MrRant 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2005 MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Tice met Tuesday with NFL security officials looking into possible scalping of Super Bowl tickets, SI.com reported. According to SI.com, Tice, Vikings running back coach Dean Dalton and other Minnesota team personnel met with two NFL security officials who are investigating the possible involvement of Tice and others in Super Bowl ticket-scalping. Such involvement would be against NFL rules. Mike Tice AP Say what? Mike Tice says he did not take part in an alleged Vikings' ticket-scalping scheme. According to a report on the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Web site, Tice's meeting with NFL officials came five days after an informant, who would not reveal his name, called the league's security office and at least three media outlets -- Sports Illustrated, the New York Daily News and the Star Tribune. Reached by The Associated Press on Tuesday night, Tice confirmed that he met with league security officials but declined to elaborate. Tice, however, told SI.com that the officials, Larry Sweeney and John Keenan, were talking to him and others in the Vikings organization about how they distribute their Super Bowl tickets but that he had nothing to do with re-selling players' tickets. "I'm confident when the league finishes looking at this, everything will come out fine," he told SI.com in the report posted late Tuesday. "It's a shame assumptions are being made about my role in this. I did not approach any player about Super Bowl tickets as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings." Greg Aiello, an NFL spokesman, declined to confirm to SI.com whether the league was investigating ticket scalping within the Vikings organization. NFL players, coaches and club personnel can buy Super Bowl tickets but have to sign a document saying they won't re-sell them at a profit. While the practice of scalping Super Bowl tickets quietly goes on around the league, Minnesota's situation is different because the head coach is allegedly the orchestrator. Tice has been the team's head coach since January 2002. But he's been on the sidelines since 1996 when he began coaching the Vikings' tight ends and offensive line. "This started when [Tice] wasn't the figure he is now," one team source told SI.com. "I can't believe how rampant it's been. Stuff like this has gone on a long time. There's a pretty good amount of people involved. There could be a lot of people affected by this, not just in the NFL's view, but with the IRS as well." A team source told SI.com that Tice orchestrated the re-selling of players' and team employees' Super Bowl tickets after the Eagles defeated the Vikings in the NFC divisional playoffs. "Tice has been turning around tickets for years and years," said one player with the Vikings in 2003 to SI.com. "He's been selling them to the same guy. He commits to a certain amount every year." Another NFL assistant who was once with the Vikings concurred with the notion that this practice is widespread around the league and added that some even rely on it to supplement lower salaries of assistant coaches. "A lot of teams do it," the assistant told SI.com. "Everybody can do it. Every team has a guy who takes care of moving the tickets. I'd hate to see it end because coaches have always used that as extra money. Coaches do count on that as a little extra deal. [Team] owners will probably stop doing it now, because they don't have to give us those tickets. "When I was there [in Minnesota], Mike was the guy. He had a guy somewhere who moved the tickets. I just never took him up on it because I was always scared I'd get my ass caught." Tice is heading into the final year of a contract that ranks him among the NFL's lowest-paid head coaches at $1 million per season. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2008348 Heh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2005 There's gotta be some evil mastermind, behind this. Tice isn't smart enough to run a scam like this. Maybe it's Red, and the real reason he was going to fire Tice was he was about the rat him out to authorities, and Tice used the information has blackmail. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2005 Well there's one thing we do know. Mike Tice will challenge this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Your Paragon of Virtue 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2005 I always thought he looked a helluva lot like Tony Soprano. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2005 NFL players, coaches and club personnel can buy Super Bowl tickets but have to sign a document saying they won't re-sell them at a profit. So he's bound, but what's to stop Mrs. Tice from taking the tickets and selling them for a profit? Also, would it be illegal for him to sell a pen on eBay - which happens to come with a pair of Super Bowl tickets? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Sandusky 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2005 Hey, pay him peanuts compared to other coaches and this is what happens. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted March 9, 2005 There's gotta be some evil mastermind, behind this. Tice isn't smart enough to run a scam like this. Maybe it's Red, and the real reason he was going to fire Tice was he was about the rat him out to authorities, and Tice used the information has blackmail. He got caught though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2005 Yeah, but Tice is the "Colt Sievers" of the whole mess. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Your Paragon of Virtue 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2005 He admitted to doing it. I just saw it on ESPN. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted March 11, 2005 Why does he still have a job? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted March 11, 2005 If it gets rid of him, all the better Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted March 11, 2005 He admitted to doing it. I just saw it on ESPN. I thought that was just when he was an assistant coach and not a head coach Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted March 11, 2005 No. He admitted to scalping Super Bowl tickets from this years game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted March 11, 2005 And as a head coach - http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2008348 Edit: Verne beat me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted March 11, 2005 haha I hope he doesn't get fired for this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted July 2, 2005 Fined $100K - http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2097878 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted July 2, 2005 That's like, half his pay. Owch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
