Attending First/Second Rounds

[MYTAPPY]

Just found out that I am getting free tickets to the first/second rounds in Greensboro for the NCAA tourney. Very excited. Never been to an NCAA tourney game. Been to a couple of ACC tourney games, but never NCAA. Anyone ever attended? Are the games as much fun in person?

[griz37]

I have been 9 times, this year in Salt Lake will mark my 10th time attending. If you are a college hoops fan this event is a dream. The first day you get 4 games which amounts to about 10 hours of hoops. Every year I look forward to this time, enjoy your trip Mytappy I bet you love it.

[Marcus Garvey]

Yeah, they're a blast. I was at the 1st and 2nd round games in Tucson last year. All of them were actually good, even Oklahoma's "blowout" of Niagra. That game was close until about 10 minutes left.

The 1st round games were on St. Patty's day last year. Unfortunately, because those rat-bastards at CBS wanted all the games playing at about the same time, the first tip-off was around 10:30AM or so. Few bars in the area opened up soon enough to get my drink on before the game, and of course, no alcohol is allowed in UofA's McKale Center. I suffered throug the 1st two games in sobriety! ;)

My fiance was so "burned out" of basketball after the 3rd game (Gonzaga-Winthrop), that we left at halftime of the last game (UCLA-Texas Tech) to have some drinks.

On a weird note, I was standing lin line for the pisser during the 1st session on Thurs., when I noticed everybody saying "Hi Coach!" to an old timer behind me. Turns out it was Jim Harrick! Why is he allowed in an NCAA arena? If he had cheated at blackjack, no casino would ever let him back in!

[MYTAPPY]

Bad thing is that I'm not staying in Greensboro overnight for each session. Making the drive home to Charlotte each night. Only an hour and a half drive. Shouldn't be too bad.

[griz37]

Yeah, they're a blast. I was at the 1st and 2nd round games in Tucson last year. All of them were actually good, even Oklahoma's "blowout" of Niagra. That game was close until about 10 minutes left.

The 1st round games were on St. Patty's day last year. Unfortunately, because those rat-bastards at CBS wanted all the games playing at about the same time, the first tip-off was around 10:30AM or so. Few bars in the area opened up soon enough to get my drink on before the game, and of course, no alcohol is allowed in UofA's McKale Center. I suffered throug the 1st two games in sobriety! ;)

My fiance was so "burned out" of basketball after the 3rd game (Gonzaga-Winthrop), that we left at halftime of the last game (UCLA-Texas Tech) to have some drinks.

On a weird note, I was standing lin line for the pisser during the 1st session on Thurs., when I noticed everybody saying "Hi Coach!" to an old timer behind me. Turns out it was Jim Harrick! Why is he allowed in an NCAA arena? If he had cheated at blackjack, no casino would ever let him back in!


Thats funny because I have also seen Jim Harrick in the can at an NCAA tournament game. He was supposedly there scouting for an NBA team.

[HIU 93]

Just found out that I am getting free tickets to the first/second rounds in Greensboro for the NCAA tourney. Very excited. Never been to an NCAA tourney game. Been to a couple of ACC tourney games, but never NCAA. Anyone ever attended? Are the games as much fun in person?

I've been to several, Div. I and Div. II. The most recent Div. I I have been to was in 2002 at MCI Center. It was a blast. I was on the front row, we played a very strong UConn team, the game was close, but they beat us and eventually went on to the Final Four.

[dbackjon]

Been to one - Tucson in 2000 when NAU was last in the tourney - great time, even watching the games that NAU was not in.

[LetsGoNova]

The NCAA tourney is the best. Just mingling with fans from all over the country, from all types of schools and backgrounds, is incredible.

One note - no alcohol is served at any NCAA tournament venue. Just a heads up.

[Marcus Garvey]

Thats funny because I have also seen Jim Harrick in the can at an NCAA tournament game. He was supposedly there scouting for an NBA team.

That might have been why he was there. Utah and UTEP were playing in the second game of the day, and every NBA scout was drooling over Andrew Bogut.

Funny thing about that game: The Utah fans all wore red, the UTEP fans Orange The arena seemed half-orange (El Paso is about 4 hours from Tucson. The thing is, you didn't need clothing to differentiate the fans. It seemed to me damn near all the Utah fans were blue-eyed, blonde-haired members of the "master race," :rolleyes: , while the UTEP fans were primarily hispanic.

Neatest gesture of the games was by Niagra. They didn't bring their pep band, but instead hired one of the local high school pep bands to play for them. They chose a high school with the same colors too.

[MYTAPPY]

That might have been why he was there. Utah and UTEP were playing in the second game of the day, and every NBA scout was drooling over Andrew Bogut.

Funny thing about that game: The Utah fans all wore red, the UTEP fans Orange The arena seemed half-orange (El Paso is about 4 hours from Tucson. The thing is, you didn't need clothing to differentiate the fans. It seemed to me damn near all the Utah fans were blue-eyed, blonde-haired members of the "master race," :rolleyes: , while the UTEP fans were primarily hispanic.

Neatest gesture of the games was by Niagra. They didn't bring their pep band, but instead hired one of the local high school pep bands to play for them. They chose a high school with the same colors too.

I went to App State (shocker there) and they hired our band one year to be Farfields pep band. I think it was either 96' or 97' tourney (in Charlotte) when that happened. They played UNC in the first round..and well....

[MYTAPPY]

Just found out that I am getting free tickets to the first/second rounds in Greensboro for the NCAA tourney. Very excited. Never been to an NCAA tourney game. Been to a couple of ACC tourney games, but never NCAA. Anyone ever attended? Are the games as much fun in person?

Just found out, my tickets are lower level, center court...
I got the hook up.