NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville opens its arms to the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament today — and hopes the tens of thousands of visiting college basketball fans respond by opening their wallets.
The four-day athletic showdown could pump as much as $10 million into the local economy, if past SEC tournaments are any guide. It also should draw at least 180,000 visitors downtown, to the delight of local hotels, restaurants, honky-tonks, souvenir shops, bands, caterers, ticket scalpers and people watchers.
"It will make our March," said Ray Waters, general manager for the downtown Nashville Hilton Hotel, just steps away from the newly renamed Bridgestone Arena. "We would love to see an event like this every six months or so."
Rooms at the Hilton have been sold out for the duration of the tournament for months. Employees of the hotel's sports bar are sporting SEC jerseys. Rented beer trucks are standing by to provide a steady supply of beer, margaritas and nachos to crowds that Waters expects will be triple the size of their normal post-game crowd. Projection screens are standing by to broadcast the games in the lobby to console those who couldn't get tickets.
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Comments » 10
Ringside writes:
Should be a god tournament with seveal surprises.
Go Vols!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Saw that "wallets open" and just knew this was about Murrayvol and TJ arriving with their entourage.
HoraceMorris writes:
I think the open wallets has more to do with Kentucky fans driving up the price of tickets. If you want to go to Nashville, prepare to open up your wallet as wide as you can get it.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
only thing that would happen by opening my wallet wider is that the really fat moths would also be able to fly out.
NashvillePreds writes:
It's good for the whole state, as our revenue comes from sales taxes. There are plenty of KY fans downtown, but the Big Orange fans will be numerous.
Gumby#1381110 writes:
Me and nopey could probably hitchhike to Nashville. I may have to rob my piggy bank and roll up my pennies just to get enough to pay for a big orange dope. If someone could loan me the money, we could go have a good time. Only problem is I don't know how I'd pay it back. Work has been hard to come by since Eddie Murphy left Saturday Night Live. Anyone need a good actor for your company, insurance maybe? I can run circles around that geico lizard, I still can't believe he got that job over me.
dwarawn writes:
Hilton Garden Inn at Vandy is charging over $450 for Saturday night. I'm glad I had a free night certificate. That's just ridiculous to think people are paying that for a tourney that doesn't really matter.
Gumby#1381110 writes:
*A big orange dope for UT/LSU Game- $4.50
*A room at Hilton Garden Inn- $450.00
*Center court ticket for SEC tourney-$4500
Good people paying the way for me, Pokey, and Nopey- PRICELESS!
stevefrommemphis writes:
The only way I drive up there Saturday is if those Kentucky hordes go home tomorrow after an upset loss to Alabama. Life is too short to have to put up with those people.
Trivia test for Kentucky fans to ponder:
1. What was the first school to be given the NCAA death penalty? KENTUCKY BASKETBALL.
2. Eddie Sutton was never in trouble with the NCAA BEFORE or AFTER he coached _______? KENTUCKY BASKETBALL.
3. The first school ever to hire a coach who led two different teams to appearances in the Final Four ordered "vacated" by the NCAA? KENTUCKY BASKETBALL.
Ky fans say Tennessee fans are just jealous of the Kentucky basketball tradition. I might be jealous of North Carolina or Duke, but Kentucky - contemptuous is the word.
DaddyVol writes:
I did notice that a lot of money was being spent today. After our game, we walked back to the car up by Printers Alley, and there must have been over 100 Kentucky fans lined up to purchase discounted false teeth.
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