Unemployed in Jersey? The Nets Want You

The unemployed hardly seem like lucractive targets for hard-driving NBA ticket sales associates. In these tough economic times, the gainfully employed aren't exactly filling sports stadia around the nation ... never mind those without a job. But the Nets have a great, different plan for North Jersey's unemployed. David Waldstein of the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

[T]he basketball team will give unemployed fans who submit their resumes to the Nets Job Bank up to four free tickets, plus access to a Nov. 22 career fair at their home arena, team president and chief executive Brett Yormark said yesterday. The team also will distribute applicants' resumes to its sponsors.

Now that's just beautiful. Giving away a ton of tickets is a tough thing for teams to do: sure, you're not losing money by filling seats which would otherwise be empty, but you do further de-value the purchased ticket. But giving away tickets to folks who definitely couldn't buy them otherwise, making them do something productive to get them and building goodwill in the community ... that's heavy stuff.

Non-elite NBA teams are definitely getting creative this season. (Sacramento has had two [awful] live bands perform before and during games this season.) It's necessary -- despite record ratings of late, the live ticket will hurt so long as the economy is in the depths we're seeing it.