the atmosphere at the AACTourney?

[DaddyChoc]

worth the trip (besides the Championships)
Food, Entertainment, Hotels... compared to the BET's in Hartford
should it stay down in the south east section of the state?

1st time missing the UConn conference tourney in years smh

 

[HuskyNan]

The atmosphere was great, very tournament-like. I was happy the crowd gave Shoni Schimmel a big cheer when she was named to the All-Tournament team, too. It was a well-deserved honor and I'm glad the UConn fans recognized that.

 

[BRS24]

One of the articles/blogs said that for the teams that chose to stay @ Mohegan, they could wander around with family and enjoy the restaurants in the casino complex, unlike downtown Hartford.

 

[Phil]

The atmosphere was great, very tournament-like. I was happy the crowd gave Shoni Schimmel a big cheer when she was named to the All-Tournament team, too. It was a well-deserved honor and I'm glad the UConn fans recognized that.

I thought the exact same thing. I understand the fans cheer when she gets a foul in the game, and hope she misses when she shoots, but I was happy to see the fans switched to the plaudits when her name was announced.

 

[UcMiami]

In some ways a casino complex in the middle of nowhere is ideal for a tournament - when you are in a city by its very nature the atmosphere outside of the arena is dispersed. The NCAA does a nice job at the final four creating a 'center' for activity, but for conference tournaments and first round/regional sites there is less effort put in. One advantage to the proposed plan to have semi fixed sites for regionals and finals is you give a city a chance to create a three or four year plan and invest in creating that kind of atmosphere. It is certainly what they did with the college world series and I think it could work well if you choose the right cities.

 

[huskybill]

Smokey!

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

Before we proclaim the Mohegan Sun as the new Jerusalem for the AAC tournament, let me raise a note of dissent. My spouse and I attended all four days of the tournament and, as we drove back to West Hartford on Monday night, decided that we would not again attend a tournament at the Mohegan Sun. Our reasons are as follows: (1) at our ages, 4 two hour road trips (2 of which were in the dead of night on dimly lit highways) in 4 days was simply too much; (2) no matter what Mohegan Sun claims, the purpose of holding the tournament was to encourage Uconn fans to gamble in the casino - all exits from the arena lead to the ubiquitous slot machines. (While we have no objection to those who care to engage in gambling, we resent being importuned to do so.) And the claim that the arena can be accessed without contact with the casino is simply not true - at the Mohegan Sun, all roads lead to games of chance; (3) the acrid smell of smoke as we embarked upon the long journey from garage to arena was offensive; (4) the arena itself is anything but state of the art. The seats are uncomfortable, the stairs to access the upper levels were difficult for this senior citizen to negotiate, and the "scoreboards" were an embarrassment - the players were identified only but number not name, there was no apparent provision for video replay (we had to watch ESPN upon our return home to see a replay of Brianna Stewart's incredible length-of-the-court dash to block a Rutger's players shot), and there was no listing of how many timeouts the teams had left - many high schools have better scoreboards; and (5) the irrationality of the Mohegan Sun's decision to ban nook and kindle book readers (according to a Mohegan Sun supervisor because such readers "looked like tablet computers") and binoculars (presumably because of the threat that the laser light shows that were NOT a part of the tournament would cause some imaginary damage to they eyes of fans, or maybe it was because the Mohegan Sun had the sovereign right to act idiotically). And so, notwithstanding the arena amenities and the varied and excellent casino food choices, we bid a fond farewell to the AAC tournament - if you can call this series of mismatches a "tournament."

 

[Duncan Idaho]

