NCAA Championship Basketball

By Milton Thompson

I'm writing this note several hours before the NCAA Championship basketball game between Perennial power Duke and hometown Butler University. The historic consequences of the game's outcome is but a small part of my comments. While hosting a few friends and sports executives who have traveled to Indianapolis to participate in the "Final Four," I have noticed the culmination of a dream contemplated by our civic and political leadership, that has not always been popularly supported. That dream, one of making downtown Indianapolis the destination site of choice for major world class events has been realized. I applaud the courageous foresight of those visionaries who posited a dream and worked tirelessly despite criticism to realize this dream. I proudly escort our visitors past Conseco Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, the new Marriott, and the expansion of the convention center and smile at the prospect of answering a childhood question of "are we there yet?" Well, we are not there yet, but the road is clearly paved and the dream is still alive. For every great stride by a community, there is some attendant pain, taxes, inequity, philosophical and fiscal differences pock mark the road. But, these differences seemed small and almost inconsequential while enjoying the tangible fruits of the decisions to forge forward with progress.