My fellow Bobcats, my line of work hardly affords me the luxury of being a betting man but I would happily plunk down whatever I got muster to bet that Columbus would blow away Cleveland attendance figures. I have no doubt that the per capita 1994 Columbus attendance figures was the best the MAC has ever seen. No one comes from Michigan to Cleveland, they never came when the tournament was in Toledo, so that point is totally moot. The economic differences between Columbus and Cleveland are stark to say the least. The Blue Jackets, probably the most mismanaged professional sports franchise still blows away other sports franchise cellar dwellars in attendance. In addition there is a greater diversity of MAC alumni in Columbus compared to Cleveland precisely because it is an econimically more healthy city with young people who spend money. Do you realize the age demographic differences between Columbus an Cleveland?

I am a Cleveland sports fans (Browns and Cavs) and like to visit the city because I have friends there and it has a lot to see and do with a rich history (I am a big history buff.) However, let's be realistic, can you imagine a Thursday-Friday night MAC tournament in Columbus with scores of recent alumns from various MAC schools having meet ups and get togethers at the various bars and restaurants in the Arena District? It would blow Cleveland attendance figures away.  Perhaps we can argue this point over a beer in Cleveland or next season in Athens. Believe me, after Columbus hosting the tournament for a couple of years people would say the Cleveland scenario was broke and needed fixed.Part of the MAC's problem is settling for mediocrity when we have better options on the table.

Yes, the per capita income difference of less than $800 between Franklin and Cuyahoga counties is stunning.



Citation, please.



Are you talking about cities proper or metro areas? Just because Columbus inhaled all of Franklin County doesn't mean no young people live in and around Cleveland.

I get your enthusiasm, and I'm not here to slam Columbus. I just don't think your argument is based on reality or fairness. Yes, Columbus has more Ohio alumni than any other city. Cleveland has more Kent alumni than any other city. I'll bet Cincinnati has more Fiami alumni than any other city. The numbers for one school are really not the point.

Love Nationwide and the Arena district, but the idea is largely moot as long as Nationwide is doing OHSAA hockey and Arnold-related stuff in early March.

Recovering Journalist and other Bobcat fans, as I tried to indicate I like Cleveland very much, in my single days I spent a fair amount of time there. I am originally from a small town/city in Ohio that economically and demographically is a lot like Cleveland. However, the facts are the facts; young money spends and old money saves. Cleveland is an old money town. Columbus is a new money town. There are tens of thousands of young people (40 and under) who work or live downtown. I can tell you from experience, when I worked downtown there were lots of OU, Toledo, Akron, Kent State and unfortunately many Miami alums. Let's face the fact that is has been many years, maybe since the Dan Majerle era that any Michigan school sent a respectable size contingent to any MAC tournament site whether it was Detroit, Toledo Columbus or Cleveland.

The whole burgeoning Columbus downtown scene, coupled with near by neighborhoods make it very attractive for sports fans. In addition, the many alums of MAC schools who are hardly big time sports fans, but want to be near the party, would go to the games because that's the place to be. Believe me living in the midst of Buckeye fans, most merely want to be there for the socializing element, which is nothing new to sports.

I have been to MAC tournaments in every city except Rockford (which was the biggest of disasters for the MAC) and I can tell you that as far as attendance per capita as well as atmosphere, nothing came close to Columbus 1994. There were thousands of OU fans trying to scalp tickets outside the old Ohio Center (before Nationwdie was built.) My guess is most of them hadn't been to the Convo in years but there they were and that was before the whole Nationwide Arena, neighborhood/restaurant and bar scene came into existence. I can still remember the throngs of Miami fans haging around as well, I am sure some of them hadn't been to Millett Hall in years (if ever.) They came for the excitement and the atmosphere, as well as some honest to goodness sports fans. The only reason my friends and me even got tickets occured because some deflated Ball State fans gave us their tickets. Again, I like Cleveland but I have no doubt tournament attendance would soar, for the reasons I mentioned above, if the tournament came to Columbus.

