European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday april 1, 1387 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary the dome Over 64,000 fans were crowding into inc us purdome in new Orleans before monday night s final game Between Indiana and Syracuse. Some of the would even see the game. But not All of them. The stands behind the Baskett the super dome Are about so Yards from the court and sloping upward and backward into the recesses. A reporter entering the dome on saturday looked up into the stands and shouted a somebody in the first Row can you see the game the fan shouted Back of course not you there is an old journalistic adage that there is Nosuch thing As a dumb question Only a dumb answer but that May have been the first dumb question inthe history of journalism not everybody goes to a dome to watch a Basket ban game. They go to be with their peat to feel they Are talking part m some mass movement that will forever change the Fate of the human race by watch a game see the expressions on the players faces hear the slap of the hand on the Elbow of the player driving for the Basket watch the Spinas the Ball teeters on the rim know who is guarding whom be Able to read the numbers on the uniforms Don t be an idiot. Those Are Subtle pleasures froma simpler time when final fours were held in human sized Arenas. Now the fans Crane their necks Back and Forth from the tiny objects on a Distant court to a Blurry television screen in the sky. The domes Are the shape of things to come enabling the National collegiate athletic association to make greater fortunes enabling More people to pay scalpers for the right to be present at history in the making. Three of the next five files for he final four rein domes with cities fully warned to Start building these monstrous facilities or not even to think about requesting to be the Host. Whether a game is held in a dome or an old Quon set hut May not matter to la fans Back in front of the television set but at court Side there is definitely an emptiness a Lack of fusion Between crowd and event. I know personally i prefer the smaller Arenas said Jim Boeheim whose Syracuse team plays in the Carrier dome which holds the National on Campus attendance record of 32,602, set against Georgetown this season. But we have to get used to the big Bobby Knight whose hoosiers beat Syracuse 74-73 monday night said when they first started with domes 1 was very much opposed to them but i Veseen so Many people be Able to see the games in person that i be changed my mind the fans seem perfectly willing to pay $25 seat legally or much More than that illegally for a seat under the same roof As Sieve Alford and Ron Seikaly. To rather be farther up said an Indiana rooter named Eric who was sitting behind the Basket at such a Low Angle that he was actually viewing inc tin figures in saturday s semifinal game through the Glass backboard. People around him were watching with binoculars or just staring Glassy eyed into space perhaps from too much Bourbon Street. Eric s sister who gave her name As a Lila the Hoo sier had lost her voice totally presumably from pro testing three Early personal fouls on Daryl Thomas and other officiating atrocities she was positive had been committed against Indiana despite her sitting nearly a football Field away. For Alt the obscurity of watching from the stands the fans did not seem to think they were being victimized. At least hey were Here Eric had won the lottery at Indiana allowing him to be one of 800 students to Purchase tickets. He drove Down with Roommate 16 hours from Bloomington to new or leans and then straight to Bourbon Street. Having seals available even in the upper reaches of a dome turns the final four into a collegiate event rather than the corporate weight Ness of super bowl putting a few tickets in the hands of undergraduates serves As a quaint reminder that this is allegedly a College sport played by students As recreation for the enjoyment of other students. Next year Only a few Token students will be imported to Kansas City where the Kemper Arena holds Only 16,600 fans. Kansas City was awarded the 50th final four because of its history of nine final fours and the Strong identification of Kansas and College Basket Ball but there will be no More final fours for Kan Sas cily unless a dome is built. After that the final four moves to the King dome in Seattle in 1989, the Mcnichols sports Arena in Denver chosen because of Strong local pressure the Hoosier dome in Indianapolis in 1991 and the metronome in Minneapolis in 1992.officials say thai domes Are Here to stay because they make it easier logistically with their Mode dressing rooms interview rooms and television facilities. Something is lost from the tension and immediacy near the court but the domes pull in thousands of extra fans who buy to shirts and go Home saying the were present at this year s game for the arcs. Being present and seeing Are two different As Heyoung fan in the stands said Don t be an idiot. Mcaa from Page 21 second guessing begins then missed a shot with Triche grabbing the rebound. But smart came Back to hit the final two Coleman went to the free throw line with 28 seconds left after being fouled by smart no Syracuse players joined him along the Lane. When he missed Indiana had an easy rebound. Smart then took , bidding for its first Mcaa basketball title mushed the season with a 31-7 record. The orangemen s Only other final four appearance was in 1975, and they finished won its fifth title Overall also winning in 1940 and 1953 under coach Branch Mccracken. Syracuse a poor free throw shooting team with a 64 percent Mark this sea son made Only 11 of 20 monday teams snot 48 percent from the Field and Syracuse out rebounded the hoosiers 38-35. The hoosiers route to the title started in Indianapolis where they beat Fairfield and Auburn to Advance 10 the Midwest regional in Cincinnati. There they beat Duke and Louisiana slate Togel to new Orleans. On saturday the hoosiers beat top ranked Nevada Las vegas. 97-93. Syracuse the no. 2 seed in the East beat Georgia Southern and Western Kentucky on its Home court then won the regional by beating Florida and North Carolina flt the Meadowlands inner Jersey. The orangemen Best Providence 77-63 in saturday s semis to gain at shot at the hoosiers. An sports radio pro basketball Allan Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks 3 30 tun., thursday. Boeheim could Only sit and watch new Orleans a Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim s team finished Sec Ond in the nation monday nigh and the second guessing will continue. Boeheim who led the orangemen tothe final four for the first time in his 11 years As head coach could Only sit an watch As Indiana s Keith smut hit a 16 foot Side jumper with five seconds remaining to give the hoosiers a 74-73 Vic tory and licit fifth National championship. We went to the Boi and one to keep Steve Alford from shooting the Ball and smart made a great shot said Boeheim whose team won More than one Mcaa tournament game for the first time in his career. As smart s winning shot went through he Basket Syracuse tried to Call time out but was not Given one until there was on second remaining. The timeout was called but the referees did t see it Boeheim said. His players agreed with him. I guess the ref did t hear us said freshman Derrick Coleman who grabbed 19 rebounds but missed a free throw with 28 seconds remaining. " we tried to Call it. We All tried Boih Howard Triche and i signal timeout guard Greg Monroe said. There were three seconds left. I was Athal court and Howard was right next Louie ref and they did t Sec what no one else saw was any Syra Cuse players on the Lane when Coltman attempted his free throw with Syracuse leading 71-72. If 1 made a mistake ii should have been at the earlier free throw and they would t have gotten a Basket on the transition Boeheim said. We had the Lead and i was t worried about Coleman who was two rebounds shy of the championship game record of 21 set by Kentucky s bin Spivey in 1951,said he was confident approaching the line even if there were no teammate there with him. I Felt confident. There was t an emotion Coleman said. When i released it i knew it was of to the right. 1 was t nervous. I knew it could be the game. After i missed it i just tried to Pla defense Center Rony Seikaly who scored 18points and had 10 rebounds and along with Coleman was the main reason for Syracuse s ability to score inside said he had Confidence in Coleman As Disei Jid Boe Heim. Derrick is a great foul shooter Italy said. But we have lost a lot of games this year on missed free throws. Coach told us that he had Confidence in Derrick and he wanted us to be Back end be ready if anything what happened was smart got mischance for heroics. We expected afford to get uie s Why we were so surprised when smart got it and let it go Seikaly said i was ready on the weak Side for the rebound but it hit the Bottom of and although Syracuse s emotion were Al Rock Bottom when the game ended Seikaly did see a Bright is Only one team better than us he said and they Are Only on Point Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. Was t worried about scoring
