The Dodgers and the NCAA

Was watching the end of the Dodgers-Red Sox exhibition at the LA Coliseum where they supposedly counted 115,300 fans (counted = anyone inside the stadium – they pushed the entrance fence further back so they can get more people in the concourses).  Looked pretty cool with the short left field fence and the “Screen Monster”.  The Dodgers, of course, lost.  Well, it was all for charity at least.   I bring this up because there’ an interesting article about how the NCAA is expanding seating for the Final Four (and testing at some Regionals such as Detroit this year) to an excess of 70,000 by putting the court in the middle and putting temporary seating courtside – for the fans.  At discounted prices.  Yes.  The most humorous part in the article was the claim that “Fans even in the farthest reaches were pleased with their ability to view the game either on the court or on giant flat-screen televisions placed strategically in the upper confines.”  So they couldn’t see the game, but they watched it on TV inside the dome… which they could’ve done at home for free.  Of course, you are paying for the atmosphere and to say you were there so who cares that you can’t actually watch the game.  But the fans will supposedly sit somewhere on the bottom which means those in suites will have a worse view of the game.  So the NCAA hits the high-paying customers.  Nice change of pace.

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