Monday, Dec. 5, 2022

Everything you need to know about the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, tickets, history, breakdown

ing beating Notre Dame 37-35 in 2021.

Ben Hutchens Assistant Sports Editor

Hopefully OSU fans enjoyed the 14hour drive to the Fiesta Bowl last year because they’re going to have to make it again.

OSU is play ing Wisconsin in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, in Phoenix, Arizona on Dec. 27. The game is played in Chase Field, home of MLB’s Ari zona Diamondbacks.

The night owls will be happy with a 9:15 p.m. central time kickoff.

Struggling to remember the last time the Cowboys and Badgers have clashed? Well, that’s because they haven’t. It will be the first meeting be tween the teams.

Wisconsin (6-6) enters the game having just hired coach Luke Fickell from Cincinnati.

It is 17th con secutive season OSU has gone bowling. The Cowboys have won 12 of those games, includ

But it’s been almost a decade since the Cowboys last played in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. OSU beat Indi ana 49-33 in 2007 and Washington 30-22 in 2015.

Ticketing infor mation: Per an OSU press release: Fans may request bowl tickets through the link posted at okstate. com/bowlcentral until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, De cember 6. Submitting a request will provide access to the best seat locations in the OSU allotment prior to the public on-sale date. Lo cations will be allocat ed to those who submit a request in POSSE priority order, and then on a first-come, first-served basis for non-POSSE members.

If any seats from OSU’s allotment remain after requests are fulfilled, they will go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. A limited quantity of specially priced tickets for students who hold All Sports Passes will also go on sale at that time.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Ivan White Staff Reporter

In its first game back from a Thanksgiving trip to Cancun, the Oklahoma State Cowgirls beat North Texas 82-64.

OSU finished a rocky first quarter leading 17-11 thanks to its effort on the glass that would carry on throughout the game. The Cowgirls’ lead ballooned to 16 at halftime by converting a few transition buckets and nailing four threes in the second quarter.

The most integral to form ing that lead for OSU was Lior

Garzon. The junior forward nailed three shots from deep in the first half and finished the game as the Cowgirls’ leading scorer with a season-high 21 points.

In that first half, OSU at tempted 20 threes, just eight off of the team’s season-high for an entire game. The Cowgirls did set that mark in the second half but cut their attempts in half to finish with 30.

“We love to shoot the three, that’s just what we do,” said OSU coach Jacie Hoyt. “And it wasn’t going in as much as we wanted in the first half. But that’s kind of who we are and what we’ll con tinue to do.”

After only taking two shots at the foul line in the first half, OSU managed to draw contact and get there much more in the second half. The Cowgirls finished the

game with 18 free throw attempts and hit 10 of them.

The Cowgirls had a balanced scoring attack, with four play ers scoring in double digits. The team’s 82 points also marks the largest scoring performance since playing against Oral Roberts in mid-November.

While the Cowgirls changed up their offensive strategy at the half, their dominance on the glass never wavered. OSU outrebounded UNT 48-28, with junior forward Taylen Collins setting a new career-high in rebounds with 23.

“I felt like it helped to create an energy on the floor,” Collins said. “I was really just doing what ever I could to get us going. Get us any extra possessions that I could.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

2022 was a bit of a weak year for games, however, there were some serious heavy hitters. Here’s some of the best we’ve had in 2022.

‘Sonic Frontiers’

Full disclosure, I bought “Sonic Frontiers” as a joke. With the poor track record the series has had lately, I was surprised to enjoy it. The platforming is tight and responsive.

The world is fun to traverse and the levels are what you would expect from a quality ‘Sonic the Hedgehog” game. Despite this, the visuals are poor, there are some serious issues with perfor mance and pop-in, and all around, something feels missing from this game. “Sonic Frontiers” is a fun game and I’m not too mad that I spent $60 on it.

‘Horizon: Forbidden West’

It’s hard to put a finger on why I don’t love this game. “For bidden West” is the most beautiful

game I’ve ever played, the game play is fluid and cinematic and it is packed with amazing content. The story, however, rings empty. The characters are cookie cutter and lifeless. The dialogue is bland yet bloated. I felt no real in centive to do anything other than run around and beat up robots. At the end of the day, sometimes that’s all a game needs to be.

‘Xenoblade Chronicles 3’

“Xenoblade Chronicles 3” is a fantastic game with brilliant writing, great characters, and incredible side content.

