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MLB All Star Break "Awards" from Ticket King Inc.

We have reached the All-Star break, so naturally, that means it is time for mid-season awards, beginning with the American League. Baseball fans please note, this is our best guess as to who we think are the best of the league at the break.
American League
MVP- Mark Trumbo/RF/DH/Baltimore Orioles: This is turning out to be one of the all time big off season steals. Trumbo, who was fleeced from the Mariners in a quiet trade late last year. He has played spectacularly, and has been the MVP of of the AL to this point, currently carrying a stat line of .288 batting average, 68 RBI’s, and 28 home runs.
CY Young- Chris Sale/SP/Chicago White Sox: Sale carries 14-3 record with a 3.38 ERA into the All Star break, and is about the only thing keeping the White Sox pitching staff afloat right now.
Rookie- Michael Fulmer/SP/Detroit Tigers: This has been a weak year for rookies in the American League, so Fulmer and his 9-2 record to go along with his 2.11 ERA get the nod.
Manager- Terry Francona/Cleveland Indians- This is an easy one. The Indians currently stand at 52-36, the second best record in the American League, and lead the Tigers by 6.5 in the AL Central going into the break, when a 4th place finish was their projection.
Biggest Surprise Team- Cleveland Indians- As stated above, the Indians are in first place in the AL Central and have the AL’s second best record. They are getting great starting pitching from Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin, and Corey Kluber, who has returned to form.
Most Disappointing Team- Minnesota Twins– The Twins were expected to contend for a Wild Card. Instead, they got off to one of the most inexplicable starts in sports history. They have turned things in the right direction recently, but it is far too little, and way too late to change the outcome of their season. Still, I believe they will play much better in the second half.
National League
MVP- Daniel Murphy/2B/Washington Nationals: This is the “Mr. Obvious” award of 2016. Murphy carries a stat line of .348, 17 home runs, and 66 RBI’s into the break. Very easy choice here.
Cy Young- Johnny Cueto/SP/San Francisco Giants: This is the hardest award to hand out this season, as there are so many good choices, but Cueto has been the best. Cueto carries are 13-1 record with a 2.47 ERA into the All Star break. 
Rookie- Aledmys Diaz/SS/St. Louis Cardinals- Diaz has been phenomenal filling in for Jhonny Peralta so far this season. Diaz carries a .315 batting average, 13 home runs and 48 RBI’s into the All Star break.
Manager- Don Mattingly/Miami Marlins- Donnie Baseball has led the Marlins to a 47-41 record, good for third place in the NL East.
Biggest Surprise Team- Miami Marlins- As stated above, the Marlins are 47-41, and in third place in the NL East. They appear to be the team in position to crash the party of all the teams not expected to when the season began.
Most Disappointing Team- Arizona Diamondbacks: They were supposed to finish second in the National League West, and finish as the second Wild Card team. Instead, they are 38-52, and their season is all but lost.

AFC Contenders for 2016 Super Bowl | Ticket King Inc.


