Ticket lines

Getting to Amarillo was the easy part for fans of Gruver and Boys Ranch on Wednesday night. Getting into the Amarillo High Activity Center for the 1A regional quarterfinal basketball game was not so smooth.

Nearly 2,000 fans descended on Amarillo High for the game. Only one ticket booth and one ticket taker was on duty, according to some fans who were at the game. To make it more of a challenge, the ticket booth ran out of $1 bills for change. When tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for students, most will pay with a $5 or a $10, so $1 bills are probably important.

The game was at 6:30 p.m. and at 6:15 p.m., the line streched out the lobby, down the sidewalk and very close to Danbury St. that borders Amarillo High. The line moved slooow.

The recorded national anthem was playing and still the line stretched outside with plenty of antsy folks. An exasperated school official from one of the teams announced that if fans had correct change, he would take the money and go on in and they would figure everything else out later.

Eventually everyone got in, but more than a few fans were upset about it. The further the playoff advance, the bigger the crowd, especially for two teams that close. Maybe it being a Wednesday night was a hindrance in having the game fully staffed, but the Amarillo ISD needs to learn from this.