It's time for Congress to investigate ticket brokers

Enough with steroids and all the ills associated with the scourge that's plaguing professional and even amateur sports. Well, not enough with steroids, it's good there's at least an attempt to mete out this and other instances of cheating from baseball and other high-end athletics. It is, however, time to turn part of our attention to ticket brokers and the evil deals between professional sports and the middle men who exist for the sole reason of profit-mongering.

I recently paid over $300 to obtain two tickets for bleacher seats at Wrigley Field. If I remember correctly, I paid $12 a pop for those same seats back in the early 90's. That's an 80% mark up over 16 years? Insane. I haven't read much about ticket brokers and organizations such as Stub Hub, but in doing business with said organization recently things seem a little too corporate for this to be ad hoc capitalism designed to help fans sell to fellow fans. Why do tickets that cost $38 face value go close to $160 on the internet? How is this legal, and why isn't anyone looking into this? Something stinks.

This article in the Chicago Tribune is worth reading, and it provides a glimpse into what would seem in my mind to be very shady business. MLB's contract/relationship with Stub Hub should be investigated. Hard.