Moving to GT and no fans allowed (huge mistake imo)

#1
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TnBasketballFan

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#1
Storm forces SEC tourney relocation; One team faces tough twin bill

Updated: March 15, 2008, 5:02 AM ET

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The SEC will take the unprecedented move and have a team play twice in one day in order to conclude the storm-delayed conference tournament in Atlanta before the NCAA tournament selection announcement Sunday at 6 p.m.

Early Saturday morning, SEC director of communications, DeWayne Peevy, told ESPN.com by phone from Atlanta that Georgia and Kentucky would play at noon Saturday in a makeup of the postponed quarterfinal on the campus of Georgia Tech at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum, instead of the storm-damaged Georgia Dome. The first semifinal pitting Tennessee and Arkansas would take place at 6 p.m. while the second semifinal between the winner of Kentucky-Georgia and Mississippi State will tip at approximately 8:30 p.m.

The final is scheduled for 3 p.m. on CBS Sunday. All games will be at Georgia Tech. Peevy said the league consulted with committee chair Tom O'Connor, the athletic director of George Mason, on the decision. SEC commissioner Mike Slive is on the committee as well and was part of the decision process from Indianapolis. Peevy said since the league reaffirmed that the automatic qualifier from the SEC comes from the conference tournament then the games have to be played prior to the announcement of the selections on Sunday. Peevy said O'Connor told the SEC that if it wants to preserve its automatic qualifier among the 31 AQs that are awarded for the field of 65 then the tournament must be completed.

Peevy said the league also will limit attendance in the 9100-seat arena to only the players' families, cheerleaders, bands and other credentialed individuals. He said further announcements were pending about refunding tickets.

He said the league looked at all possible scenarios, including co-champs by playing one game Saturday and the semifinals Sunday, but were told that if they wanted the AQ then the tourney had to be completed.

Andy Katz is a senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com
 
#3
#3
I don't think people get just how bad some of the streets and buildings are. The best thing people can do is just go home and allow the city to clean up.
 
#4
#4
GAVol said:
I don't think people get just how bad some of the streets and buildings are. The best thing people can do is just go home and allow the city to clean up.
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Agreed while they're even playing today is beyond me. There is no right decision here, but the fairest one for all would be to cancel this. UGA is the only team that would truly be affected because they wouldn't have a chance to lock up a bid, but by viewing some of these videos, basketball should be the least thing on there mind
 
#5
#5
TennesseeFan07 said:
Agreed why they're even playing today is beyond me.
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I sort of agree, but I guess playing without fans is the next best thing. At least it minimizes the number of people that have to be in town. I think the people who are initially upset about not getting to see the game are going to wake up and take one look outside and realize it's the right decision.
 
#6
#6
At least I didn't pay above face - and did get to see UT's quarterfinal game. Think about the UK fans who paid above face and saw 0 of their team's games.
 
#7
#7
I have woke up to the news, and while I'm disappointed, having driven thru downtown last night, I understand it.

My hope as far as the SECT goes, that they refund our money in a timely manner.

Otherwise, I hope the city of Atlanta is able to clean up w/o a ton of damage. It didn't appear that anyone was killed, or I haven't heard those reports.

I'll be honest, no matter how cheesy it may be. After watching the dome shake like it was a small shack, I'm thankful I'm alive, basketball is completely secondary, getting home and hugging my little girl is my first priority right now.
 
#8
#8
yeah guys.....it's BAD in downtown and surrounding areas.

I'm in Grant Park...5 minutes or so from downtown, and just 3 blocks up from us there are cops everywhere, debris littering everything...etc.

a loft building 2 minutes up the street from us had the roof blown off, and several floors collapsed inside.




Despite all of this, I will gladly take any b-ball I can get, whether fans are allowed inside of it or not.

Thank God there were not scores of deaths in this.


:hi:
 
#10
#10
GAVol said:
I sort of agree, but I guess playing without fans is the next best thing. At least it minimizes the number of people that have to be in town. I think the people who are initially upset about not getting to see the game are going to wake up and take one look outside and realize it's the right decision.
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Any rational person would, but the people on catspause have already came up with the next best scenario; make every possible excuse possible.
 
#11
#11
I did hear on ESPN this morning that Georgia Tech's areana hols 9,100. The are determining how to distribute the tickets between the fans. It's a mess I agree, and im not sure how they will determine who gets in and who doesnt. The logical thing to me is to not let anyone in the game IMO.

