the rejuvenated New York Knicks. Clinging to a 1-point lead with time ticking down the 24-second clock, the ball went to the least likely Celtic: Satch Sanders. The defensive specialist threw one up from the top of the key that banked in for his second field goal, leaving only enough time for a Willis Reed uncontested dunk (no 3-point line then) and a 106-105 victory and the conference championship, 4 games to 2.

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Packers, November 12, 1961. Professional basketball returned to Chicago for the first time since the demise of the Chicago Stags in 1950 (my father attended the game). The Packers lost to the Celtics, 112-96, on the way to an eight-game losing streak and an 18-62 record. Bill Russell and Tommy Heinsohn led the Celtics with 28 and 23 points, respectively. Walt Bellamy and Bobby Leonard each scored 17 points for the Packers. NBA basketball in Chicago lasted only one more season, as the team could not get a lease for Chicago Stadium. The Packers became the Zephyrs the following season and played at the Chicago Coliseum before moving to Baltimore to become the Bullets. The Bulls entered the NBA for the 1966 - 1967 season. 

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls, May 29, 1993. In my only post-season game during the Jordan era, the Bulls trounced the Knicks, 103-83. Trailing 2 games to none in the Eastern Conference finals, the win was the first of four in a row. There was some controversy regarding a Michael Jordan trip to Atlantic City during the earlier games; his return to Chicago resulted in the loudest pregame introduction I’ve heard. I was also seen on national TV in the background of a half-time interview by Ahmad Rashad with Jerry Krause. 

Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls, March 30, 2019. My last NBA paper ticket. The woeful Bulls, playing without five of their best players, were trounced by the Raptors, 124 - 101, before an announced crowd of 21,238. The only Bulls' bright spot was Chicago native and Julian High School grad Walter Lemon, Jr,. scoring 19 points in his Bulls debut. The Raptors would go on to win the NBA championship. 

San Diego Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns, February 13, 1981. On a trip to visit my mother and stepfather in Scottsdale, I attended a game at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Suns defeated the San Diego Clippers, 110-94, on the way to the Pacific Division title. All five starters scored in double figure, and 11 Suns (including fan favorite Mike Niles) put up points. Joe Bryant, Kobe's dad, led the Clippers with 19 points. The highlight of the evening was a Motorola engineer hitting a half-court shot to win a Ford Thunderbird. In his excitement, he let the shot fly before the PA man finished his introduction. The Clippers entered the NBA in 1970 - 1971 as the Buffalo Braves before moving to San Diego for the 1978 - 1979 season and Los Angeles for the 1984 - 1985 season. 

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Miami Heat, December 28, 1999. I didn’t know at the time our company’s insurance providers gave me the tickets that this would be the last NBA game at the Miami Arena. The Heat defeated the T’wolves, 89-79, before a capacity crowd of 15,200. Alonzo Mourning led the Heat with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. Kevin Garnett had an off night, scoring 16 points on 7 for 23 shooting. The Miami Arena was obsolete the day it opened in 1988 – it had the smallest seating capacity of all NBA and NHL arena – and it was demolished just a month after its last event in June 2008. No longer needing to share an arena, the Heat began play in the American Airlines Arena five days later while the Florida Panthers headed to Sunrise in northwest Broward County.

 

University of Illinois vs. Northwestern University, January 14, 1963. Like football, our father began taking us to see his alma mater play at Northwestern in the late 1950s. In one of the most famous games in Illinois basketball history, Illinois captain Bob Starnes hit a 55-foot shot at the buzzer to defeat Northwestern, 78-76. Illinois was ranked #3 in the country at that time. All-American Tal Brody threw the inbounds pass for the assist; some 50 years later, I presented Brody – known as Mr. Basketball in the State of Israel – with my ticket stub during one of his frequent visits here for the Israeli government.

University of Michigan vs. Northwestern University, January 15, 1966. Freshman were not eligible for varsity sports then but the freshman team played exhibition games. We knew to buy a cheap ticket, arrive early and pass ourselves off as Northwestern students. This allowed us to sit in the unreserved student section in the first rows at midcourt, the best seats in the house. Chicago’s own Cazzie Russell poured in 39 points, breaking the Michigan all-time scoring record on his way to becoming College Basketball Player of the Year.  Michigan defeated Northwestern, 94-86, that evening; several friends saw us on TV, sitting just a few rows from courtside.

