DETROIT -- Many people love this city, close to where Chuck "Pigskin Preacher" Monan grew up.
In 2009, when it hosted the NCAA Tournament Final Four, one of the most talked about things among members of the media that week was, "Why?" Why here, at the end of March when cold winds, gray skies and ice are the highlights of the day?
In the days leading up to Selection Sunday, when the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville would find out its seed and destination for the 2018 NCAA Tournament, rejoicing was done every time one of the experts picked the Razorbacks to play in Dallas.
It made sense. Hogs fans love Big D and have a history of showing it.
In the infinite wisdom of that selection committee -- and someone might want to check the bar bill -- Arkansas wasn't sent to Dallas. Neither was Texas A&M nor Missouri, the SEC schools most likely to spend the long green it took support their team.
The selection committee put Florida there.
Michigan State got Detroit, and so did the Razorbacks.
The No. 7 seed Hogs' home court is 888 miles from here. The team they play, No. 10 Butler is 278 miles.
Granted, Kentucky, the best team in the SEC right now, got a No. 5 seed and shipped to Boise, Idaho, which has a better chance of having golf weather today than this city.
The flights were on time and semi-comfortable -- thank you, Delta -- but expensive, as is all flying to and from Little Rock any more.
After spending 30 minutes searching for the Uber location, a cab was taken, and the long, long journey that would cost almost $60 began.
The cab driver, originally from Jerusalem, said he had been here 50 years, having moved here in 2012.
At least that's the way it sounded. He reminded me a lot of that Boris guy on KATV Channel 7, but he's easier to tune out.
He was a friendly guy who was trying really hard to speak English, it is still the primary language in America and Detroit, and he kept shaking my hand and inviting me for drinks.
"Don't worry the time, 24 hours a day, you call, we go have a glass of wine, and I pay," he said. When we arrived at the press hotel, he gave me a card with his cell phone number written on the back. It got lost during check-in.
The hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, is not a garden spot.
Looking for a little relaxing down time in the hotel room before it all hits the fan today with eight news conferences and eight practices, the view of a parking lot, a busy street and a building that rents storage space didn't do it.
The second room came after being on hold for 19 minutes and it has a view of two parking lots, a train, the same busy street and a Basement Burger Bar. Another room change was not requested, although the constant howling in the bathroom shaft is disturbing.
Perhaps the NCAA is thinking nothing is too good for the media, so that is what they are going to give us, nothing.
The good news is this is the only column that will be written about travel, accommodations or how Arkansas was hosed by the selection committee.
Starting now, it is all basketball, like how Butler is favored by the oddsmakers, but then they re 610 miles closer to home cooking.
Perhaps the real reason the Bulldogs got the edge is that while the SEC got eight teams in the tournament, its best seed was a 3. The Big East, where Butler plays, got six bids, but two of them were No. 1.
As for matchups, Arkansas and Butler may be one of the best first-round games, even if it is in Detroit.
Sports on 03/15/2018