Speaking of bribes, here's a very effective one -- and it's for a great cause! Just got this from Lisa over at the Phoenix Mercury (But keep this a secret between you and me, 'kay?)

One of the craziest (and most exciting) times of the year in our office is starting now… It’s MERCURY MADNESS, our All-Employee Sell-a-Thon!!! Starting NOW, all of our employees get together for a cause and are put into teams to see who can get the most tickets donated for Mercury charities. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m competitive, but I also love good causes, and WE NEED YOUR HELP! Every $10 donated provides one ticket to a child who wouldn’t have had the opportunity otherwise to attend a game.

I know times are tough, but I’m challenging everyone to donate at least 2 pairs of tickets; that’s only $40… and it’s for the kids. I’ll even get you a receipt to show you made a donation for tax purposes! If you’d prefer not to donate the tickets, you can use them yourself/friends/family/coworkers/teams/etc. $43 tickets for only $10?! CRAZY. If you’re feeling really generous, it’ll come back to you: for every $500 donated, you’ll receive FOUR courtside seats to a game OR a suite for the night (includes 20 tickets).

My own incentives (Shhh… keep this on the DL; no other employees are offering this). If you:

Donate/buy 10 tickets – Receive an autographed photo of the player of your choice

Donate/buy 25 tickets – Receive an autographed jersey of DT or CP23

Donate/buy 50 tickets – Receive the 4 courtside seats to a game -or- a suite night (listed above) AND an autographed jersey

It’s easy. Just open the attached form: you can choose specific games or choose to donate the tickets. Complete the form & scan/email back or fax it to 602-379-7540. Email or call me if you have any questions, but this special ends at the end of the day on Wednesday. Tell your friends, and spread the word!

I’m getting a head start and will donate $40. Who’s next???

You'll have to drop Lisa an email (lkowalewski@phoenixmercury.com) if you want the bribe... I mean, if you want to donate.

Think about it -- skip buying coffee this week and you can donate 2-6 tickets (depending on the severity of your coffee addiction.

Want more of an incentive? Last year over 10,000 children were able to attend Mercury games through donations.

You want to make a kid happy? Donate.

You want to grow the WNBA? Donate.

(Imagine if this were a League-wide program and teams/fans competed against each other....)