The Final Four: A Tourist Trap That's Fun

My Final Four experience started innocenly enough. I was on a flight back to Houston out of Charlotte. I asked the tall gentleman sitting next to me if he was going to the Final Four and he said he was. I asked him if he was a coach and he said he worked for ESPN. How was I to recognize Jay Bilas when he wasn't in a coat and tie? I tried not to bother him too much. Jay is a world class tweeter and I had some things to take care of as well. During the landing portion of the flight we had a conversation about the quality of play in college basketball the past two years. The consensus was that play has gone down in quality and hopefully will not continue in the downward spiral. The big issue that cannot help but improve college basketball is having the NBA force a rule that would keep players in school 3 years. Right now there is sloppy play in college and too many teams in the pros. Something has to give pretty soon as many NBA teams are hemmoraging red ink. RELIANT STADIUM SATURDAY Until Saturday I have not attended a game at Reliant Stadium in about 6 years. When I pulled into the Metro Park and Ride I noticed I was periously close to the parking spot 666. I avoided this spot like the plague but was determined to notice if anyone would park in this spot later, as I was very early. I left Kentucky UCONN with about 5 minutes to go. After all we get the frontrunner teams jammed down our throats all year long. I am happy to note that spot 666 was vacant upon my return to the parking lot. I documented this on my photo page. This crowd was not nearly as innebriated as the typical Texan NFL group. In fact, I noticed a very civilized group of people. Remember the guy who says "I play ball all the time. I have played with ____________(Insert Name of Famous Player) regularly and he said I really was great" I have met that guy hundreds of times and he was out in force during the pre game festivities. There were quite a few makeshift courts outside where one could go show his "stuff". I spent a good 15 minutes watching airballs and some really bad shooting form by the guys mentioned above. It was great theatre. The scalpers could not get any kind of price for their tickets. In fact, a few just gave their away. The next trend I noticed was the many people dressed in the various colors of the school they were following. Kentucky had by far the biggest group of fans. This is a concept with which I have always had a hard time. I played for Miami, but truthfully, I haven't really known very many people that have played for Miami since I have left. What do I really have in common with Miami players except a fleeting bond with the brick and mortar buildings in Coral Gables we may have shared during different time periods. That being said, the passion runs deep in the Blue Nation. I talked to many of the fans. Many of them never went to Kentucky but root for them because their parents raised them that way. I'll bet that's the way it goes with most peoples allegiances' to their teams. ONE LAST HURRAH Once upon a time, when the Final Four wasn't very well publicized, there was a coach who had a vision of gigantic crowds attending basketball games. In fact, he had the first game of this magnitude in the Houston Astrodome in 1967 when UCLA came into town to play the Houston Cougars. That man was coach Guy Lewis of the Houston Cougars. He took 5 teams to the Final Four. He integrated college basketball in Houston in the early and mid 60's with Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney which at that time was a daunting task. Other than UTEP, which was at the other end of the state 850 miles away and in another time zone, most Texas college teams had no African American student athletes. Guy Lewis is now well into his 80's and in a wheelchair. He was honored with the Phi Slamma Jamma crew during this weekend. Why he is not in the basketball Hall can be explained in 3 easy words...East Coast Bias. When a Lou Carnesecca from St. Johns is in the Hall of Fame with zero Final Four appearances, that says it all. Still, the man who had the vision that started all this March Madness in big football stadiums is forgotten. Really a sad affair. Yes children there was a time when being recruited by the University of Houston was really big time. MISC THOUGHTS Enough has been written about the games. Charles Barkley was exceptionally funny, especially when he talked about the "Itty bitty East". His back and forth with Coach Pitino was priceless. Pitino's face was redder than his teams road jersies. I was able to meet Coach Calhoun in 01 through my sons AAU coach. He comes on like a really humble ordinary guy. I know they are saying alot of things about his recruiting, but I like the guy. It cannot be denied he is a great coach. Shooting in a big stadium has to be a dicey proposition. There is a distorted background that would have to make it difficult in the sight perception field of a basketball player. The Astrodome is dwarfed by Reliant Stadium. It sits there empty like an old ghost from the past. A ghost that is full of memories. It's not the 7th wonder of the wold any longer. Every time I go to Reliant Stadium I wish I could recruit the entire marketing department for the Houston Texans. They have to be the greatest marketing division in all sports franchises. Every year they convince all of Houston, the Houston press and many prominent national media members that the Texans will be really great. These guys have an open invitation for employment if I have any say. Ten Years of sellouts with a less than desireable product speak for itself. Yes the final four was a blast, but my son told me he watched it from a sports bar with Matt Figger and Head Coach Frank Martin from Kansas State. Now that would have really been fun.