Lehigh University vs. DePaul University, November 26, 2014. Lehigh upset DePaul, 86-74, before 5,785 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. It was the Mountain Hawks' first win of the season. Unfortunately, I could not attend, having come down with an illness that not only prevented me from attending but has also kept us from my cousin's Thanksgiving dinner. Luckily, the tickets on StubHub were only $13.25 each. It would have been my first Lehigh basketball game since seeing Jim McMillian’s Columbia University debut, December 4,1967, at 78 -57 win at Taylor Gym in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Demise of the Paper Ticket: Football

I have attended far fewer football venues than baseball stadiums, although some of the baseball parks once hosted football. Three are still in existence (Fenway Park, Oakland Coliseum and Joe Robbie Stadium) and several have been demolished (County Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Connie Mack Stadium, Busch Stadium and Candlestick Park). Here are some notable games.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Chicago Cardinals, November 23, 1958. My only trip to my favorite baseball stadium for football was the second-to-last NFL game at Comiskey Park. The Cardinals played home games the following year in Soldier Field (4) and Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota (2), before moving to St. Louis for the 1960 season. On a beautiful late November afternoon, only 15,946 showed up to see Bobby Layne go 16 for 28 for 352 yards, including the 4^th-quarter 78-yard TD pass to Jimmy Orr that gave the Steelers the 27-20 win. Cardinals speedster Ollie Matson, who was later traded to the Los Angeles Rams for nine players, ran back the opening kickoff 101 yards. 

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears, November 17, 1963. On the way to their first NFL championship since 1946, the Bears forced 7 turnovers (5 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries) and 5 quarterback sacks in the 26-7 triumph. This was our first Bears game, for which we learned the difference between Cubs chairs and Bears chairs (The View From Brule Lake: Lesson Learned: Cubs Chairs vs. Bears Chairs (brulelaker.blogspot.com)) the hard way. Because the team put bleachers in right field to increase the seating capacity, the Bears didn’t play home games until after the baseball season ended. President Kennedy was assassinated five days later, and the NFL would regretfully proceed with its November 24 schedule, although no games were broadcast on television or radio. 

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears, November 11, 2018. This was my last Bears paper ticket (I don’t know if some type of paper ticket still exists). The team has generally produced graphically excellent tickets, which I save during my yearly trek to Soldier Field among other things to check how I they jack up the ticket prices. The Bears won 9 of their last 10 regular-season games, including this 34-22 win in which Mitch Trubisky completed 23 of 30 passes for 355 yards and 3TDs and Matthew Stafford was sacked six times, to make the postseason. Double Doink . . . need I say more? 

University of Illinois vs. Northwestern University, October 6, 1962. The Wildcats would win their first six games and reach #1 ranking, including the 45-0 rout of the Fighting Illini, before losing to Wisconsin and Michigan State and falling out of Rose Bowl contention. There is no attendance figure for the game; Northwestern averaged 45,929 that season, including the largest crowd in stadium history – 55,752 – vs. Notre Dame. Our father began taking Frank and me to Dyche Stadium to see his alma mater in the late 1950s. 

Purdue University vs. University of Illinois, November 2, 1963. Our only trip to dad’s alma mater came one year after turning a disastrous 2-7 season into a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl victory, 17-7, vs. the University of Washington. Jim Grabowski scored three touchdowns and All-American Dick Butkus anchored the defense in the 41-21 win before approximately 62,000 fans. 

Lehigh University vs. University of Pennsylvania, September 30, 1967. No ticket stub for the game at Franklin Field during my freshman year at Lehigh. The stadium, currently undergoing a $44 million renovation for which only the north stands are open, is credited by the NCAA as the oldest college football stadium. The Philadelphia Eagles played here from 1958 to 1970 after moving from Connie Mack Stadium. Constructed in 1895, seating capacity at the time was 60,658; it’s been reduced to 52,958. Penn beat Lehigh, 35-23, before 10,502.

University of Oklahoma vs. University of Miami, January 1, 1988. My only bowl game and visit to the legendary Orange Bowl in Miami. I got the tickets from a client headquartered in Chandler, Oklahoma. The #1 Sooners took on the #2 Hurricanes in what served as a national championship game for the two undefeated teams. Miami defeated Oklahoma, 20-14, before 74,760 fans. The respective coaches, Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson, would both later coach the Dallas Cowboys and both lead them to Super Bowl wins.