You

Before we proclaim the Mohegan Sun as the new Jerusalem for the AAC tournament, let me raise a note of dissent. My spouse and I attended all four days of the tournament and, as we drove back to West Hartford on Monday night, decided that we would not again attend a tournament at the Mohegan Sun. Our reasons are as follows: (1) at our ages, 4 two hour road trips (2 of which were in the dead of night on dimly lit highways) in 4 days was simply too much; (2) no matter what Mohegan Sun claims, the purpose of holding the tournament was to encourage Uconn fans to gamble in the casino - all exits from the arena lead to the ubiquitous slot machines. (While we have no objection to those who care to engage in gambling, we resent being importuned to do so.) And the claim that the arena can be accessed without contact with the casino is simply not true - at the Mohegan Sun, all roads lead to games of chance; (3) the acrid smell of smoke as we embarked upon the long journey from garage to arena was offensive; (4) the arena itself is anything but state of the art. The seats are uncomfortable, the stairs to access the upper levels were difficult for this senior citizen to negotiate, and the "scoreboards" were an embarrassment - the players were identified only but number not name, there was no apparent provision for video replay (we had to watch ESPN upon our return home to see a replay of Brianna Stewart's incredible length-of-the-court dash to block a Rutger's players shot), and there was no listing of how many timeouts the teams had left - many high schools have better scoreboards; and (5) the irrationality of the Mohegan Sun's decision to ban nook and kindle book readers (according to a Mohegan Sun supervisor because such readers "looked like tablet computers") and binoculars (presumably because of the threat that the laser light shows that were NOT a part of the tournament would cause some imaginary damage to they eyes of fans, or maybe it was because the Mohegan Sun had the sovereign right to act idiotically). And so, notwithstanding the arena amenities and the varied and excellent casino food choices, we bid a fond farewell to the AAC tournament - if you can call this series of mismatches a "tournament."

You started to complain the second the venue was awarded to someplace other than your backyard.

 

[terif831]

I gotta agree with Buckaroo on some of his/her points. The scoreboards are definitely not what we're used to. The seats are definitely not as comfy as those at the XL Center - and for someone like me, who likes to see every minute of every game that I paid for, a lot of sitting is involved when attending the tourney. I know it's an arena, not a lounge, but for marathon events like this it would be nice to have some reasonable cushion.

I had a seat in the lower bowl, but if you are in the upper bowl I find the seats are so steep it is disorienting. Probably just me and my middle-aged equilibrium, but there it is. I've been up there for Sun games and I hate it.

The free parking is nice, but for me personally, I spent more on gas than I would have spent for parking at the XL Center. And had to drive an hour each way on top of it. Of course, that's a "regional" problem not shared by all fans.

I didn't bring my Kindle, but if I did and I wasn't allowed to bring it in, I would not have been a happy camper. I get up & move around between games (to soothe the effects of the aforementioned hard seat) but I also like to read. Why can't I? Because it looks like a tablet? Smart phones were allowed with no problem, for crying out loud.

Mohegan had it all over the XL Center in terms of dining, though. That was a big plus.

 

[huskeynut]

I can understand those who did not like the venue. But no venue is perfect. Yes its a casino so one would expect to push the crowds to the slots and everything else. That's business and its called capitalism. But I find it a better venue than the XL Center.

My wife and I enjoyed the tournament. We had excellent seats by the basket. The chairs were not bad but not great. But any chair is better than the benches at Gampel. I've got bad knees and one was in a brace this past weekend and I got up and down the stairs without trouble.

As to the atmosphere - excellent. The crowd was into the games and most around us were very knowledgable basketball fans. We sat next to the USF (one of the best - great spirit) and Louisville bands and enjoyed both. Probably because we are retired music teachers - me being a retired band director.

Obviously, the food choices are too many to choose from but that's not a bad thing.

I'm ready for next year's tourney!!!

 

[ChicagoGG]

Sorry some experiences were lacking (I know those seats can be uncomfortable, particularly if you are on a corner.) Question - the last time I was there, it was possible to come in the hotel entrance, right to the mall/restaurants/shops, and then the arena entrance by the box office without going thru a smoking area or directly by the slots. I know there is a designated entrance for families just so the kids do not go thru the casino. Maybe they need to sign it better....

 

[HuskyNan]

I dunno, I thought it was a great venue. But then, I'm a glass half full girl.

 

[triaddukefan]

In some ways a casino complex in the middle of nowhere is ideal for a tournament - when you are in a city by its very nature the atmosphere outside of the arena is dispersed. The NCAA does a nice job at the final four creating a 'center' for activity, but for conference tournaments and first round/regional sites there is less effort put in. One advantage to the proposed plan to have semi fixed sites for regionals and finals is you give a city a chance to create a three or four year plan and invest in creating that kind of atmosphere. It is certainly what they did with the college world series and I think it could work well if you choose the right cities.

