IS IT TRUE? February 28, 2011

IS IT TRUE that Evansville Memorial High School’s Kyle Kuric once again was a hero for the Louisville Cardinals Coach Rick Pitino in the Cards victory over 4th ranked Pittsburgh?…that Kuric sank a three pointer in overtime to put the Cardinals up to stay and then got loose for a breakaway slam dunk to put the exclamation point on the game with 0.5 seconds remaining?…that a happy cheerleader got a technical foul called on himself and caused a bit of drama in the last 0.5 seconds but that the Cards were victorious anyway?…that seeing Kyle Kuric have such a good year with his frequent TV appearances is good for Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that there are many lessons that Evansville could learn from Louisville?…that the new YUM Center has sold out all 20 (all nationally televised) of the men’s basketball games this year with an average attendance of just over 22,000 people per game?…that the Lady Cardinals are #2 in the nation in attendance at 11,058 people per game?…that with the University of Louisville basketball teams drawing over 825,000 people since YUM Center opened in November that the overall attendance has thus far topped 1 Million people?…that with at kind of attendance and exposure it is no wonder that YUM Brands was willing to ante up over $1M per year for naming rights.

IS IT TRUE that Mole #13 tells us that Ann Arbor, Michigan has chased the abominable snow man out of town and that all of the sidewalks in the 25 square block downtown district are cleared of snow?…that caring for downtown’s must do something for commerce because empty storefronts are few and far between and the streets are relatively filled both day and night?…that the feel of the streets when the sidewalks are cleared, the streetlights work, and there are people around is SAFE?…that it is hard to find a parking place none the less?

IS IT TRUE that Roberts Stadium was sent out in style with an University of Evansville Purple Aces VICTORY and with a crowd of nearly 11,000 people?…that the sounds of the crowd and the energy of the team was a great reminder of just how those 5 national championship banners were earned by the Aces of the past?…that the City County Observer is rooting for championship seasons, banners to hang, and sell out games at the new downtown Evansville Arena for both the UE Aces and the USI Eagles?

IS IT TRUE that we and others are truly beginning to have more than a passing concern for the non-start of any activity down at the McCurdy Hotel?…that after over three years windows remain open, pigeons seek refuge, and lights eerily come on from time to time?…that neglect is a very well proven way to devalue a building, and especially a historical brick building with aging tuck pointing?…that the City of Evansville is already into this project for $1.4 Million and counting and has negative equity to show for it?…that it is time to have this developer either perform or get out of the way so the project can be opened up for another developer?…that this looks like the extended version of the Executive Inn Dilemma?…that Evansville people and Evansville money came to the rescue of the downtown Convention Hotel saga?…that maybe some local group will pull the City of Evansville’s fat out of the fire down at the McCurdy too?…that it is getting tiring to watch one Indianapolis based business after another come to Evansville to prove what they can’t or won’t do?