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The big winners during the first weekend of the NCAA men's tournament were Buffalo, Jacksonville, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Providence, San Jose and Spokane. The biggest loser: Columbia. Let's first hear from the winners and what it means for them to welcome eight teams and their legions of fans to their cities for a three- or four-day period.
The greater Spokane, Wash., area has a population of approximately 417,000 - about 200,000 fewer than greater Columbia. Spokane's Veterans Memorial Arena seats 12,000 fans - about 6,000 fewer than Colonial Life Arena. Yet the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament were played in Spokane two months after the same city and same building played host to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. "These type of things really speak to the capabilities of a second-tier, not-so-well-known community," said Harry Sladich, president of the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It says, 'Wow! How did you get that? It's amazing. I didn't know you were that big.' It's just a real ice-breaker for me when I'm talking to people about hosting or coming to our community." Sladich figures approximately $3.5 million flowed into Spokane this weekend from fans visiting for the tournament. Of course, Chamber of Commerce estimates are vastly inflated. Still, even if it is $2 million, it represents an infusion of cash that is helpful to any community in difficult economic times. Providence also realized this weekend the economic benefits of bringing fans from all over the country to its Rhode Island city. "I know the hotel bookings are up," said Bethany Costello, a spokesperson for the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, who estimated $3.5 million in economic activity for the city. "From our perspective, there are people here who are eating in our restaurants, they're shopping in our stores, and we're really excited." Buffalo, N.Y., has history with NCAA tournaments, having hosted early round games in 2000, '04 and '07. The latter generated an estimated $4.5 million, and this year's event likely produced more revenue for the city. Hadley Horrigan, a spokesperson for the Buffalo/Niagara Partnership, said the benefits of the tournament to a city reach far beyond money. "Buffalo is a city that has people coming to it with preconceived notions, whether it's our weather or our economy," Horrigan said. "When people get here, what they find is that the sun is shining and the people who live here are wonderful hosts. "We throw great parties, and there are things from architecture to sports to a beautiful waterfront to enjoy. Any time we can bring people to town, we are able to show people a side of Buffalo that they might not have imagined when they are sitting in their hometown." The state of South Carolina should take note. Instead of earmarking $8 million for destination-specific tourism through the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, as it did this fiscal year, the state could push for an NCAA tournament and enjoy the economic benefits. With television coverage, the state and host city gain immeasurable national exposure, the kind of promotion neither could afford to purchase through advertising. Ike McLeese, president of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, said the city has garnered unprecedented national publicity from USC's recent spate of Thursday night football games televised by ESPN. Consecutive appearances by the ESPN "GameDay" crew from 2004-06 also were an exposure boon for Columbia, according to McLeese. "It actually offsets some of the craziness that comes out of here," McLeese said. "I won't be any more specific than that, but it offsets some of that. Some of the things we get the national headlines for are not representative of the day-to-day Columbia life. "From an image standpoint, it's the same thing as not having the Panthers play their inaugural season here (in 1995). It was an opportunity missed to showcase what we have here." Most sports fans forget USC pitched the possibility of hosting NCAA basketball tournaments when it sought financial backing from the city of Columbia and nearby counties to build Colonial Life Arena. That was in 2002. Perhaps USC did not take seriously a South Carolina NAACP boycott - supported by the NCAA - that blocks postseason tournaments with predetermined sites from being played in the state. That boycott was initiated in 2000 when the Confederate flag was moved from atop the Statehouse dome to the grounds below. The flag flies there today, flapping in the face of progress for the state of South Carolina and the city of Columbia, and continuing to stand in the way of such economic windfalls as an NCAA tournament. Sadly, that's the way our state legislature wants it.
I'm willing to bet that the Charleston & Grenville/Upstate chamber of commerce chapters play on the flag whenever a MAJOR company is interested in South Carolina. They most likely site the flag as mainly a Columbia problem.
I'm willing to respect personal preferences, but government grounds is another issue. It's not good business have a symbol that half of the state finds ridiculous and a good bit of the nation finds hilariously ignorant on government property. The flag stacks Columbia's odds of gaining major corporations beyond belief. Who wants to have their top talent, HR department and board members to city-scout and find view this foolishness. Let us not cut our nose to spite our face.
Without getting into a political debate, the NCAA is wrong to involve politics in college sports. But then again, I agree with Jerry Tarkanian (former UNLV coach) that the NCAA is the most crooked organization out there.
If the South Carolina State Legislature would move into the 20th century (much less the 21st century) we would all be better off. The flag belongs in the state museum, NCAA boycott or not.
In many ways I agree, waccamatt. Times have changed beyond recognition.
All the writer needed to do was recall the year Greenville successfully hosted an NCAA tournament South regional as a reference. One can only imagine how many equally significant opportunities have been missed since then, thanks to the hypocritical NCAA boycott. For example, this state lost its bid to host the ACC baseball tournament just last year, despite initially being selected by the conference. Fortunately the SoCon has been loyal regardless.
Whatever you think about the NCAA, a larger point is that the flag hurts in terms of recruiting business and individuals, not just in Columbia (although it bears the immediate brunt) but throughout the state. But before it comes down, some folks (politicians) are going to have to die first.
They need to do a survey of businesses: why have they never inquired about locating in SC? The purpose would be to find out how many said: because of the Confederate flag, or because of some reason like perceived backwardness as reflected by quirks such as flying the flag.
I don't think the flag has a great bearing on whether a business locates here or not. Don't you think Boeing is concerned about their image but they decided to expand in our state. In my opinion the flag needs to be taken off the state grounds just so it can quit being a lightning rod for protesters. I supply people in the hospitality industry and know the economic impact that sports fans have on an area. South Carolina has an abundance of natural beauty and some exceptional venues that could be put to use for NCAA events that we currently lose to other medium sized cities simply because of the flag flap.
I've only been a resident of South Carolina for 8 years but when I moved here I was overwhelmed with all the potential the area had to offer. I asked a guy that had moved here 6 years sooner than me why there was so much potential and so little progress he told me point blank "Because nobody around here wants anything to change". I brushed it off but as the years have gone past I have been drawn to his way of thinking. It won't change until enough of us want change.
Businesses don't give a rip about the flag. They care about their bottom line. If SC makes that bottom line a little better that's all that matters.
The NCAA has no business in politics. They are an agenda driven entity that ultimately looks out for their own interest. They are influenced heavily by other groups with an agenda. Last time I looked, NCAA was college athletics, not a political or human rights group. I don't see them hitting GA or Miss with those boycotts. What if they spoke out on other view points, like whether a state was pro-choice or allowed same sex marriage? Again, not their place, but where do they draw the line?
Businesses don't give a rip about the flag. They care about their bottom line. If SC makes that bottom line a little better that's all that matters.
If you only read big corporations into this you have a point, but not when you're talking about SC attracting the creative types that foster innovation and start knowledge-based enterprises.
If you only read big corporations into this you have a point, but not when you're talking about SC attracting the creative types that foster innovation and start knowledge-based enterprises.
They don't think to themselves "Boy SC seems like a good place, but gosh they have a civil war memorial on the state house grounds and it has a confederate flag there so I'd better go somewhere else." If you can post proof of such, I'll eat my words and admit I was wrong.
That being said, I don't care one way or the other if they have the flag there or not. It should be a part of our history, but too many people have made it about hate for it to simply be a part of our history.
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