NCAA: 'If we have to move events' from Indiana, 'we'll do it'

[Newsjock]

Source: Indianapolis Star

NCAA President Mark Emmert is confident his organization can put on a terrific Final Four this weekend in Indianapolis despite the controversy related to the state legislature's passing last week of the 'religious freedom' bill.

However, Emmert didn't deny it could lead to significant changes in the NCAA's relationship with Indianapolis and the state of Indiana beyond this weekend.

... The president didn't say he would move the women's Final Four or the organization's headquarters from Indy, but he also didn't rule it out.

"I'm not sure about that," he said. "We'd have to consider it and discuss it. We'd do it deliberately and thoughtfully. You don't want to disrupt an event that's been in the making so long it'll change the experience for the student-athletes, but if we have to move events, we'll do it and do it in a way that provides student athletes they deserve and worked for."

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2015/03/30/ncaa-president-mark-emmerts-concerns-about-rfra-remain/70676350/

[old guy]

1. I doubt the players really care where the tournament is held all that much.

It is playing in the Final Four that is the incentive, not the city it is held in.

[bvar22]

2. I disagree.

The Cities are always hyped in the tournaments.

[pnwmom]

5. You think college students get hyped about playing in ANY city in Indiana???? How many cities

can they even name in Indiana? Much less be excited about visiting.

It's the tournament that matters. But if the city is important, make it one that students could get excited about.

[bvar22]

7. You know, it IS on TV too, with millions of viewers,

and YES, the students care which city is selected.
IF it was up to them, New Orleans would WIN every time.

[Fairgo]

23. Yeah you right

Crescent city embraces its LGBT community

[Gman]

14. The hype is for fans not players

Hype sells advertising

[Sheepshank]

4. I totally agree

the organizers may feel differently, but the players just want the exposure and it matter little where that venue is for the exposure..... and the TV cameras are portable to any location.

[erronis]

6. And I disagree - the players are human, mainly

And they really care about each other and about life. I'm sure each one of them knows one or more on their own teams and other teams that aren't just walking blobs of pure male genetics.

While they do get caught up in the hoopla of being a star, they have family and friends who are normal people - just like some of the ones that will be denied service in some Indiana establishment.

[Sheepshank]

13. oh bull shit.

College players don't care where they play. The same bennies offered to another city make no difference to them...NONE. They couldn't care less if Indiana gets the bennies or Dan Diego.

[Bandit]

24. What makes you think you can speak for all college players?

Arrogance?

[Sheepshank]

34. what make youk thin you can speak for all college players...with your divination of player mind set?

In my cas it's not arrogance at all. But hey, you go ahead and judge with your might intelligence.

I can speak fron knowledge of many on Lady Utah Utes, and a few on the Men's team .....I can speak for the highschool girls who made it to the championships in state. They don't care where they play....they just want to play. Although there is likley a fair many right now that would be happy to give Indiana a pass to go anywhere else.

[riqster]

28. That is painting with a pretty broad brush.

Can you provide evidence to back your claim?

[Sheepshank]

35. why not require eveidnce that the players have a cause, other than the game?

I call bullshit on your attempt to call me out.

pissant little post is hardly worth answering any further.

[riqster]

38. You made the claim.

Evidently you cannot back it up. All too common when bombast is used as a substitute for substantive discourse.

[Sheepshank]

39. nope...you failed to read back through the thread. the other claim was made first see post #2.

I backed up my assertion. you didn't

[riqster]

40. So, you provided quantitative measures of impacted athlete disinterest?

I missed that.

Plus, I did not make a counterclaim- I merely asked you to back yours up.

[Sheepshank]

41. ahh the old moving the goal post crappola

bwahh ahaa haa... what a fucking joke.

Have you spoken with any of the players regarding this matter?

[riqster]

42. True to your name, you're tying yourself in knots.

You said the players didn't care as long as they could play. I asked you to back that claim. You haven't done so.
[IMG][/IMG]

[OKNancy]

3. He could have an "out" this year since it doesn't go in effect until July

Hopefully it will be killed before then.

[asiliveandbreathe]

8. So Mr. Emmert what if you faced

the roof collapsing from heavy snow???? - Now just how fast would you change the venue???? When all is said and done, this is a human rights issue - equality for EVERYONE...no EXCEPTIONS>>>>

Inconvenient??? Oh, well...

[Angleae]

31. The roof collapsing would require the move, a law passed doesn't.

If the roof collapsed it would be impossible to hold the event due to structural failure. If they voluntarily move it they would be subject to multiple large lawsuits from the city of Indianapolis, the fans who either couldn't make it to the new venue or would have to pay more, any company advertising on TV during the final four, and the TV networks themselves.

[asiliveandbreathe]

36. Way too serious for me....a lecture?

Give me a break - so cool though - you so smart!!!

[the_sly_pig]

9. Mark is telling us there is too much money involved to move it based on principle and integrity.

But given some time we'll move away from that idiot State.

[maindawg]

10. You cant move it in a week

But you can move the NCAA headquarters by 2016. I am sure that there will be alot of pressure on the NCAA to move, and incentives provided by cities anxious to lure the organization.
But you just cant move it in a week. I am sure there will be protesters at the event and they will get attention further embarrassing Indiana.

