ON THE ROAD TO MARCH MADNESS

For the next few days I will be on the road eventually ending up in Kansas City for some Basketball and BBQ.  This is the 13th year that I have managed to take a Basketball Vacation.  From that First trip to Greensboro in 2001 this little adventure has eventually grown from just a Day Trip to  the Games, to a full fledged vacation. In 2002 I drafted my co-worker Byron Dickerson and we took off for three days in beautiful Greenville, South Carolina.  This turned out to be the last NCAA event held in the State of South Carolina as during the 2002 event the state was caught up in controversy over flying the Confederate Flag at the State Capitol and other state sites.  As a result fans who attended the tournament were greeted by protester from both the Anti-Confederate folks and the KKK.  The NCAA issued a statement during the tournament that if the State of South Carolina didn't remove the flag from the State House then they would no longer hold events in the state.  The Flag is still flying and the NCAA hasn't been back with the exceptions of a couple of Baseball Regionals at Clemson.

From Greenville, Byron and I migrated to Birmingham, Orlando, Nashville, and Dallas just to name a few.  So far the Dallas Trip stands out as one of the most memorable for a number of reason. For one it was the longest trip we took and we were caught up in a memorable flood that put much of the city under water.

In 2010 my March Madness Vacation took me to Oklahoma City which I didn't realize at the time would set the stage for this years vacation.  On the way to Oklahoma City I managed extended stops in St. Louis and Kansas City before continuing on through central Kansas, ending up eventually in Oklahoma City.  While In Kansas City, I decided to head downtown one night and attempt to buy a ticket to the Big 12 Basketball Tournament which was being held at the Sprint Center.  Surprisingly, I was able to not only secure a good ticket but a lower level ticket at below face value.  I enjoyed the atmosphere, having Kansas and Kansas State in the house helped. So when my plans to attend this years tournament at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas fell through because I could not get good seats, I naturally turn my attention back to familiar ground and tried the Sprint Center.  As a result I was able to get not only get a lower level ticket but a front row ticket, although it is in the corner, but after all I am the Sneakin Deacon so I just might be able to upgrade.

So it's time to gas up the little Honda and Hit the Road.....Kansas City, her I come.