Time To Leave Fayetteville

The Eastern Regional has been in Fayetteville three years now and they still don't know how to do it right. Friday night's game the PA man was awful. He looked like he had 20 sheets of paper in front of him and he didn't know which one he was suppose to read.  Every time there was a foul on one team or the other he fumbled looking for the name of fouler or shooter and by the time he found it he started talking after the shooter had the ball in his hands and talked the whole time they were shooting.  Shut up please and get organized.  We had the same one for Saturday and he did a much better job.

Here we are in this big huge arena and they can not put the fouls up on the board.  Those of you that went to the Prep game in the little building the top three players from both teams were listed on the score board so you would know how many fouls were on the players with the most fouls.  Not in the big house, they listed team fouls but not individual fouls and who it was on.

Those of you from the past know I complained last year about not hearing the PA on the floor that was better this year but still not great.  If you sit on the floor on media row as the refs go to the scorers table to call out who committed fouls you get blocked out by players on the court and have to depend on the PA to tell you because it is not put up on the score board.  If you miss one you lose your tracking ability for the entire game or until that player fouls again and if you can hear the announcement next time.

While over in the small arena to watch Prep any one who has ever been to a game knows the opposite side from the scorers table  is press row.  It runs completely from one base line down to the other baseline.  If there is a chair in every space from baseline to baseline you can probably sit 50 people.  In the little arena they had 30 chairs for 50 people.  Is there a chair shortage or something?  People on the first row that bought tickets don't want to have to stand up because somebody on press row has to stand causing everyone behind them to stand.

Here is my biggest grip which is a NCHSAA problem not a Host city problem.  If you went to see any game in one building like if you went to see Prep play at 2pm you had to buy a ticket to get in the little arena.  If you came back across the parking lot to watch Rocky Mount play you had to pay another nine dollars to get in there.  That is not right.  People from Rocky Mount were punished more  because if you wanted to see our two teams play you had to pay $18.  One ticket should give you the ability to see any game you want to see.

Yes Fayetteville is nice having two buildings and one parking lot  when it use to be in Greenville the girls played at Rose High and the boys at ECU.  I read with interest in the Telegram Sunday of the possible 5,000 seat all purpose building that Rocky Mount is looking to build.  Who says that one city has to host both?

  Our light bills are already out of sight but the timing is not right for tax payers to build something that will never make money.  Why build anything that will never make a profit where the tax payers will never finish paying for it.  I wish we could build such a place but unless a private firm uses their own money or we had a pro sports team like Fayetteville has the Fireants hockey team where they play 40 or 50 times a year  the building will never turn a profit.  Sure would love to see such a place in Rocky Mount  but before you build the building have a tenant like minor league hockey, indoor football or  NBA developmental League team.  Don't build it and hope they come.

Who says that the boys and girls regional has to be in the same city.  If Rocky Mount was able to build such a place just maybe one of the regional could be in Rocky Mount.  Since the boys and girls from each school don't play the same night there is no reason boys could play Fayetteville and the girls in another city or vice versa. 

As far as I am concerned Fayetteville in the three years the tournament has been there they have not proven to me that when ever their contract runs out they deserve to get it back.  Our only problem is where else can it go?