Putting things in order

A few housekeeping items before I let y’all go and enjoy the pageantry that is Pro Bowl weekend:

• I took the plunge and bought tickets for the Japanese baseball game I wanted to see. I had the choice of two sites that purported to help foreigners secure tickets, but I chose this one (despite it charging significantly more for “handling”) because it was about 100 times more transparent about the process it goes through to obtain tickets, why it charges what it does, how it would get the tickets to you and who was responsible for taking care of you. The other site only charged about $5 for handling but carried no explanations about who, when or how. So far, it seems to be a good move — in the 24 hours since placing my order, I’ve gotten no less than three e-mails: one confirming receipt of payment, one from the site operator thanking me for my order, and one containing a personalized explanation of how they will get me my tickets and who to contact (including a phone number) if something goes awry. Of course, I’m reserving final judgment for after I have tickets in hand and I see that they allow me admission into the game, but I feel good about my choice.
• Considering how much money I’m spending on Japan (and no, I’m not going just to see baseball), it looks like the Winter Olympics are out for me (sniff). But if you’re considering going, be careful. We’ve discussed on this site the potential perils of trying to rent a place to stay from Internet ads, and even Olympic athletes can fall victim.
• The Pro Bowl isn’t very high on my list of events I want to see — in fact, it’s not on my list at all — but apparently that’s not stopping nearly 70,000 people from going Sunday. Hey, maybe this before-the-Super-Bowl thing isn’t a bad idea after all, even if the NFL is taking it back to Hawaii next year. Well, enjoy the show. Let me know how it goes.

Super strategies

(New Orleans Times-Picayune)

Like most sports fans, I’d love to go to the Super Bowl someday. Strangely enough, though, it’s not that high on my priority list. It’s not that it wouldn’t be super-cool (yeah, bad pun), but let’s face it — it’s something that’s just as fun to watch at home, and then I could save the gobs of money I would be spending on going to the game and use it to add about six or seven new venues to this list. And, unlike events like this and this that I would contemplate blowing my budget for, the Super Bowl happens every year.

What if my team makes it? Still an iffy proposition for me. I’d have a little more than a week to plan once I knew it was a sure thing, and then I’d have to figure out how to get there if the game was being played clear across the country from me like it is this year. Of course, maybe I’ll change my tune if my team actually does get there one of these years.

But if you are a Colts or Saints fan and you are willing to spend, it can be done. (A little aside: In the last two weeks I’ve had two people I know tell me they’re gonna dust off their Saints gear now that the team’s doing so well. Just so you know: You are not true Saints fans. You are front-runners. Thanks for listening.) Being a season-ticket holder would increase your odds of getting tickets, but not by much. The Indianapolis Star gave its take on helping fans get to the big game, and CNBC’s Darren Rovell offers a little glimmer of hope to people wanting to spend a bit less money on tickets. And there’s always all-inclusive travel packages, so that you can at least spend your truckload of money all at once.

By the way, there’s probably a good reason why the Super Bowl is held in Miami every third or fourth year, and I can attest, having seen the Orange Bowl there, that Whatchamacallit Stadium is a terrific venue to watch a football game. Plus, you don’t have to fly into Miami’s airport or stay on South Beach to get the full Florida experience. But getting to the stadium stinks because the only way you can do so is by car, and the only freeway access you have to it is via toll road. If you’re going, be forewarned that these hassles exist, but I’m sure there’ll be shuttles aplenty, and you won’t care too much once you realize you’re at the freakin’ Super Bowl! Someday, I will envy you, but not this year.