Last week, in my inaugural post for Ticket King, I examined the NFC contenders. This week, let’s look at the AFC contenders. The following is my short list of AFC contenders in the upcoming NFL season.
Patriots
Why they will- Had to start here, didn’t I? Well, the perennial contenders did a lot little things this off season before the draft. Their most notable move though, was signing tight end Martellus Bennett. Expect the Patriots to use a lot of two tight end sets now with him and the Gronk. They also added some depth at various positions in the draft. They spent their second round draft choice on Cyrus Jones, a cornerback from Alabama who will help to shore up that secondary. They also added guard Joe Thuney in round three, and wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell in round four. The Patriots will ride this to yet another Super Bowl.
Why they won’t- I’m sorry Patriots fans, Tom Brady did it, not matter what you try to tell us. He had those balls deflated. Now it is time for him to take his punishment.
Steelers
Why they will- The Steelers have a big time offense, even without wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who will miss the season because of a drug suspension. They needed to continue to rebuild their defense this off season, and they did just that. They spent their first round draft choice on Artie Burns, a cornerback from Miami who will help them in the secondary immediately. In round two they added a safety, Sean Davis, from Maryland. In round three they added Jason Hargrave, a defensive lineman from South Carolina State. All three could start week one. The Stellers will add another Super Bowl to their full trophy case.
Why they won’t- The Steelers will miss Martavis Bryant more than we think. There is also a reason they could be starting three rookies week one on defense. They will win a lot of games, but they will come up just short of the Super Bowl again.
Bengals
Why they will- The Bengals were Andy Dalton‘s broken hand away from winning their first Super Bowl. They return a loaded roster in 2016 and added even more to it.  William Jackson, a cornerback from Houston, and Tyler Boyd, the wide receiver from Pittsburgh will both make an immediate impact. This time Dalton doesn’t break his hand.
Why they won’t- They are the Bengals after all, and they will find a way to muck it up at the wrong time. The only question is how?
Ravens
Why they will- The Ravens had a ton of injuries last season and there is no way they are as bad as their 5-11 record says they were. There is a reason their team motto is “commitment to arrogance”. There is a reason Joe Flacco is the Derek Jeter of the NFL, meaning, the bigger the game, the better he plays. The Ravens just needed depth this off season, and they accomplished that with 11 draft choices, which will bring that young depth the Ravens are always known for. The Ravens remember who they are in 2016, and ride that to the Super Bowl.
Why they won’t- Um, they might very well be as bad as their 2015 record says they are. They have all kinds of wide receiver issues, and are counting on 37-year-old Steve Smith to feel like playing again. Their vaunted defense isn’t what it used to be. They might do better in 2016, but they won’t win the Super Bowl.
Texans
Why they will- This is a really good team, minus one thing. A quarterback. They solved that issue this off season by signing Brock Osweileraway from the Broncos. Who cares if they overpaid. He will outplay his contract anyways. Osweiler will mold quickly with these young receivers, and the Texans will take the league by storm in 2016, winning the Super Bowl.
Why they won’t- Woah partner, let’s slow down. Yes they are a good team, but a quarterback away? I doubt that. And yes they solved their quarterback issues, but it’s not like they traded for Aaron Rodgers. Osweiler has a ton of talent, but he has yet to do anything spectacular. They won’t win the Super Bowl in 2016.
Raiders
Why they will- This is the NFL’s young rising team. After years in the wandering around in the wilderness, the Raiders are finding a way out of the wilderness. They have a hot young quarterback who could very well be the NFL’s next big superstar at the position. They have a loaded young defense led by All-World linebacker Kahlil Mack. The Raiders stun the world before anyone is paying attention, and win the Super Bowl.
Why they won’t- Let’s slow down and win and make the playoffs first before we talk about winning the Super Bowl. Okay?

