Gorgeous weather conditions arrived just in time for Saturday's flurry of events in downtown Atlanta. Centennial Park was flooded with college basketball fans from across the nation as well as curious locals who wanted to take advantage of the free entertainment. Saturday night featured the NCAA semifinal contests, but earlier in the day fans were energized by concerts held in the park. The Big Dance We attended the Macklemore, Ludacris and Flo Rida shows in the afternoon, and each was absolutely packed. They were excellent shows that got the momentum pumping leading into the games. If any of you have ever witnessed me at a concert, you can imagine. It was no different than usual, and with Ludacris on stage, I was reliving my high school days. No, I can't dance, but I do. At some point when the music starts, I cease to care about what people think about my lack of rhythm. Gametime We went directly from the park to the games at the Georgia Dome, which rivals the Superdome as perhaps the most massive of Final Four venues. This year I didn't end up with the most satisfactory tickets for the semifinal games, due partially to the new confusing ticketing format the NCAA had employed. While there are still some "hard" tickets — meaning you have an actual paper ticket to enter the venue — the majority of the tickets for this year's event are ticket-less. Instead of having an actual hard ticket, patrons have to create an online account with Flash Seats. From there, the NCAA will transfer your ticket ownership into your Flash Seats account. Fans then have to enter a form of identification into their Flash Seats account. When they enter the gates at the Dome, that card is swiped, then printing off your corresponding seat location on what is essentially a receipt. It was efficient from what I could assess. Still, I heard chatter of fans getting sold fraudulent tickets to the tune of $1,000 each, which is sickening as always. I commend the NCAA on at least trying to curtail the dishonest scalpers. Close Calls Saturday's games were a pleasant change from the last few year's Final Four contests, which have provided little suspense. Confident that Louisville would win the title entering this weekend, I began to doubt when they stared at a 12-point deficit on Saturday against Wichita State. During the first half, the Cardinals showed little life and even less desire to compete on the same level with a more inspired Shocker team. It was impressive enough that Wichita State had already beaten a No. 1 and No. 2 seed to advance to Atlanta. Now they had the tournament's overall No. 1 seed in a worrisome predicament. But just as they have done on multiple occasions this season, Louisville proved its second-half strength to mount a remarkable comeback. The Cardinals' pressure defense had not fazed Wichita State in the first half, unable to force turnovers and speed up the game. The Shockers handled that aggressiveness and outworked Louisville underneath the basket. The tables turned in the final 15 minutes. Louisville began to find success from the outside and work its way out of a deliberate halfcourt offense into a more desirable hustle game. Being able to get Russ Smith out in transition and put offensive pressure on Wichita State's interior was key. On Saturday, though, it was an unsung hero that helped the Cardinals over the edge. Luke Hancock knocked down pivotal shots in the midst of Louisville's run, answering the Shockers' two-pointers with treys. It was enough to gradually close the gap and push Louisville into the title game. The second game on Saturday had a similar plot line with a different ending. Michigan controlled the majority of its meeting with Syracuse, needing to battle off a pesky Orangemen team in the final minute when it closed to within one. But for most of the game, Michigan kept its lead near 10 points, comfortably picking apart the nation's most feared 2-3 zone. Syracuse had met its match against college basketball's most talented point guard and National Player of the Year winner Trey Burke. He and the Michigan backcourt were prepared for the task and with an uncanny ability to knock down the outside shot, it was Syracuse that found itself back on its heels. Looking Ahead Monday's matchup between Louisville and Michigan is the best scenario we could have in my opinion, given the final four teams. Watching Louisville play Syracuse for a fourth time this season would have been excruciating for most, considering that it would have also been a low-scoring game against two teams that know one another two well. Instead, we have perhaps the two most electrifying guards in the nation going toe-to-toe, with Burke and Smith vying for the chance to outshine one another. Destiny says Monday will be magical and touching, with Kevin Ware hoisting the trophy and the nation shedding a tear of sports joy. But Trey Burke probably has other plans. His empathy for Ware ends somewhere short of that awards podium, where the Wolverines are quite worthy of being. By now, it should have become very clear to everyone, Michigan is not a typical No. 4 seed. They are more than capable of being No. 1 after Monday night. That said, I still think Louisville has the edge. Worthy Host I have mentioned previously that the setup in Atlanta is very convenient, with the entertainment in the park, Bracket Town and the Dome all located within a very short walking distance. Commuting and parking was an ease, and as basic as that sounds, it's a factor that plays into being able to host such an event. Convenience is just one barrier standing in St. Louis way of earning the rights to host the Final Four again. Musings I also had an encounter with former NBA player and all-time leading blocker Dikembe Mutumbo. My attempt to converse with him was interrupted by both our language barrier and about a foot-and-half in height difference. If any of you have seen the commercial featuring Mutumbo blocking various items and declaring, "NOT in my house!" or similar statements, you may see the comedy in the fact that I have no idea what Mutumbo said to me. My best guess is that his response might have been, "NOT todaaay!" I also had an unsuccessful attempt to converse with Tim Hardaway, the senior, who said he was just too worn out at the end of the day.

The massive Georgia Dome plays host to this year's Final Four games.

Derrick Forsythe Photo.