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| Madison |
Sure, it was fun watching the Mavs beat Miami’s dream team last season. And it’s always fascinating to see how many different ways to lose the Warriors and Clippers come up with, and how many different ways to win Greg Popovitch can wrest out of his superstar power forward, who’s got to be pushing 50 by now. But even with these little delights, the NBA has become a complete snooze. Dubious officiating. An interminable post-season. Ticket prices that make live games inaccessible to most fans. With the constant squabbling over money, I’ve lost all interest in the professional version of my favorite sport.
Thank God for college basketball. Here are 5 places to catch a great game of college hoops:
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| Austin |
1. Austin. I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard it described as paradise by people I like who’ve lived there. Amazing weather, thriving live music scene, culturally significant and filled with open-minded, progressive people. Despite being in Texas.
2. Bloomington. In hoops-crazed Indiana basketball fans rule. According to ESPN.com, “game day atmosphere is great everywhere—in town, on campus, in the arena.” What better reason to travel to the middle of the country?
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| Bloomington |
3. Lexington. If it’s good enough for Ashley Judd, it’s good enough for me.
4. Madison. Madison is cool by any standards—politics dominated by activists and liberals. It’s also cosmopolitan, meaning you’ll have plenty to fill your days in between the games.
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| Fairmount Park, Philadelphia |
5. Philadelphia. Temple, Villanova, St. Joe’s. I love Philadelphia; it doesn’t take itself, or its critics, too seriously. Fairmount Park is the largest inner city park on the planet and possibly the most beautiful. With world-class art museums, restaurants, shopping and transportation, Philly is fun, exciting and easy to navigate.