2016 NFC Super Bowl Contenders | Ticket King Inc.


It’s June, so that means it’s time for football writers to think outside the box when coming up with topics to write about. This is the first of a two-part series where I will examine all of the potential playoff contenders, league-wide, telling you why and (possibly) how each team could win the Super Bowl.
Washington Redskins
Why they will: The Redskins finally settled down into continuity in 2015, making the playoffs for the first time since 2012, surprising many by winning the NFC East. Kirk Cousins is now the franchise quarterback, with no looking over his shoulder for Robert Griffin to take his place. Cousins will only get better, and the Redskins list of big time play makers on offense got bigger with the addition of TCU star pass catcher Joshua Doctson. The Redskins also shored up their defense and will ride these additions to the Super Bowl.
Why they won’t: The Redskins are finally settled on long term issues, but they are nowhere near Super Bowl ready. Let’s take this one step at a time, and win the NFC East with some flare first, perhaps even winning a playoff game as well.
New York Giants
Why they will: The Giants were a defense away from winning the Super Bowl last year. They spent a lot of money and draft choices fixing their defense this off-season. They will ride these new additions to Eli Manning’s third Super Bowl win.
Why they won’t: Very few teams with first year head coaches ever win the Super Bowl. Also, much like the Redskins, the Giants need to take this one step at a time, and make the playoffs first.
Dallas Cowboys
Why they will: Every year the Cowboys “hype train” gets overblown in the summer, and every year, it deflates by Thanksgiving. Well, this year it will finally be different. The Cowboys will stay healthy, specifically, one Tony Romo, along with the addition of big time running back Ezekiel Elliot in the draft, will allow Romo to stay healthy. The Cowboys will finally win the Super Bowl.
Why they won’t: The Cowboys won’t stay healthy, and Tony Romo is aging by the hour. Remember, this is the same Ezekiel Elliot who once threw his entire team and coaching staff under the bus at Ohio State.
Carolina Panthers
Why they will: The Panthers should have won the Super Bowl a year ago, had it not been for the team running into a historically elite defense, and a league hell bent on making sure Peyton Manning walked away with another Super Bowl. The Panthers spent the offseason shoring up some holes, and they will finish the job this time.
Why they won’t: The loss of Josh Norman will sting, and even though Newton is elite now, he won’t repeat 2015.
Seattle Seahawks
Why they will: The Seahawks have been one of the league’s best for a few years now. A lot of people are thinking they are headed for a fast fall, but they aren’t. Jimmy Graham will rebound and have a monster 2016 season, finally gelling with quarterback Russell Wilson. The Seahawks defense will begin the season with all of their parts in-tact, and will win their second Super Bowl.
Why they won’t: Guess what, we were all correct. For as fast as the Seahawks rose, they are headed for a fast fall. The pieces are beginning to disappear, and Russel Wilson will show us how average he really is.
Arizona Cardinals
Why they will: The Cardinals are in “There is no tomorrow” mode. This is a very good, but very old team. At this point, this group of veterans doesn’t care how much pain they are in, and will ignore that pain, finally taking this long unlucky franchise to the “Promised land.”
Why they won’t: As I said above, they are old, and well, Father Time is undefeated. Just ask Brett Favre.
Minnesota Vikings
Why they will: The Vikings are emerging from a rebuild and are one of the league’s hot young teams. They should have won the Wild Card game a year ago and who knows what would have happened after that. They only got better this off-season and according to most of their fan base, the Packers are on their way out. The Vikings will take control of the NFC North this season, and are going to win the first Super Bowl in team history, putting an end to over a half a century of suffering.
Why they won’t: I am not sure what to think of TeddyBridgewater at the moment, and this team will remain in the spot they are in until Adrian Peterson either leaves town, or changes his attitude and game, the second of which isn’t going to happen. This team would be better off without Peterson, and until they realize it, they are not going to win any Super Bowls.
Green Bay Packers
Why they will: No way in the world do the Packers repeat their 2015 meltdown again. Aaron Rodgers is just too good and the return of Jordy Nelson will help. The young talent will take off this season, and the Packers will finally win that elusive second Super Bowl with Rodgers at quarterback.
Why they won’t: Right now, we don’t know what to expect of Jordy Nelson until he gets back on the field. He is over 30, and coming off a torn ACL, so there is no depending on him to return to form. Plan B is for all of that young talent to take off, but that simply isn’t going to happen all at once. The Packers have another ho-hum season, and advance as far as the divisional playoff round yet again.

Kenny Chesney Miller Park Event Information 2016 | Ticket King Inc.

Heading to the Kenny Chesney concert at Miller Park on Saturday?  There are a few things to keep in mind for that event, and Ticket King is happy to share the most important information that will make your concert experience the best ever.

Taxi Cabs: There will be pick up and drop off taxis at the Helfaer Field, but be advised that when the concert ends, hundreds of people will be looking for cabs, all at the same time. Expect delays getting a cab out of Miller Park, and the only spot for you to find a cab will be at the “transit area” outside Helfaer Field.

Uber: Yes, you can try your luck at an Uber. Just be sure to meet them in the “Gantner parking lot” near the Sausage Haus, east of Miller Park.

RallyBus is booking transportation to Miller Park from selected cities like Madison. Check out RallyBus.net for information.

Pick up and Drop off: We don’t advise that you drop off people for the show. There will be no way to pick them up, once the show ends. All traffic will be going in one direction, out.

Cameras: You are allowed to bring a camera to the event, but the lens cannot be longer than a credit card. (That means no “super zoom” lenses.)

Carry In: Check with the Brewers website for all “Carry In” rules. The same rules for a Brewers game apply to this event.

Parking: The lots open at 2pm, and we STRONGLY encourage you to purchase parking in advance. Parking for Kenny Chesney Milwaukee will sell out.

The Miller Park roof will be open, weather permitting.

Tailgating: Tailgating is allowed, just like a Brewers game. All Brewers game tailgate rules apply for this event.

For every little detail on the rules and regulations of this event, feel free to check this link.