“Xenoblade Chronicles 3” is also a game with cheesy writ ing, bizarre characters and lots of padding. Somehow it evens out to a fantastic game that could’ve been a masterpiece. I frequently go from laughing at the dialogue to being emotionally devastated from its fantastic narrative mere moments later.

‘God of War: Ragnarök’

If it was any other year, this would be my No. 1. “Rag narök” has my favorite narrative in any game I’ve ever played. I wrote a 450-word review sing

ing my praises for this game, and now that I’ve finished it, I want to write even more. “Ragnarök” is pure ambition and one of the greatest stories I’ve ever experi enced.

‘Elden

Ring’

“Elden Ring” is a contender for the greatest game of all time. I can’t think of another game that has captivated me more with its sprawling, massive world that’s filled to the brim with secrets, side quests and bosses.

“Elden Ring” is an ambi tious masterpiece with stunning set pieces, legendary boss fights and a crushing difficulty that left me raging and immediately com ing back for another bite. “Elden Ring” is an achievement, it is my favorite game of the year.

I am so excited to see what 2023 holds. With games such as “Hogwarts: Legacy” and “SpiderMan 2,” I have no doubt it’ll blow us away.

Jaiden Daughty

Taylen Collins jumps for possession of the ball.

sports

Young’s win displays silver lining in OSU’s loss

likely the most pivotal match in No. 10 OSU’s 18-12 loss to No. 13 Minne sota on Sunday afternoon. A win from Young was imperative.

Allen Staff Reporter

Carter Young clapped his hands in disdain as he stomped over to his coaches. Young, ranked No. 21 in the 141-pound weight class, found himself in a tight bout with No. 3-ranked Jake Bergeland of Minnesota.

A takedown he and his coaches believed was done as time for the first period expired, was later ruled off.

The Golden Gophers led OSU with only three bouts remaining. It was

When Young returned to the mat for the second period, a flip switched. The sophomore controlled nearly every facet of his bout. In the third period, the momentum continued to grow in Young’s favor, as an escape, a late takedown and the riding time point propelled him to a 5-1 victory over Bergeland.

“You build confidence when you have leads and win,” said OSU coach John Smith. “You have to be confident when you’re not… It’s just a process, and (we have) talked about development as we go through his experiences that (Carter has) had, even in this dual meet.

Young’s potential is there — as

shown with victories such as Sunday against Bergeland. Yet, the inconsisten cies have limited him from reaching his peak. Initially ranked No. 14 to start the season, Young has since dropped two matches to unranked opponents and slipped to No. 21 ahead of Sunday’s dual. Smith placed emphasis on Young’s potential, demanding more emotion be shown from his young wrestler moving forward.

“Carter really works hard,” Smith said earlier in the week. “He has every good intention. He shows up to practice, not like he shows up 10 minutes before. It’s just kind of like, I want to see (him) show more emotion.”

Post dual, Smith displayed his frustration. Rampant five-to-10 second pauses in his opening statement. The Cowboys had multiple chances to cap

ture a firm grasp of Sunday’s dual. Yet, it was the little things that came back to haunt OSU.

Amid the frustrating loss, Smith highlighted the silver lining in Young’s monumental upset win over Bergeland.

“We had a couple of guys today who just didn’t (capitalize) and hope fully we’ll see that change as we move forward,” Smith said. “Hopefully with (Carter) we’ll see that as we move forward, he took a little bit of responsi bility in the workout room and practice. He just made the decision, ‘I am going to be competitive.’”

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All photos by Molly Jolliff

No. 21 Carter Young, OSU’s 141-pounder, defeated No. 3 Jake Bergeland of Minnesota in the Cowboys’ 18-12 loss to the Golden Gophers on Sunday afternoon in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Daniel

Wrestling vs. Minnesota photos

Cole Gueldenzoph

Molly Jolliff

Cole Gueldenzoph

Cole Gueldenzoph

Molly Jolliff

Molly Jolliff

Pair of Cowboys struggle on bottom in OSU’s loss to Minnesota

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

It was a bottom bummer for Trev or Mastrogiovanni and Travis Wittlake.

After not winning a dual against OSU since 2014, Minnesota came to Stillwater hungry for a win, especially after it was beaten at home the year before. The Golden Gophers earned hard-fought 18-12 victory in large part of the efforts of No. 4 Patrick McKee and No. 13 Isaiah Salazar.

