By C. Kent Lowe
LSU Sports Information
CLEVELAND, Ohio — I believe I’ve found another city that knows how to throw a Final Four party.
I’m pleased to be along on this seemingly annual journey of the LSU Lady Tigers to the NCAA Final Four. Over the next several days, I’ll be your eyes and ears to the sights and sounds, the off the beaten track notes, the quotes that don’t quite make the game stories and with the help of photographer Steve Franz, get you an All-Access pass through this Final Four journey.
If Thursday was any indication, this will be a good trip. The charter flight was near perfect and loading the plane and getting on the jet way was as smooth as it could be. As simple as it sounds, we’ve all taken enough flights to know that it isn’t always this way.
Our hotel, the Hyatt Regency at The Arcade, is one of Cleveland’s efforts at remodeling an area of shops known as The Arcade that opened in the 1890s and has now been completely renovated with an old-fashioned shopping area attached to the hotel.
After the ease in which we arrived at our Hyatt, I’m thankful that we’re not Tennessee staying out our back door and down the street at the Wyndham on Euclid Street, a street almost completely torn up by city construction crews. I’m still not sure how the Lady Vols got in the front door Thursday night.
Quicken Loans Arena
If you didn’t know the official name of the arena the women’s Final Four is being played in, it might be hard to find Sunday night as the NCAA has covered advertising panel after advertising final. But the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers is known as much by Cleveland natives as “The Q” as it is the corporate name.
I had a chance to get a sneak peak at the specially designed court for this year’s event and being in the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the electric guitar has been a primary logo for this championship. You will see a court that has the outline of guitar strings from one corner of the court to another with giant electric guitars hanging from the video board/scoreboard over center court.
Oh yes, and if ESPN decides to show the starting lineups on air, don’t be surprised if the Women’s NCAA Division I Committee doesn’t step out a bit in an NBA arena equipped with all the bells and whistles and throw a little fire and smoke to fancy up the introductions.
The Police Would Be Proud
Friday was ESPN day for the teams as they met with pregame analyst Stacey Dales and Kira Lawson, game analyst Doris Burke and sideline reporters Holly Rowe and Mark Jones.
ESPN did interviews on camera with coaches and players and then each team spent 45 minutes behind closes doors working on shots for the opening tease. It all will tie in with the rock n’ roll team of this event with revised album covers and more that you will see on Sunday.
One of the LSU album covers was a takeoff on The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” album cover with LSU players in the picture spots for an album titled “Every Shot You Take.”
Still To Come
The teams went to the wonderful “Salute” banquet Friday night and Brian Miller will have an update on that in his story later in the evening. When the players get sized for their rings, one has to realize how close this event really is.
Saturday is the day it all kicks in as Cleveland is planning a full day of events. Sometime while you are getting up from a late sleep, we should know if Sylvia Fowles is a Kodak All-American and then LSU heads to “The Q” for its open practice at 11 a.m. CDT and its news conference to follow.
Also as part of the day, downtown Cleveland will be the site of the Rockin Rally and Basketball Bounce where 2,500 youngsters will bounce basketball through the streets of downtown Cleveland and Jacobs Field, the home of the Indians next to “The Q” will be open during the early afternoon with all food on sale for $1, giving fans a place to hang out between practices while watching the Indians’ final exhibition game on the video boards that will take place in Memphis.
The LSU band and cheerleaders, along with the rest of the official party, arrived about 5 p.m. EDT Friday and this city is prepared to deliver on its promise to make this a special Final Four venue. We’ll have more behind the scenes of LSU’s trip to the Final Four late Saturday, including the LSU designated sports bar across the street from the team hotel that has bowled people over.