Expound please

 

[Uconner1]

Before we proclaim the Mohegan Sun as the new Jerusalem for the AAC tournament, let me raise a note of dissent. My spouse and I attended all four days of the tournament and, as we drove back to West Hartford on Monday night, decided that we would not again attend a tournament at the Mohegan Sun. Our reasons are as follows: (1) at our ages, 4 two hour road trips (2 of which were in the dead of night on dimly lit highways) in 4 days was simply too much; (2) no matter what Mohegan Sun claims, the purpose of holding the tournament was to encourage Uconn fans to gamble in the casino - all exits from the arena lead to the ubiquitous slot machines. (While we have no objection to those who care to engage in gambling, we resent being importuned to do so.) And the claim that the arena can be accessed without contact with the casino is simply not true - at the Mohegan Sun, all roads lead to games of chance; (3) the acrid smell of smoke as we embarked upon the long journey from garage to arena was offensive; (4) the arena itself is anything but state of the art. The seats are uncomfortable, the stairs to access the upper levels were difficult for this senior citizen to negotiate, and the "scoreboards" were an embarrassment - the players were identified only but number not name, there was no apparent provision for video replay (we had to watch ESPN upon our return home to see a replay of Brianna Stewart's incredible length-of-the-court dash to block a Rutger's players shot), and there was no listing of how many timeouts the teams had left - many high schools have better scoreboards; and (5) the irrationality of the Mohegan Sun's decision to ban nook and kindle book readers (according to a Mohegan Sun supervisor because such readers "looked like tablet computers") and binoculars (presumably because of the threat that the laser light shows that were NOT a part of the tournament would cause some imaginary damage to they eyes of fans, or maybe it was because the Mohegan Sun had the sovereign right to act idiotically). And so, notwithstanding the arena amenities and the varied and excellent casino food choices, we bid a fond farewell to the AAC tournament - if you can call this series of mismatches a "tournament."

1. A road trip to Storrs is better? The road trip for me was better. I personally hate driving all the way to Hartford.
2. You can bypass the gambling by entering through the hotel.
3. There is no odor of smoke entering through the hotel.
4. Finally you have some valid points but I found these seats more comfortable than those at the Xel Center, still not comfortable. I am 80 with a replaced hip on one side and a replaced knee on the other and was thankful the stairs were not too high and had a sturdy handrail. They were also wide enough so I could go slow without holding other people up.
5. A stupid rule that should be addressed, I would have loved to have brought mine to read between even sessions. I forgot it.
This series of mismatches is what you should have expected if you had been following UCONN and the ACC.
6. I shall be there next year if I am still here and so won't the other people who accompanied us plus others who we have told about our experience.

 

[ChicagoGG]

I dunno, I thought it was a great venue. But then, I'm a glass half full girl.

Nan, not only is your glass half-full, but the barkeep is coming with a free round.....glad you are that way! For me, any time I can see the team live and in person, I'm pretty happy.

 

[NickyNewark]

Before we proclaim the Mohegan Sun as the new Jerusalem for the AAC tournament, let me raise a note of dissent. My spouse and I attended all four days of the tournament and, as we drove back to West Hartford on Monday night, decided that we would not again attend a tournament at the Mohegan Sun. Our reasons are as follows: (1) at our ages, 4 two hour road trips (2 of which were in the dead of night on dimly lit highways) in 4 days was simply too much; (2) no matter what Mohegan Sun claims, the purpose of holding the tournament was to encourage Uconn fans to gamble in the casino - all exits from the arena lead to the ubiquitous slot machines. (While we have no objection to those who care to engage in gambling, we resent being importuned to do so.) And the claim that the arena can be accessed without contact with the casino is simply not true - at the Mohegan Sun, all roads lead to games of chance; (3) the acrid smell of smoke as we embarked upon the long journey from garage to arena was offensive; (4) the arena itself is anything but state of the art. The seats are uncomfortable, the stairs to access the upper levels were difficult for this senior citizen to negotiate, and the "scoreboards" were an embarrassment - the players were identified only but number not name, there was no apparent provision for video replay (we had to watch ESPN upon our return home to see a replay of Brianna Stewart's incredible length-of-the-court dash to block a Rutger's players shot), and there was no listing of how many timeouts the teams had left - many high schools have better scoreboards; and (5) the irrationality of the Mohegan Sun's decision to ban nook and kindle book readers (according to a Mohegan Sun supervisor because such readers "looked like tablet computers") and binoculars (presumably because of the threat that the laser light shows that were NOT a part of the tournament would cause some imaginary damage to they eyes of fans, or maybe it was because the Mohegan Sun had the sovereign right to act idiotically). And so, notwithstanding the arena amenities and the varied and excellent casino food choices, we bid a fond farewell to the AAC tournament - if you can call this series of mismatches a "tournament."

In which conference tournament do you think "the series of mismatchs" could have been avoided with Geno's team this year? If that displeased you you ain't seen nothing yet and hopefully the F4 will hold a modicum of interest for you.

