Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 28, 1991 TAG: 9103280248
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GARY McCANN LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
With three days left until North Carolina and Kansas tip off in the first semifinal game, it is obvious that Hoosiers Hysteria has carried over into the ticket-selling game.
Even though the Hoosier Dome will seat close to 40,000 for the Final Four, it appears getting a ticket to see the games, if you don't already have one, will cost you a bundle.
One thing is certain. If you want a ticket, there are plenty around.
There were 311 classified ads in the Indianapolis News on Wednesday. All wanted to sell.
And all wanted top dollar.
The ads ranged from the ridiculous - "Two Final Four tix, lower level, $2,000 EACH" - to the honest - "Two Final Four tix, nosebleed section, $100 each."
Then there was the seller who apparently felt the mysterious was the right approach.
"Two Final Four tickets, aisle 327, row 27. Cash to highest bidder. Will be in lounge at Hyatt Regency 1 p.m.-3 p.m. on 3-28 and 3-29, if necessary, wearing dark blue sport coat, white shirt and gray trousers."
\ James C. Gardner, an Iowa real estate developer, plans to make big bucks off the Final Four.
He's going to sell the floor - in pieces.
Seems Gardner purchased the floor on which Kansas, North Carolina, Duke and Nevada-Las Vegas will play Saturday. When it's over Monday night, he plans to chop the floor up into 23,000 pieces and sell each for $24.95.
That's $24.95 plus $4.50 shipping and handling.
Each piece will be 5 by 6 1/2 inches. It will be etched with the words "The Championship Floor" and will carry the names of the participating teams and the final score.
Each piece will come with a certificate of authenticity.
Gardner said he paid between $50,000 and $100,000 for the floor. Not counting shipping and handling charges, Gardner will make $573,850 if he sells every piece.
The NCAA, however, was not enthused with the idea and declined to license the products.
The NCAA, which has an officially licensed souvenir stand on just about every corner and recently sold its basketball tournament to CBS for $1 billion, called it "overcommercialism."
\ There is a great deal of irony in the North Carolina-Kansas game.
Dean Smith coaches Carolina but graduated from Kansas and played on a national championship team in 1953. Roy Williams coaches Kansas and graduated from Carolina.
Smith almost became the Kansas coach.
And he says a lot of people have the wrong idea about the state.
"It [Lawrence, Kan.] is pretty," Smith said Tuesday. "I think Larry [Brown] and Roy were both surprised by how pretty it is. It sits on a hill. If you've only seen the Wizard of Oz, there's more to Kansas than that."
by CNB