Sports teams do their part to help budget-crunched fans

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I'm glad to see that the Golden State Warriors are offering $10 tickets to the Dec. 10 game vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. The seats normally cost $65, although I went online to try to buy some and found only regular $55 seats in the second deck selling for $10 each.

It's still a great deal and, as the Warriors put it in its promotion, it's a way to "make sure Warriors fans have the best buy to fit their budget."

I'm glad to see a professional sports team try to help me with my budget. With lower-level seats selling for $175 and up, I could use the help if the NBA expects to see me at a game anytime soon.

The sale reminds me of a move by the New Jersey Nets to give free tickets to out-of-work fans who post resumes to the Nets' Web site. The resumes go to the team's sponsors, such as Coca-Cola and Amtrak.

The St. Louis Blues are having a bailout of their own with 11 "Fannie & Freddie Mortgage Saturdays," where a fan winning a drawing will get their rent or mortgage payment covered by the team for up to $1,000 a month for four months. The next one is Dec. 20, and the official rules are lengthy.

Aaron Crowe is an unemployed journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read about his job hunt at www.talesofanunemployeddad.blogspot.com