Atlanta was hit HARD, looking at the pictures this morning on CNN its a blessing from God that nothing happened to the GA dome with all those people in it. While we do worry about the games and such, I think the safety of people, and those injuried in this storm is top priority over basketball.

May God be with all those that lost their homes during this storm!
 
#12
#12
I wonder if this makes the SEC look at moving the start of the tournament to a Wednesday and having the championship game on a Saturday with an extra day of Sunday just in case.
 
#13
#13
I have some friends that live in Atlanta. I need to text them here in a minute to make sure they weren't affected
 
#14
#14
Why not, instead of playing the tournament at the Dome, play it at Phillips Arena? A building built for basketball, not football. Do the people who run that building not want the tournament there?

The ACC Tournament was at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The Pac-10 Tournament is at Staples Arena, Big 10 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Big East at MSG. Why not play it in an arena built for basketball??
 
#16
#16
kkep48 said:
Why not, instead of playing the tournament at the Dome, play it at Phillips Arena? A building built for basketball, not football. Do the people who run that building not want the tournament there?

The ACC Tournament was at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The Pac-10 Tournament is at Staples Arena, Big 10 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Big East at MSG. Why not play it in an arena built for basketball??
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Philips arena is attached to the CNN center and thus in the middle of the mess. And as previously noted here, they already have a function planned.

It's JUST basketball!

EDIT: After rereading the post, I take it you were saying why not have it there in general? Short answer: it's too small.
 
#17
#17
volmanbill said:
Philips arena is attached to the CNN center and thus in the middle of the mess. And as previously noted here, they already have a function planned.

It's JUST basketball!

EDIT: After rereading the post, I take it you were saying why not have it there in general? Short answer: it's too small.
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Yeah, I'm not talking about this year, just for future years.

It's too small? What is capacity for the Ga Dome with it half opened? Surely if the ACC and Big 10 can have it in NBA arenas, the SEC could.
 
#19
#19
This just does not make sense. If the players, their family, and the band are allowed to stick around, then why not the fans? It's not safe for the fans to stick around, but yet the players are ok to? I think it just has to do with what fans get in and which fans don't and that would be too much of a headache.

On another note I think its kind of funny to have the bands and cheerleaders there, I mean who is going to be singing rocky top with them...:crazy:
 
#20
#20
kkep48 said:
Why not, instead of playing the tournament at the Dome, play it at Phillips Arena? A building built for basketball, not football. Do the people who run that building not want the tournament there?

The ACC Tournament was at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The Pac-10 Tournament is at Staples Arena, Big 10 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Big East at MSG. Why not play it in an arena built for basketball??
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Dude because a Tornado hit there last night. There is so much damage around that area, they couldnt let fans get even close to the place.
 
#22
#22
volwindy said:
This just does not make sense. If the players, their family, and the band are allowed to stick around, then why not the fans? It's not safe for the fans to stick around, but yet the players are ok to? I think it just has to do with what fans get in and which fans don't and that would be too much of a headache.

On another note I think its kind of funny to have the bands and cheerleaders there, I mean who is going to be singing rocky top with them...:crazy:
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IT's not big enough. 9,000 at GT as opposed to 25,000+ at the GA Dome. I have friends attending the tournament, but this is the only fair thing to do. I hate it for the fans, but this is the only way
 
#24
#24
TennesseeFan07 said:
IT's not big enough. 9,000 at GT as opposed to 25,000+ at the GA Dome. I have friends attending the tournament, but this is the only fair thing to do. I hate it for the fans, but this is the only way
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You have to remember also. It takes employees to run such an event. I can't imagine Ga Tech hosting 9,000 fans on less than a day notice. Ticket distribution alone would be a complete logistics nightmare.

Basically, it's totally unrealistic.
 
#25
#25
TennesseeFan07 said:
IT's not big enough. 9,000 at GT as opposed to 25,000+ at the GA Dome. I have friends attending the tournament, but this is the only fair thing to do. I hate it for the fans, but this is the only way
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Kind of why I said the last statement in my last paragraph. :p I know it is the fair thing to do, but even so, I hate it for those that made the trip out there and cashed out the money for the hotels, gas, tickets, etc; while I'm sure they are all thankful they are ok and nothing worse was done, I'm sure it still sucks.
 
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