Oh it would be a big deal. One of the major sports anchors Matt Barnes (who may not even be 30 years old yet) is a bigtime Bobcat fan. He always has OU scores and highlights and I believe because of OU's presense in the Journalism world, the other stations have OU alums who I may not be that familair with but believe me, it would be a big deal. Below is Matt's profile, where it talks about his OU days and he naturally mentions OU as well.

http://www2.nbc4i.com/staff/25494/

Recovering Journalist, if you had ever watched Matt Barnes you would know how loyal a Bobcat he is and how he constantly brings up the Bobcats whenever possible. I don't have all the Cleveland stations on my cable like I once did, but I don't remember anyone ever being that pro Bobcat on Cleveland TV. I have said nothing but positive things about Cleveland in particular, I have only tried to point out economic and demographic issue wtih regard to the MAC tournament. If you don't want to be mature about it fine I have more enjoyable things to do with my time, such as looking forward to tonight's game.

I think my asserton was not Barnes as he has been pretty cool to watch even before I knew he was an Ohio alum....the problem is the news and press at large which is not MAC oriented or friendly even though they sit right in the middle of the footprint.

When i am in downtown indy for NCAA toruney games   or  Conference championships the visitors are treated like royalty and the press bends over backwards for them with front page coverage. When the toruney was there did the Bucknuts get moved off the front page? Did the local TV and radio shows cover the tourney and abbreviate the normal obsession with the local team so that the guests got preferred coverage. Cleveland does this in my experience. I like buying the PD when I am there and reading the paper and flipping on the TV to see recaps of the games.

Since you were there how was the coverage?

JSF, I have certainly had my issues with the Dispatch's sports coverage through the years. However, why would they send anyone to cover a game on Thursday night that pertains to no one in their readership area? They didn't send anyone to cover the Northwestern game in Indy at the Big Tournament. I can't imagine any paper would including the Plain Dealer or the Beacon Journal.

Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I can recall the plethora of small town radio stations that would cover the high school finals in Columbus. However, by the late 80s and 90s interest in teams outside your particular area waned. What we are seeing is due to mass media economics, a sad sign of the times.This includes both high school and college; radio, TV and newspapers.

JSF, I wish newspapers truly covered more than the obvious team in their region. I have friends who are big UD fans (University of Dayton alums) and they live in the Cincinnait area and of course the Flyers get barely a mention when Dayton is closer to Cincinnati than Athens in to Columbus. I don't know if the Dispatch will send Mark Znidar to Cleveland tonight, my guess would be someone would be there if OU is in the title game. It seems because of the internet, newspapers can only cover so many teams due to declining revenue.

I was quite pleased the AP put Tom Withers on the games. One of the hardest working writers in the entire AP chain. And he has fantastic taste in music, which always counts for something.

MAC tourney belongs in Cleveland.

MAC basketball was a much different scene in mid '90s when the games where held in Batelle Hall.

In my opinion, Cleveland has much more to offer than Columbus (I have been a Columbus resident for last 20+ years - before that, a resident of the Cleveland area) ....more significantly, whether one likes to admit it or not, the 500 billion elephant of scarlet and grey is at least 120 miles away and is somewhat at bay. Cleveland and Columbus are very different cities but most arguments between the 2 cities are extremely subjective and frankly not well thought out in this thread....with all that said, anxiously heading up to the Barley House and the Q for Saturday....

don't be surprised if the dispatch's best sports writer, tim may, is in cleveland for semis and finals

Edit:

http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/03/10/ou-makes-threes-early-hangs-on-late.html

Tim May has evolved into the dispatch's best sports writer, becoming the paper's osu inc's football beat writer about 15-20 years ago. However, when he first started out you could see him in the Convo for many games during the Nee era (and in Tony's after filing his game story following many of those games). He still attends MAC semis/finals seemingly every March for the past several years.