NCAA tournament at Sprint Center

[KC-wildcat]

The NCAA must be VERY impressed with what they've seen in Kansas City so far.  I got to the Live! Block around 4:00 and it was packed.  A lot of KU and Memphis fans.  Pretty good number of Michigan, OU, CU fans.  Some MU and KSU fans were there too.  Really cool college sports atmosphere.

CBS was butchering the broadcast on the big screen.  Instead of watching the Maryland v. Cal game, we got to see North Carolina have unprotected sex with Radford. 

Around 5:00pm the pep rallies began on the front stage.  OU, then Clemson, then Michigan. 

SC was packed.  Atmosphere was really fun.  After the games, Live! Block was full.  Pedestrians filled the streets and sidewalks from Broadway to Grand and 670 to 14th.  The city was alive.  A lot of NAIA fans were also milling through the city.

Only Negative:  Cupinis for dinner.  Took us about 45 minutes to get our food.  They had two guys working the kitchen.  Simply unnaceptable given the weekend events.       

[wetpaint]

I think a lot of people are impressed with the Sprint Center and the surrounding options and nearby attractions.  I think it gives us a real shot at getting the Big 12 Tourney as a permanent event and thus knocks us out of regional contention which is unfortunate.   :?

I would rather have the Big 12 tournament every year than the regional tournament once or twice.

[LenexatoKCMO]

B12 tournament is almost a gauranteed sell out and big crowd in KC - whereas a regional, if you wind up with some dud teams, is probably more likely to have partial capacity.  On the other side of the scale, a regional is more likely to generate non-local attendees and hotel stays. 

[KC-wildcat]

B12 tournament is almost a gauranteed sell out and big crowd in KC - whereas a regional, if you wind up with some dud teams, is probably more likely to have partial capacity.  On the other side of the scale, a regional is more likely to generate non-local attendees and hotel stays. 

If the Sprint Center is at full capacity for Michigan v. Clemson and Oklahoma v. Morgan State, I think the "dud" argument goes right out the window. 

Michigan - I'm sure they travel well.  Saw a decent number of fans.
Clemson - I think I saw one or two orange football jerseys walking around.
Oklahoma - see Clemson.
Morgan State - ...

[LenexatoKCMO]

If the Sprint Center is at full capacity for Michigan v. Clemson and Oklahoma v. Morgan State, I think the "dud" argument goes right out the window. 

Michigan - I'm sure they travel well.  Saw a decent number of fans.
Clemson - I think I saw one or two orange football jerseys walking around.
Oklahoma - see Clemson.
Morgan State - ...

1) it wasn't full - about a thousand short.

2) Oklahoma and Michigan appeared to have used most all of their allotments.  Clemson did a pretty respectable job for a school without a tremendous basketball history.  And Morgan State - well there will always be at least one of those in a regional session.  It would be very easy to do much worse than that session group - Had that been UT instead of OU for example, there would have been less than a quarter of the fans.  We got extremely luck with Michigan - you can't count on getting a ten seed with that kind of well-heeled, traveling fan base.  You could very easily wound up with one of your higher seeds going to one of the Big East schools with BBall prowess but a fan base that will never travel west of NY for a game. 

[mister816]

WHY IN THE FUCK ARE THEY SHOWING THE SYRICUSE GAME INSTEAD OF THE KU GAME ON CBS?!?!?!?!  AM I MISSING SOMETHING?

[mister816]

okay, it's 11:30, maybe I over reacted... and remember you can't spell over react without overie...

[shaffe]

I think it gives us a real shot at getting the Big 12 Tourney as a permanent event and thus knocks us out of regional contention which is unfortunate.   :?

Indianapolis hosted the Big 10 tournament this year and is also host to a regional final next weekend.

[KCMax]

Indianapolis hosted the Big 10 tournament this year and is also host to a regional final next weekend.

I was going to say, what about all those years we hosted the Big 8 tournament. Surely we hosted NCAA games too. I don't think its either/or.

[im2kull]

I was going to say, what about all those years we hosted the Big 8 tournament. Surely we hosted NCAA games too. I don't think its either/or.

Yea...the NCAA has no say over where conferences decide to have their tournaments, and I doubt they care enough to block a regional from going to a city that has a conference tournament held there.

[Highlander]

I found this NCAA tournament Guide to KC on the basketball website of a team playing in the first round.  It does a fair job at recommending a few good places to go but decries the lack of public transportation. 

http://www.collegerag.org/wordpress/200 ... /#more-596

[im2kull]

...but decries the lack of public transportation. 

http://www.collegerag.org/wordpress/200 ... /#more-596

Sounds about right.  Not like we can change much though, we already passed a vote once to get us a light rail system.

[staubio]

I found this NCAA tournament Guide to KC on the basketball website of a team playing in the first round.  It does a fair job at recommending a few good places to go but decries the lack of public transportation. 

http://www.collegerag.org/wordpress/200 ... /#more-596

I commented to set a few things straight, including the fact that transit is actually pretty good between downtown and the Plaza -- and that Famous Dave's isn't your best bet for barbecue.

[KansasCityCraka]

The guy commented about yours now 

[Tosspot]

Long lines and reflections in the Sprint Center glass.



(photoblog link clickable!)