NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament coming to Tulsa in 2011

[SDTULSA]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20090921_92_0_TheNCA770198

I think this will be great for downtown!!! Let me know your thoughts?

[PonderInc]

Awesome news!  Can't wait!

Though aren't y'all worried that it will "masculinize" our city too much?  OR...will it counteract the "emasculating effect" of the WNBA?   (Wait...What if lesbians like men's sports, too?  We should call it all off!  Oh the horrors!)

<sound of crickets>

Hmmm.  Must be a double-standard around here...

[Cats Cats Cats]

You know solid fundamentals make up for the inability to dunk (WNBA).

[PonderInc]

That's why I don't watch NBA games.  Can't stand watching "professionals" who can't make a freethrow...

[USRufnex]

Awesome news!  Can't wait!

Though aren't y'all worried that it will "masculinize" our city too much?  OR...will it counteract the "emasculating effect" of the WNBA?   (Wait...What if lesbians like men's sports, too?  We should call it all off!  Oh the horrors!)

<sound of crickets>

Hmmm.  Must be a double-standard around here...

Nope. 
But since you don't have a XXXX, this "emasculating effect" doesn't apply to you.   

The problem I have had with the WNBA in Tulsa is that it appears to be an OKC-driven effort spearheaded by OKC Thunder co-owner Bill Cameron... and David Box-- http://www.growinokc.com/index.php?submenu=DavidBox&src=gendocs&ref=DavidBox&category=OKCSuccessStories

And since I think I'm the only guy who's used the term "emasculate," I'd like to point out why I used it: 

When I said:  "My sexist, conspiracy theory, kneejerk first reaction would be that some OKC-ers are only doing this so they can emasculate Tulsa-- not fair, I know...."

I was referring to this:
"He didn't want those kind of women"
http://www.stormfans.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=news;action=display;num=1207839448

Ironic, eh?

[cannon_fodder]

Kudos to the Tulsa Sports commission.   

The article talks about having enough hotel space.  This is a regional.  8 teams bringing at MOST 100 people for teams, coaches, cheer, and comp.  Let's pretend each team brings 1000 fans for a weekday game.  We're still OK by 5000 hotel rooms if each person has their own room.

I'm excited for the NCAA tournament to be in Tulsa.  I am.  Especially now that they have regional match ups it will bring people and excitement to Tulsa.  More importantly Tulsa gets on TV for a few days with a fantastic new venue.  This is good.  But it isn't like we're hosting the final four (again, not complaining).  I've seen the attendance at the regional games, and we'd be lucky if we had hotel problems.

(tried to find actually data on attendance at the regional level and failed.  Nor could I find estimated economic impact numbers or draw.  Please correct me if I'm wrong, since I can't find data to back it up).

[swake]

Kudos to the Tulsa Sports commission.   

The article talks about having enough hotel space.  This is a regional.  8 teams bringing at MOST 100 people for teams, coaches, cheer, and comp.  Let's pretend each team brings 1000 fans for a weekday game.  We're still OK by 5000 hotel rooms if each person has their own room.

I'm excited for the NCAA tournament to be in Tulsa.  I am.  Especially now that they have regional match ups it will bring people and excitement to Tulsa.  More importantly Tulsa gets on TV for a few days with a fantastic new venue.  This is good.  But it isn't like we're hosting the final four (again, not complaining).  I've seen the attendance at the regional games, and we'd be lucky if we had hotel problems.

(tried to find actually data on attendance at the regional level and failed.  Nor could I find estimated economic impact numbers or draw.  Please correct me if I'm wrong, since I can't find data to back it up).

Most, if not all, regionals sell out; but the arenas look empty on TV because of the way tickets are sold and which games end up on TV. Fans come to see their team but the tickets aren't sold for just one game and fans don't usually stay for the other games that don't involved their team.

The top seeded teams have the most fans that travel and are also the teams that under the POD system that usually play pretty close to home. But on the first weekend these are the games that are the least likely to be on TV. CBS does not spend a lot of time showing the 1-16 or 2-15 seeded blowout games. But those are the games with the highest attendance.

For example, Tulsa will be the closest regional to KU, if KU is placed in Tulsa (which is likely) KU will bring at least 9-10 thousand fans, if not more to the weekday game alone and could easily sell out a weekend game all on it's own. KU fans will buy every ticket possible in Tulsa. In fact there will be more KU people here than can get tickets. KU sends thousands of fans to regular season games as far away as Boston, Hawaii and Las Vegas. KU will overwhelm Tulsa. KU did it last year in Oklahoma City.

If OU or OSU get placed in Tulsa as well, it could be a real mess with tickets going for well over face value. Don't confuse the number of occupied seats on TV at a 8-9 matchup in Idaho on Thursday for the number of tickets sold or the number of needed hotel rooms.

[OurTulsa]

Great point swake.  This is awesome for Tulsa! 

The Friday/Sunday slot is better as well as it will be easier for fans from outside the region to make a weekend of it.  Downtown Tulsa, I hope, will be equal to the task and this place will be one big sports bar/ fan fest.  I hope there is a very cool place to watch the rest of the tourny outside. 

[Conan71]

I realize we are just out of the first year for the new BOK Center, which many have said would be the honeymoon and it would fall flat on it's face afterwards.  However, we seem to still be getting all the good bookings they said we would get and more.  This is one time I don't mind being wrong in my original assessment of the arena.

[sgrizzle]

I realize we are just out of the first year for the new BOK Center, which many have said would be the honeymoon and it would fall flat on it's face afterwards.  However, we seem to still be getting all the good bookings they said we would get and more.  This is one time I don't mind being wrong in my original assessment of the arena.

Doesn't getting the men's tourney mean we also get a women's tourney as well?

We had 9 of the top ten acts in the nation for arena shows and one of the biggest acts for stadium shows. Now a major sporting event that is likely to come back every 2-4 years which is awesome. With more hotel space, maybe we can land some other events like the travelling X-games type events, etc. Concert wise, I would still like to see them book:
Led Zeppelin
Tom Petty
Eric Clapton
Garth Brooks
Queen (although Paul Rodgers is no Freddie Mercury)

[Conan71]

[dbacks fan]

I think it's great that Tulsa is getting to showcase the new arena, and with a nearly national audience on TV it's a great chance to build upon from there.

[cannon_fodder]

Thanks for the correction Swake.  I knew they sold tickets as a package deal by session, but generally aren't those two game sessions?  I'm surprised that not even a sizable minority of people go to the other game. 

Nonetheless, damn glad to hear that it will be a real boon

Arkansas, Kansas, K. State, Missouri, OSU, ORU (not the host, could play in Tulsa), OU, and SW MO all have a good shot of getting in the tournament and are all within 5 hours of Tulsa. 

[USRufnex]

I was pretty sure this was one of the reasons given to build the arena in the first place.... glad it's happening... we'll see if a Big 12 tourney eventually comes here.

I also believe that the BOk Center would not have been nearly as successful in Year One if it weren't for all the NBA dates taken at the Ford Center, not to mention the renovations...