Salazar, Minnesota’s 184-pounder, had the third bout of the afternoon and after two scoreless periods, he turned up the heat on OSU’s Travis Wittlake

with an escape and a takedown en route to a 4-0 decision. However, the main takeaway was Salazar’s dominance on top as he totaled 2:27 of riding time. Wittlake’s woes on the bottom could be attributed to his new weight at 184 pounds whereas Salazar has been at the weight for three years.

OSU coach John Smith said he wants to see Wittlake use something he’s been known for during his time at OSU: speed.

“He’s strong and he can stand toe to toe with just about anyone,” Smith said. “But, you know, when you have speed and quickness and you’re moving up two weights, you’re going to need to rely on that and you need to apply that

and do it the entire match.”

OSU’s No. 7 125-pound wrestler Trevor Mastrogiovanni went for a worse ride with McKee. McKee, known for his prowess on top, was dominant against Mastrogiovanni. Mastrogiovanni is a twitchy, fast wrestler. However, he’s been known to struggle on the bot tom. McKee racked up 3:27 riding time and defeated Mastrogiovanni, 4-1. Smith said he wants to see some more responsibility out of his top ranked 125-pounder.

“It’s been a little bit of an issue and been a problem but he just needs to take a little responsibility and rec ognize he’s leaving the weight on his hands,” Smith said. “It’s just simple

things. You gotta get your hips out in front of you. You know, the hands are on the mat, and that makes it tough to get up. I thought he gave himself an op portunity, need to take a little few more clean shots and recognize going into that third, you’re not out of the match. You’re just down two to one, you’re go ing to need two takedowns, you know and that needs to trigger in your head and then you go and execute.”

Cole Gueldenzoph

OSU wrestling coach John Smith expressed his frustration with his wrestlers’ inability to avoid riding time in the Cowboys’ 18-12 loss to Minnesota.

Las Vegas Strip stabbing spree suspect headed to psychiatric hospital

Katelyn Newberg Las Vegas ReviewJournal

LAS VEGAS — A man ac cused of stabbing eight people on the Las Vegas Strip, killing two, was found incompetent to face charges during a court hearing Friday.

District Judge Christy Craig said two state psychiatrists found that 32-year-old Yoni Barrios was unable to understand court proceedings or stand trial. He was ordered to be sent to a state psychiatric hospital until he is deemed competent to face charges in connection with the Oct. 6 attack outside Wynn Las Vegas.

Barrios did not appear in court on Friday because, the judge said, he refused to be transported from the Clark County Detention Center.

He is accused of stabbing multiple people, including several women posing as showgirls. He told police that he wanted to “let the an ger” out because he felt that people were laughing at him for wanting to take pictures with the women, according to his arrest report.

Showgirl impersonator Maris DiGiovanni, 30, of Las Vegas and Brent Hallett, 47, of Alberta, Cana da, died from their stab wounds.

Immigration and Customs En forcement has stated that Barrios is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. without going through a border inspection point.

Barrios has been charged with two counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder in con nection with the attack. Following an October court hearing, public defender Scott Coffee said Barrios had a history of contact with mental health care providers and being prescribed psychiatric medication.

The defendant remained in custody on Friday without bail.

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Barrios was arrested after allegedly stabbing eight people, two fatally, with a kitchen knife on the Las Vegas Strip on Oct. 6.

Alumni and their families attend

OSU Very Merry Mascot Party

Isaac Terry Staff Reporter

A festive night for both alumni and their children.

The OSU Alumni Association hosted a Very Merry Mascot Party for OSU Alumni and their families to come together and have a fun night. The party featured bouncy castles, free cookies and milk and a showing of Frosty the Snowman. Chase Carter, the senior director of marketing for the OSU Alumni Association, helped make sure everything was running smoothly.

Hosted in the Click Family Alumni Hall at the ConocoPhillips Alumni Center, a wide auditorium was available for many families to attend.

The event was free to come too, but it was limited to only Oklahoma State University legacies and their fami lies, while also allowing Pistol Pete’s Partners. According to VisitStillwater. org, Many legacies and their families got the chance to take home their own custom ornament to commemorate the event.

“There were over 400 families, including both the parents and their kids, signed up to attend,” Carter said.

“We’ve had [The Very Merry Mascot Party] many years before, every year since 2017, except for when COVID-19 was around. We sadly could not do it [those] years.”

