By now most of you have heard that the Rockies had to suspend website World Series ticket sales yesterday afternoon. The team started selling tickets to the three possible Coors Field games yesterday. Here's a quote from the Rockies Team President Keli McGregor:
"Our Web site, and ultimately our fans and our organization, were the victim of an external, malicious attack that shut down the system and kept our fans from being able to purchase their World Series tickets. Throughout the day we've evaluated all of our options, and we continue to believe that the online sale approach is the most fair and equitable method to distribute the tickets. Our partners at MLB.com and Paciolan have fully assessed the situation and assured us that tomorrow's online sale will go as originally planned."
Here's another quote from USA Today:
"The Rockies were forced to stop the online-only sale of tickets after about two hours Monday after 8.5 million hits overwhelmed the servers set up to take the orders."
I'm questioning whether the attack was malicious or just people trying to cash in on World Series Tickets. Tickets at Coors Field are going for $65 to $250 on the website with close to 18,000 seats being sold for each game via the website. Here's more from USA Today:
"Season ticket holders were allowed to buy tickets over the weekend....... one ticket broker was selling lower-deck tickets for between $1,400 and $5,500 and an online seller offered tickets in the normally cheap Rockpile section for more than $17,000, although better seats were available for less."
With those kinds of potential profits this does not look like a "malicious" website attack. Selling on-line allows anyone any place, any where to buy and in turn sell for large profits.
The Rockies are supposed to turn the site back on today at noon.
