With The Takeover 2 scheduled for Saturday, Phils fans were already planning to give the DC-economy a jolt of brotherly love. Now that Roy Oswalt is making his Phillies debut tonight, Phils fans are moving the trip up a day. Since the trade was announced, prices for the game are up 56%, and Phillies fan are suddenly optimistic about October baseball.
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The Nats season, on the hand, is long lost.  At 14.5 games out of first, and with Strassburg now on the DL, this weekend’s series may also be the last time Nationals Park shows any life in 2010.
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In case you’re not familiar, the Takeover is an collective I-95 road-trip, initiated by the blog PhilliesNation with the stated goal of ‘turning Nationals Park into Citizens Bank Park South’.  Takeover 1 happened on opening day, when the other Roy–Roy Halliday–made his Phillies Debut.  Attendance for that game was a 98-6%-full 41,290 and the average price was $172.  Compared to Takeover 1, Takeover 2 is looking like a bargain. If Roy 2 delivers tonight and down the stretch, it will make the prospects and any cash seem like a bargain as well.
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For tickets to tonight’s game or any other game in this series, click here.

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See Prices and Tickets for Entire Series.

See Prices and Tickets for TiqZones Most Impacted by The Takeover:

Infield Gallery

Outfield Gallery

Mezzanine

Target Creatures (Section 203) or Target 600 (Section 235)*

Thursday, 7/22, 7:05pm

- Target Creatures: 34 tickets in section 203, $50 or less.

- Target 600: 25 tickets in section 235, $30 or less.

Friday, 7/23, 7:05pm

- Target Creatures: 58 tickets in section 203, $40 or less.

- Target 600: 38 tickets in section 235, $30 or less.

Saturday, 7/24, 1:05pm

- Target Creatures: 59 tickets in section 203, $40 or less.

- Target 600: 36 tickets in section 235, $30 or less.

- Target Either: 10 tickets in eBay auctions, under $30, a couple w/ free shipping.

Sunday, 7/25, 1:05pm
- Target Creatures: 52 tickets in section 203, $45 or less.

- Target 600: 22 tickets in section 235, $30 or less.

- Target Either: 13 tickets in eBay auctions, all under $30, a couple w/ free shipping.

(*Data updated 7/22, 10 am. For up to the minute availability and prices click on any of the links.)

In his likely-HOF career, Alex Rodriguez has been linked to immense achievement, notable ignominy and three teams. If he reaches his latest milestone of 600 HRs this week, it will cement his link to a fourth.
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With 25 cracks at 600 over the next six games, and a 14.4 career AB/HR average, the ticket market is betting that A-Rod will reach 600 on Saturday against the Royals.  It’s the same team that helped him launch #1 and #500.  Are ticket buyers interested?  Prices for Saturday are 36% above the homestand average of $85, but still safely under the season average of $120.
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After the Yankees emotional week that was, and the drawn-out pursuit of 600, the above prices suggest that interest is surprisingly low for a chance to literally catch a piece of baseball history (see chart below). Nevertheless, if he reaches 600 before the Yankees’ head to Cleveland on Sunday, it will bring a proud cheer to the House that George Built, and mark the first meaningful post-Boss moment in the Bronx.  It will also firmly establish the Royals, once a great Yankee rival, as A-Rod’s career whipping post. Whether he hits it off of Kyle Davis (4-6, 5.57 ERA), Tony LeRew (1-3, 7.56 ERA), or a no-name, no-numbers July call up from Omaha, it will also reinforce the haters claim that, despite the numbers and the ring, A-Rod hits ‘em when no one cares.

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Click on TiqZone Links Below for Ticket Listings and Live Prices (last updated 10:15 am):
Grandstand Baseline: 11 Tickets Under $75. Nine are StuHub instant delivery.
Grandstand Outfield: 21 Tickets Under $75. One Auction, ends at noon 6/16.
Grandstand Infield: 21 Tickets Under $80. One in section 420B @ $59
Bleachers: 19 Tickets for $65 or less
Field Outfield: 13 Tickets Under $125. One single at $99.
Field: 18 Tickets for $300 or less

In 36 years as The Boss, George Steinbrenner, delivered 7 world series, 11 pennants and drama that filled the New York stage like no one before. He departs as a World Champion. On Friday night fans will say Thank You.
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Notable Price Movements since Tuesday at 10am:

*Ticket Prices for Friday’s game are up 77% since Tuesday morning
*Less Expensive Zones Have Seen The Biggest % Increase, with a high of 197% for Grandstand Baseline
*Most Expensive Zones have seen little or no % increase, with a low of 0% for Field
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The Decision was unlike any event TiqIQ has ever seen, and we don’t expect to see anything like it for a while.  It was drama on media-injected steroids, and for a night it was the center of the universe. It also recalled a pre-DVR world, and the kind of must-see TV that could gather families, nuclear and otherwise.
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To measure how big it was, we looked at the Ratio of People In Attendance to TV Viewers for seven notable 2009-2010 events, including The Decision.  The Verdict: The Decision was 10x higher than anything else this year, and likely an all-time viewer/attendee record.
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Approximately 10 million people tuned in to ESPN to see LeBron announce that he was taking his (considerable) talents to South Beach.  The crowd at the Greenwich Boys and Girls club gym numbered approximately 100, all on folding chairs in the 1939-built Clubhouse that seemed almost miniature next to LeBron, both the body and the decision.  Of those 100, approximately 70 were Boys and Girls, 10 or so were with James family and around 20 were sports journalists. Notably, one was Kanye West.
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For an event of this magnitude, a crowd of 100 seemed unfathomably low. We actually thought LeBron could have sold tickets, and at TiqIQ, we like anything that we think could sell tickets. So, the above  is our attempt to strip down ‘The Decision’ to ‘The Numbers’ and see if we can measure its uniqueness, with some degree of objectivity.
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While there official records are kept for the historical viewership/attendance ratio, we feel pretty safe in declaring this an all-time record; a record that will likely hold for a long time to come, regardless of how many rings LeBron wins in Miami.
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(We’re also wondering what would have happened if Kayne had turned it into ‘The Interruption’. We’re thinking that might have given LeBron time to reconsider his decision and make one that came a little closer to justifying the epic hype).

Wednesday, the Stock Market Believed LeBron was Coming to NYC. Yesterday, It was 3 times as sure he wasn’t. Today, It’s thinking it may take a while.

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At TiqIQ, we’re tracking volume for different option-related bets on Knicks parent co., MSG, Inc. Because the option market requires less capital to speculate, it can be a better indicator market sentiment than actual stock price.
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Here’s what Mr. Market is saying:
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Wednesday, Bullish:
*Option Volume was 2,400% higher than daily average
*Biggest trade was buying July calls (volume: 11,004). Betting MSG would be worth $22.50 on July 17th
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Yesterday: 3x Bearish:
*Option volume almost 300% higher than yesterday, and 6,000% higher than daily average.
*Biggest trade is selling July calls (4:42pm volume: 28,326). Thanks to this article, regretting yesterday’s bet.
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Today: This could take a while
*July Call Option volume 10% of yesterday’s.
*’In the Money’ line moved from $22.5 to $20 for all available options.
* Novemeber, 2010 calls down 44% on volume of 64 contracts.
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