However, the Alumni Associa tion was able to do it this year, and the Click Family Alumni Hall filled up with parents and their children who eagerly ran to take photos at the photo

booth, grab some of the cookies and milk provided by the local Sprouts and Highland Dairy or jump on one of the two massive bounce houses.

Shortly after guests started ar riving and sitting down at the tables strewn with crayons, colored pencils and coloring sheets, kids snuggled up with their parents and started watching Frosty the Snowman on two projectors at the top of the room. Kids could also write a letter to Pistol Pete and place them in a special mailbox with Pistol Pete’s name on it.

Pistol Pete himself was out side of Click Hall, wearing a dapper custom orange Santa hat that was made for the first ever Oklahoma State Christmas Mascot Party. Children could come up and sit on Santa Pistol Pete’s lap while they get photos taken. Afterwards, they were greeted with a

volunteer from Pete’s Pet Posse, a min iature schnauzer with the OSU Alumni Association branch.

As well as being a special night for kids and their families, the mascot party also had a volunteering aspect. They partnered with Orange and Black Gives Back, helping gather warm clothes like jackets, scarves and gloves for those in need.

The event acted as a precursor to this year’s annual Fanfare of Lights on campus last Tuesday night. The Fanfare of Lights started at 6:30 and hosted choirs singing, many activi ties for kids including a meeting with Santa Claus and the lighting of the Christmas lights in front of the Edmon Low Library and the Student Union.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis

Bouncy houses filled the Alumni Association halls along with fun decorations and games for the kids attending.

News

Golden Gate Bridge ‘suicide net’ could cost $400 million, double the original estimate

Christian Martinez Los Angeles Times

Editors Note: This ar

ticle contains talks of suicide which could be upsetting for some readers. Please be advised.

A net designed to prevent suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge could cost nearly $400 million — double what was originally estimated for the project, according to the two con struction firms in charge of the project.

Last Monday, both companies filed a motion requesting that they be able to sue the span’s manag ing entity — the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District — for damages and breach of contract. The contractors allege the district concealed information regarding bridge deterioration and other is sues, resulting in increased construction costs and proj ect delays.

The motion comes as part of a tangle of litiga tion between the companies, Shimmick Construction Co. and Danny’s Construction Co., and a subcontractor.

“The District concealed significant information dur ing the proposal phase of the Project, including extensive bridge deterioration that interfered with (the construc tion companies’) ability to perform the work as designed by the district,” the firms’ at torneys said in the complaint.

“Rather than acknowl edge its own mistakes, the District seeks to hold (the companies) hostage and have it complete work with no adjustment in price,” the at torneys said. “In other words, the District wants to pay only

$142 million for a Project that will cost well over $398 million because of the Dis trict’s mistakes.”

District officials say they have been unhappy with the progress on the netting and that they had been forth coming about the bridge’s condition.

“We are deeply frus trated by Shimmick’s slow pace of construction and multiple delays building the suicide barrier,” Direc tor of Public Affairs Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz said in a statement to The Associ ated Press. “The District has been transparent about the condition of the Bridge with Shimmick throughout the project.”

Nearly 30 people die each year at the bridge, and safety advocates had called for a preventative apparatus for years before Bay Area of ficials approved the project in 2014 at a cost of $76 million.

Construction began on the Golden Gate Suicide De terrent Net System in 2018. The project would see steel netting installed along the 1.6-mile span that is one of California’s most recogniz able landmarks.

Earlier this year, Gold en Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District officials told the Los Ange les Times that costs for the project had risen to $206.7 million.

As of March, 75% of the mesh had been completed but only 5% had been in stalled, district officials said.

Paul Muller, presi dent of the nonprofit Bridge Rail Foundation, which had advocated for the nets, told the AP that the delays were costing lives.

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HIMALAYAN GROCERY STORE

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Nearly 30 people die from suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge each year.

Hollywood writers promote abortion rights with fundraisers, TV shows

Anousha Sakoui Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — About 40 TV and film writers gathered recently at the Encino home of showrunners Marc Guggenheim and Tara Butters to hear Dr. Julia Walsh, a health professor at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, share stories of treating women who suffered injuries during illegal abortions in the late 1960s.

Spilling out onto a patio garden, writers mingled at a bar and sampled an assortment of hors d’oeuvres from elaborate table spreads while listening to presentations by Walsh and other speakers, including advocates from the groups Reproaction and the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP).

The event, hosted by a 1,400-member coalition of writers and directors, raised close to $30,000 from ticket sales and donations, organizers said.

