Tag Archives: Final Four

A more nuanced look at the finances of hosting the Final Four

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve made fun of articles in the past that breathlessly and credulously repeated claims that various big sporting events like a Super Bowl or a Final Four would yield untold millions in sales and hotel tax revenue for the state … Continue reading →

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NCAA warns Texas about anti-transgender bills

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not just the voter suppression bills that will do great harm to the state of Texas and its people if the Republicans ram them through. Amid all the talk of boycotts and corporate criticism of election bills going through … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Final Four returns to Houston

Posted on July 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. The NCAA announced Monday that Houston and NRG Stadium will host the 2023 men’s Final Four. College basketball’s marquee event will be held April 1 and 3. It will mark the fourth time the event will be … Continue reading →

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Athletes against SB6

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From Athlete Ally: Dear Texas, The love of sport is in part what makes Texas great. The passion and competitive spirit that reverberates throughout the Texas athletic community is hard to match across the United States. It’s that passion – … Continue reading →

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SB6 is already costing us business

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There will be lots more of this to come as it advances. Three groups — with meetings estimated to bring $3.1 million in total spending — no longer are considering the Alamo City for their events because of a bill … Continue reading →

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Politifact muddles the economic debate over SB6

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This doesn’t change anything, but we must fuss about it anyway. In what appeared to be an attempt at a show of force, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday once again attacked claims that the proposed “bathroom bill” is bad … Continue reading →

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More on the cost of a bathroom bill

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever one thinks of the Texas Association of Business, you have to hand it to them for their lobbying focus on the great potty issue. With the legislative session just weeks ahead, the Texas business community is digging in its … Continue reading →

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Business owners tell Dan Patrick to back off on bathrooms

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

More like this, please. Saying Texas Republican leaders are threatening jobs and the economy, more than 200 small-business owners issued an open letter Tuesday urging legislators to abandon plans for a state law targeting transgender bathrooms. The letter described “a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

NCAA removes all championship games for 2016 and 2017 from North Carolina

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Actions, they have consequences. Based on the NCAA’s commitment to fairness and inclusion, the Association will relocate all seven previously awarded championship events from North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year. The NCAA Board of Governors made this decision because of the cumulative actions taken … Continue reading →

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NCAA lays down a marker on anti-LGBT legislation

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hope the Lege is paying attention, because they can’t say they haven’t been warned. The NBA and NCAA may have just dealt a preemptive, one-two knockout punch to anti-LGBT bills in the upcoming Texas Legislature, which convenes in January. First, … Continue reading →

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The dry run for the Super Bowl

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It went pretty well. In less than a year, the Super Bowl is expected to draw almost twice as many as the 70,000 out-of-towners who flocked here for the Final Four. More than 1 million are expected to come downtown … Continue reading →

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Take transit to the game

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If you can, you should. The transformation of downtown from a work place that empties after dark to a true community is finally underway in earnest, with residents, retail shops, and restaurants that remain open long after the lunch rush. … Continue reading →

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Lots of people took the train to the games

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. After handling more than a quarter-million rail trips over the four-day NCAA Final Four period, Metro is calling it a slam dunk. “These are numbers are fantastic for us,” spokesman Jerome Gray said. Metro said 255,700 rail boardings occurred … Continue reading →

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Final Four weekend was pretty good for Houston

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll take it. Beyond the basketball court, the Houston economy appears to be the big winner of the Final Four. Across the city, several restaurants, bars and hotels reported big boosts in customers and cash flow, as an estimated 70,000 … Continue reading →

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Houston to get 2013 NBA All Star Game

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Assuming the lockout has ended by then, of course. The game will be played Feb. 17 at Toyota Center, which also hosted the 2006 game. “It’s a done deal,” a person familiar with the bidding process told the Chronicle on … Continue reading →

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Are you ready for 2016?

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Unlike the Super Bowl, Houston will get to host another Final Four in the near future. Detroit set the previous record in 2009, but the Final Four at Reliant Stadium established a new standard for the event’s highest total attendance … Continue reading →

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If there’s a big sporting event in town…

Posted on March 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Then it must be time for a story about the economic impact of that big sporting event. For a city that has hosted the Super Bowl, the World Series and NBA and MLB All-Star games in the past decade, the … Continue reading →

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