[SwankyXomb]

15. Sure you can

The NCAA must have a contingency plan in place for things like the arena burning down. All they have to do is put that into action. Instead, Emmert punted. And he'll continue to do so, until and unless his cash flow is threatened.

[George II]

18. How many arenas have burned down in the last 50 years?

[jtuck004]

21. How many gay people have been murdered in the last 50 years?

There is ALWAYS time to withdraw your support of bigotry and fascism.

They are just too comfortable with things the way they are, and don'r really care what happens to others - as is evident by putting money ahead of people.

[KamaAina]

11. Here's a thought. Some of you old-school hoops fans may remember when Siena was in the tournament

right at the time they had a measles outbreak on campus.

So they played the games -- in an empty arena.

Do it!

Or, as LynneSin suggests , move next year's women's Final Four out of "Indian-no-place".

[George II]

19. There were actually nine games under quarantine, but that was just local ECAC games and...

...tournament, and it was just a single game that didn't have national prominence. They were cleared to play at the regular venues in the NCAA tournament.

[captainarizona]

12. The colleges should not participate

The college students and faculty should demand the games be pulled. It could be done in a few hours if they wanted to like the n.f.l. was going to take the super bowl from arizona until gov. vetoed same law here! Colleges demand the players boycott the game if it is not moved.

[ThoughtCriminal]

16. Everybody asks the NCAA

I think that this will be the last major NCAA event Indiana will see until there is a roll back.

is it worth even asking NASCAR?

[jmowreader]

22. Yes, I think it is

NASCAR has a surprisingly strong diversity policy, which has the teeth of a lion. They also have several tracks that only host one Cup event per year.

NASCAR isn't a "Southern boys' sport" any more; more drivers are from the North, Midwest and California (including at least three active Cup champions - Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick) than from the South.

Now, this could be fun: Move the Brickyard 400 to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and declare George Takei Grand Marshal, then have him serve as a color commentator. Oh my! Everyone LOVES George Takei - he may be the happiest man in all the world.

[ThoughtCriminal]

29. That would be completely Awesome

[LynneSin]

17. I'll give the guy a pass for this year - it really was too late to move it however...

Absolutely no excuse to NOT the women's tournament next year. It's a year away and that means it would be very easy to find another city who could easily host the tournament without issue. Trust me, there are probably a dozen different cities out there anxious to toss their ring in the hat who would host the tournament and ensure that all guest visting the city would not face discrimination.

It's real simple and you can even give Indiana a few weeks to clean up the law and say 'We made a mistake. Trust me, if the NCAA pulls out then this could have a HUGE impact on other states who are thinking of passing these types of laws.

Do the right thing!

[davidpdx]

25. I agree, but does the NCAA have really have any incentive to move the tournament from a city

where they are based? That's a fairly big conflict of interest. I'm not saying they shouldn't, just playing devil's advocate. Everyone is in it to line their own pocketbook including the city of Indianapolis. It's kind of like politics.

I think it's going to take an extensive boycott effort to get them to reverse it. In other words, declare war on Indiana.

[LynneSin]

26. Well the saving grace might be what the mayor of Indianapolis just did.

If anything Indianapolis has the most to lose with this HATE law passed by the governor of Indiana. Sure some wedding cake designer out in the middle of rural bumf*ck Indiana can now bake cakes for Christians only without worry of being scarred for life by baking a gay cake but this law could have serious financial crisis for a major city like Indianapolis.

Indianapolis relies on pulling in conventions every year along with developing business partnerships to create jobs for not just it's growing population but the surrounding suburbs. So HATE laws that make rural Indiana happy really fuck with urban Indiana and it's ability to attract jobs, attract tourists and bring in revenue. That's why the mayor of Indianapolis, a republican, almost immediately did a 180 against the governor and the hate law saying that there would be no protection for businesses that discriminate in the city. It was the best thing he could have done and may be the only way he can save the NCAA tournament future, which is suppose to play every 5 years in his city. That's a serious source of income to lose over the stupidity of the governor appeasing the hate found mainly in rural parts of the state.

[davidpdx]

30. I understand what you are saying

Unfortunately I think a lot of states have the same problem with rural vs. urban. The anti-gay measure that passed in Oregon in 2004 shocked the hell out of me. I was over here in Korea so other than voting against it, I knew little about what was going on. It took 10 years to reverse it. The only reason it passed was because of the more rural parts of Oregon and depressed turnout among D's given Bush was at the top of the ticket.

It's going to be a long hard fight to get it reversed. Anyone that thinks it will happen overnight is kidding themselves. My guess is 3-5 years and that maybe optimistic.

[SoapBox]

20. The point that he didn't say, no, we wont't move anything...

Better have the Haters get rid of this stupid "law".

[oldandhappy]

27. Has the hotel industry said anything?

They know it is too late to move the final four, but the hotels are the ones with the reservations and the future need to fill rooms. I would think they would be having a conniption fit. I have heard nothing about hospitality folk having concerns.

[Major Nikon]

32. Marriott did

http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/marriot-ceo-calls-indianas-rfra-madness-and-idiocy

[oldandhappy]

33. Thank you

[cwydro]

37. Not going to happen.

It just isn't.