The ACC tournament should go back to Tampa.
Not immediately, but at some point in the future.
It should also go to Boston.
That would be really cool.
Before we leave the Tampa experience behind, it should be said again that taking the ACC tournament to Florida was a good thing, despite the grumbling that apparently rumbled through North Carolina much of last week.
And most of the people complaining don't go to the tournameny anyway. They watch it on TV so what difference does it make from your den if the games are in Tampa or Greensboro?
The worst that could be said about Tampa was the fact there were maybe 2,000 empty seats Sunday for the final game. Would that have happened in North Carolina? Maybe.
Not if North Carolina and N.C. State were playing, but let Boston College meet Virginia Tech in the final next year in Charlotte and see how tough it is to buy a ticket on the street. It won't be hard.
Greensboro and Charlotte are where the bulk of the ACC tournaments should be played because they're near the geographic and emotional center of a league that cherishes its hoops.
Greensboro has the advantage of nearly 4,000 more seats than Charlotte but there is something to be said for squeezing ticket demand once in a while. Charlotte will have approximately 1,500 fewer seats than Tampa, which means each school will get about 110 fewer than this year (Boston College gets a full share for the first time next year).
That's a serious squeeze because more locals will want to attend than in Tampa, where many regulars chose to take a pass this year, freeing tickets for others.
If Charlotte puts on a good show -- and it will -- it should get the tournament again in the future even if the numbers are tight. They won't be so tight in 2009 when the tournament goes to the Georgia Dome.
It's good that so many people still care about the ACC tournament. And if you think going to Tampa was a bad idea, ask someone who was down there. They'll be easy to recognize. They're the ones with nice tans.
-- Ron Green Jr.
Monday, March 12, 2007
ACC Tournament should go back to Tampa
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
6 comments:
Out of 12 teams 4 are in North Carolina, it should stay in North Carolina.
Good point, but bad example. You have no idea how many Virginia Tech fans there are around here.
And of those 12 teams in the ACC, 7 are within driving distance of NC easily. For those people who have poor math skills, that's over half the league. Not to mention the passion level for the ACC is by far strongest in NC. No question. ACC Tournament belongs in NC. Too bad the planning of the arena downtown didn't keep this in mind when they were addressing seating capacity. Then again not much of that arena was thought out to benefit Charlotte or NC, as compared to the benefit of the NBA.
Here's the solution:
Odd numbered years: Greensboro & Charlotte (Greensboro gets the edge because the have a larger arena)
Even numbered years: Split it between Miami, Tampa, DC, Atlanta, & Boston
Yes, it sucks that Bobcats Arena has only 20,000 seats vs. 23,500 in Greensboro. But its much better business wise to have a smaller arena with an NBA/ECHL as tennants vs. Bingo, Car Shows, & Super Flea Marekts taking up most of the arena dates in Greensboro.
Don't be so selfish, Florida's much nicer to visit than Charlotte in March.
However, I would not be against having it in Greensboro every year just as the Big East is in MSG every year. In Charlotte, it's a happening, but in Greensboro it is an event. The city just supports the tourney better.
Final thought, the tourney should be in the old (but not that old) coliseum next year. That building was built for the tourney and if maintained would beat the Bob, hands down.
Duke has the best fans in the nation, so they shouldn't have to go to Florida to see the tournament. Plus 4 out of 12 teams in the ACC are in NC.
Post a Comment