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Thursday, March 15, 2007

Chicago hotel can’t contain the KU March Madness

By Mark Fagan

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Reader poll

Where do you plan to watch KU play the first round of the NCAA tournament?

  • Home 69% 809 votes
  • Local bar or restaurant 15% 184 votes
  • Chicago 6% 76 votes
  • Elsewhere 5% 64 votes
  • Don't plan to watch 1% 23 votes

1156 total votes.

The Westin Michigan Avenue features 751 guest rooms, 23 suites and a prominent standing on Chicago's famed Magnificent Mile.

But it's not big enough for an onslaught of KU fans.

While the official team hotel for the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks rates as the finest of team accommodations in Chicago for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, its public lobby simply wouldn't be able to accommodate Friday's official pregame pep rally.

"There is absolutely no room at the Westin," said Mike Davis, senior vice president for the KU Alumni Association, who will be staying in the hotel at 909 N. Michigan Ave. "We'll have a ton of people show up. We could have 600, 700, 800 people show up for a pep rally."

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'Hawks head to Chi-town

And that means taking the show - and the KU pep band, spirit squad, Big Jay and everyone else associated with the rally - across East Delaware Place to the iconic John Hancock Center, a 100-story edifice whose giant diagonal braces form large Xs climbing the tapered building's exterior.

But fans won't have to go inside.

The hotel has made its outdoor plaza - an elliptical public area out front that features a 12-foot waterfall - available for the initial KU pep rally, set to begin at 4 p.m. Friday. A KU victory during the 6:10 p.m. game against Niagara would spur another rally at noon Sunday, in time for fans to attend both sessions of second-round action at the United Center.

No NCAA perks for officials

A taxpayer-advocate group on Wednesday announced it had sent a letter "urging University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway to declare publicly that the school will not provide free NCAA Basketball Tournament tickets to any members of Congress or Congressional staffers."

The group, Americans For Prosperity, pointed out that a strict new ethics law passed in January prohibits members of Congress from accepting almost all gifts from registered lobbyists. But the law preserved a loophole that exempts gifts from lobbyists paid for by state or local governments.

In response to the letter, KU spokesman Todd Cohen wrote, "KU does not provide free NCAA tickets to any elected officeholders, and also of course the university follows applicable ethics guidelines."

KU Associate Athletic Director Jim Marchiony said the university does not grant any tournament-related perks - such as discounted tickets or a shot at buying tickets early - to elected leaders.

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Comments

brooksmd (anonymous) says...

Down here in Louisiana a state rep wanted an increase in the value of free tickets they get for college sporting events because he didn't think a cap of $100 would get him a very good seat. Scumbags.

March 15, 2007 at 1:07 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

LAJayhawk5 (anonymous) says...

That rep's just been added to the SUCK IT list. What a clown.

March 15, 2007 at 2:01 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

I like this new ethics law passed by this committee. Now, if we could just prevent our congress members from accepting $25,000 checks from underneath the table, then we would really be in a good situation. I mean, $500 dollars for a ticket for a congress member is nothing. Just think what kind of tickets Monica Lewinsky can get, even though she technically is an honorary congresslady.

March 15, 2007 at 4:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

U2freak (anonymous) says...

Robert Hemenway was one of the main reasons I left KU. Go figure folks.

March 15, 2007 at 7:55 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Joe Ross) says...

That was stupid.

March 15, 2007 at 9:21 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

I wish I could be at that pep-rally. The area is great but since it is outdoors, I hope the weather isn't a pain (cold, windy, rainy, etc.).

Oh well, if it is, they could always go inside the Cheesecake Factory right there.

Chicago... that's my kind of town!

March 15, 2007 at 9:27 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jhwkfan162515 (anonymous) says...

KU fans are the best in the world. They'll go to the ends of the earth to follow their team!

March 15, 2007 at 10:20 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

tdub (anonymous) says...

So, does Kathleen Sebelius wait in line at the KU ticket office or browse ticket scalping websites and pay hundreds of dollars for her semi-annual campaigning trips to AFH? I seriously doubt it.

March 15, 2007 at 11:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

lalawguy (anonymous) says...

I'm sure the governor either has or knows somebody who has season tickets for KU football and basketball (and K-State and WSU), so waiting in line is probably not a problem for her. This rule also does not prohibit some third party company from buying tickets from the university and then gifting them (the official still has to report it, though). I also don't know why tdub is picking on just the governor. I have seen candidates of all shapes and sizes campaigning in and around AFH and Memorial Stadium. It's just part of the political game.

March 15, 2007 at 12:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )