Every sports addict needs a good pusher...a hook-up, a ticket pimp, if you will. For us, in soccer, it is Ed Derse, Director of FoxSoccer.com. Not only does a good ticket pimp hook-you-up with tickets to get you into the stadium but often, if you are lucky, they may even get you a perk or two.

For instance, in seeing Mexico vs. South Africa at the Home Depot Center in LA, Ed Derse hooked-us-up with tickets and passes to the luxury box. Thank you, oh GREAT and Powerful, Ticket Pimp.

Well, on our recent trip to Roma, we were setup by our beloved Ticket Pimp, once again-further fueling an already ridiculous addiction.

At AS Roma, we were hooked-up with tickets in the press box. We went through a series of doors and checkpoints that allowed us to pass through to the press box. After about five, we were in the promise land- complete with seats with personal televisions to watch the game and a concession stand with no beer line. We sat down and realized that everyone, on either side of us, was actually working...writing...and reporting. Yikes. So, we did what any good ticket hustlers would do: we faked it. We took out our travel journals and pretended to be writing.

Sure, we had to fake work in order to blend-in, but who really cares? We saw a magnificent match with Roma winning in glorious fashion (2-1 against Messina). Plus, I was safely away from all the insane fans who were exuberantly lighting red flares for each goal (see picture below). When the seating section looks like the fans are on fire, you don’t want to be there. I say this now, but once we moved on a few days later to the infamous Cage in AC Milan, well, there was no avoiding what I call the Fan Fuego. But for now, in Roma, thanks to our Pimp, we were hooked up and happy.

Now, I am sure that may be thinking, if Ed Derse is your Ticket Pimp, then that makes you ticket Whores.

Fine. Call it what you will. But, when you are sitting in the press box at AS Roma, after a couple of beers, that is the small price you must pay.