Season ticket holder Shawn Barton isn't someone who often misses a Steelers game at Heinz Field, but if that rare occasion ever does arise, there's one way you can sit in his great seats. It's through the NFL Ticket Exchange, a fan-to-fan service that guarantees you a secured seat.
Barton is one of a handful of season ticket holders from around the NFL who was chosen to appear in their latest commercial, promoting the league's certified ticket buying service. While he doesn't need it to see games at Heinz Field, he has used the NFL Ticket Exchange to purchase tickets to see the Steelers on the road, and likes the security it provides fans.
"Being that it's the official market of the NFL, I am all about safety, security and know it's legit," said Barton. "I don't have to worry when I walk up to the gate. You have confidence using it."
And if he ever does put his Legend Seats up for sale for a game via the NFL Ticket Exchange, the lucky buyer will have a great experience.
"It's just indescribable," said Barton, who loves his field level seats. "I have seats right next to the tunnel where the players come out. I stick my hand out and I am high-fiving Troy Polamalu, Antonio Brown. You can tell people about that, but unless you are there to experience that – it's something you have to experience. People ask me if I go to Pittsburgh for all of the games and they say it's a long drive. It's not that, you are going for the experience, the game, the sights and sounds. You can't get that on television.
"It's an experience you have to enjoy in person. I call it the wow factor. If you are at the game, you know what the wow factor is. The environment at Heinz Field from summer, to fall to winter, it's all wow."
Barton is originally from Pittsburgh, but now lives in Newark, Delaware and makes the five hour drive for each home game. He also hits as many road games as he can, especially when the Steelers play in nearby cities. He was actually at the Steelers-Eagles game last Thursday when the commercial he is in aired for the first time.
"I was at the game, sitting behind the Steelers bench in the first row and my phone was going off," said Barton. "I had been taking pictures before that so my phone was dying already. All of a sudden I was getting text notifications, Facebook notifications were coming through. My phone was ringing. I was focused on the game, but noticing all of it and they were saying they saw me on television. I thought they saw me from the game sitting there. Then I got another text saying they saw the commercial and that's how I found out. Then my phone died and I didn't get all of the messages until after the game."
While it might not be often you can purchase Barton's tickets, as he will be sitting in them cheering on the Steelers, fans can purchase tickets for Steelers home games through the NFL Ticket Exchange.
