EDITORIAL: Betrayal of Penn hoops faithful

Despite the added prizes and chance to see men and women's intrasquad scrimmages, which usually take place after Homecoming, the multi-day line for men's basketball tickets was poorly organized and, most importantly, deprived deserving students of good seats for Palestra games. Waiting in line for days to get prime men's hoops tickets is a Penn tradition, a test to ensure that the most eager students get the best seats. But when the line doesn't start moving until hours after the supposed Sunday 6 a.m. start, computer problems mar ticket sales and there is a general staff mismanagement, camaraderie and Quakers pride quickly disappear. With so many avid fans willing to wait for days in line to see a bit of Palestra history, all we ask of the Athletic Department is that they reward the loyal students who are willing to pay the price to cheer their team. Those students who waited in line were greeted with an added surprise when they finally did make it to the ticket counter -- many seats in the prized "student" chairback section instead were sold to alumni for triple the price, leaving many Quakers faithful without the seats they were led to believe they could get. Though 20 fewer seats in one section of the Palestra may not seem like much, it's a lot when the entire section comprises only 119 seats and draws many of the die-hard fans that give home games at the Palestra the spirit for which they are known. Selling fewer prime tickets to students is particularly disturbing considering Athletic Director Steve Bilsky, in his address to students on line late Saturday night, stressed how important fan participation is to the Quakers winning home games. Alumni may be eager spectators at Quakers games, but it's primarily students in that particular section who are most vocal in the cheer and rowdiness of Palestra lore. Those students who camped out for a weekend during midterms deserved better.