The Road to Omaha: NCAA Baseball Tournament Thread

We'll know there's a Depression if student athletes on major college sports teams, God forbid, have to do without multiple sets of game uniforms and practice jerseys, batting practice gear, designer warmups, a moisture-wicking tee for every hour of the day, five pairs of shoes and people who do their laundry for them around the clock.

 

With the way the Royals were treated by the city and its administration, there was no way they were ever going into the new stadium. MECA came out straight away and said there would be no sweetheart deals and the stadium was going ahead with or without the Royals. If that was the case, good-faith negotiations were dead from the start.

Creighton won't play there as it already has the CU Sports Complex, and the Jays can't draw flies for anything except series against Nebraska. The Royals at least draw 3,000 to 5,000 a night, and the Sarpy stadium's capacity can expand to upwards of 9,000 with the grass berms in the outfield, IIRC. If MECA thinks an independent league team can draw anywhere near that in the new downtown stadium, then vaya con Dios.

 

The one in the middle, is that their 'O' shirt?

 

Evidently, not the only school:

 

Creighton doesn't draw crap, but I'd be willing to bet they play a heck of a lot of games in the new stadium, especially early. It gives the city a chance to at least have the damn place used a few times and to show it off. They already play five or six games a year at Rosenblatt now and it's not like the CU Sports Complex is any kind of gem or even home field advantage. Most high school fields are better than that. Hell, Creighton might draw just as well as an independent team might if not better while the place is still new and people want to check it out.

 

But at the new stadium, Creighton will only have one surface. Not that showroom of three kinds of astroturf they have now. It's just not the same.

 

Great game right now on ESPN2. Arkansas tied it up at 3-all in the top of the 9th against Virginia.

That batter from Arkansas hit a BOMB to tie it. 20 rows deep into the outfield stands.

 

And then Arkansas got a double-play with the bases loaded to send it to the 10th.

 

That ball was a rocket at the shortstop. I thought the runner was safe, but nope.

 

Yes, I thought Arkansas was going to buzzard* themselves.

*to buzzard: in honor of the Buzzards/Golden Beagles/Golden Eagles, delivering a walk-off walk to an opponent

 

Close play at the plate there.

I also love that this game is pushing soccer to the back burner. It'll be the 80th minute before that game gets on the air.