March Madness in the Burgh (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: sale, home, purchase) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

Rocket88 · 03-18-2015, 01:31 PM

Starting Thursday, eight teams will face off at Consol Energy Center for the eastern bracket of the Big Dance. The eight teams in Pittsburgh will be the Villanova Wildcats from Philadelphia, Notre Dame Fighting Irish from South Bend, Indiana..Northeastern University from Boston, Mass....Lafayette University from Easton, PA...Butler University form Indianapolis, Indiana....North Carolina State University form Raleigh, North Carolina...LSU, From Baton Rouge, Louisiana... and The University of Texas out of Austin, Texas....
It will be great to have all of these teams and their fans in our fair city this week. I just wish the area around the Consol were more vibrant. There are very few good choices in that specific area. There is that new Blue Line Grill which will be packed and a handful of pizza places. It just is not all that great. Market Square is only a fifteen to twenty minute walk for those capable. The South Side about thirty minutes or less. I thought there would be more to offer by now around Consol. This area is slow to be developed. I understand that there is a decent amount of infill in the form of housing being built, but nothing huge as of yet. Frankly, I thought there would be more foodie type places there and brew pubs. It will all happen eventually. It is just slow going and the area is nothing really to show off to visitors.

that412 · 03-18-2015, 01:40 PM

The arena itself is nothing really to show off to visitors.

Shame Pitt flamed out so hard, would have been so much fun for the Panthers to have a "home" game in the tourney.

bluecarebear · 03-18-2015, 04:33 PM

I had no idea that the tournament was taking place in Pittsburgh. There wasn't a good PR machine behind this. But maybe the lack of support has to do with the disillusionment and declining interest in college sports.

TheYO · 03-18-2015, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

I had no idea that the tournament was taking place in Pittsburgh. There wasn't a good PR machine behind this. But maybe the lack of support has to do with the disillusionment and declining interest in college sports.

Tickets were on sale on Groupon for months. That shows you how well they were selling. There are still plenty of seats in the 200 level available for purchase a day before the games.

TheYO · 03-18-2015, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by that412

The arena itself is nothing really to show off to visitors.

Shame Pitt flamed out so hard, would have been so much fun for the Panthers to have a "home" game in the tourney.

Pitt would have had to be a #1 or #2 seed to be placed two miles away from the Pete. The NCAA really only rewards the top teams with games close to home.

SteelCityRising · 03-18-2015, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

I had no idea that the tournament was taking place in Pittsburgh. There wasn't a good PR machine behind this. But maybe the lack of support has to do with the disillusionment and declining interest in college sports.

I also had no clue this was going on tomorrow until I found out at work on Monday.

sskink · 03-19-2015, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheYO

Pitt would have had to be a #1 or #2 seed to be placed two miles away from the Pete. The NCAA really only rewards the top teams with games close to home.

Even so, the NCAA would not put Pitt actually in Pittsburgh if it were a #1. Cleveland or Columbus would likely be the closest locations. Even Duke/UNC/UK have always had to get on a bus and go a couple hundred miles at minimum as #1s.

It's not surprising to me tix are available. This isn't a hoops town (college or pro) and there's generally little awareness of what happens outside the area in any sport.

If UK or Iowa St were in, I'd probably go. Just not that interested in the matchups we've got here.

Go Bobby Mo!

quackxp · 03-19-2015, 07:53 AM

The corruption that goes into making NCAA Basketball and Football the de facto minor leagues of the NBA and the NFL is a national disgrace.

Johnny C · 03-19-2015, 08:17 AM

I have never even heard of this "basketball" game that yinz speak of until I read this thread. It looks interesting with all of the dribbling annat.

Actually I have never heard of this "Consolidated Energy Center of Energy"place either.

that412 · 03-19-2015, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sskink

Even so, the NCAA would not put Pitt actually in Pittsburgh if it were a #1. Cleveland or Columbus would likely be the closest locations. Even Duke/UNC/UK have always had to get on a bus and go a couple hundred miles at minimum as #1s.

Is this actually the NCAA's policy or is it more an effect of where the games happen to be played being decided months ahead of time, and then the selection committee rewards higher seeds geographically when it can? It seems like more a function of coincidence than anything.

UK is in Louisville for its first two rounds this year (which is well under 100 miles from Lexington, and I would imagine that if Rupp happened to be hosting games this year UK would be in that regional), and then there's things like Dayton, who fought to get in as an 11 seed and got to play literally at home last night and now get their first two rounds in Columbus.

I just would be surprised if there were actually NCAA scriptures dictating this kind of stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sskink

If UK or Iowa St were in, I'd probably go. Just not that interested in the matchups we've got here.

I went to NEU for a couple of years (and have no love lost for Notre Dame) so I really wanted to go to that tilt...alas, couldn't get out of work on such short notice.