Leeyore

In the last 10 years, I've been a number of Predators games. A couple each year starting in 2000, then a few more in 2002, then a few more and some playoff games in 2003, right up until this last year, when we got a Flex Pack and took in about 17 games, including playoffs.

Every time I got tickets, my request was always the same: "Sideline balcony, as close to center ice as available, and as low as available." I'm a firm believer that the best seats in the house are sideline balcony, on the rail, center ice -- nothing in front of you but a rail and the ice, plus extra leg room to boot. And you can see every bit of the action. All of it. Not too low. Not on the end. Perfect angle.

So, we decided to get season tickets for 2008-09. I asked our ticket rep what the odds were of getting anywhere on the rail in the sideline balcony. His answer (and I quote): "The first three rows are pretty much taken, and 'on the rail' is out of the question. Nobody ever gives those up." He said that there were decent seats still available -- 4th or 5th row off the rail, pretty close to center ice, but they're hard to find and a little luck is needed.

Luck is what we got.

As seat-picking night approached, a co-worker and friend named Jessica asked when my time slot was. I told her I hadn't received a notice. She said she was going Thursday (tonight) at 7:30 and that I needed to check on it. I kept forgetting right up until this morning when I called the ticket office. They apologized for my not receiving a notice and told me to show up at 5:30 tonight. I asked what the odds were of getting my usual request -- "sideline balcony, down low, near center ice" -- and was told that it was a longshot at best, but that there might be something fairly close. They explained that all the full season ticket packages were picked last night, but I could pick tonight with the partial season ticketholders and that there still might be something good. So, Jessica and I agreed to split season tickets (which works well for both of us, since neither Blake nor I want to take in 43 games), and we would just go at my 5:30 time slot instead of hers.

We got a great parking space and made it to the Sommet Center a few minutes early and took seats near the front. We received brief instructions that the available seats would have tags on them -- yellow tags mean partial season is available, red tags mean full season -- and we were turned loose into the arena. We quickly made our way to the sideline balcony.

As we speed-walked past Section 310 (also sideline balcony), I looked through the tunnel across the way to see what was available in 325 and 326 (mine and my buddy's preferred sections). I'll be damned if it didn't look like some seats were available down low. We walked faster.

As we got around to 320, we decided to see if we could take a shortcut through the arena over to 325-26 to beat out any other land-rush prospectors. We could. As we got closer, our eyes grew wide.

There they were. The Holy Grail of seat pairs. All by themselves. Nothing available anywhere near them. We ran to them and stood silently, shocked, eyes moving from the seats to the arena floor, then back again.

Four red tags (full season) hanging on Section 325, Row A (ON the rail), seats 1 through 4 (center ice). We picked up the tags for Seats A1 and A2 and looked around. NOWHERE in the arena was ANY other rail seat available. Not even the first three rows, for that matter. I could've pissed my pants.

We quickly made our way down to the ticket office with the seat markers in hand. Jessica warned me that it might be a mistake. It wasn't. Each Predators staff to whom we presented our seat tags replied the same way -- "Wow. How'd you bag these?" We just shrugged and grinned stupidly. I even sought out my ticket rep and said, "Ask me where my seats are", then showed him. He just smiled and shook his head. "Wow" was all he said.

It turns out that the previous owners turned them in late last night. They did it so late that they weren't able to be tagged for resale for the full season folks. So they just sat until 5:30 today, when they would be made available for any otherwise "partial" buyer who wanted to make the leap and upgrade. They were available for a total of 4 minutes, if I've done my math right. Seats A3-A4 were snagged right behind us by a cute brother-sister team who seem like they will make great game neighbors.

I cannot stress enough that these are DEAD-ON Center Ice. Not close. Not nearby. They are ON the redline. And they are ON the rail. Leg room. No one in front of you. Just ice. For individual games, we'd never gotten closer than Section 326, B18-B19 (second row, just left of center ice) and thought we might never again get seats that perfect. Now, we're season ticket holders in two of the most coveted seats in the Sommet Center. It's Hockey Heaven.

I also cannot stress that if (1) I had not failed to receive my notice, (2) been pestered by my friend, Jessica, to follow up, (3) left early, (4) found a great parking space, (5) made a beeline for 325-26, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY (6) the previous owners hadn't waited until the last minutes to relinquish their seats, it wouldn't have happened. What if I'd gotten my notice and showed up last night? What if Jessica hadn't said anything? What if we'd checked 310 first? What if traffic was bad? Wow. We're the luckiest SOBs.

Now we get to wait until fall for hockey. GO PREDS!