The funds, they said, will support legal support services and finance care for those seeking abortions in states where the medical procedure has been restricted.

Beyond raising money, Guggen heim, showrunner for TV series “Eli Stone” and “DC’s Legends of Tomor row,” also wants writers to raise aware ness of the issue through their scripts.

“There’s a responsibility on our part as television writers to tell stories about about women who need abortions, and, in some cases, their difficulty in getting access to safe and legal ones,” Guggenheim said in an interview. “It’s by telling those stories, I think, we get people to have conversations that they’re not otherwise having.”

Guggenheim and other writers have been working behind the scenes to keep the topic in the spotlight. They mobilized after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision this summer to overturn Roe v. Wade, which provided a constitutional right to abortion.

They’ve been pressuring Holly wood studios to take action to support

film workers. In June, Warner Bros., Netflix, Sony Pictures and Paramount and other studios, offered to fund travel for employees living in states where abortion access was restricted.

Prominent writers also are look ing for ways to tackle the delicate issue of reproductive rights in their scripts.

In November, ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” created by coalition member Shonda Rhimes, featured an episode about abortion.

In its most recent season, one epi sode called “When I Get to the Border” centers around a woman with an ectopic pregnancy. In October, another episode tackled the issue of sex-ed in the wake of the Supreme Court decision, as well as a story line involving abortion medi cations.

The coalition has more fundrais ers planned, said Emily Dell, a writer, director and organizer of the event and Dr. Walsh’s daughter.

“Even though we’re fortunate to live in California, in the face of such a massive, monolith of injustice it is too easy to feel powerless,” Dell said. “The goal of this fundraiser was not only to raise funds for reproductive rights, but to illuminate the wider ecosystem of reproductive advocacy, giving our guests and friends in the industry tools and understanding to feel empowered in this fight.”

The coalition, which formed this summer, has been pressing the studios to do more. In July, writers includ ing Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, Marta Kauffman and Lena Waithe asked the studios to provide detailed plans to support pregnant workers on produc tions in states where abortion care was restricted as result of the ruling, accord ing to the letter seen by the Los Angeles Times.

The group wants the studios to detail the medical care and legal protec tions workers would get. They are also seeking commitments to stop politi cal donations to antiabortion political groups and candidates, and they’re urging studios to shift production away from states which have criminalized abortion.

The concern is that film and TV

workers could find themselves working in a state such as Georgia, where a sixweek abortion ban took effect after the Supreme Court decision.

So far, however, it’s not clear what effect the lobbying efforts have had in steering work away from major film hubs like Georgia that offer lucrative tax breaks to producers.

Major filmmakers in the region like Tyler Perry have said previously they would not leave the state as a result of laws passed that restrict abortion. After the state passed the so-called heartbeat bill in 2019, Perry said he had invested $250 million in Georgia and couldn’t “just up and leave,” he told the Associated Press.

Showrunners like Guggenheim said that for his productions, the presid ing laws in the region will affect wheth er he will take a show to that state.

“It’s very difficult for me to justify

to myself putting money into a jurisdic tion that limits the rights of women,” Guggenheim said.

But the issue of where productions film is complex. Showrunners don’t always have the power to determine where productions go. And some argue that boycotts in states such as Georgia would hurt film workers and an indus try that may have helped turn Georgia purple in recent elections.

Guggenheim acknowledges the challenges.

“We’ve made really terrific progress of both in terms of outreach to various organizations and companies, as well as fundraising,” Guggenheim said. “Fundamentally, we’re talking about trying to restore a right that women had for 50 years in this country. Until they get that right back, the work is not going to be finished.”

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Monday - Wednesday: 10:00am - 10:00pm

Thursday - Saturday: 10:00am - 11:00pm

128 N Main St. Stillwater, OK 74075

230 S. Knoblock St. Stillwater, OK 74074

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Hundreds of people rally in downtown Los Angeles in June to demonstrate opposition to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