 

[NickyNewark]

1. A road trip to Storrs is better? The road trip for me was better. I personally hate driving all the way to Hartford.
2. You can bypass the gambling by entering through the hotel.
3. There is no odor of smoke entering through the hotel.
4. Finally you have some valid points but I found these seats more comfortable than those at the Xel Center, still not comfortable. I am 80 with a replaced hip on one side and a replaced knee on the other and was thankful the stairs were not too high and had a sturdy handrail. They were also wide enough so I could go slow without holding other people up.
5. A stupid rule that should be addressed, I would have loved to have brought mine to read between even sessions. I forgot it.
This series of mismatches is what you should have expected if you had been following UCONN and the ACC.
6. I shall be there next year if I am still here and so won't the other people who accompanied us plus others who we have told about our experience.

God Bless you I'm 62 and hope I'm half as sharp and energetic as you appear to be at 80(my moms 81) sir. My dad had hip problems in his late 70s and it seems a common malady at that stage of life.

 

[AndyCT]

Before we proclaim the Mohegan Sun as the new Jerusalem for the AAC tournament, let me raise a note of dissent... And so, notwithstanding the arena amenities and the varied and excellent casino food choices, we bid a fond farewell to the AAC tournament - if you can call this series of mismatches a "tournament."

1) That’s just reality – any move would be closer to some, and farther from others. I’ve never been to Mohegan Sun but I’ve travelled by it (or in its previous incarnation, United Nuclear) to and from Stamford most of my life and subjectively I would have figured that the travel time would be a wash; I looked it up on Google Maps and it appears that in the absence of traffic the difference is only ten minutes or so (and "rush hour" in Uncasville is likely a lot less than Hartford - a lot less ). So, I would imagine that for most of us on the shoreline, time and distance (and gas money) isn’t a significant factor; for those living east of the campus, Mohegan Sun is better, and for those living along the I-91 corridor or up in the north west corner, it’s worse.

By the way, having grown up in lower Fairfield County, it was a revelation to me that there were highways that didn’t have street lights. But “dimly light highways” are a reality in Connecticut except passing through the larger cities. And you can imagine what it’s like driving across western Texas at night (been there, done that once in each direction, no need to ever do it again).

2) From the Information page on the Connecticut Sun web site:

Casino-Free Entrances to Mohegan Sun Arena
To enter the arena without going through the casino, park in the Winter garage or Winter parking lot and enter through the Hotel doors. Proceed through the lobby and down the escalator. Take a right at the waterfall, the arena main entrance will be on your left.
​

3) While I agree with the unpleasantness, see #2 above...

5) That rule’s not going to change. Mohegan Sun is of course a casino, and most casinos have similar policies prohibiting any and all computers as well as Kindles and Nooks which are for their purposes the same thing. Obviously computers could be used by players to gain an unfair advantage, at least from the perspective of the house. Even if we’re talking about a device that is nominally only a reader, it is certainly possible in this era for the tech-savvy to reprogram a reader into something more, and practically speaking, it is too difficult for security people to tell the difference.

The last time I was in a casino (back in the Clinton years) we were told that we couldn’t even have pagers since they could be used to communicate with someone that might be, for example, looking over the shoulder of other players at the table (they eventually just let us pocket them). For similar reasons I would expect that cell phones and especially smart phones, cameras, and binoculars would generally be banned.

Having said that, but not having been there, I don’t know if that would apply if entering from the hotel instead of the casino (those specific items are not listed on the Sun Arena web site, but the may be covered by the general right to refuse entry), but if you’re passing through the casino, those prohibitions are not going to change.

* * *​

Finally, as far as “mismatches” are concerned, the “AAC Final Four” were all former Big East teams, and UConn’s path to the league championship this year was entirely through teams that were in the Big East last year. The only difference, had the Big East survived, would have been the almost certain championship game against Notre Dame; but otherwise, had you attended all four days, you likely would have seen the same lopsided wins leading up to the championship game.

