Final 4......Houston --we have a problem

[HouWarrior]

Bulldogs, Huskies, Cats and Rams--ouch. Sounds like a petting Zoo, not the Final Four.

We hoped for programs with big fan bases, that "travel well", and two of these havent even travelled before. Yes, Butler, this Final Four is an away game.

My corps of T shirt sellers are donating our current inventory to Goodwill, and we are reprinting a set of 50 for VCU fans and 100 for Butler fans.

The best hotel rooms, are being released, and given to the PGA players coming in for the Shell Houston Open--Tiger, we need you here--please (--VIP rooms are open at Rick's Cabaret).

We hoped and planned for a big sports, tourist weekend, but the cash registers may be Phi Slamma Jamma shut.

My only consolation is Dario Franchitti called, and asked that I show Ashley Judd a good time this week, while she is in Clutch City...but my wife, Ms. Nochitti,... has some objections.

Maybe I'll get to take them BOTH out, as I hope to see a wildcat fight.....Meeeeeoooooooowwwww!!!!

UPDATE: Ashley, I showed the wife this post, and she said its fine for you to come on into Htown, as long as Dario comes too, wooohooo

...and she said that i should call her "Ms. Imaychitti" , because "you and Ashley  enjoy basketball, but I really like Grand Prix" ...ouch.

[KenoshaWarrior]

I do agree that this is a disaster scenario for the Houston area

[HouWarrior]

I do agree that this is a disaster scenario for the Houston area

Houston will be fine, KW, but Pick n' Save must have killed your sense of humor.

Before you take offense, realize that I was on the store set up crew for the very first Pick n' Save store, and I managed store no. 4 ($25mil./year volume). during my senior year at MU, to save $$ for law school tuition. It was a great experience. Grocery work does not, in every case, destroy humor and fun. Lighten up-- enjoy life, ....carpe diem, bud.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I would think you'll have VCU folks coming in droves.  This will be their one time in their lives their school is in the Final Four.  Kentucky fans will travel extremely well.

I wouldn't sell it too short.  As a former resident of Houston, honestly I was quite stunned they got the Final Four at all.  Hope it works out for you guys.

[lab_warrior]

Don't forget the TV as well.  Butler-VCU is probably the ratings equivalent of a Royals-Nationals World Series, Kings-Bobcats NBA Finals, or a Seahawks-Jaguars SuperBowl. 

[HouWarrior]

I would think you'll have VCU folks coming in droves.  This will be their one time in their lives their school is in the Final Four.  Kentucky fans will travel extremely well.

I wouldn't sell it too short.  As a former resident of Houston, honestly I was quite stunned they got the Final Four at all.  Hope it works out for you guys.

Houston never sells itself short.

Actually, it was an easy sell for Houston to get the Final Four.....

....all we had to do was remind the site selection committee that,

"Chicos no longer lives in Houston," and that

"Chicos will be quite stunned if Houston gets the Final Four, at all"......

.....spontaneous cheers broke out at the table, and....less than one minute later, the NCAA announced Houston won, hands down.

At the press conference they complemented how Houston won because it had eliminated its only negative selling point....lol

You walked right into that one --C.  lol

[ChicosBailBonds]

LOL.  An interesting city but not my cup of tea.  The humidity and the zone free areas (never got that)...plus you got rid of Astro World...bastards!!!  Some great memories of that place as a kid in the 1970's

[shoothoops]

Kentucky is a beast!  Have fans, will travel.  Unfortunately, UConn, Butler, and VCU are the other three and that's not going to be good for business.  TV ratings are better than people think.  But In person business in Houston won't be brisk for tix, and other.

[HouWarrior]

LOL.  An interesting city but not my cup of tea.  The humidity and the zone free areas (never got that)...plus you got rid of Astro World...bastards!!!  Some great memories of that place as a kid in the 1970's

Since your stay here in the 1970s,  Houston's central air conditioning has dealt with the heat and humidity, no zoning has let the city quadruple in size, and Astroworld....well , Astroworld simply closed because Chicos no longer lives here, and your lost patronage killed it. lol

But,  as you also recall , in the movie's sequel, Chicos Bail Bonds played the Houston Toros, right across the street from Astroworld, in the Astrodome, with cameos by 1976–77 Houston Astros César Cedeño, Enos Cabell, Bob Watson and J.R. Richard.
"Let them play, Let Them Play!"

[downtown85]

  TV ratings are better than people think. 

I think people like to see David vs. Goliath.  They also like to see Goliath vs. Goliath.  David vs. David doesn't sell.

[KenoshaWarrior]

Houston will be fine, KW, but Pick n' Save must have killed your sense of humor.

Before you take offense, realize that I was on the store set up crew for the very first Pick n' Save store, and I managed store no. 4 ($25mil./year volume). during my senior year at MU, to save $$ for law school tuition. It was a great experience. Grocery work does not, in every case, destroy humor and fun. Lighten up-- enjoy life, ....carpe diem, bud.

Trust me.   I have gotten over that bitterness and realized that time of my life was a gift.

I heard that when Pick N Save first came about they made people right the price of the item with a Crayon on a piece of paper or something like that??????  But than they scanned tag anyways so the crayon was redundant.

[KenoshaWarrior]

I think people like to see David vs. Goliath.  They also like to see Goliath vs. Goliath.  David vs. David doesn't sell.

Goliath VS Goliath sells.   Even David VS Goliath doesnt sell just look at the George Mason VS Florida ratings a few years back. 

