Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Patsos (Patsos?) Has Right Perspective

Most conference followers only know Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos from his loud, animated, and usually gruff sideline demeanor during games.

Those who know Patsos a little better know he is colorful and intelligent, a guy with insightful and interesting opinions on a variety of topics.

They also know that he's a good guy, someone fun to be around. And, someone who truly cares not only for his players and his program, but the sport in general.

So when it came to talking about the venue for this year's conference tournament, the Times Union Center that serves as the regular-season home court for the MAAC's most-dominant team this season, Siena, it didn't surprise those who know Patsos to hear his view.

"Does Siena have a homecourt advantage? Yes, they do," said Patsos.

"But, they earn it because they sell 5,000 season tickets.

"Whoever gets to play Siena up there (in the upcoming tournament) gets to play in a great tournament atmosphere. It's great for our league. Our league is having a good year. Now the league will get more attention (during the tournament). People who tune in (on TV) want to be able to see a full building.

"The tournament is for everyone, and not just for the individual teams playing. Coaches just worry about winning their game (and, Patsos does, too). But, I also care about the tournament being a success, and about the fans enjoying it. And for those reasons Albany is a great place to have our tournament."

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