 

[DaddyChoc]

great feedback by all

 

[UcMiami]

Expound please

The secret to a great party is a function of space vs. attendance - throw a party for fifty in a ball room and it is a disaster because there is so much empty space around everyone, throw it in a 20 x 20 living room and the crowd density creates a buzz that creates its own sense of enjoyment (of course you need a good group of 50 in either case!) In the same way a tournament wants to create the same type of buzz - you want attendees to not only experience the games in a crowded environment, but also in the time not at the games (which is going to be 80+% of the total time) to constantly be connecting with fellow travelers - to have the sense that the whole environment is revolving around their passion.
For the FF the NCAA and various other WBB organizations create a series of events and try to create a centralized tournament location within large cities. And they have been doing a better job with local alliances to get retail businesses to buy in - thus creating at least a central area with a buzz of that kind. Hotels tend to be widely spaced, but you know where to go to find your fellow travelers. (Part of the success of the Super Bowl is tied to the ability to take over a whole large city.)
For the College World Series the NCAA chose a place where they could become the only 'game' in town and they made it permanent thus reinforcing that - how many people attend most college baseball games even at schools with good teams?
When it comes to in season and conference tournaments and first round and regional sites for WCBB - it tends not to happen. Either the venue is like Storrs where no one stays locally and there are not enough retail venues, it happens in cities where there is not enough promotion, continuity, or centralization, or it happens in cities that are so big that the other distractions draw people away from the tournament venues as soon as the game is over.
The casino complex in the middle of nowhere was able to create the centralization - most people stayed on property for meals and entertainment even if they were leaving for sleeping accommodations, so from reports half the patrons at restaurants were tournament attendees - the table on one side or the other was likely fellow WCBB fans.
I understand that CT residents might not favor that location over Hartford - but this is a league championship and for it to be successful you need fans from the other 9 teams to want to travel, and then return home with glowing reports. They are not driving to games and they are staying at least one night and if they have any faith 3 or 4 nights locally. Yes you need the local fan base to buy in since they will account for a large percentage of attendees, but without the away fans ...

 

[FairView]

It's unfortunate that downtown Hartford is what it is, but that is the case. (How's that for a politician-like sentence?) So the casino does have it beat for eating and strolling if you stick to the retail area. I've always had a problem with the upper seats at the Mohegan Sun Arena. They seem even more uncomfortable during a concert and they are really steep. My biggest concern with the casino location is that it's not very kid friendly. I know there is a Kid's Quest area, we even looked in. But, quite frankly, I'm not looking for my son to hang our with kids who are being inventoried while their parents are gambling. That said, if you are just there for the UConn game it's not bad. We went to Saturday's game and we all had a great time. Food was good at Geno's fast break -- but I do question the choice of orange as a branding color throughout the place. We enjoyed the view in the retail/eating area and some people watching. We also enjoyed the ride and we live in Burlington – which is a trek – but it was solid, conversational family time. The workers throughout the venue were very nice. Between Hartford and Mohegan Sun, I don't necessarily like one over the other. They both have their pluses and minuses.

 

[EricLA]

Hmm. Interesting comments. My dad and stepmom live in Colchester and it was a 25 minute drive, actually closer to us than getting into Hartford. Also, we ended up parking in the Winter garage, which had very very little "casino-ization". You have a bit of a walk indoors, but it's all hallways and pretty much eliminate all the casinos.

On the negative side...

1. I resented having to smell ANY smoke. Cigarette smoking disgusts me, almost to the point of making me sick to my stomach, and since the arena is non smoking, they should have a way of non smokers getting to it without having to go through all the smoke smog.
2. I agree the seats were NOT comfortable. they were almost like fold up chairs. Far far better than the concrete you all have to sit on in Gampel, but not close to the comfort of the Civic Center
3. I did not have my tablet with me but would have gone a bit ballistic if they tried to take it away from me.
   
4. I found the pat down upon entering a bit intrusive. This is WCBB for goodness sake, not England vs. Ireland in soccer.
   
5. With no overhead scoreboard, you were forced to squint to see the far one on the other side of the arena or look back over your head for the one closer to us
6. The constant reminders not to "rush the court" and the "guards" (about 20 of them) around the court at the end of games to prevent "court-rushing". Seriously?

On the positive side...

1. Free parking. I'll say it again - free parking. And literally a 15 second walk to get inside where it was warm.
2. The food - having about 20-30 food choices ranging from expensive sit down to the equivalent of fast food was 10 times better than what Hartford has to offer.
3. If you are a shopper of any kind, there were tons of places to mosey around and find things to buy. It was almost like being at a mall.
4. For UCONN alumni who signed up, there was a FANTASTIC reception on Saturday - the same time as the UCONN men vs. Louisville. The game was a disaster, but they brought out free food (and a ton of it) which was a super nice touch you will NEVER see in Hartford.
   
5. No Ginger announcer. Did not have to hear "wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwone shot" a single time.
6. It was enjoyable to NOT have "Reesees" Peanut Butter Cups shoved down my throat at every opportunity by the announcer.
   