 

Indiana University vs. Northwestern University, October 22, 2016. My final entry, marking Janet’s first major-college football game, features a StubHub print-at-home ticket. The Wildcats trounced the Hoosiers, 24-14, in a contest featuring a combined 102 passes (NU’s Clayton Thorson, 24-43 for 285 yards and 3 TD; Richard Lagrow, 35-59 for 317 yards and 2 interceptions). Attendance was 35,417, almost 12,000 below capacity on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

The Demise (Almost) of the Paper Ticket: Baseball

 A favorite sporting event, theater performance or museum souvenir is the ticket or, in the old days, ticket stub. Although scanning technology made ripping tickets obsolete, so has it rendered the paper ticket obsolete. As you will see at the end, I found at least one notable exception.

Here are some interesting examples.

Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago White Sox, September 2, 1959. The Sox and Indians were battling for the American League pennant (the winner would be the first other than the Yankees since 1954), and the teams played a twi-night doubleheader (two games starting at 6 p.m. for the younger generations), making up an April 19 game postponed because of cold weather. The Sox won game 1, 7-2, but starter Barry Latman was pulled with the Sox trailing in the second game. Rookie Joe Stanka entered in relief, and the Sox then posted an 11-run inning, giving Stanka his only MLB win in the 11-4 triumph before 40,237 fans. He would later go on to be one of the first Americans to star in Japan. 

Chicago Cubs bleachers. The undated ticket is probably from the early 1960s, when we began taking the bus and L on our own to Wrigley Field. This could have been the day we found out the difference between CTA A trains and B trains. I haven’t sat in the bleachers since September 23, 1982, when 4,344 fans showed up to see the two National League East bottom dwellers face off on a Wednesday afternoon. The Mets won, 5-4, with no home runs that day but a ball caught in batting practice that day. 

Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox, September 5, 1961. I used Baseball Reference to determine the date of the game, a night game before a day game during our after-camp visit to New York City and Boston. The Yankees were on the road during our stay, delaying my first trip to The Stadium for seven years. It was also between the time the Giants left the Polo Grounds and the Mets made it their temporary home. The ticket agent was nice enough to tell my father to buy general-admission tickets; the ushers allowed people in that section to move closer to home plate as soon as the first pitch was thrown. The Indians defeated the Red Sox, 9-5, before a decent-sized crowd for the time of 14,471. 

Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Braves, May 4, 1963. At my only trip to County Stadium for baseball (attended a Bears-Packers exhibition game there in August 1968), we saw an MLB record that should never be broken. Our mother had gone to Europe with three friends, and dad took Frank and me for the Saturday game. During the rain delay, our father contacted Chicago American reporter Jim Enright, who found an empty press box for us. In its inimical wisdom, MLB instructed umpires to crack down on balks. Braves and former White Sox pitcher Bob Shaw was called for 5 balks before being ejected with one out in the 5^th inning. Shortly thereafter, MLB saw the error of its ways. The Cubs won, 7-5, before a sparse crowd of 8,524. 

Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, August 14, 1965. You know you’re aging when the ballpark that replaced the one you’ve visited has also been replaced. On a typical hot summer St. Louis evening, I attended my only game at the old Sportsman’s Park/Busch Stadium. My camp friend Bill Glassman arranged for his grandparents to take us for the round trip beginning in hometown Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Despite star-studded line-ups (Rose, Bench, Frank Robinson, Tony Perez and Pinson for the Reds; Brock, Flood, McCarver and Boyer for the Cardinals), neither team contended for the National League crown. The 1964 World Series winners drew only 16,484 for the Friday tilt, which they won, 4-2.

Houston Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies, April 19, 1968. I had the same situation with Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium, but unfortunately didn’t keep the stub. Traveling with three fellow Lehigh University freshman, we were among 6,671 who witnessed a snappy 2-hour, 2-minute game (neither team got a runner past 2^nd base) won by the Phillies, 2-1, on home runs by Bobby Wine (1 of 30 in his 12-year MLB career) and Dick Allen (who was still booed the next time up). John Bateman hit his first of four home runs that season. I loved that ballpark; our seats in the upper deck past 1^st base seemed to hang almost to the field. 

Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland A’s, September 24, 1980. My only visit to a multipurpose stadium (the last currently in existence) followed a business trip to Stockton. Neither team was contending; only 2,836 showed up for the late-season game. I bought the ticket in the parking lot from a kid carrying a broken Wayne Nordhagen bat. Surveying the empty stands before the game, Sox pitcher Ross Baumgarten, brother of my classmate Craig and one of Uncle Adolph’s former patients, asked me, “Isn’t this a glamorous life?” The A’s won, 7-1, holding the Sox to 2 hits. 

