ACC History Crumbling...

Don't you love those sensational, vague headlines?

A little late on posting this one, it has been on my todo list for a while.

When the Charlotte Coliseum openned in 1988, it was the best basketball arena I had been to.. Not the best place to see a game, I'd been to Reynolds, Cameron, Charmicheal. But it was big, designed for basketball, and in my mind, the perfect place for a tournament. Parking was fantastic, right around the building in all directions. Traffic flowed, with fantastic, reversible lanes, and the building was away from everything else. In my mind, that was the way it should be for tournament basketball. And it probably is the way it should be if all you care about is the basketball. But, it didn't have luxury suites, and didn't benefit the local economy the way a downtown arena can, and now it is gone.

Charlotte Coliseum comes down; only memories remain

Some of my most vivid Charlotte Coliseum memories:

• Tom Gugliotta's coming out party his sophomore year at the Tournament of Champions
• Eating ton's of acc tournament tickets when suprise snow storm rolls into Charlotte
• The Final Four in Charlotte. Bill Clinton came to see Arkansas, we skipped the games and drank/ate in the parking lot watching on 5 inch TV, then bought our Final's tickets. Duke lost the finals of course, and then we got in a car wreck getting back on 85 (Yes, we were sober)
• Garth Brooks concert...And that's all I have to say about that.
• Too many basketball games to ever remember. Unfortunately my last game there, I didn't get to see. The last ACC tournament held in Charlotte was 2002. NC State was making a surprising run to the finals and had to play a hot Maryland team. We could not get into the game. Prices were around $150 and I wouldn't pay it. This was the first college game I ever didn't get into. (Went to Hooter's and State won, so it was still a great day).

OH well, my first thought was to be sad that this place is gone, and that next years ACC tournament will not be in this arena. BUT, after the fantastic experience of a downtown arena in Tampa, I expect next Spring's tournament to be even better at Bobcat's Arena.