[MUBurrow]

how do TV ratings work? I have to think that David v. Goliath rates highly at the beginning, but as the game tails off, so do the ratings.

[GGGG]

I would think you'll have VCU folks coming in droves.  This will be their one time in their lives their school is in the Final Four.

VCU is kind of like UWM with a large number of commuter students.  I don't think their fan base is all that large, even if they are the largest public university in Virginia.  I mean, George Mason's fan base is similar and they didn't travel all that well to the final four.

[NYWarrior]

I think people like to see David vs. Goliath.  They also like to see Goliath vs. Goliath.  David vs. David doesn't sell.

FYI

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/NCAA-title-game-TV-ratings-040610

[79Warrior]

VCU is kind of like UWM with a large number of commuter students.  I don't think their fan base is all that large, even if they are the largest public university in Virginia.  I mean, George Mason's fan base is similar and they didn't travel all that well to the final four.

Well, they had 14,000 students show up to watch the game in their arena. VCU has already sold out it ticket allotment for Houston.

[DrDestiny911]

VCU is kind of like UWM with a large number of commuter students.  I don't think their fan base is all that large, even if they are the largest public university in Virginia.  I mean, George Mason's fan base is similar and they didn't travel all that well to the final four.

VCU is almost exactly like UWM in terms of size and university prestige (although their medical program is one of the best on the east coast), with the sole exception that they take basketball very seriously there. I am from Richmond, and went to Marquette, and I'd say their enthusiasm for basketball rivals if not bests Milwaukee if not Marquette. Richmond is more of a high school basketball town but when guys like Burgess stay in town it creates a lot of attention. They will surprise people by their following even if the TV ratings won't show it.

My brother goes to VCU and you better bet I'll be rooting for them to take it all!

[Warriors4ever]

They had quite a few people in Chicago and their band was great.

[Benny B]

Kentucky is a beast!  Have fans, will travel.

The fan-caravan left an hour ago... at 13-18 mph, they should hit Houston on Friday.

[HouWarrior]

Kentucky is a beast!  Have fans, will travel. 

I really only care about UK fans...well one UK fan, Ashley Judd, ...as per the original thread post(below), Since Sunday I have been getting all these pics with her excited emails...so I'll attach and share some of them here


...."My only consolation is Dario Franchitti called, and asked that I show Ashley Judd a good time this week, while she is in Clutch City...but my wife, Ms. Nochitti,... has some objections.

Maybe I'll get to take them BOTH out, as I hope to see a wildcat fight.....Meeeeeoooooooowwwww!!!!

UPDATE: Ashley, I showed the wife this post, and she said its fine for you to come on into Htown, as long as Dario comes too, wooohooo

...and she said that i should call her "Ms. Imaychitti" , because "you and Ashley  enjoy basketball, but I really like Grand Prix" ...ouch....."

[ChicosBailBonds]

Houston...I like this Kentucky fan as well

[wyzgy]

Don't forget the TV as well.  Butler-VCU is probably the ratings equivalent of a Royals-Nationals World Series, Kings-Bobcats NBA Finals, or a Seahawks-Jaguars SuperBowl. 

i beg to differ.  butler is a lot of fun to watch.  remember when gonzaga broke into the national spotlight?  everyone want to see what all the talk was about.  with butler again, this is hosiers revisited and i can watch that movie over and over, and, well i have and it still makes my legs tingle.  watch the coach-player interactions.  they love this guy who looks like bill gates and these are the looked over scrap-heap players no one wants.  the guys were picked last for your teams on every pick-up game until they left you and your jock on the ground.  these guys mix fundamentals with a capital f with discipline and consistent outside shooting not seen since larry bird.  so what if their cheerleaders aren't ucla's or usc's.  you'll never know how good their cheerleaders are until you see them in action...  

[wyzgy]

Houston...I like this Kentucky fan as well

that is a... umm, creative sign.  don't get me wrong chico, but what if a guy held up a sign basicly exhorting his favortism for a person/female body part-would it be as cute?  unfortunately no, he would be labeled a pig as most of us guys are.  i'm just glad i didn't have daughters

[brewcity77]

i beg to differ.  butler is a lot of fun to watch.  remember when gonzaga broke into the national spotlight?  everyone want to see what all the talk was about.  with butler again, this is hosiers revisited and i can watch that movie over and over, and, well i have and it still makes my legs tingle.  watch the coach-player interactions.  they love this guy who looks like bill gates and these are the looked over scrap-heap players no one wants.  the guys were picked last for your teams on every pick-up game until they left you and your jock on the ground.  these guys mix fundamentals with a capital f with discipline and consistent outside shooting not seen since larry bird.  so what if their cheerleaders aren't ucla's or usc's.  you'll never know how good their cheerleaders are until you see them in action...  

I'd be absolutely floored. People will watch the final, but barely anyone who doesn't have a vested interest will bother watching VCU/Butler. Those that do will likely see a pretty good game, but I expect their highest ratings will come in the last 5 minutes of the game, and only then because most people are tuning in to watch UK/UConn. It's just the nature of the American viewing public.

[ChicosBailBonds]

that is a... umm, creative sign.  don't get me wrong chico, but what if a guy held up a sign basicly exhorting his favortism for a person/female body part-would it be as cute?  unfortunately no, he would be labeled a pig as most of us guys are.  i'm just glad i didn't have daughters

That sign was actually put up by a UK fan at a game that Dick Vitale did.  It was his 70th birthday.