2016 MLB Teams Settle Into Predictable Form, Save for the Brewers | Ticket King Inc.

The first two months of the MLB 2016 season were rather unusual. Teams who weren’t expected to win were winning, and teams expected to lose were losing. Well, it appears as if the standings are finally starting to form up as expected. The Phillies, who raced out to one of the best records in the game after three weeks, have come crashing back to earth. Philadelphia is just 5-17 in their last 22 games and are no longer winning one close game after another. Another team that started out well and are fading fast are the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox, who owned the best record in the American League one month ago, are just 8-22 in their last 30 games. The White Sox rotation, which held up the first month, has fallen apart, just as we all expected. Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn, rather than wait for the trade deadline, made a move now, trading for James Shields to try to fix some of their rotation problems.
Meanwhile, there is the flip-side of that. There are also teams who were supposed to contend, that started the season cold, and are now warning up. First and foremost, would be the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were a mess the first two months of the season. Their offense was struggling, their rotation was a mess, and a lot of people were pushing the panic button in St. Louis. The rotation has started to turn the corner the last few weeks. Carlos Martinez, their young star arm, is starting to get warm, and staff ace Adam Wainwright is back to his old self. Overall, the Cardinals have won five in a row and are 7-1 in their last 8 games. The hottest team in baseball at the moment though is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers, who sort of sputtered in first gear to begin the season, are 17-5 in their last 22 games despite their catching issues. The Rangers offense is just on a fire and so is their bullpen. Still, they need to upgrade their catching situation, and the arrow keeps pointing to Jonathan Lucroy. The holdup is over the return for Lucroy. Rangers GM Jon Daniels wants to part with ready now prospects. Brewers GM David Stearns wants long range prospects.

Speaking of those Brewers, they are one of the few teams who aren’t “forming up” right now. The Brewers currently sit at 30-33, and took the last two games of a four game series this weekend against the vaunted New York Mets. Still, let’s check back in two weeks from now, this four games series with the Mets was the beginning of the toughest part of the Brewers entire 2016 schedule. Between now and the All Star break, outside of a two game series against the Athletics, the Brewers play five teams, the Mets, the Nationals, the Cardinals, the Giants, and the Dodgers. Let’s see where they are two weeks from now, or even at the All Star break. 

Jimmy Buffett Alpine Valley Tickets 2016 | Ticket King Inc.

 Once again, Jimmy Buffett will perform at Alpine Valley.  The show is set for September 3, and Buffett tickets have already gone on sale. Try Ticket King for seats ranging from the lawn to reserved. The tour starts this may, with a show in Austin, and ends in late October at the Golden 1 Center. All eyes are on the East Troy show this fall.

 

Pitbull Comes to Summerfest in 2016 | Ticket King Inc.

Pitbull is coming back to Summerfest on June 30th. He’s one of the biggest in rap at the moment, and will support his new album “Climate Change” this summer, with shows across the country. Pitbull tickets for Summerfest 2016 are already on sale. Backing up Pittbull will be Farruko. Showtime is set for 7:30, on the Marcus Amphitheater stage.

Pitbull’s biggest hit song is titled Give Me Everything. That song reached number one in the charts. He’s also got a fragrance line of products, and has partnered with major brands. He’s got millions of Twitter followers, and the just love the guy. Pitbull is all about business, the music business.

Pitbull Discography

Since 2004, Pitbull has been releasing great music. It all started with M.I.A.M.I. (Money is a major issue) which hit the Billboard top 20. Two great tracks from that song are Culo and Toma. It’s sixteen tracks of rap. Below is the list of Bitbull’s albums, including the 2016 release.

  • M.I.A.M.I – 2004
  • El Mariel – 2006
  • The Boatlift – 2007
  • Rebelution – 2009
  • Armando – 2010
  • Planet Pit – 2011
  • Global Warming – 2012
  • Globalization – 2014
  • Dale – 2015
  • Climate Change – 2016

His first tour lasted two years, and has since hit the road five more times. 

