http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26172248/
Fan frustration grows over ticket issues
Half-empty venues and sky-high prices are souring Olympic faithful
BEIJING - Duleep Deosthale of New York was standing in the Olympic
Green, a little deflated after the United States' second-place finish
to China in team gymnastics Wednesday. The gymnastics fan, who was
wearing a red, white and blue top hat and a U.S. flag as a cape, had
witnessed the monumental clash between the Americans and Chinese, a
matchup some said was the premier event of the Olympics.
He was stung, just like the women's team, which lost an early lead and
stumbled to a silver medal. But what added to the sting was what he
had to pay for his seat in the National Indoor Stadium.
"We do not talk about that sore spot," he said when asked how he
scored the ticket.
But Deosthale, who has attended the past three Olympics, eventually
opened up and released a torrent of frustration over the ticket
system, the scalpers who were working the sidewalks outside the fenced
venues and the empty seats that seemed to taunt would-be spectators
and fans who had paid a premium to attend the Games.
