> 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.
>
> "I paid $475," Deosthale finally admitted.
>
> "Prices are unbelievable," he said. He had wanted to attend the
> swimming events earlier in the morning, but scalpers were asking for
> more than $1,000 a ticket, he said.
>
> Frustration seems to be growing among foreign fans and the Chinese
> public as tickets remain scarce