The last game in the old Comiskey Park and first game in the new Comiskey Park. Both were surreal events. The Sox defeated the Mariners (Griffey Sr. and Jr. were in the Seattle line-up), 2-1, on September 30, 1990. The new ballpark experience on April 28, 1991, was notable for several reasons, including sitting higher up for a baseball game than in my previous 37 years (that row and several others in the back of the upper deck were removed after the 2004 season), seeing the old ballpark across the street being demolished and watching the Sox lose to the Tigers, 16-0. 

Chicago White Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers, July 7, 2001. The inaugural season for Miller Park (now American Family Field) promised to be our first indoor game, as heavy rains poured during our drive north. The roof was closed when we arrived in the far parking lot; by the time we entered the stadium, the roof was open. The Sox hit four home runs, including a 440-foot shot by DH Jose Conseco, on the way to an 8-4 win before 40,332 fans. 

Montreal Expos vs. Florida Marlins, September 14, 2004. The game at then-U.S. Cellular Field was moved from then-Pro Player Stadium because of Hurricane Ina. Part of the general-admission ticket proceeds went to hurricane relief. The Marlins defeated the Expos, 8-6, thanks to a 6-run (5-uneared) 6^th inning. Only 5,457 witnessed this unusual event.

 

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Florida Marlins, April 9, 2007. Frank and I didn’t take into account the Marlins had virtually no season-ticket holders, causing us to circle Dolphin Stadium twice before finding a seller. There is no price on the ticket; I think we paid $30 for two. The Marlins won, 5-3; Miguel Cabrera is the last active player from the game, while Brewers manager Craig Counsell played shortstop for Milwaukee and Yankees manager Aaron Boone pinch-hit for Florida. Despite attendance at a highly inflated 11,157 in the cavernous stadium, I was impressed that the ushers prohibited fans from returning to their seats until the batter completed his plate appearance.  

Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees, September 18, 2008. The final White Sox game in the old (but renovated) Yankee Stadium, just before the final series of the year. Despite losing both games I attended, the Sox made the post-season on the 1-0 Blackout game playoff win vs. the Twins. My first game here was Denny McLain’s second win of his 31-win season, April 27, 1968. My thoughts as I left The Stadium were on football, not baseball: My parents, married one year, attended the Army-Illinois game, October 11, 1947, which ended in a 0-0 tie. 

Florida Marlins vs. Baltimore Orioles, April 1, 2009. Frank and I didn’t know at the time we’d attended the final MLB Spring Training game in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before the O’s departed for Sarasota. It was also our first game with legitimate senior-citizen tickets, reduced from $14.00. The Marlins were trouncing the Orioles, 12-2, in the 7^th inning (reserves were jogging in the outfield during play) when we head back to our apartment and the pool. 

Chicago White Sox vs. Colorado Rockies, July 7, 2017. Print-at-home ticket had its day for a short period until teams figured out they could be mass-produced and sold to unsuspecting fans. My cousin Cathy and I used the opportunity to see the Sox in Denver while visiting my brother. The Sox lost, 12-4, with 38,386 in attendance. The next night we saw Jose Quintana’s final Sox appearance and a Sox 5-4 victory, thanks to a 437-foot home run by Tim Anderson. 

Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox, October 10, 2021. Just when I thought baseball’s paper tickets were extinct, I found one. Families of White Sox personnel were issued paper tickets for the 2021 post-season; this one was used by a friend. With their backs against the wall, the White Sox erased a 5-1 deficit in Game 3 of the ALDS for a convincing 12-6 win. I was one of 40,288 fans to witness the contest, using an on-your-phone ticket for Section 126, Row 9 (5 rows behind the 1^st-base dugout), Seat 4. The season ended two days later, the less said the better.

Welcome to the Working Week

In late August 55 years ago, I finished my first 8 hours-a-day, 5 days-a-week job. This led me to think about how much has changed about the nature of work and our metropolitan area since then.

Because of an early interest in becoming a lawyer, I asked my father to help me find a summer job at a downtown law firm after my junior year in high school in 1966. I took the train downtown to talk to Irving Goldberg, the head of his company’s law firm, only to be told at the end of the discussion that it didn’t hire office boys (as they were known back then). I liked the experience; my mother was none too happy he wasted my time.

