Peegs Tweeted a pic of the Big 10 Tourney...
Mike Pegram*@peegs
At the Verizon Center for the opening B1G game. As my photo shows, don't have a lot of company. $6 tickets outside pic.twitter.com/ZwsiXsMPut
Peegs Tweeted a pic of the Big 10 Tourney...
Mike Pegram*@peegs
At the Verizon Center for the opening B1G game. As my photo shows, don't have a lot of company. $6 tickets outside pic.twitter.com/ZwsiXsMPut
"When March Madness spills into April.... that's the gravy!" - Homer Simpson
Prior to Coach K getting to Duke, the ACC tournament had only been held outside of North Carolina once in 27 years.
Since then, it has been held in North Carolina 26 times in 38 years.
This is more about tradition than anything else.
When Coach K took over at Duke half of the ACC was in NC (4 in NC, and one in each of 4 other states).
There are now 11 teams in the ACC outside of North Carolina.
Five of the last 8 tournaments were held in Greensboro, which is less than an hour from Duke and UNC.
I can understand why guys like Boeheim complain, and fans of Miami, Florida State, Pit, BC (if any), Notre Dame, Lousiville and Pitt would complain. Why the heck are we all flying into Greensboro with all the other options and cities available? If you want to have a rotating conference tournament, why Greensboro?
Boeheim should be happy, the next two years the tourney is at the Barclays. But after that, back to Charlotte and Greensboro.
With Maryland losing last night, they could have some small crowds at the Verizon Center the next 2 days.
New York is the ideal place and the BET and MSG are the perfect make up for a great and dramatic conference tournament for both in person and TV viewing. As a fan, I know well in advance where and when I can schedule and budget for a trip. Next, I don't have to consider whether to make the trip or not based on the team's performance each year: All teams are in, and if my team loses early, there is plenty to do. Third, if I don't want to go to games after my team loses, I can sell the tickets. Fourth, the drama, locale, tradition, and the small conference the third time through pretty much ensures every game will be a sudden thriller urban street fight to watch in person or on TV. Add in Gus and Raf who keep reinforcing the history and drama and you have a brand for basketball junkies.
In the mega conferences, the news is empty seats, bitching/sniping coaches, mediocre spread out games with so many teams who aren't rivals, and a rotating city every year that fans cannot even remember where next year's location is as they care more about football. Money cannot buy you happiness, so enjoy the infighting Jimmy.
BIG EAST needs Raftery to be there for the entire tournament. He is Mr. BIG EAST and he and Augustus Cornelius Johnson are just too damn good together. Raf at the Big Tenelevenwhatevr yesterday was just not right.
"He understands Justice under God"--Augustus Cornelius Johnson