By BLAIR DEDRICK ORTMANN
July 9, 2008
Posted: July 9, 2008, 10:44 PM CDT Last updated: July 10, 2008, 9:15 AM CDT
PORT NECHES-When Beverly Osborne Avila received a letter from the Port Neches-Groves ISD concerning her season football tickets, she wasn’t happy.
“As soon as I saw the words, ‘Your assigned seat has been changed,’ I thought, ‘oh, no,'” she said in a phone interview Monday morning. “We bleed purple, and you take our seats awayâ?¦ Somebody doesn’t know what they’re dealing with when they move PN-G tickets.”
Avila, who grew up in Groves and raised her children there, has had her tickets for at least 26 years, if not longer, she said. She purchased the tickets from a friend when her children were still in middle school because she knew they would attend PN-G High School, as she did. She lives on the Toledo Bend Lake Reservoir now, but still follows the Indians on the Internet and in person when she gets the chance.
“All my grandkids go to PN-G district,” she said. “I’ve held these tickets forever. I’m very upset.”
Avila’s original tickets were in section D, right around the 45-yard line. Her new seats are in section E, nearer the 40-yard line, she said.
At a press conference June 3, PNG officials spoke positively of the changes at a press conference called because of the anxiety expressed by fans.
“Where’s my seat?” is the question asked most often, said Superintendent Lani Randall.
A large chart is available at administration building, 620 Ave. C, Port Neches. The chart shows the new seating with every season ticket holder by name. According to a press release, season ticket holders were seated in sections C, D and E and “every effort was made to place people as close (as possible) to the same yard line they were sitting at in the old stadium.”
“We can’t use the old layout because of ADA,” Randall explained, referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act. “An important factor is that, used to be, right up the 50, was an aisle. Now, there’s pure seating on the 50-yard line.”
For Avila, that very point upsets her since her new seats are further from the 50, not closer.
“What I want to know is who’s sitting there?” she said. “I don’t know how she did it, but I know we’re stuck on the 40.”
Head of athletic ticket sales Becky Romero said she moved ticket holders person by person.
Romero said 29 letters were sent out to ticket holders whose seats were split between two sections or otherwise affected negatively.
Board of Trustees member Darren McCutcheon is one of those. His family’s 24 season tickets are now split between two sections.
“Our family’s sat together for I don’t know how long. This is a transition period for the McCutcheon family,” he said. “”How many kids do you think will be affected by this stadium? Thousands. I’m willing to give up a little comfort for all this.”
About 84 new seats at or near the 50-yard line, at the top of the stadium, have been added, officials said, as well as about 100 more that are available for reservation.
“These are prime seats,” Romero said. “I fully expect to have increased season ticket sales this year. There’s a lot of excitement in the community, even with the anxiety.”
McCutcheon, Romero and other officials asked for a patience and support from PNG fans.
“For the small inconvenience, we’ve got all this,” McCutcheon said, looking around at the new turf and scoreboard and the new press box and stands going up.
Avila, however, isn’t so sure about the changes, as she prepares for a season in which her grandson may get some playing time.
“You think of how many years I’ve paid for those tickets and to do this to me is wrong,” she said. “I want my seats back where they were. I don’t want to be on the 50, I want it back like it was.”
2008 season tickets will be on sale for current season ticket holders July 14 through July 25 at the main ticket office in the administration building. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays. Trade day will be July 29 and general public sales will be July 30 through Aug. 1.
The season will include 3 home games this year.
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/community-news/mcc/local/pn-g_fans_fum…
