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Tourism group gives high marks to hoops tourney

WBFO News file photo

While some NCAA fans left disappointed because their teams didn't advance past Buffalo, Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO Patrick Kaler says he's happy because things went well and the visitors left behind more than $5 million.

"The only thing that didn't go well might have been the weather," Kaler said.

"But, really, the good news is that the only time the weather was bad was when people were inside the arena. Otherwise, Friday, their day off from the tournament, perfect blue skies, cloudless day."

First Niagara Center was packed, as were restaurants and bars and a lot of other places on the off-day. 

Kaler admits there was a minor problem with parking prices but quick social media work shifted people to cheaper lots.

Kaler said this year's tournament also serves as another notice to those who run major sports events that this area knows how to run them successfully.
 

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.