15 Worst Packers Draft Picks of the Ted Thompson Era | Ticket King Inc.

Ted Thompson’s strategy of draft and develop is both well-known, and well-documented. Sometimes he hit, sometimes he is indifferent, and sometimes he misses. There are two, number one picks on this list, and of course they take the first and second spot of “Packers draft busts,” but we’ll save them for the last on the list. For now, here are the top fifteen Packer draft busts of the Thompson era.  
15. Marvel Underwood/DB- The Packers 4th round draft choice in 2005, Underwood was expected to come in and be one of the safeties. That never happened, and he was released by the Packers during the 2007 season.
14. Jeremy Thompson– One of the Packers 4th round draft choices in 2008, he just never recovered from his collegiate injuries and recorded 9 tackles in his NFL career.
13. Corey Rodgers- One of the Packers 4th round draft choices in 2006, Rodgers never made it to the Packers 53 man roster that season and was released before the season even began.
12. Terrell Manning– When Thompson made the Terell Manningthe Packers 5th round draft choice in 2012; he expected big things from the former North Carolina State Tar Heel. That just didn’t happen and Manning and spent just one miserable season with the Packers.
11. Marshall Newhouse– The ever polarized Newhouse was the one of t he Packers 5th round draft choices in 2010. Packers fans rejoiced when he was released in 2013.
10. D.J. Williams– Thompson thought he was getting an athletic pass catching tight end when he selected Williams in the 5thround of the 2001 NFL draft. Williams had work ethic issues and was released by the Packers in 2013.
  9. Jerron McMillian– Thompson thought he was getting Nick Collins replacement when he traded up into the 4th round in 2011 to draft this man. Instead, McMillian was released after just one and a half miserable seasons in Green Bay.
  8. Abdul Hodge– One of the Packers third round draft choices back in 2006, the Packers thought they were getting their long term answer at inside linebacker. After several injuries, Hodge was released in 2008.
  7. Alex Green– Thompson thought he had his running back when selected the Hawaii product Alex Green in the third round in 2011. After several knee injuries, Green was released in 2013.
  6. Khyri Thornton– One of the Packers third round draft choices in 2014, the team struggled to find a spot for the talented Thornton and he is already out of Green Bay, currently playing for the Lions.
  5. Brian Brohm– The Packers second round draft choice in 2008 was expected to push Aaron Rodgers. Well, we all know how that turned out and Brohm was released not even two seasons later, which prompted the rise of Matt Flynn.
  4. Jerel Worthy– One of the Packers two second round draft choices in 2012 along with Casey Hayward, Worthy had problems learning the scheme and injury issues. He was traded to the Patriots in August of 2014. He’s bounced around to four different teams since the Packers picked him in 2012. 
  3. Pat Lee– One of the Packers three second round draft choices in 2008, Pat Lee was expected to be what Sam Shields has become for the Packers. Instead, Lee suffered injuries, had problems learning the system, and had some off the field issues as well.
  2. Derek Sherrod– When Ted Thompson made Derek Sherrod the Packers first round draft choice in 2011, he thought he had his franchise left tackle. Instead, injury after injury derailed Sherrod’s career, and he was finally put out of his misery when the Packers released him in 2014.
  1. Justin Harrell– The ultimate definition of a bust. When the Packers made Justin Harrell the 16thoverall selection in 2007, they thought they were getting a pro-bowler and their cog in the middle of the defense. Harrell was lazy, couldn’t learn the system, and was gone at the end of the 2010 season. 

Blink 182 Comes to Summerfest 2016 | Ticket King Inc.

Blink 182 comes to Summerfest 2016 on July 5. The pop-punk trio is set to release their next album just before they come to Milwaukee. Believe it or not, but the band is now twenty years old! They will be supported by All Time Low, another band of that era. Blink tickets for Summerfest can be found after May 7th, when the tickets go on sale through the box office.

Blink 182 released six albums to date, starting with their 1995 effort titled “Cheshire Cat.” The band would produce Dude Ranch, before hitting it big with their album titled “Enema of the State.” That disk featured Travis Barker, and came with a bit of controversy. Had the band “sold out” when their sound was cleaned up? Their punk roots were scrubbed clean, and many original fans moved on to other bands. Still, it’s tough to argue that the band should have stayed in that tiny musical spectrum. Punk rock is great, but after a while, most band want to stretch their musical wings. Blink did just that, by adding pop sounds to their style. 14 year old boys certainly loved Enema of the State. Now those 14 year-olds are 34, and have the funds to attend this upcoming show at the Marcus Amphitheater. 

Tim McGraw Summerfest 2016 Tickets | Ticket King Inc.

Tim McGraw will perform on the Marcus Amphitheater stage July 3rd, at Summerfest! His music precedes “Bro Country” by a country mile. Kacey Musgraves and Ryan Kinder will open the show. You can find McGraw tickets on our Ticket King Summerfest page. All Marcus Amphitheater tickets include admission to the entire Summerfest grounds, so get there early and check out all the free music!

What more can be said about Tim McGraw that hasn’t been said before? He got his first hit song way back in 1994, about the same time he married Faith Hill. It was the “Top Country” album for that year, according to Billboard Magazine. One year later, All I Want was released at number one, selling over two million copies in short order. Support of that album turned into one of the most profitable tours in the USA that year. “Everywhere” and “A Place in the Sun” were the next two albums, both huge successes in terms of sales. By the year 2000, it was time for McGraw to release a “Greatest Hits” album. How did that one do? Better than all the rest.  Tim McGraw gave his touring band a huge “thank you” by allowing them to record the 2002 album, titled “Tim McGraw and the Dance Hall Doctors.”