7. All the seats were good. Seemed closer to the action. We sat equivalent to where our Civic Center seats are usually located, but had a much better view of the game.
   
8. The arena felt cozy, not cavernous. 8,500 or so fans at the championship game felt like a full house, and was close to it. Would have been about half empty at the Civic Center.

Overall I preferred it to Hartford, and I think some of the issues I, and a few others, brought up on the negative side could be addressed in the future. Also, I'd love to see the tourney held in Bridgeport. Much more of a hike for my parents from Colchester, but I think it would be a terrific way to attract a bunch more fans from Fairfield county. I also hope Bridgeport pushes to get more games next season. If half the home games are played away from Gampel, i'd like to see them split between Hartford and Bridgeport...

 

[Phil]

Very nice summary Eric.

I was surprised to hear about the ban on binoculars, but I talked to someone who had some who said they relaxed the ban after the first day. I think the motivation was the fact that some music events in the arena have lasers, but there were clearly no laser shows at the game.

Small negative for being clueless, small positive for rectifying the situation.

I guess I get the concern about tablets and other computers in a casino, but they can prohibit them from the casino without prohibiting them form the arena. Obviously, they allwed the media to have computers. I sometimes load up info such as player profiles on my tablet before a game. While I didn't this time, it would have been quite annoying if not allowed.

 

[JonB]

My first reaction is that there are some seriously spoiled UConn fans on this board. A friend and I have gotten full-session tickets to the Big East, now AAC, tourney for years. I live 10 minutes from the XL; he lives in Simsbury. Still, neither of us squawked about going to Mohegan. Everything is close to some people, far from others. Why should we be the privileged ones? (Of course, I'm hoping that after Tulane enters the AAC the tourney will be held at the Smoothie King Center in NOLA, because I could handle an extended weekend there! I'm probably in the minority, though.)

One of the things I observed was that the Friday session was better attended than I recall at the XL. Granted, it was evening-only, but even on Friday evening at the XL it seemed like there were only about 100 fans in the place once you get past the fans of the teams that were actually playing. There appeared to be more at Mohegan.

We were able to get much better seats at Mohegan than at the XL. At the XL, no matter how early I got the tix after they became available, we always were in the 200's. At Mohegan, we were 10 rows up from the floor. (And behind the home bench, where we got great views of Geno and Stef dancing!)

Yes, they need to do a better job of informing people about the non-casino route into the place.

Traffic and parking are much nicer at Mohegan. We used the valet parking, which was handy. Also, walking out of there at 10:30 PM, I didn't feel I needed to constantly glance over my shoulder to see if anyone was sneaking up behind me. (Sorry, Hartford.)

I totally don't get the tablet/Kindle thing. I wasn't even aware of it until I read it here. I had my smartphone the whole time, including on the casino floor. You can't use your phone while sitting at a gambling table, but it's OK to have one. So I'm perplexed by the tablet issue. (I did see people with binoculars.) I also don't understand the prohibition against mobile hot-spots, which was true at the XL, too.

The pat-down was more, um, thorough than any I've ever had at a sporting event. And I have season tickets to the Patriots, so I've experienced my share of security. Weird.

The one-drink-per-customer limit is irritating. At every other venue I've been to it's two, so we can grab a drink for ourselves and a friend.

I didn't miss the ginger announcer either, although the one they had stumbled here and there. (OK, I did kind of miss hearing, "Ssssssshoni Sssssschimmel.")

I, too, was glad to see (and participate in) giving Shoni a good hand. I've really enjoyed watching her over the past few years and hope to see her in the WNBA. I'm going to miss Jeff Walz' team.

 

[DaddyChoc]

My first reaction is that there are some seriously spoiled UConn fans on this board. A friend and I have gotten full-session tickets to the Big East, now AAC, tourney for years. I live 10 minutes from the XL; he lives in Simsbury. Still, neither of us squawked about going to Mohegan. Everything is close to some people, far from others. Why should we be the privileged ones? (Of course, I'm hoping that after Tulane enters the AAC the tourney will be held at the Smoothie King Center in NOLA, because I could handle an extended weekend there! I'm probably in the minority, though.)

Traffic and parking are much nicer at Mohegan. We used the valet parking, which was handy. Also, walking out of there at 10:30 PM, I didn't feel I needed to constantly glance over my shoulder to see if anyone was sneaking up behind me. (Sorry, Hartford.)

in all those years did you ever catch someone sneaking up on you?