BCS Gives TicketNews Rankings the Old College Try

By Stacey Willets

The BCS Game rivals Hannah Montana in ticket sales and controversy. The college football championship takes number three on the Top Events chart this week even as frustrated sports fans clamor for a playoff system and debate on which of five deserving teams should have been chosen to play Ohio State. Number four event Ms. Montana comes away with the lower ranking, but a comparable list of slighted fans. The BCS has Georgia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, USC and their fan bases with which to contend. Hannah Montana’s camp has had to answer to a nation of incensed parents and their heartbroken children, including over one hundred thousand ticketless MileyWorld fan club members whom tour organizers recently attempted to appease with a release of 45,000 previously withheld seats.

Whether football fans agree with the Ohio State/LSU match-up or not, tickets for the BCS Championship Game are in high demand. The event rockets straight up the Top Sports chart to number one, the first of six slots college football occupies. The weekend’s Big 12 Championship Game and SEC Championship Game make final appearances at positions six and ten. The Sugar Bowl, which pits undefeated Hawaii against Georgia, takes number five. USC and Illinois meet at the Rose Bowl, number seven in the rankings. Just below at number eight is the Capital One Bowl, which will host Michigan and Florida. With the NFL dominance of the chart bowled over by college teams, the Dallas Cowboys at number two are the lone pro football team to rank.

In past weeks we saw that Mel Brooks is not afraid of the dark. Young Frankenstein thrived while most Broadway productions were shuttered. However, now that the strike is over, the Brooks monster musical dips two spots in the NYC Theatre rankings to number five. Mary Poppins, which reached number four last week, suffers a similar but more significant drop to number eight. As the lights come back up on Broadway, holiday-themed theatre has found its moment to shine. Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Wintuk, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Nutcracker appear on both the Top Theatre and Top NYC Theatre charts.

The Top Concerts chart gets a little bit country this week with the addition of Garth Brooks at five, George Strait at six, and Kenny Chesney at seven. The Spice Girls make an appearance at number ten in the rankings after their appearance in Vancouver, where they kicked off their world tour on Sunday.

New Year’s resolutions are just around the corner. Before it’s time to make promises about becoming improved, transcendent versions of ourselves, some ticket buyers are enjoying a little Vegas vice. Sin City’s appreciation of the female form puts adult shows FANTASY and MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris (formerly La Femme), at rankings nine and ten on the Top Vegas chart.

To see this week’s rankings, check out the press release in the Daily Buzz section of TicketNews.com.

(The image accompanying this story is from FoxSports.com)