On afternoons before Red Sox games, I spent numerous occasions on the streets of Kenmore Square, loitering around in an effort to secure tickets. I never thought twice about the whole illegality of scalping in Massachusetts, but my father always kept one eye open for that undercover po’ po’.

Turns out, Massachusetts doesn’t adhere to its scalping laws, in light of today’s accusations against former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette. According to the Boston Globe, Duquette sold his two 2004 Red Sox World Series tickets to Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto for face value in exchange for favors. According to the report:

The commission alleges that the transaction violated the state’s conflict of interest law because face-value tickets were not available at the time to the general public. Tickets were selling on the Internet for $600 to $2,000 per ticket, according to the statement from the ethics commission’s enforcement division.

“By selling the World Series tickets to Ruberto at face value, where the general public could only obtain such tickets at prices more than $50 over face value, Duquette provided something of substantial value to Ruberto for or because of official acts to be performed by Ruberto as mayor,” the statement says.

Now I would understand the accusations if Duquette freebee’d these seats to get Ruberto’s minor league team, the Berkshire Dukes, to play at a city park… but… huh?

Since prices on StubHub soared to astronomical levels, automatically that overrides face value? And this comes from the State of Ethics Commission?

What kind of ethics does a guy have who hoses his friend because ‘ticket prices online were higher?’

I guess I’m set for the next conversation I have with the BPD:

Scalper: “What you want kid?!”
Me: “Two standings. I got $125″
S: “$150″
M: “Deal-”
S: “Now turn around you’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.”
M: “Or you can turn around and kiss my ass, because StubHub had these tickets at $75 a piece, which I guess is the new face value.”

via SbB