I’m sorry everyone, that post title is just awful. Though I suppose, given that each team has an All-American in the fold, it’s somewhat appropriate.
Welcome and good evening to scenic, stormy and wet Tampa Bay, Florida. Yes, I know the “Bay” part refers to the actual body of water and not the town. But…
The roof is apparently leaking at the St. Pete Times Forum. I’m stuck back here with a bowl of popcorn and a bunch of things to sift through, so I’m not sure if it’s on the floor or not. Somewhere, Mel Thomas and Kalana Greene’s knees are collectively shuddering.
The NCAA is apparently saying it won’t delay the game, but I’m sure we’ll get a release on it in the next half-hour or so.
Dangerous playing surfaces aside, it is quite something to be backstage at a Final Four. We are just about an hour away from tipoff for UConn and Stanford and there is a buzz among the media, from the dining room to the tunnel outside.
By the way, if you’ve never been to Tampa, come. It’s like what I imagine San Diego would be, except with humidity and daily thunderstorms. The city has been an excellent host. My top three things about Final Four weekend thus far?
1) Watching Yankees games on Devil Rays TV. Hey, if the women’s Final Four game notes begin with two straight comparisons to the men’s tournament, then the actual games don’t have to be #1 for me. Anyway, it’s odd watching Derek Jeter advance the runner to 3rd with one out without hearing the Yankee announcers anoint him the greatest living ballplayer.
2) The weather. Eighty degrees and sunny (at least most of yesterday, and probably tomorrow) cannot be beat. Sure, it’s been awful all day, what with the massive thunderstorms, but we have work to do anyway.
3) The setting. The arena just has that feel that something big is happening. I can point to the spot where Trajan Langdon slipped in March 1999. The lower seats all have white cushions on them. The arena is bigger than any other women’s venue I’ve ever seen. And how do you not get pumped up for 21,000 screaming fans, no matter what the sport?
Anyway, stay with us, as the liveblog will be up and running a few minutes before 7, and we’ll take you through the game with my observations, plus any other news that occurs in the postgame conferences.
Strap yourself to the couch, people. Two teams go home, two will play for the biggest prize in the game Tuesday night.
Back with lineups (no surprises if the preliminary lineups are true; you could probably guess them right now if you’ve been reading any coverage) in about 45.
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