Two years earlier, my father left his CPA firm, whose largest client was Pick Hotels, for private industry. He kept contact with various people from his accounting days, one of whom was Alan Altheimer, head of the law firm that represented Pick Hotels. This trip downtown was successful, and I was hired as one of two office boys at Altheimer, Gray, Naiburg, Strasburger & Lawton. My salary: $60 a week ($505 in 2021 dollars).

Chicago and North Western Hubbard Woods Station

We were living at the time in the North Shore suburbs, so I made the round-trip commute on the pre-Metra Chicago and North Western train from the Hubbard Woods station to what we simply called the North Western station. A monthly pass was a little more than $30 (about $250 in today’s dollars). Upon arriving downtown (the passengers were mostly men, almost all clad in jackets/suits and ties), I walked through 2 North Riverside Plaza (formerly the Daily News Building) out to W. Madison Street for a 5-block, 10-minute walk to the 18^th-floor offices in the 1 North LaSalle Building. Walking back to the station after work, I’d pass the iconic Cohasset Punch (actually Ladner Brothers) at W. Madison and S. Wells streets before buying the Chicago Daily News (7 cents a copy, I believe) to read on the train home.

2 N. Riverside Plaza

The law firm, founded in 1914 by Louis Altheimer, Alan’s father, had only about 20 attorneys on staff at the time. My duties included photocopying (the Xerox machine had curved glass), making deliveries and pick-ups around the Loop, filing documents at the Civic (now Daley) Center (then the city’s tallest building, recently surpassing the Prudential and Board of Trade) and taking care of mail (the postage meter had a crank). Ironically, 15 years later, in my first job in public relations, the low-rent agency still had a curved-glass Xerox machine and postage meter with a crank, as well as a plug-in switchboard and crappy Smith-Corona typewrites that punched holes in the paper when typing periods.

Daley (formerly Civic) Center

The office had very few amenities, even for the attorneys. During my first few weeks, the office manager installed a coffee machine; despite that, the lawyers still went downstairs for coffee breaks because they didn’t like the instant coffee. Lunch was almost always in a brown paper bag my mother prepared. Occasionally, I’d meet my father at Bolling’s or perhaps Harding’s, where my mother claimed dad learned how to carve by watching the guys behind the counter.

I had a few notable experiences that summer. One morning I had a delivery to the brokerage Paine Webber Jackson & Curtis at 208 S. LaSalle St. Upon alighting from the escalator, I viewed the vast second-floor trading department that covered the entire floor. Seated at the very first desk in the near corner: Gale Sayers, who as a Chicago Bears running back was voted 1965 NFL Rookie of the Year by three wire services. In those days, even the superstars had off-season jobs.

A lunchtime meeting with my friend and neighbor Richard Friedman educated me on “The Chicago Way.” Richard was working at the Civic Center, and I asked what he was doing. “I’m on hour one of my two-hour lunch break,” he replied. In talking about his work (he actually did), Richard related that on his first day his supervisor showed him the time clock. The man added, “See these guys here? They’re punched in to 5 o’clock but don’t expect to find them after noon.”

With my newfound riches, my father opened a savings account at his bank, Lake Shore National at 605 N. Michigan Ave. I stayed with the bank and its four successors until early this year, after Chase announced a $35 a month checking account fee; the bank later changed it to $15 a month but free if you had direct deposits (too late, we had already opened a new account).

Lake Shore National (now Chase) Bank

I returned to Altheimer Gray (it later shortened the name to Altheimer & Gray) the following summer, with a raise to $65 a week. Duties were the same, and I don’t remember anything notable at work. I was downtown for the unveiling of the controversial Picasso sculpture on August 15, 1967. Back in those days, young Black boys with shoeshine boxes fanned out over the Loop. From them I learned about a Spit Shine (I thought he’d said “Smith Shine”). I’d get a 25-cent shine every so often, which was much cheaper than in a shoeshine parlor. Because dignitaries from around the world were attending the ceremony, the Chicago Police took it upon themselves to run the shoeshine boys out of the area. Heaven forbid our city’s great international image should be tarnished by youngsters hustling to make some legitimate cash. Of course, in a little more than a year, the Chicago Police would do their best to tarnish that image big time.

Picasso sculpture

I would return to downtown commuting in 1969 after working the previous summer at my father’s envelope factory. Our family moved back into the city in 1970, and I never moved to the suburbs. Until going into business for myself in 2000, my commute generally involved CTA buses. One of these days, I’ll take the train up to the North Shore, just to re-live those summer days. And I can spot several buildings taller than the Daley Center just by looking out our windows.