Why St. Louis?

[SubGod22]

I've never understood the love affair that some have with SLU.

[pogo]

Looking inwordly, perhaps: "WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND HE IS US!" (Pogo comic strip, created by cartoonist Walt Kelly (1913–1973)

Hey, no fair stealing my best quotes.

[pogo]

I've never understood the love affair that some have with SLU.

I will agree that there are parts (maybe even alot of parts) that are dirty and coming from Wichita I don't know all the places I should not sight see in but I have really liked driving around their park/museum system and looking at the older homes around that said park system. I would venture that their park system is used more than many cities their size. The ornate structures in and around down town are amazing and really the places to eat are outstanding. Busch Stadium is a neat side attraction and they have a tour that even for the average baseball fan is cool. Haven't made it to the brewery but have gone to the museum at the Arch. I find little wrong with the downtown area itself but I have been disappointed in how the Union Station has regressed over the years. A friend of mine who made his first trip to St. Louis remarked that perhaps it was the lack of parking that is killing the Union Station. I suppose it could leave something to be desired but I like it and will continue to go next year and into the foreseeable future

[WstateU]

WstateU’s 2 cent long winded ramble on Arch Madness and St. Louis

First, I would like to see it moved to Kansas City in the future, however I completely understand why it won’t likely ever be there and overall, I really don’t have any problems with St. Louis. Nationally, it’s considered a ‘big time’ city and Arch Madness is very marketable. No doubt, Arch Madness is one of the top post season conference tournaments anywhere in the country.

We usually stay at the Drury Inn near the Arch and they totally embrace the tournament. I’ve found their staff to be very customer friendly and have NEVER had a bad experience with fans staying in the hotel. This year we sat and visited with fans from Creighton, Illinois State, Northern Iowa and Bradley. Every single one of them was very cordial and friendly before and after the games. I thoroughly enjoy visiting with Valley fans… there seems to be a bond not found within the BCS conferences. We all seem to have a little chip on our shoulders and can share our experiences. Of course the majority of these fans are between the ages of 40 and 60 and I know that makes a difference. The young brash ‘boozers’ and ‘punks’ must be staying elsewhere.

Yes, downtown St. Louis isn’t anything special. We always see a few bums sleeping on the sidewalks, but they never bother us. I’ve seen the same thing in downtown Wichita and Omaha and other larger cities that I’ve visited across the country. New York is my favorite travel city and cleanliness isn’t one of its strengths. Additionally, while in St. Louis, I’ve always enjoyed dining on The Hill and hitting a few popular blues/jazz bars in the area. I’ve never had a bad experience at any of these places. The AB brewery tour has always been enjoyable also.

Scottstrade Center is getting old and could use a facelift much like Madison Square Garden is receiving (by the way, MSG isn’t anything special), however I’ve found the restrooms to be relatively clean and the ‘union’ workers are friendly peddling their $9 beers. Yipes, Stripes, Beechnut Gum!

Like many Shocker fans, I was unhappy with the seating arrangements in Scotttrade. My first reaction was that Creighton and WSU got totally shafted by the MVC. These were the worst tickets I had been assigned in all my years of attending the event. My total SASO points rank fairly high and I was ‘shocked’ where we were seated. Selfish thoughts and questions immediately went through my mind and I was ready to give someone a piece of my mind. Should my group be sitting below the team families and WSU dignitaries? How much money have they donated to WSU through the years? Then my cooler head prevailed and I begin to look around the WSU section to see where other people were sitting. Searching further, I notice my seats were better than people that have a membership to the Champions Club in Koch Arena. Then I noticed people sitting below me that sit above me in Koch Arena and I questioned that also. Long story short, I finally realized that it’s not a perfect science trying to assign and satisfy 4000 fans… it’s impossible. After a couple of those $9 beers, I concluded that’s it’s only a game and I’m sitting in a ‘major league’ arena cheering on my team. I then see the big picture and realize this is actually a special event that I’m privileged to attend.

The atmosphere during the second half of the WSU/Illinois St. game was electric and as good as it gets. It reminded me of one of the NCAA games I attended at the Kansas Coliseum many years ago when the Wichita fans started pulling for a no-name team that was trying to upset a 'name' BCS team. People love to cheer for the underdog and as the game got closer, it was WSU versus everyone else in the arena. I guess that’s when you know your team has arrived when everyone is cheering against them. As the large Creighton contingent jumped on the Illinois State bandwagon, the arena was as energized as I’ve ever seen it at Arch Madness. We left Sunday morning, so I can’t speak for the atmosphere of the championship game?

Immediately after the loss, my first thought was I’d never attend another game in St. Louis… of course that was my first ‘knee jerk’ reaction after a gut wrenching loss. After I’ve had time to accept the loss (it usually takes me a good 48 hours) I see things much differently. I’ll likely continue to make the annual trek to St. Louis praying someday I can celebrate a championship with a Shocker team on the floor of Scottstrade Center. I just don’t think I can punish future players and coaches because of my selfishness. I’m a Wichita State fan and I’ll continue to support my team until the day I die.