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By Greg Russell
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Tiger fans and alums Danny Linton and Kimberly Rogers feel Memphis will beat Missouri
tonight. (Greg Russell photo)
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Danny Linton may this time have the million-dollar answer.
“I am picking Memphis over Missouri,” says Linton, an alumnus of the U of M and also
the University’s Web administrator for finance support services. “We have a lot more
tournament experience than Missouri does. A lot of people say Mike Anderson was the
last coach to beat us in C-USA. But that same season, we beat them twice. I feel good
about our chances.”
Now what might set Linton apart from other prognosticators is that in 2003, he was
chosen to be on the hit TV show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” He made it to the
$8,000 question before his “phone-a-friend” gave him the wrong answer to a question.
This year’s Tiger team might be a more reliable bet to lean on.
Kimberly Rogers, traveling with Linton, said this of tonight’s contest: “Everyone
talks about how the Missouri Tigers are on a mission, but I think our guys are on
a mission, too. We’ve got the two seniors who have won a lot. They know how to win,
been used to winning and they want to win. They won’t let us leave here without winning
it.”
Norman and Josie Dean, both alums of the U of M, plan on traveling to Detroit by some
other transportation other than plane if the Tigers reach the Final Four.
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Memphis fans Norman and Josie Dean had flight delays of several hours before reaching
Glendale late last night.
(Greg Russell photo)
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“We flew out of Little Rock and we had an almost three-hour delay,” says Norman.
“We were on the plane at 2:30 when they told us we couldn’t leave Little Rock. It
was 5 when we left. The first hour they made us stay in the plane. The second hour,
they let us get off. Then we got back on. I tried to make other reservations, but
there were no other flights to Phoenix. We got into Dallas at 6; our flight left there
at 6:20 so we had to run through the airport to make it.”
Added Josie, “We didn’t have time to get anything to eat, no dinner, no time to run
to the restroom. We ate nothing from 12 to 8:30 last night. We got peanuts on the
airplane. That is about it.”
Norman said he would find a different mode of transportation if the Tigers advance
to the Final Four.
“We have ordered Final Four tickets to Detroit. We are going to drive up. I am not
going to mess with any airplanes,” he said with a laugh.
Notes:
Tiger fans coming to the game won’t have to venture far from the arena for eats, entertainment
and baseball. The Westgate City Center, a type of outdoor mall with trendy shops and
restaurants, is adjacent to the University of Phoenix Stadium. The area includes a
movie theatre as well as about a dozen restaurants ranging from Johnny Rockets, to
Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, to Shane’s Rib Shack. Tiger fans who forget U of M
apparel can shop at Just Sports in the Westgate Center. It offers a wide variety of
Tiger caps and t-shirts. Yard House Restaurant claims to offer the largest draft beer
selection in the world.
The Los Angeles Dodgers spring training center is about two miles from the stadium.
They play host to Kansas City Friday at 1 p.m. local time and Chicago White Sox at
1 p.m. on Saturday.
Those wanting a longer trip can travel north from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon, about
a five to six hour drive.
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