I'm glad that the Minnesota Vikings sold all of the tickets tothe playoff game against Philadelphiaat the Metrodome on Sunday. It's a big game and it would have been unfortunateif the Vikings fans in this market were prevented from viewing it.

I confess that I don't usually pay too much attention tosports, but I would have had to have been in a post-holiday hibernation to missthe hullabaloo the potential blackout received in the press. Turn on thetelevision news and the talking heads were discussing the NFL's extension ofticket sales. Pick up the StarTribune on the days leading up to Sunday's gameand you could follow, in highlighted boxes on the front page of the sportssection, the number of tickets remaining to be sold. Tune into public radio andannouncers were updating the story at the top of the hour.

Meanwhile, arts organizations around the Twin Cities – whichalso depend on ticket sales for a portion of their revenue – are facing acrisis brought on by the recent economic upheaval in the country. Some of thesame media sources that diligently covered the Vikings story also reported on thedisheartening news coming from well-respected arts groups like Heart of theBeast Puppet and Mask Theatre and Intermedia Arts – just two examples of artsorganizations that have had to make significant changes in their operationsbecause of the recession.

Now that the press has helped the Minnesota Vikings realizetheir 115th consecutive sellout, and there probably is no risk ofanother television blackout of a game in the near future, why not use some ofthe ink and air time expended on the Vikings for area arts groups? It seems tome that the prototype implemented to promote the Vikings game can now be usedto benefit the arts.

What if every day of the week radio, television, andnewspapers promoted very briefly – a few seconds of air time and an inch or twoof copy in the paper – the ticket availability for an arts performance? Forexample, television anchors could comment on how many tickets remained for a productionat Theater Latte Da. Public radio announcers could remind listeners that goodseats were still available for a play at Penumbra or Park Square theaters. The daily newspaper could featurea small shaded box that highlighted upcoming concerts by VocalEssence.

The press blitzkrieg worked for the Vikings and prevented ablackout of a single game. Maybe a similar strategy would help prevent the totalblackout of arts organizations that need our support just as much as our sportsteams do.