815

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (12/05/22). Your home is your castle, especially this year. De velop creative communications with steady practice. Physical challenges reori ent winter practices, leading to flowering springtime fun, passion and creativity. Review, reinvent and redirect plans this summer, inspiring autumn collaboration and deepened friendship. Family connection feeds your successes To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most chal lenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Unexpected opportunities could affect your bottom line. Guard savings. Focus on practical priorities. Breakdowns could get expensive. Slow to review and research before purchasing.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — The distance to a personal dream could seem vast. An obstacle or barrier blocks the path. Wait for better conditions to advance. Pamper yourself. Relax.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Listen to intuition. You can sense what’s ahead. Notice changes before being told. Consider all options. Appearances can deceive. Rest and recharge. Choose later.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Social connections can help realize a dream. Teamwork gets results, although things may not go as planned. Chaos or distractions could interrupt. Stay flexible.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — Professional opportunities hide under recent changes. Discover an interesting yet unorthodox idea. Dreamy possibilities spark. Observe and prepare. Wait for better conditions to launch.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Consider all options. If you must travel, move quickly. A surprising development is worth pursuing. Don’t launch until ready, though. Stick to reliable routes.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Review finances to plug leaks. Col laborate for shared profits without breaking the budget. Avoid errors. Upgrade account security. Conserve resources and reduce consumption. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Resolve an unexpected development with your partner. Things could seem messy. Clean up what you can. Talking can help. Share loving support together.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Things could seem chaotic or disorganized. Watch your step or risk a fall. Adapt around unfavorable conditions as needed. Prioritize your health and work. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Relax and stay flexible. Romantic fantasies dissipate to reveal mundane realities. New information threatens as sumptions. Figure out what you want. Discover hidden beauty. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Clean house. Adapt around surpris ing domestic conditions. Discuss possibilities with family and housemates. Imple ment an improvement and celebrate the results together with something delicious. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Tap into a brilliant creative idea. Write a captivating plot twist into the story. Assumptions and preconceptions dis sipate. Hang it on the unvarnished facts.

Instantly recognizable brand, and what can literally be found in this puzzle’s circles?

The best selection of beer, wine and li quor that Stillwater has to offer! Perfect for all your game day needs, come to Brown’s Bottle Shop located on 128 N. Main

“The Original Hideaway, located on the corner of Knoblock and University. Serving quality pizza and more since 1957.”

You better lawyer up, Ticketmaster Taylor Swift fans file Eras Tour lawsuit

Christi Carras Los Angeles Times

It’s no secret that there is bad blood between Taylor Swift fans and Ticketmaster. Now the Swifties are of ficially taking legal action.

According to Rolling Stone, 26 Taylor Swift fans from 13 states filed a lawsuit against the ticket vendor Friday in Los Angeles County. The complaint accuses Ticketmaster of violating the California Cartwright Act and the Cali fornia Unfair Competition Law during last month’s “Verified Fan” pre-sale for Swift’s upcoming concert. The plain tiffs are seeking a civil fine of $2,500 per violation.

Obtained by Rolling Stone, the lawsuit alleges that Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertain ment Inc., engaged in fraud, price-fixing and antitrust-law violations while sell ing advance tickets to the pop super star’s Eras Tour. The filing also accuses Ticketmaster of “intentionally and pur posefully mislead[ing] ticket purchasers by allowing scalpers and bots access to TaylorSwiftTix presale.”

In the wake of the pre-sale fi asco, many accused Ticketmaster of unfairly monopolizing the ticket mar ket — which allegedly forced “fans to buy more expensive tickets that Ticket master gets additional fees from every time the tickets are resold,” the lawsuit states.

Ticketmaster has blamed unex pected and “unprecedented” demand for overwhelming its system and causing the Eras Tour to sell out prematurely. (The company ended up canceling its sale to the general public “due to extraordinarily high demands on ticket ing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand.”)

But the fan lawsuit accused the company of “intentionally provid(ing) codes when it could not satisfy ticket demand” after “millions of fans waited up to eight hours and were unable to purchase tickets.”

Disgruntled Swifties are not the only ones with an ax to grind against

Ticketmaster. The Eras Tour debacle has also prompted the attorney general of Tennessee and even members of Con gress to scrutinize the ticket industry in recent weeks.

In a message to fans last month, Swift refused to “make excuses” for Ticketmaster after she and her team “asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and ... were assured they could.”

“It’s truly amazing that 2.4 mil lion people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them,” the “Midnights” artist added.

“We strive to make ticket buying as easy as possible for fans, but that hasn’t been the case for many people trying to buy tickets for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour,” Ticketmaster said

last month in a statement. “We want to apologize to Taylor and all of her fans — especially those who had a terrible experience trying to purchase tickets.”

Ticketmaster did not immediately respond Sunday to the Los Angeles Times’ request for comment.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Taylor Swift’s Era tour had millions flocking to a glitching Ticketmaster to find any tickets they could.