Good morning from Tampa

That's the Florida State basketball team shooting around before it's first-round game in the ACC tournament. The Seminoles tip with Clemson at noon and there are already FSU fans filtering into the arena. My hotel was overrun with red and gold this morning, and My Boy Sandy (who covers the Yankees) reports that Clemson and their fans took over his hotel out closer to the Westshore area.

There's been a lot of talk in recent days about whether it's good for the ACC tourney to leave its North Carolina roots (it's usually in Greensboro) but I don't see how this is bad: It's exposing the best conference in the country to a new area and changing which teams have to travel further. Usually, FSU, Miami, Maryland and the Virginia schools have a bit of a trip to NC while the NC schools get an easy ride; this year, Duke, UNC, NC State, Wake and Clemson, et. al have a little more of a ride. It's only fair.

Anyway, even the most blue-blooded Carolina traditionalist will probably change his mind once he either a) gets on a golf course; b) eats at a great steakhouse; or c) checks out the talent at one of Tampa's famous gentleman's clubs. There's a lot more fun to be had here than in Greensboro, that's for sure.