DETROIT — If Detroit area weather forecasts are correct, Monday's championship game between North Carolina and Michigan State should be an interesting experience for the 72,500 or so fans expected to show up at Ford Field.
Up to 8 inches of snow is expected overnight Sunday and through the day Monday.
The city is used to dealing with rough weather -- "Hockey Town" is a popular nickname -- but heavy traffic is another matter. In cold but clear conditions during Saturday's semifinal games, street and pedestrian traffic for several blocks around the stadium was a nightmare.
Even bus drivers and policemen complained about endless jams that materialized in mid morning and lingered long past the end of the second game near midnight. Bus passengers from hotels less than two miles from the building sat in snarls for more than 90 minutes.
In addition to the snow, reports predict wind gusts in excess of 25 mph for most of Monday.
Don't expect any second-guessing the tournament site from the money-hungry NCAA, however. With big television ratings and the guarantee of almost 75,000 sold tickets, heck, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the NCAA someday stage a Final Four in Afghanistan.
-- Caulton Tudor
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Frozen Four?
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3 comments:
Is the game being played outside tonight?
Fine post without the sucker punch to the NCAA at the end. The NCAA deserves criticism on many things. Spring snow in Detroit isn't one of them.
Besides, complaining about the downtrodden city your employer sent you to to cover the Final Four just isn't cool.
I'm sorry but these massive traffic jams you speak of I highly doubt. I lived in metro Detroit for most of my life and there has been numerous big time events in or around Ford Field (Super Bowl, NCAA Basketball, Wrestlemania, World Series etc) and not once have I ever heard or been in a 90 minute traffic snarl. Yes it can be difficult to navigate with traffic flow, but come on! What do you expect for the city of Detroit to give you a personal motorcade to get out of there? Leave Detroit alone honestly! Not like Charlotte is going to be able to host any events of those type anytime soon so we can throw the city under the bus to see how it handles it. I'm sure your expert journalistic review would be the equivalent of giving Charlotte a hand job! As for the weather, don't be hating on the weather seeing you didn't prepare yourself for Spring time in Michigan. Its called look at a forecast!
I don't hear anyone complaining that its going to be 32 degrees at the start of Augusta in GEORGIA.
Who the F~!@# cares if it snows in April?
Let's just get ready for a good game and good party afterwards.
p.s. Detroit has been a great host city. It's been a fun 3 days in the city. Some of the friendliest people you are ever going to meet.
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