Empty seats not a sign of apocalypse

There is a curious fascination in North Carolina this week about the level of interest – or disinterest – in the ACC tournament being played here in Tampa.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that people within easy driving distance of Tobacco Road are offended that the ACC would take its prize possession to the land of spring training and sunshine.

Whether the tournament is in Greensboro, Charlotte or Tibet, the overwhelming majority of fans who care aren’t going anyway. They’re going to watch on TV where every game looks the same.

It doesn’t matter where the tournament is played to most people.

Sure, there are plenty of empty seats today for the Clemson-Florida State game, just like there were empty seats in Washington two years ago and in Greensboro last year. There will be empty seats in Charlotte on Thursday next year, too.

Understandably, not as many North Carolina-area fans made the trip to Tampa this time, choosing to let others go to the tournament this year. The tickets were sold, in fact there was a waiting list among Tampa locals who scraped up the few hundred tickets the schools returned.

The tournament should move around. It’s in Tampa this year where everything is beautiful. The only question some of us have is this – when it’s coming back to Tampa?

-- Ron Green Jr.